One of the things I admire and respect about Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is that they take risks and experiment with new approaches.
I’d long heard about the benefits of Kale and yet I hadn’t found a palatable way to enjoy it. But at the 2013 Blogger Summit in Arizona, CTCA’s talented chef created a visually inviting kale salad that showed a lot of potential for a non-Kale eater. So I decided to follow Robin William’s advice and seize the day.
Given that the kale was fresh from CTCA AZ’s organic 25 acre farm, planted and harvested by their very own Farmer Bob, my guess was that if Kale was ever going to be tasty, this would be the time.
By the time I was three forkfuls in, I was a convert…even more so when I had Laura, CTCA’s Public Affairs Specialist, email me the recipe. What?! Four ingredients was all it took to make this flavorful and healthy salad? Lemon juice, olive oil, chopped kale and shaved Parmesan? Now that’s something even someone as busy as I am can pull together fast.
Imagine if we each stepped out of our comfort zone and tried at least one new thing every day? In one year, we would accumulate 365 new experiences and the opportunity to expand our lives in many different ways. One thing a day seems completely manageable. CTCA stepped up their what if…what if we grew fresh organic items for our patients and staff on site and invested in making it happen.
Three Generations in the Field
Chef Frank Caputo
When you meet Farmer Bob, his son and grandson and you see the passion they have for farming with integrity, when you taste the difference it makes when combined with Chef Frank’s creativity and focus on healthy and tasty meals, when you notice the attention to dietary support offered by CTCA’s on staff nutritionists, you are seeing just one application of how CTCA consistently takes a Carpe Diem approach of seizing the moment and bringing their passion and commitment to providing the best for patients and their families as well as their staff.
What’s one new thing you can do or experiment with today so you too can seize the moment? It doesn’t have to be climbing to the top of Mount Everest…small steps are the first steps to big change. Thanks CTCA for providing a fast, easy option that means I now have kale included in my own plan for healthy living.
