For Informed People Using Alternative Treatments

abigail48

oh yeah. richard used mistletoe injections too until they were too expensive for him. & he didn't use the animal proteins protocol in the gerson therapy

Fallleaves

Hi Scandophile, I'm eating a lot of nuts these days, too (mostly almonds and walnuts) and taking maitake mushrooms. I think it is the beta glucans in the mushrooms that are supposed to boost immunity. So, same thing, different source!

Fallleaves

Light, those are interesting articles about bitter melon. I've seen it in Asian markets, but it seems awfully intimidating! Does anyone know how you prepare it and if the taste lives up to the name?

Scandophile

Hi Fallleaves, oh perfect! I love mushrooms too so will be sure to add more of those to my salads! Thank you!

dogsandjogs

I use mushroom a lot; but is there one type that is better than the others, or do they all give the same benefit?

Fallleaves

I've been wondering about which mushrooms are the best, too. The white button mushrooms are supposed to be the best as aromatase inhibitors, but between maitake, cordyceps, turkeytail, reishi, and agaricus blazei, I'm not sure what the differences are. I've seen positive things about all of them. I know they make complexes of 4 to 10 different kinds (I've seen them on vitacost and amazon). It might be a good way to hedge our bets!

lightandwind

Dogsnjogs, I have read up a lot on agaricus, turkey tail, chaga, and reishi. So much info in regards to cancer and breast cancer. I posted some links on one of the earlier pages. The FDA has approved clinical trials w/ turkey tail mushrooms effect on breast cancer. From what I have read, Agaricus-blazei (white button) is claimed to have aromatase inhibiting ability. As with w/ everything, please read up thoroughly. Though studies indicate they have potent immunomodulatory and cancer fighting potential, they also have been known to have potentially adverse effects on liver health, especially in immuno compromised individuals. I am very cautious when using any kind of mushroom, esp in combo w/ any meds or supplements, which can also create stress on the liver. I also consult w/ doc who can advise, and keep up w/ my bloodwork (liver enzymes,etc).

dogsandjogs

Gosh, is nothing safe LOL? I eat a lb of musrooms a week because I heard they are fibrous, low calorie and healthy. But they affect the liver?

I can't drink green tea and have to monitor all greens due to being on a blood thinner. I used to eat lots of fruits; now THEY say that is too much sugar. So I don't use sugar in my tea; instead use a sugar substitute which probably causes cancer. My ob/gyn says I should eat fish, but there is mercury in fish. Bananas and corn are GM'd. This is really discouraging.

Anonymous

d

Scandophile

I hear ya dogsandjogs!  Not much seems to be entirely safe these days. Its very frustration trying to wade through what is OK or not.

For a sweetener, may I put forth Xylitol. Its similar to sugar in feel. Its actually a lighter taste than processed sugar. Its natural and can be used the same way as sugar, 1:1, even in baking.

I limit my fruit to berries and eat mostly raw vegetables. I do have a weakness for bread and butter. Weakness? More like addiction!

I've learned to drink Rooibos Tea without sweetener at all. I even use it to make ice tea for the family. Its high in anti-oxidants, naturally a little sweet, and naturally caffeine free.

The mercury in fish is bad but I've been eating small portions of wild caught salmon every few weeks. When I do eat any meat, its Whole Foods Animal Welfare rated 5.

If you buy Organic fruit and Veg, they are supposed to be non-GMO so that is what I have been sticking with for everything. It raised the food bill but its important. We sacrifice in other areas, like we don't hardly eat out anymore - since most of the time I can't get organic, non-gmo, vegan options LOL!!!

 

dogsandjogs

Thanks for the tips Scan!

Anonymous

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-996-XYLITOL.aspx?activeIngredientId=996&activeIngredientName=XYLITOL

check out the Side Effects if this is a problem for you....

Wonder if it's as bad as sorbitol? Wish I could stand the taste of stevia, but can't. Have gone back to local organic honey.

Fallleaves

Another aspect of mushrooms that I only recently became aware of is that they have natural toxins. So, it is better to eat them cooked, which destroys the toxins, rather than raw (too bad because I like them raw!)

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-experts/ask-dr-weil-it-true-you-should-never-eat-mushrooms-raw

miffwine

The idea that cancers grow in an acid environment is one I've been intrigued with for the past few months. I kept the idea alive but on the back burner because I could not find any consistent or reliable way for anyone to raise a low pH if they had one. It made sense to me but I did little with the information. Then a friend was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her pH was 4.5. Mine was 6.

I see that some of you are posting links that relate to what you've found in your areas of interest and I'd like to post one here. This is from a website that encouraged active patients, with cancer of any kind, to log in and register their saliva pH into a database. After 1478 people voluntarily left their information the survey was closed and the results posted on the site. In the final result, 93% of those represented had a pH on the acid side. The breakdown was; 47% at 4.5 or less, 27% between 4.6 and 6, leaving 19% between 6 and 7. You can see the actual numbers in one point increments at; :http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/salivaphtest.htm.

I had not seen anything like these numbers before but I found this significant. Have any of you seen anything like this? There is more to the story, but this is a good place to break. If anyone has any feedback I'm interested.

flaviarose

about cancers growing in an acid environment - one thing about cancer is that it is different than regular cells in that they are anaerobic - and produce lactic acid as a by-product - so, even if an acidic environment isn't the cause of cancer, it is definitely a by-product. one alternative protocol for cancer is cesium therapy, cesium being an extremely alkaline mineral: http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/Alkaline.html

I've been formerly acidic - things like sugar are extremely acidic. Eating green vegetables or drinking green drinks is an easy way to become more alkaline. wheatgrass is excellent.

