And first, the basics...

I've started this blog to showcase my highs (and some lows) in our newly vegan kitchen. Why newly vegan? In September, my fiance James was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. Since then, our lives have changes in innumerable ways, but what I want to focus on here is what we eat. (If you'd like to check on James' progress, visit his blog. You'll find out for yourself what an amazing, strong and strong-willed warrior he is. The cancer doesn't stand a chance in his body!)

First off, James is primarily vegan but he does eat cold water fish. I want to stress that his decision to go vegan and my decision to go vegetarian are purely health-based. Sure, we get the extra benefit of living gently on this earth, not harming animals, etc, but that is not the primary reason why this change in our diet occured. (And occasionaly, there are minor exceptions to our vegan rules. Recently, we tried Quorn, a mock-chicken product that has a small amount of egg whites and a small amount of lactate in it. Not vegan, but good protein. And it tastes like chicken!)

Other dietary restrictions to keep in mind:
No sugar. (Cancer cells grow big and strong when they get sugars to munch on. We don't want that!)
No tomatoes or vinegar. (These both counteract ingredients in the Hoxsey Tonic - a plant-based tonic from the BioMedical Center in Tijuana, MX)
No alcohol. (See sugar. Also, James has a history of gout and this makes it far worse.)
No nightshade veggies, such as tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and very limited potatoes.
No peanuts or cashews.
No chocolate.
No citrus, with a minor exception for fresh lemon juice in moderation.

Things to keep in mind:
-We're also trying to eat as organic as possible. We do make exceptions, like for the 20# sack of juicing carrots at Costco and frozen fruit for our morning smoothie. Usually the decision comes down to availability vs. finances.
-The one and only time sugar is allowed is on chemo Thursdays. Since cancer cells are more active when they have sugar, it is actually recommended to have some sugar on chemo days so the cancer cells uptake more of the chemo, making it do it's job faster. Usually this translates into a couple vegan carob chip cookies during chemo and some soy frozen desert for a snack after dinner.
-Chemo patients needs lots of protein, as protein helps the body rebuild. And except for the fish, this is all plant-based protein mostly in the form of soy and legumes.

So after all of this, the first question you must ask is "oh my god, what DO you eat??" I hope to feature the highlights (and possibly some kitchen tragedies) here.

Enjoy!