This past year has been extraordinary, challenging, and lonely for many of us. But, one of my dearest friends had all these emotions compounded when she was diagnosed for the second and third time with ovarian cancer. Donna is my hero. She has been a friend for over 50 years, and she is like a sister to me. See, I know the ugliest side of ovarian cancer, as I was one of my sister’s primary caretakers for the last year of her life. Donna’s cancer was detected much earlier than my sister’s, and while the outlook is uncertain, we can make the most of what we now know.
We are raised to believe that doctors have all of the answers. We know that if you find a good doctor to treat something specific (i.e. oncologist for cancer) they can be effective at doing just that. But what is sorely missing in traditional Western Medicine is “preventative care” (lifestyle habits) to potentially avoid the disease altogether, and, education on follow-up changes to our lifestyles after doctors do their jobs. I want to be part of the solution for people like Donna.
This is where nutrition comes into play. We know the importance of fiber, the danger of processed foods, the sustainability of a plant-predominant diet, and more. This is where Donna is ahead of a lot of people. She has always been conscientious when it comes to her health. For most of us, when we get hit upside the head with a BBE (Big-Bad-Event), we take a look at how we prioritize our own wellbeing. Donna is facing her battle with the most positive attitude, a commitment to participation with, and learning from her doctors, and most of all, she has allowed me to dump years of knowledge-gathering about nutrition on her. It’s one thing to tell people what to do, giving them the resources they need is completely different. Luckily, RTI Loaves and Big Bites let me showcase what I preach: real food is delicious, good for you, and can be convenient too!
We created READ THE INGREDIENTS Loaves and Big Bites to give everybody a choice for how to start their day with long term self-care in mind. Our products are high in fiber, unsweetened, nutrient-dense, and made with plant-based ingredients. They taste great, fill you up and avoid the sugar spikes experienced with so many other packaged foods. We encourage you to always READ THE INGREDIENTS and start everyday by being kind to yourself.
I felt helpless years ago as my sister passed, despite all of the time spent with doctors, reading medical records, and holding her hand. Today, I feel equipped for emotional support, and infinitely more so when it comes to supporting someone through their diet. With the turn my life has taken, I know so much more about helping people get the right ingredients to live happy, sustainable, and optimistic lives- no matter what BBE is around the corner.