100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It by Florence Strang
Authors: Florence Strang
Tags: Health; Fitness & Dieting, Medical Books, medicine, Diseases & Physical Ailments, Oncology, Internal Medicine, cancer, Medicine & Health Sciences, Clinical, Alternative Medicine
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cancer, for me it was a missed perk. Although I do think I AM
cool enough to pull it off!
Cancer treatments can have some nasty side effects, but there is
no need to suffer in silence. Explore with your doctor the many
options available to ease unpleasant symptoms and side effects.
I 62 J
Perk #13: The Use of Medicinal Marijuana
63
HEALTH TIP #13
No Rolling Papers? Try Ginger for Nausea Relief
M arijuana is not the only botanical that can help
ease chemo side effects. My “nondrug” of choice
was ginger!
The Chinese names for ginger, gan jiang (dried gin-
ger) and sheng jiang (fresh ginger), mean “to defend,”
suggesting that ginger helps to defend or protect the
body from ailments. In modern China, ginger is used
in almost half of all Chinese herbal prescriptions.
Herbalists believe that even modest amounts of ginger
in the diet can strengthen the lungs and kidneys, and it is a proven anti-
inflammatory. The body’s own response to inflammation is the root cause
of many chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So “anti”
inflammatory agents, such as ginger, are good for the body. (And with the
way ginger tastes, your mouth won’t mind either.)
Ginger ale consumption on airplanes is always high. One theory among
flight attendants is that people have found that it relieves motion sickness
and settles the stomach. (During my chemo-run, never was I seen without
my ginger ale in hand!) Researchers agree. The Lancet, a well-known medical
journal, reported that consuming ginger before a long flight was equally as
effective as taking the most popular pharmaceutical treatment, dimenhydri-
nate (Dramamine), at preventing motion sickness. Luckily, ginger is one
root that is easily found in markets, either as a whole root or in powder
form. Given the choice of taking a natural, delicious-tasting root or a drug,
I would hope that choice would be a no-brainer.
There are many ways to “get your ginger on.” You can sip
Ginger is a useful,
ginger tea, suck on ginger candy, eat ginger cookies, or drink
natural, and yummy way
ginger ale.
to help with nausea.
My favorite way to eat this delicious root is in soup. This
But don’t wait until you
quick and easy carrot ginger soup really relieves any kind of
feel sick to try this
stomach upset, provides healing antioxidant vitamins A and
delicious cancer-
fighting food.
C, and was a staple during my chemotherapy treatment:
64
100 Perks of Having Cancer
CARROT GINGER SOUP
YIELD: 8 CUPS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin organic olive oil (EVOOO)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (organic if possible)
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and roughly sliced (organic if possible)
2 to 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger*
1 cup almond or coconut milk (coconut is creamier)
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
Parsley sprigs, for garnish (if you’re a garnisher)
*Fresh is always better, but powdered or in a tube will work too.
If using powdered, use 11/2 tablespoons.
Directions:
In a 6-quart pot, heat oil and onions over medium heat, cooking and stirring
until onions are limp and transparent (about 10 minutes). Add broth, carrots,
and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots
are tender when pierced with a fork (about 13 to 15 minutes).
Remove from heat, let sit for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a blender. Be
careful! Don’t fill the blender more than halfway. It may take several batches
to do it this way, but when you are blending hot foods, there is a real danger
Perk #13: The Use of Medicinal Marijuana
65
of heat explosion (and with that comes a huge mess). Leave the hole in the
lid to the blender open, and loosely hold a dishtowel over the opening to
allow the steam to escape. Pulse the blender a few times before letting it run
on “puree.” Puree all contents until very smooth, and return to the pot. (You
can use an immersion or hand blender, if you
cool enough to pull it off!
Cancer treatments can have some nasty side effects, but there is
no need to suffer in silence. Explore with your doctor the many
options available to ease unpleasant symptoms and side effects.
I 62 J
Perk #13: The Use of Medicinal Marijuana
63
HEALTH TIP #13
No Rolling Papers? Try Ginger for Nausea Relief
M arijuana is not the only botanical that can help
ease chemo side effects. My “nondrug” of choice
was ginger!
The Chinese names for ginger, gan jiang (dried gin-
ger) and sheng jiang (fresh ginger), mean “to defend,”
suggesting that ginger helps to defend or protect the
body from ailments. In modern China, ginger is used
in almost half of all Chinese herbal prescriptions.
Herbalists believe that even modest amounts of ginger
in the diet can strengthen the lungs and kidneys, and it is a proven anti-
inflammatory. The body’s own response to inflammation is the root cause
of many chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So “anti”
inflammatory agents, such as ginger, are good for the body. (And with the
way ginger tastes, your mouth won’t mind either.)
Ginger ale consumption on airplanes is always high. One theory among
flight attendants is that people have found that it relieves motion sickness
and settles the stomach. (During my chemo-run, never was I seen without
my ginger ale in hand!) Researchers agree. The Lancet, a well-known medical
journal, reported that consuming ginger before a long flight was equally as
effective as taking the most popular pharmaceutical treatment, dimenhydri-
nate (Dramamine), at preventing motion sickness. Luckily, ginger is one
root that is easily found in markets, either as a whole root or in powder
form. Given the choice of taking a natural, delicious-tasting root or a drug,
I would hope that choice would be a no-brainer.
There are many ways to “get your ginger on.” You can sip
Ginger is a useful,
ginger tea, suck on ginger candy, eat ginger cookies, or drink
natural, and yummy way
ginger ale.
to help with nausea.
My favorite way to eat this delicious root is in soup. This
But don’t wait until you
quick and easy carrot ginger soup really relieves any kind of
feel sick to try this
stomach upset, provides healing antioxidant vitamins A and
delicious cancer-
fighting food.
C, and was a staple during my chemotherapy treatment:
64
100 Perks of Having Cancer
CARROT GINGER SOUP
YIELD: 8 CUPS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin organic olive oil (EVOOO)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (organic if possible)
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and roughly sliced (organic if possible)
2 to 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger*
1 cup almond or coconut milk (coconut is creamier)
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
Parsley sprigs, for garnish (if you’re a garnisher)
*Fresh is always better, but powdered or in a tube will work too.
If using powdered, use 11/2 tablespoons.
Directions:
In a 6-quart pot, heat oil and onions over medium heat, cooking and stirring
until onions are limp and transparent (about 10 minutes). Add broth, carrots,
and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots
are tender when pierced with a fork (about 13 to 15 minutes).
Remove from heat, let sit for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a blender. Be
careful! Don’t fill the blender more than halfway. It may take several batches
to do it this way, but when you are blending hot foods, there is a real danger
Perk #13: The Use of Medicinal Marijuana
65
of heat explosion (and with that comes a huge mess). Leave the hole in the
lid to the blender open, and loosely hold a dishtowel over the opening to
allow the steam to escape. Pulse the blender a few times before letting it run
on “puree.” Puree all contents until very smooth, and return to the pot. (You
can use an immersion or hand blender, if you
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