Married mum-of-two Natasha Grindley said: "I’m still getting treated but they are generally shocked that I'm still here"

A woman battling cancer has said becoming ‘obsessed’ with nutrition has given her a new lease of life.

Natasha Grindley, 37, from Childwall, is fighting stomach cancer and said, after being given a bad prognosis, she turned to healthy eating ‘in desperation.’

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, she said: “Doctors were surprised I had lived past two weeks.

“They doubted I would have a good life... in desperation, me and my husband trawled the internet day and night to look for an alternative.”

Now, she eats foods to power up her immune system, preparing her blood for chemo.

Although she still has cancer, Natasha says it has reduced in size.

She said: “I’m really good, I’m still getting treated but they are generally shocked that I’m still here.

“This has completely changed my life – my diet was awful before this – I drank lots of alcohol and takeaways.

“I didn’t realise that my body can’t do that, it was making me ill. Now I’m like a different person.

“When you feel that low and then, to be given your body back, it is priceless.”

Natasha has become friends with Deliciously Ella, the clean-eating chef and author, and gets regular nutritional advice and support from her.

Setting up her Facebook page Heal For Real, which has over 1,000 likes, Natasha posts her progress and recipes, which she is also collating into a book.

Natasha has even completed a diploma in nutrition, wanting to be more informed if she was giving out advice online adding: “I’m obsessed, but you become obsessed when it is life and death.”

Natasha has got her husband and her two children involved.

She has a daughter, Gabriella, six, and a son, Liam, four, who was ‘addicted to sugar.’

She said: “I had to wean him off sugar, but now the whole family is involved.

“It started as just a project for me, my family and friends to learn about, but now I have more people getting in touch who have cancer.

“I feel positive about my prognosis – as I carry on with my journey, I can feel my body healing and getting better.”

Natasha attends the Clatterbridge Private Clinic for treatment where, although they do not endorse her page, they said she is ‘positive’ and ‘proactive’ in her attitude.

Dr Sripadam, Consultant in Clinical Oncology at Clatterbridge Private Clinic and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre said: “With types of cancers like Natasha’s, there are a number of treatment routes that can be followed.

“Sometimes these choices can be difficult, and it’s important that the patient is well-informed and fully involved in the process of choosing the right treatment option for them, and that is the approach we take here at Clatterbridge Private Clinic.

“Natasha’s treatment is ongoing but she continues to remain positive, proactive and very involved in her care.”

Recipes:

Super C Power Juice

Ingredients: Six Carrots, two large oranges (peeled), half a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of fresh ginger, one whole lemon with peel.

Roasted Three Tomato Soup

ngredients: Ten cherry tomatoes, four salad tomatoes halved, two large beef tomatoes quatered, one large onion quartered, two cloves of garlic, olive oil, two sprigs of fresh rosemary, one litre of organic vegetable stock.

Instructions:

Place tomatoes, onion, garlic and rosemary in baking dish and cover with oil (two teaspoons). Roast in an oven for 30 mins at 180 degrees. Remove from oven and place contents of baking dish in a blender with vegetable stock. Blend until smooth. Transfer in to a pan and heat to desired temperature.

Spicy Singapore Noodles

Ingredients: One red pepper, one green pepper, one yellow pepper, an onion, one clove of garlic, half a teaspoon of fresh ginger, one red chilli, half a teaspoon of smoked paprika, half a teaspoon of turmeric, 160g buckwheat noodles, eight tablespoons of olive oil, threee tablespoons of tahini, one tablespoon of manuka honey, the juice of one lemon, one teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 20g cashew nuts, one carrot, sprinkle of sesame seeds, handful of chopped parsley.

Instructions:

Add chopped pepper, onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, tumeric and smoked paprika to a pan and stir fry for three mins with a teaspoon of olive oil.

Meanwhile cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

Prepare the sauce by blending seven tablespoons of olive Oil, the manuka honey, the tahini, the lemon juice and the cayenne pepper.

Add noodles and the sauce to the pan with the peppers and stir well.

Serve in bowls with added toppings of raw carrot strips, sesame seeds, cashew nuts and a sprinkling of parsley.