What this nutritionist needs you to know about cancer

by | Mar 17, 2016 | Blog

I am mad. I am so mad and I am so sad!

Someone I love very much, my Spiritual Soul Sister whom I cannot imagine not knowing in this life and just being around her I felt like we belonged, is dying.

After almost 12 years of fighting for her life from the grips of cancer, the last year being a metastasis, her beautiful body is shutting down.

I know in my heart that her light and her spirit shine so bright that nothing can put them out, not even cancer. But the body she came here in, it has had enough, and I can’t blame it one bit.

I have asked myself many times over the years of knowing her and what she has endured, “how does one body take SO much?”
The answer is this: our bodies are beautiful, brilliant, magical, strong, resilient vessels and when given the right tools: foods, nutrients, hydration, thoughts, exercise, love, attention, care, consideration, rest etc. they can overcome more than we could ever imagine.

I know and understand that all of our precious time here is limited and when our time is up then so it is, but I also know that everyday does not need to be lived in suffering, pain & agony with little to no actual “living” happening.

My sister of the soul has been in the hospital more than she has been out of it in the last 12 months, and alot of her time spent in a wheelchair because she could no longer walk. My heart hurts knowing that even though she has been so strong and fighting for her life she has been robbed of the option to truly LIVE.

This brings me back to my WHY. For as long as I can remember I have always had this “knowing” inside of me saying, there is another way, we do have power over this, you are in control!

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

I have spent years researching and educating myself on the facts about cancer. What causes it? what ‘cures’ it? why do we spend so much money on research if the death toll is only getting higher? Why are people afraid to talk about it? Why do we say “the C word” Instead of calling it what it is? Why is there not more information about holistic therapy? Why can’t I do more to help?

Well I have found many of the answers to these questions over the years and I am continuing to learn more every day.

I am not anti-conventional medicine, in fact I am grateful for it often and the lives it has saved; however, there is a place for it and it does not necessarily always need to be first place.

What our bodies need, require, beg of us more than anything to thrive, to heal, to survive is, true, natural high quality, chemical free food & water. That simple? YES! That F*cking simple!

Over the years we have seen cancer rates multiply, death toll increase and hand in hand with that we have seen the food industry turn into a factory farming industry.

Our food is no longer really food anymore, our water is barely safe to drink and yet who’s questioning this?

And then illness arises and people continue to jam their body with chemicals and toxins and wonder why they aren’t getting better, through no fault of their own. If this stuff is on the shelves, shouldn’t it be safe to eat?

Upon hearing the word “cancer” for most people the immediate reaction is fear and impulse. Act now, treat this now, heal me now, cure me now, do whatever it takes….Doc, and rarely second guess, question or doubt the life changing choices they are about to make. They are told of “survival rates” without even questioning what the true meaning of that is. Now I am not saying that you should not choose conventional therapy and I am not saying you should, that is out of my scope and not what I am here to tell you, but….

 

Here is what I NEED for you to know!

 

  • It is very rare that you don’t have time to think and decide on your course of treatment. You can take some time to research and decide on your treatment options and your doctor can usually tell you this if you probe. 

  • You have more options than the top 3 your doctor will immediately suggest to you. (Chemo, Radiation, Surgery).

  • When you chose a course of action you absolutely, positively NEED to flood your body with cell replenishing, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. (Plant based foods).

  • You are not alone, you have advocates that you may just not know about yet, seek them out.

  • Every piece of food and hydration you put into your body is either feeding your disease or fighting it, choose wisely, educate yourself.

  • Treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are taxing on the body. They will surely target your cancer cells but they will also target your good healthy cells too, this will deplete your body of its chances for a full recovery ( I am talking a recovery that lasts plus 5 years)

  • You should definitely live your life to the fullest and do the things you love, but eating shitty foods and depriving your body of the true, nature made ingredients it instinctively craves will not give you the quality of life you want or need to live fully. (If you disagree, hey that’s fine too, maybe this post wasn’t meant for you.)

