Free 100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It by Florence Strang Page A

important for healthy blood and necessary for
    vitamin D absorption. That same pesky weed will provide
    112 percent of your RDA for vitamin A, a powerful anti -
    oxidant and health promoter, and 10 percent of your RDA for
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    100 Perks of Having Cancer
    calcium. (Moooove over milk!) And if that’s not enough to change your
    mind, it is one of the best greens for iron (9% of the RDA).
    The leaves are on the bitter side, as some dark greens are, but that’s a
    good thing, as the bitterness helps to improve digestion by encouraging
    enzyme production and cleansing your liver. The bitterness blends nicely
    with assorted baby greens and spinach, and when used with other greens,
    actually improves the flavor of your salad. A lemon-based dressing comple-
    ments the bitterness nicely. Try mixing one tablespoon of extra virgin
    organic olive oil, two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, one teaspoon of
    honey, and one clove of crushed fresh garlic. Add a pinch of sea salt and
    dash of pepper, whisk for one minute, and pour over greens for a fresh and
    healthy option to your usual salad dressing.
    Dandelion leaves also act as a natural mild diuretic and a mild anti-
    inflammatory, reducing generalized swelling and blocking inflammation,
    the root cause of many chronic illnesses.
    The root of the dandelion is the subject of a growing number of studies
    for its role in fighting cancer. A 2012 research grant was awarded to the Uni-
    versity of Windsor in Canada to test dandelion extract tea on leukemia
    patients. Initial research showed that treating a very aggressive form of
    leukemia (chronic monocytic myeloid leukemia) with dandelion root
    extract caused significant self-destruction of the blood’s cancer cells. Using
    these results, the university applied for a more extensive grant where they
    created a very basic dandelion tea that could be tested on the different
    leukemia cells in the lab. To the researcher’s surprise, the dandelion mixture
    caused the leukemia cells to commit suicide while keeping the healthy cells
    alive and well. There are anecdotal great success stories of patients using
    dandelion root tea to fight leukemia. There are currently research applica-
    tions in the process that, if approved, would allow for human trials using
    dandelion root to treat leukemia and, in the future, hopefully other cancers
    as well. Are dandelions gaining your respect now?
    There are many commercially sold dandelion root teas available in
    stores and online. Read the label carefully to make sure the ingredients are
    pure, and there is nothing harmful listed, and always check with your
    health care provider when adding anything herbal to your diet on a regular
    basis.
    Perk #9: I Got to Try Out New Eyebrow Shapes
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    The dandelion community is growing, and dandelion lovers are con-
    stantly posting information online. One of my favorite recipes is from Clara
    Cannucciari. She is a delightful ninety-four-year-old great-grandmother who
    shares her childhood recipes from the Depression era on YouTube and in
    her cookbook. (Do an Internet search for “Clara’s dandelion salad,” and
    watch the YouTube video.) She explains the process of washing the leaves,
    also gives some insight into how she learned to make this recipe, and shares
    how freshly harvested food from your yard (before pesticides and weed
    killers) is not only healthy but also free! She is adorable, and, even if you
    don’t make the recipe, you’ll learn something from Clara. A viewer asked her
    how she stays so young-looking. She said, “Maybe it’s because I eat a lot of
    olive oil and natural foods.” Clara also said that growing up they “ate a lot
    of vegetables and ate meat kind of sparingly and I think it was better for us.”
    If you’ve never tried dandelions before, use commonsense precautions.
    Dandelion allergies exist (same goes for anything else in nature), but they
    are very rare. If you’ve picked dandelion flowers for your mom as a kid and
    didn’t