If you’ve been visiting Green Drink Diaries often, you probably know my story. I beat Stage II NLP Hodgkin’s Lymphoma using holistic/alternative/ nutritional (call it what you’d like!) cancer protocols within 8 months of diagnosis. A few months into my remission and being in my last trimester of pregnancy (yes- I had cancer and was pregnant) I decided that I needed to add meat back into my diet in small doses. I was ridiculously hungry! Then came nursing and I was so hungry I would have eaten a pound of Crisco.

So this began “Weekday Vegetarianism.” It’s exactly what it says. Eat a Vegetarian diet 5 days a week and then the other two days you can eat what you’d like.

It has been almost 3 years since I implemented this and it works wonders for me. I have found I stay mostly vegetarian and even vegan simply because I FEEL BETTER eating this way. I also know that if I want to keep cancer away, I have to stay away from meat as much as possible.

Pancreatic enzymes, which are one of the body’s major defenses against multiplying cancer cells are produced in a regulated amount- as in your body won’t make more just because you’re using more. These enzymes strip down the protein coating of the cancer cell, allowing it to be vulnerable to your body’s immune system. They will digest meat before they break down cancer cells. This allows cancer cells to multiply freely which could result in eventual active cancer formation, or a more fancy word- A TUMOR.

Weekday Vegetarians should include only quality plant-based food and minimal dairy if possible. Eating cheese and milk all week won’t help much either. They should be kept to a minimum to complement dishes and consume raw if available. Make sure all eggs are organic, free-range, and cage-free.

Eat as many raw vegetables, beans, and legumes, as possible. Grains like quinoa, millet, and brown and wild rice are staples in my pantry. I avoid tofu and other soy products, simply because they are controversial and I don’t want to take a chance on them when there are other alternatives. I’m a big fan of raw milk and use almond milk on the rare occasion I need a small amount of “milk” for a recipe.

Browse my RECIPES section for some great ideas. Obsessing over this isn’t helpful either. Do your best. Some weekdays I have few other options- either starve or eat the chicken leftover from Monday’s dinner. In this case just try your best to “trade a day.” Trade Tuesday’s dinner at the steakhouse with Saturday’s lunch of yummy beans, veggies, and brown rice. Give it a try- TODAY IS ONLY MONDAY and Christmas is over the WEEKEND!