  • You may be so used to living in pain and discomfort that you forget what feeling good actually feels like and neglect to make the necessary changes. Start taking small steps in the direction of complete and total health and you will see that you will start to feel the difference between good and better.

  • Chemo and radiation while effective at times are not the be all and end all. They are a solution to a symptom, your body needs your help and your work to keep the cancer at bay for good. If we look at statistics it is plain to see that cancer can and will come back years after treatment. Even if it is in a different part of the body. Once the environment is created for cancer to thrive, it will. It is up to you and your body to make sure cancer stands no chance inside of you.

  • There are situations and circumstances that some may say are completely out of our control and I do believe that but that is not every case and the majority of cancer cases are related to diet and lifestyle. Just because your body has suffered this fate it does not have to take your life, there is hope.

I have so much more to say but this is what is on my heart right now and you can be sure that you will hear more and more from me.

I am a registered holistic nutritionist, studying holistic cancer practitioner and yoga teacher on a mission to educate and empower women about the options they do have and how to truly heal themselves once and for all from this dis-ease.

Vegan Double Cheeze Lasagne (Recipe)

by | Mar 7, 2016 | Blog

Last week I found myself hosting an impromptu dinner party of 8!

I wanted to try a new spin on my traditional tofu filled lasagna and before I knew it my dinner table was full, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Something about cooking for a group of people I love just makes the food that much better.

I originally cut dairy out of my diet despite my obsessive love of cheese, to help my skin clear up and heal my digestive system. I had no idea this would heal my asthma and eliminate my need for an inhaler ever again. Since I went dairy free almost 6 years ago I have learned alot about dairy and the dairy industry and now my resolve is strengthened 10 fold.
When you know better, you do better ♥

I made two trays of lasange, one with brown rice lasagna noodles and one with zucchini & eggplant as the noodles. They were both amazing but the zucchini/eggplant noodle one definitely felt a bit lighter afterwards.

I varied a few different cheeze recipes to create the fillings.

Let me know if you try this, if you change it up and how you liked it!

Xo Janine

P.S. if you are interested in transitioning to a Vegan diet & /or looking for more delicious Vegan recipes and a loving supportive community then please come join my private Facebook Group “Becoming Vegan with Janine Fournier” !

Double Cheeze Vegan Lasagna Recipe – Janine Fournier

What you Need:

For the Lasagna “Noodles”

4 Zucchini – sliced thin lengthwise
1 Large Eggplant – sliced thin lengthwise
(can use a mandolin or knife for this)

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 can or jar of your favourite spaghetti sauce
1 small can of crushed tomatoes
1 small onion diced
1 lb of mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsps dried basil
Sea salt & Pepper to taste

For the Cashew Cheese:
2 Cups raw cashews soaked in water (1 or more hours)
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 garlic clove
1 tsp turmeric
¼ cup lemon juice
sea salt to taste (1/4 tsp)

For the macadamia nut cheese:

1.5 cups of raw macadamia nuts – soaked in water (4 hours or more)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Heat coconut oil in a sauce pan. Add onion and sautee until see through. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sautee for another 5-10 minutes. Add the sauce, the basil & oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on medium heat for 10-20 minutes.
  1. Combine all ingredients for the cashew cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender.
  1. Combine all ingredients for the macadamia nut cheese except for the parsley in a food processor, purée macadamia nuts, water, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and purée another minute until light and fluffy. Transfer to a bowl and fold in parsley.
  1. Lightly cover bottom of 9×12-inch baking dish with sauce to prevent the “noodles” from sticking.

Arrange a layer of zucchini noodles and top with a quarter of the remaining sauce.

Spread a third of the macadamia ricotta over zucchini and then half of the cashew cheese sauce.

Place a layer of the eggplant noodles over top of the bottom layer. Spread ¼ more of the sauce over top of the eggplant. Add remaining macadamia ricotta and cashew cheese sauce on top.
Place last layer of zucchini noodles on top and spread the remaining sauce over top.
Cover with foil.
Place baking dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until sauce bubbles. Cool for 15 minutes. (Optional: Garnish with nutritional yeast)

ENJOY!!♥