Survivor finds solace in recipe agent
As Carline Procell’s husband shaved her head during her chemotherapy treatment, she couldn’t watch. As she looked away while her hair fell to the ground, her 18-year-old son held her hand.
The Bossier City native and mother of four was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. After undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, she has been cancer-free for over five years. Following her diagnosis, Procell’s faith, loved ones and medical team helped her heal. But, another factor played a part in her journey to health: olive oil. Healing Oil “Throughout that journey, I turned to look at areas I could change in my life without so much medication,” she said. She started preparing her food with extra virgin olive oil. A clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found women who replaced other fats with extra virgin olive oil were 62 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Olive oil is rich in oleic acid, a substance that helped kill breast cancer cells in an experiment reported in Annals of Oncology. The polyphenols in olive oil, such as oleocanthal, oleuropein and hydroxtyrosol, have been found to block or destruct breast cancer cells.
But, she soon learned not all olive oils are created equally.
“I started using olive oil only to find out a few years ago that it was doing nothing for me,” she said, explaining most olive oil that ends up on grocery store shelves in the United States is “rancid.” This olive oil is not fresh and lacks the cancer-fighting polyphenols, Procell said.
It was then her future business partner, Barbie Page, introduced her to fresh olive oil at a Veronica Foods distributor in Pensacola, Fla. Unlike the olive oil found at many grocery stores, this olive oil wasn’t missing out on the cancer-fighting nutrients. It tasted better too, she said.
Page, who describes herself as a foodie, said she had always heard about the benefits of olive oil, but she couldn’t stand the taste of it.
After trying the fresh olive at the shop in Pensacola, she was hooked. When Procell joined Page and some other friends on a girls trip to the beach, Page said that she drug Procell into the shop. After tasting the fresh oil, Procell, too, couldn’t turn back.
“If you won’t drink your olive oil, you don’t have a good oil,” she said.
“I’m not a walking pink ribbon; I’m a person wearing a pink ribbon.”
This led to the opening of Page and Procell’s business venture, Bella Nonnas Olive Oil and Tasting Bar, in Shreveport. Located on East 70th, the shop carries fresh olive oils and vinegars from the same distributor Procell tried in Pensacola. With flavored olive oils and vinegars for pairing, the shop is a place to taste, try and experience.
Other than an olive oil diet being a “no brainer,” Procell said, it was also a way for her to battle cancer head on.
“I’m a firm believer in how you handle things in everyday life is how you handle things in a crisis,” she said, “I was going to fight for myself.” Presence of Angels In addition to her family support, new family arrivals gave her the push she needed to kick cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis, one of her daughters told her she was pregnant. Shortly after that, her son told her he was expecting a child, too.
“God knew I needed to see the silver lining,” she said. She said her spirituality also helped her throughout her journey, including a visit from a pair of guardian angels.
After arriving home following her double mastectomy in 2007, Procell’s husband put her to bed. She could feel her husband tucking her in while her eyes were closed. As she told her husband thank you, he answered her from another room, not sure what she was talking about. She opened her eyes to see two winged tucking the covers around her.
“God never left my side,” she said.
Extending Knowledge Her cancer experience has allowed her to fulfill a purpose, she said, by being able to comfort other people with cancer or by simply teaching people to eat healthier.
During her treatment, she found solace in educating herself. The proactive outlook comforted her and helped her ask her medical team better questions.
Through Bella Nonnas, she seeks to educate the Shreveport-Bossier City community about making healthier choices. But, the business duo could not educate others until they were properly educated. Procell and Page attended an olive oil course at the University of California – Davis. There, they were trained to judge and taste olive oil, but it was a challenge, especially at first.
Olive Oil Carline Procell explains how her new business changed her life.
“We kept picking out the rancid oils because it’s what we were used to,” Page said. After learning how to properly rank and taste olive oil, the pair was ready to pick oils for their shop. The skills learned through the course also are echoed in Bella Nonna’s introductory olive oil course, Olive Oil 101.
In the course, participants are asked to bring their olive oil from home to compare to fresh oils.
At the shop, Procell opened a cabinet filled with other bottles of olive oil – not the kind they sell. These are the rancid oils the participants leave behind because, as Procell said, they don’t want to touch those oils after tasting the fresh alternative.
Bella Nonnas also offers pairing classes and cooking classes. Their class schedule is flexible, so Procell recommends calling the shop if you’re interested. They’re also available for parties and special events. Healthy Future Though Southern culture and hospitality is dominated by food, it doesn’t have to be unhealthy, Procell explained.
“That’s how we live. It’s how we celebrate,” she said. Through cooking, especially frying, with olive oil instead of other oils and fats, Southerners can still experience that hospitality without the health risks, she explained.
Since changing her diet to incorporate fresh olive oil, Procell no longer has to take her blood pressure or cholesterol medication. Her husband is off his blood pressure medicine, too.
This is after checking with their doctors to make sure they no longer need the medication.
“It’s truly a journey because we’ll all end up at the same destination,” she said. They sell the ‘Pink Ribbon Diet’ book at Bella Nonnas, and cancer patients have visited the shop since they opened in June.
“Cancer will always be a part of me, but I’m not defined by cancer,” she said. “I’m not a walking pink ribbon; I’m a person wearing a pink ribbon.”
BELLA NONNAS PASTA
Ingredients: Multigrain pasta
Garlic Basil (dry or fresh)
Parsley Fresh olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Directions:
Boil multigrain pasta with olive oil.
In a pan, sauté olive oil, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper and parsley. Add one cup of the water from your boiling pasta to the pan (will thicken the sauce). After draining the noodles, toss them in the sauce. Serve and enjoy.
