Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott are two young cancer survivors (or “surTHRIVERS” as they like to call it) that are changing the lives of cancer patients and fellow survivors, one meal at a time. The pair created The Kicking Kitchen, an educational website dedicated to empowering, inspiring and educating all women to make positive lifestyle choices to feel healthier, happier and stronger. The Kicking Kitchen offers a cookbook, Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen, along with webinars, recipes, virtual programs and health coaching programs, to help spread their message to kitchens across the country. Although The Kicking Kitchen advocates a whole foods and plant-based diet, Annette and Kendall encourage a “flexitarian” approach, encouraging women to listen to their bodies to find the diet that works best for them.
Kendall and Annette were inspired by their own experiences with cancer. Kendall was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 27. Annette, who survived both breast and ovarian cancer, was first diagnosed at 36. Although the women had not yet met at the time of their diagnoses, both were determined to do everything they could to “feel good” while battling cancer.
They became their own health advocates and adopted a “food as medicine” philosophy, prompting small changes in their lives and diets to help stay energized and rejuvenated during their battle. They embraced an integrated approach to healing, with a concentration on whole, plant-based foods. Inspired by their new outlooks, the women attended (and met at) the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where they earned health coaching certification as well as board certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
Today the “surTHRIVERS” are living happy and healthy lives with their families. Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen was rated #3 on The Daily Meal’s list of the 25 best cookbooks of the year, proving that The Kicking Kitchen is thriving in kitchens everywhere.
To learn more about healthy eating for cancer patients and survivors, or to find resources for oncology services in Nevada, contact Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada at (702) 952-3350.
