Green is good

I went to an event run by the Aratika Trust, a local organisation that supports people with a cancer diagnosis. The first day was for anyone wanting to improve health and the second day was about the importance of eating well when you have a cancer diagnosis. Local doctor Britte Noske made a convincing case for sticking to a plant-based, mostly raw diet in order to starve tumour cells of the energy they need.

The star of the nutrition weekend was Aleisha Wyllie, author of a cookbook called Life is Great. She describes herself as a passionate foodie who loves having fun in the kitchen transforming traditional recipes into healthy wholefood creations. A couple of the things we made and then ate for lunch

• felafel - made by blending together chickpeas, steamed kumara and undressed coleslaw with a dash of curry powder and garam masala
• broccoli cream - blitzed raw broccoli, avocado, red onion, celery, mushrooms and sprouts
• carrot cakes - made in food processor with all raw ingredients; carrot of course, with red pepper, turmeric, garlic, tahini, sprouts and sunflower seeds; squished into muffin moulds to make cakes
• quinoa salad - dressed with apple cider vinegar and flaxseed oil

I couldn't help picturing the faces of Eva and Annie if I turned up bearing "carrot cakes" and produced Aleisha's version. 

Each day we made a juice and also several different green smoothies. Aleisha showed us how easy it is to make our own sauerkraut. Sauerkraut packs all the nutrients and phytochemicals that make a cabbage a superfood and the fermentation process adds heaps of probiotics. 

In those two days I had more vegetables and fruit than I have had in total over the last three months, not that is saying much as I have been pretty much living on Ensure. Lots of things still hurt my throat, most things still taste bland and make my mouth go furry, and I just can't swallow anything dry; but I am getting more of an appetite. I have been making vegetable soups thickened with nut milks.

Can't say I don't wish I could still enjoy a ham toasted sandwich though.