A seasonal step forward

And some anti-cancer festive food!

My last post up was a few weeks ago, just as I was starting my last cycle of chemo. That’s now complete and I’ve had another MRI since then. This confirmed everything was exactly as the neuro oncologist had hoped for! This means we’re now done with traditional treatments and I’m free to pursue life in full! They will keep a close watch for changes with MRI’s on a regular basis from now on but no other treatment is required. What an amazing Christmas gift!

As promised in my previous post, I’m also taking this opportunity to pivot this newsletter with my changing life and posts from this point on will take a closer look at the idea of food as medicine. There’s a growing body of research developing our understanding of which foods might actually have anti-cancer properties. I don’t subscribe to the idea that such an approach could completely cure the disease, but I certainly put some faith in the theory that with considered eating habits we can maybe all move the odds a little more in our favour, reducing overall risk and potentially making treatment more effective should it ever be needed.

Since I’m writing this on Christmas Eve, I think it’s appropriate my first post have a seasonal flavour (and yes, this will be peppered with bad puns and dad jokes on a regular basis!

Let’s talk: sausage rolls. Mum, bless her soul, always baked trays of the things for the holidays and they remain one of my favourite snack foods. Aside from the usual pastry and ground meat filling, I wander how I might change the game a little. This is what I came up with:

Jalapenos - capsaicin has shown promising anti-cancer properties in a number of studies, both inducing cell death in certain cancer types, slowing the formation of blood vessels around tumours and potentially reducing spread. More studies are needed, the scientists are debating, but it seems there may be benefits. Diced jalapenos in the stuffing.

Red onions - high in quercetin. These can potentially encourage cancer call death (apoptosis), inhibit growth and neutralise the free radicals which can lead to cancer cell formation. University of Guelph finds them 3-4 more potent then other onion varieties. Diced and caramelised red onions and into the mix too.

Seeds - high in flavonoids, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Various anti-cancer mechanisms have been observed. I chose Black Sesame and ground Flax to go into the mix, with a sprinkling of nigella seeds on the top.

Add some seasoning to taste, wrap in pastry and bake. Obviously I don’t believe this is a cure, or will totally block cancer ever emerging - but it took next to no effort, delivers health benefits on something I was absolutely going to eat this Christmas anyway and I get the satisfaction of taking some agency into my own hands and also providing that nutrition to others.

As I’ve stated on other posts where I’ve talked a little about science, I have absolutely no formal education on either nutrition or in the kitchen - I’ve simply done some research and hopefully shifted the odds just a fraction. I hope someone finds value in the thinking and research here. Whether you’re a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays kind of reader, I wish you the best best as this year nears it’s close.