Nutrition

Dana-Lee - posted on 04/25/2009

I'm no proffessional nutritionist but I took one of those correspondence courses in fitness and nutrition. Still not an authority so verify this before trying it. My pharmasist said stay away from green tea as it accelerates your metabolism and can speed up the developement of cancer cells depending on your type of cancer. Don't eat soy or use any product made with soy (ie; shampoos) they facilitate the development of cancer cells in persons prone to cancer. My yoga instructor kicked me out of class. Her sharmi told her that some of the moves also speed up cancer development in cancer patients so pick another exercise. I have also found that the mayo clinic may have some advice on living healthwise with cancer. I know how you feel though. I'm still searching. My treatment makes me hungry every two hours and I've gained almost 20 lbs in the last 3 weeks. And I was big to start with. I am determined not to give up and new findings are that my type of cancer has caused scarring on my heart so I'm off to try the heart healthy program. (Wish me luck) Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

Dana van Es (mother of 2, living with gastro intestinal carcinoid syndrom of the small intestine.)

Nichole - posted on 12/02/2008

Carrie, the tips below are more about health than weight, but maybe you'll find something useful here. The tips are InspireHealth's most recent recommendations for cancer-free living, based on their ongoing reviews of the latest research available. I've added a few explanatory comments.

#1: Eat more vegetables & fruits
- 8-10 servings per day.
- Fresh fruits & veggies are better than processed. (So an apple is better than applesauce or apple juice.)
- Local & organic fruits & veg have more nutrients & fewer toxins.
- Eat a variety of colours: red, green, yellow, orange, blue.

#2: Change your oils!
- Eliminate trans/hydrogenated fats.
- Avoid refined oils including most vegetable oils and all margarines.
- Use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed oil for salads; coconut oil and butter for cooking.
- Cook at home more regularly.

#3: Avoid refined sugars (I'm having difficulty with this one!)
- Avoid white & brown sugars, corn syrup, glucose & fructose
- Avoid artificial sweetners
- Eat sweet foods like whole fruit, winter squash
- Try stevia, raw honey, maple syrup if a sweetener is needed

#4: Elimiate chemical / toxic ingredients
- Avoid anything you can't pronounce
- Avoid processed, packaged foods
- Avoid non-stick, aluminum and copper cookware
- Limit plastics in the kitchen
- Use glass, ceramic, cast iron or stainless steel for cooking and storage

#5: Replace white with brown
- Avoid most commercial baked 'treats'
- Eat 100% whole grain breads. Try sprouted bread.
- Replace white rice with brown
- Use brown rice pasta

#6: Cook beans & lentils
- Soak beans & lentils 1/2 hour
- Bring to a boil, skim off foam, simmer until soft
- Cook large batches and freeze
- Limit soy consumption to tofu and tempeh (soy contains phytoestrogens which most women with breast cancer should be avoiding)
- Avoid soy milk and meat/cheese substitutes that contain soy

#7: Eat clean animal foods
- Use free-range, omege-3 and organic eggs
- Choose wild over farmed salmon
- Choose organic & free-range / non-medicated dairy & meats over "conventional"
- Limit cows' milk consumption and avoid processed cheeses
(If you can afford it, buying organic meat is the best bang for your buck in terms of improving the quality of your food.)

#8: Add cancer-fighting superfoods
- Drink green tea, eat blueberries and ground flax seeds, try shiitake mushrooms
- Eat cruciferous(?) veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts
- Use green superfoods like chlorella, spirulina and wheatgrass
- Try bee pollen, royal jelly and adaptogenic superfoods (no idea what this means)

#9: Use quality water
- Drink adequate fluids daily
- Use filtered / pure spring water
- Store water in glass, ceramic or stainless steel rather than plastic.

#10: Be moderate, be happy
- Chew your food in good company
- 80/20 principle (eat well 80% of the time)
- 1/3-1/3-1/3 strategy (to eliminate something from your diet that is a habit, or to add something new, do it 1/3 at a time. For example, reduce chocolate bars from 3 per week to 2 per week. Once you have that licked, go down to 1 per week. Most likely the last one will either stay with you or you will just stop having it without even noticing.)

Debbie - posted on 11/29/2008

I also go to the Wellness Community. If you have one near your home, they offer classes on nutrition and all areas of wellness related to cancer treatment.