Momine

I tried stevia, but found it nasty. At this point I simply avoid foods or drinks that would need sugar. It takes a while to get used to it, but then it is actually quite easy. I am not completely dogmatic. I had a slice of pie at T-day, for example. But sugar is not part of my daily diet.

Check the rooibos tea. I think I remember it having estrogen action in the body, but I could be wrong.

SchoolCounselor

I hated stevia too, until I discovered nunaturals stevia drops. It's actually wonderful, no after taste at all.

lightandwind

Wow, seems we have several discussions going on here. Schoolcounselor- welcome!

For those who have thanked me for starting this thread. You are welcome! For those that have brought it to life, Thank you...and bravo to all of you for sharing wisdom, relevant research, and for participating in the complex and critical thinking that is required when using alternative treatment.

Mfwine, after I was first diagnosed, I started checking my ph and yes I was in the same range 4.5-5. but then following my surgeries, I started drinking very high alkaline water. Soon I found that my ph was too high and I had to stop and change my diet again. Was such a balancing act for awhile, till I got the Ph to stick at 6-7. I have stopped testing it now though. I've read that cancer creates it's own acidity and so alkalanizing after a cancer diagnosis may not be of much benefit. Do you have some knowledge to share otherwise? (without trying to sell us anything)

I do try to eat an alkaline diet still, just in case there is merit to alkalanizing, but I don't buy the alkaline water anymore. I drink lemon water each day, eat greens, drink green tea (matcha) almost all day, and occasionally use trace mineral drops and 1/4 tsp of msm powder in my water. I limit my carbs and sugars, except for fruit and the stevia in my protein powder.

Check out MSM--this study indicates that it may help ALL kinds of bc.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22485142

There is a lot of info/research out there about green tea and bc as well.

As for pancreatic enzymes, I've heard different stories about them as well. I was taking quite a lot of proteolytic enzymes (wobenzym) following diagnosis. I had read about their cancer fighting properties, and they really helped w/ joint pains from the femara I was taking but they were too expensive, and I recently read that taking pancreatic enzymes, interferes w/ the natural functioning of the pancreas, and can do damage in that way if taken in high doses for a period of time. I couldn't take the high dose pancreatin anyway. Tried it once, too many side effects. I do take All-zyme now when I am eating any kind of a hearty meal, to help w/ digestion, but don't normally take them everyday.

Fallleaves

Interesting study on MSM, Light. Might be something to add, since there's no toxicity.

lightandwind

Falleaves, I like this website.

http://www.msm-info.com/#Cancer

It talks a about the lactic acid issue (thanks flaviarose) and there is some great research regarding MSM on this site.

Anonymous

falleaves, if you check the WEBMD website, they do give possible SE's - indeed, if it's sulfla based, or has sulfur in it, I'd be very allergic to it.

Fallleaves

Thanks, Sunflowers. I will definitely research further before adding.

flaviarose

Ok, here is another controversial item: whey. I've read really good things about it, and read some potentially bad things about it. Anyone care to weigh in with some facts/opinions/ideas?

lightandwind

Flaviarose, here's an article about whey/cancer/breastcancer that I posted on another thread a long time ago. http://www.criticalbench.com/whey_protein_fight_cancer.htm

abigail48

that olive leaves reduce cholesterol posted here awhile ago was very interesting. I havr no idea of what my cholesterol is. I do eat about a dozen eggs a month & coconut oil. since the biginning, or what I judge as the beginning, I've been making a decoction with spring water with olive leaves. I use a forth to a half glass of it a day. sometimes a bit less when the decoction is running out. a handful of leaves in a quart of water reduced to a half lasts about a week or a bit more.

flaviarose

thanks for the article about whey. Interesting about the way it is selective with glutathione. I'll start taking it again :-)

Anonymous

Thanks to kayb, I now have a little jar of organic hulled hemp seeds at my desk AND Organic Nutiva Hemp Protein Hi-Fiber ( which I don't need ;-) as yet unopened, with coconut milk in cartoons, getting ready to make my first drink. "Just Hemp, no additives."

Can report the hulled hemp seeds are kinda nice, nutty, and EXPENSIVE. At least in health food co-op where I got them. Like the taste of the seeds MUCH better than chia, or sesame.

cp418

I do have elevated cholesterol issues and realized I needed to make some dietary changes AGAIN.  I had been eating raw kale multiple times/week in salads or smoothie.  This may have contributed to hypthryoidism symptoms with elevated cholesterol.  I had previously switched from coconut milk to almond milk  - - but just found oat milk.  So I'm hoping eating high fiber oat bran cereal with oat milk, vacation from kale to a daily mixed green salad will improve these symptoms.  The olive leaf supplement related to high cholesterol caught my attention and I will inquire further about it with my nutitionist.  Beta sisterol  supplements has been mentioned here too for elevated cholesterol.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/232521-olive-leaf-extract-and-high-cholesterol/

 

Anonymous

Yikes? Did you really mean KALE contributing to high cholesterol?

cp418

http://www.vintageamanda.com/2013/02/the-kale-thyroid-connection/

Please understand this refers to RAW KALE and not after it is cooked.  I was eating raw kale for over year on a daily basis as mentioned when my TSH levels became elevated along with increases in cholesterol levels.  I know post-menopause status plus Femara contributed but I was very frustrated that I was NOT over weight, exercised daily and my labs kept coming back with no improvement.  I finally connected the dots with a very helpful discussion in another thread about iodine/ thyroid and symptoms.  You know me -- I'm the GOOGLE snoop and I found some articles about suppressing thyroid function.  So before doing anything extreme - my GP suggested I stop eating raw kale and will repeat labs early next year.  I really hope this will make a difference for me.....

 

(Again, I was eating large quantities, long term, daily basis.)