The more I read, the more I learn, and the more passionate I get. My Dad recently joked that the list of things Karen is passionate about is as long as a super-sized paper towel roll. And I will agree with that. I no longer believe that just because you are predisposed to a particular bad gene- like heart disease or cancer, that your hands are tied and you can do nothing to avoid it.  I wish my Mom, Dad and the rest of world knew what I know now, back before I was even born. Maybe I could have lived until I was 80 (just like my Gram) before I got my first bout of cancer. But that is not the life I have – so I am learning now what is not common knowledge.And I may be turning into a crazy hippie And people may think I am a crazy hippie, but oh well we drive a subaru, so it was inevitable. I recently stayed at my parents house and I didn’t bring any toiletries with me because I now use olive oil to wash my face, baking soda for shampoo and a vinegar rinse for conditioner. (you would think this would cause a volcano like reaction but it doesn’t)  I just raided their pantry and I was all set.

What we eat and what we let our skin absorb- is important. It makes a difference if we are an anti-cancer machine, or a fertile bed for cancer growth. And some of us who have “bad genes” have to be more strict than people with “good genes”. But most of us don’t know if we have good genes or bad ones, so wouldn’t it be smart to just play it safe and eat as healthy as we can, and exercise 30 minutes a day 3-5 times a week? And for Pete sake- Stop smoking!

Here are some great articles and places to start in your journey for a new Anti-Cancer body!

Michael Pollan of course! Although, his take is not necessarily on preventing disease or helping a a sick body heal, he comes to the same conclusions that everyone else does. And he has really interesting articles that delve into the many questions we all have and ones we didn’t even think of!

Rebecca Katz, the culinary expert and chef from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen fame. Let’s just put it this way- it’s my favorite cookbook- it’s already got pages that stick together and it’s only 2 months old. LOVE THIS BOOK! Website has some recipes, tells you when her appearances will be, etc.

Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Cancer Lady, has a great new website that has recipes, cooking videos,etc. Her Crazy Sexy Diet book is not so much a diet as a way of life. She delves into all topics- everything that we come in contact with; makeup, fragrances, water, shampoo- everything!

The Palette Fund, and Ruth Fehr, Director of Nutrition and Wellness- great website for what to eat when you have a particular side affect from treatment, resource for delicious, nutrition packed recipes and a great resource on what books we should all be reading!