Debbie - posted on 11/29/2008

I joined weitght watchers not to lose weight but to maintain. The social nature of the group helps and we have a group at work that meets. I have also become a fan of green tea. It has antioxidants that help with cancer and is a good weight loss tool also. I also use flax seeds in yogurt and anything that I can hide them in for my family. Again an antioxident and easy to use and hide. Good luck

Danielle - posted on 11/29/2008

Hi Carey,I gained 30 pounds in chemo from the steroids, couldn't stop eating sugar, couldn't stop eating period!
But through out my treatment I studied macrobiotics and finally put it into affect after my masectomies. I immediately started losing weight, Actually I lost 60 pounds in total( I had just had a baby before being diagnosed, so I still had baby weight too)
But weight loss aside, my skin cleared up, I all of a sudden had energy like never in my life, not even in high school! And most importantly my tumor markers went down, and a legion in my spine that they believed to be metastatic biopsied to be negative for cancer!
I feel like I've finally got my life back because of eating this way.
It's definitely worth googling or doing some research. Also if you're a carb addict, you'd be happy to know that it's 80% carbs (just the good kinds though)

Jaimee - posted on 11/16/2008

I too had cancer did chemo and radiation and gained a whopping 20 lbs throughout it. How fair is that? I at least expected to lose a few pounds if I had to have cancer! lol. Anyway I don't know if you have tried the Body For Life nutrition guide but it doesn't tell you to give up carbs. You have a portion of lean protein and a portion of good carbs (fruit, brown rice, whole wheat, yogurt etc) and at least a few servings of veggies a day. I loved the Yoplait light mixed with cottage cheese for a meal or whole wheat bread dipped in egg white and cinnamon french toast with sugar free syrup for breakfast. I too could not give up the comfort of carbs and they are what give you energy. I swear it works!! The exercise program is pretty vigorous, so just walk and stretch every day until you feel like maybe you could add in some other stuff. Maybe some squats or lunges WITHOUT weights or a few crunches. Just whatever you can. Don't make yourself sicker by pushing yourself too hard. You will get stronger just from these small changes and will be able to do more as you go.



Good luck to you.

Carey - posted on 11/13/2008

Thank you so much for the advice! You are both right, getting off these meds is key, I know I am not ready yet.



Tracy, you are so amazing after everything you have been through and are still going through, to be able to motivate yourself and become a personal trainer. I think you have motivated me to get off my butt and do something!!!



I also have the same icky taste from my meds, so I tend to only eat certain foods that taste normal to me. I have given up all soda, caffiene (except chocolate, still tastes good) and many other foods. I tend to eat things that have strong or fruity flavors. I also have stopped using all artificial sweeteners because of my cancer and migraines. My biggest problem is carbs and skipping meals (due to Topomax).



Thank you both again, just taking it one day at a time :)

Tracy - posted on 11/13/2008

Hi Carey,

I hope this advice will help. After chemo I joined a gym and started going with my sister. After about 2 months and lots of "ok, we'll go tomorrow" talks, I realized I was making any real changes. I decided to join in on some classes. I almost cried after I finished my first class of Zumba just realizing how far I had come. Then I got sick of that so I tried Spinning. To me, it was very important to find what you like. If you like bike riding, choose spinning, if you like dancing, choose zumba, if you like stretching, choose yoga...they ALL work. Add a little weight training on top of that and you'll become a fat burning machine.



Then I added the eating better thing after a few months. I was also on antidepressants and everything I ate tasted like metal (nasty little side effect). So changing my eating did not make me very happy, but I did it. I started by dropping sodas, fast food, and chocolate. I would try to eat mainly salads and subs at Subway. I wouldn't do everything at once. Do it in baby steps so it's not overwhelming.



After about a month, I felt great. I eventually got off all the drugs, had so much energy that I could barely sleep at night and lost 40 pounds. Unfortunately for me, it did not change my outcome, but I still believe that it will eventually. I believe that changing your eating along with exercise will make your body stronger and cancer will be much less likely to come back.

It's hard. It's really hard. If you are anything like me, you'll have to work out much harder than most, but let me tell you...it is so worth it. I finished chemo in Jan at 210 pounds, over the summer I've become a Spinning Instructor, I ran a 10 mile race on a mountain, and I'm now becoming a personal trainer regardless of surgery and chemo. At some point we have to start trying to fix ourselves.

I'm not good at reading self help sort of books but I did watch a movie that really changed my outlook on how I could cure myself. It's called Crazy Sexy Cancer and I highly recommend it to everyone. It is definately on the extreme side, but I would go through it if it comes to that.



Hope this helps and if you need any advice on workouts you can do at home, let me know!

Tracy

Jennifer - posted on 11/12/2008

I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder a year and a half after becoming cancer free from the experience, being pregnant, and having MS already. One thing I have noticed is I need to allow myself to feel the real emotions and not be afraid to say I need help or even talk about it. I noticed I feel as though the choices I am making are 'self sabotaging' because I am having a tremendous time grasping the fact that I could be around for a long time. I am wondering if you can relate to any of it? I don't understand why the doctors don't have a emotional well being program to go with chemo and radiation. It's interesting, the way doc's are handling this right now. They get rid of the cancer and everything is supposed to be all good but nobody wants to treat the emotional scars from the situation. Believe me, I am relieved to be here it is just very strange after and I think the quicker you can get emotional help the less you will need meds, etc. down the road.

If any of this sounds familiar Carey email me and we can talk further.

Hugs and Prayers,

Jennifer Johnson