Hello from Chicago! Last night, I had the most crisp garden vegetables dressed in a delicious spice-laden olive oil vinaigrette topped with fresh feta. It was the Greek Village salad from Aba, one of my favorite restaurants in Fulton Market. My husband and I used to live down the street. I freaking love the ENERGY of this city, and I get nostalgic each time I return, daydreaming about whether or not we should just pick up everything and move back. Just look at my Redfin search history. I wonder if it would pan out as dreamily as I envision or if I’m just chasing the feeling of my youthful independence, a life that feels so long ago at this point. Oh, to dream. But also, if you really want something, take the aligned, inspired action to make it your reality.

Back to the salad. Nothing beats a good salad. I eat a minimum of one every day, and made a habit of that far before my health crisis this year. Even just a simple salad of greens, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkle of salt is enough to satisfy my daily craving. (If you have not tried this, you must. So simple, so delicious.) It’s no secret that I deeply believe that food is medicine, and I have leaned fully into this as I’ve fine-tuned my diet over the past nine months. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: The body can and will heal when given the chance. Though, it may require some patience.

Given my longstanding, fervent belief that what we eat is integral to our health, you can imagine how infuriated I felt when a doctor, someone I was supposed to trust, told me otherwise. It was my first meeting with a radiation oncologist. As I debated moving forward with treatment, sharing with him that I would completely overhaul my diet in order to heal, he looked at me and said: “it’s not proven that diet impacts cancer outcomes.” I was livid, though he wouldn’t have known by my expression, too afraid to share my truth or upset the apple cart. I’ve since read plenty of research that states the opposite: what you eat matters, with cancer or without. It matters a lot. You probably already know this, but it bears repeating. 

Before my diagnosis, I considered my diet really clean, and since, I’ve found plenty of room for improvement (especially when taking an anti-cancer, anti-inflammation approach). And I want to encourage others to reflect on their own choices and habits. Instead of thinking about what to omit, think about what you can add. Maybe it’s a simple salad a day. Or serving two vegetable sides with every family dinner. Or enjoying your favorite crackers in the afternoon along with a tomato-cucumber salad. I made this one earlier this week, and it was fabulous. Crunchy. Bright. Fresh. Chef’s kiss.

Go-To Cucumber Tomato Salad
1 organic cucumber, chopped
2 organic roma tomatoes, chopped
½ cup parsley, minced
2 TB olive oil
Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop, mix, enjoy!!

Give it a try. You may find that you don’t need the crackers, the dressed fresh cukes and toms are really what hit, leaving you feeling energized and alive. You’re on your way to a pure whole foods lifestyle. Let me know if you try it!