Andrea's Antics
Hey wonderful BL family!! Just letting you know that I’m taking the weekend off from telling my story of the evolution of Body Language to take some time with family and friends as we celebrate the life of Dave’s mama who recently passed. As I reflect back on the 40 plus years I have known Dave’s mom, Carol, there is one story in particular I’d like to share with you.
When Dave and I were dating back in high school, he came over to my house hugely emotional as he had just found out his mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy…but the prognosis wasn’t great. She decided to do her own research on how to fight this awful disease. Granted this was back in the mid 70’s. Prior to this, Carol was serving the 5 men in her life (husband and 4 sons), meat every day…sometimes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Comfort food and volumes of it were the priority. Fruits and vegetables were a scarcity. So as she delved deeply into diet changes that might help her fight back, she decided there was much evidence for adding more fruits and vegetables into her diet. I’m sure the men in her life weren’t thrilled about this change BUT hey, one way or the other, she managed to live a full and healthier life for another 40 plus years!! Now please know that this goes without saying that there are MANY factors that go in to preventing and fighting cancer. And, unfortunately, there are many examples in our lives where someone does it all “right” and it’s still just their time. But I know for sure…that eating more fruits and veggies won’t hurt. In fact, the most vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are the richest in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (cancer fighting compounds). In addition to all this good stuff, the fiber found in fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk and recurrence of cancer. Carol’s escalated interest in nutrition actually peeked my interest as well and was one of the many factors that influenced my decision to major in Nutrition and Dietetics. Carol became a stickler about getting her grandkids and everyone around her to have fruits and vegetables with every meal. The actual recommendation is to try and eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Oh and when you do, maybe think of Carol von Behren…she would be thrilled to know that her story might have inspired us all to eat our fruits and veggies and to invest in our wellness!!
Cheers to you Carol!!
