Diet

solfeo

One thing that happened when I was diagnosed is that I completely lost my appetite. There have been days I haven't eaten at all, and when I do eat all I have been able to manage is to choke down a salad and some protein at dinner. I have lost 15 lbs in the 12 days since D-Day. Besides the nutritional aspect, this concerns me because I am overweight and I feel like I'm dumping large amounts of estrogen into my blood stream from my fat cells, and feeding my ER+ cancer. My ND gave me some supplements that are supposed to help clear that out of my system, but still, I'm sure I shouldn't be losing more than a pound per day.

My appetite has been returning the last few days, and for the first time I actually woke up this morning with a hankering for breakfast. I know we are supposed to be eating less meat and saturated fat but are eggs OK, and in what amounts? Has anyone received any advice about eggs from their doctor or nutritionist?

On the advice of my ND I guess I'm going to try to stay as close to a ketogenic diet as possible, so if there is anyone else doing that, your experience would be especially helpful. We talked about healthy substitutions for saturated fats like butter, but I didn't think to ask about eggs specifically and he is on vacation so we won't meet again for a couple of weeks. They are so nutritious, and it sure would be convenient to grab a hard boiled egg from the fridge to throw on a salad or when I need a quick snack and don't feel up to preparing something. Information I have found online has been conflicting, as it usually is.

Thoughts? Opinions?

solfeo

I'm trying and it is getting better. I actually enjoyed my dinner last night and scarfed it up. It has been several days since I haven't eaten all day. It depends on my stress level which has been better lately. I don't want to be too gross, but if I try to force myself when I just can't stomach it, then the food just comes right back up anyway. I think I'm probably over the hump though because I woke up hungry for the first time since this started.

Thanks for the reply.

odie16

Solfeo, unfortunately I went thru the same thing when I went thru my divorce years ago. It is nerves. Understandably. Keep eating when you feel up to it and be gentle to yourself. As Kay said, you will want to try to increase your protein intake during the healing process.

I eat healthy and try to follow a Mediterranean type eating plan including healthy fats (oils) and low fat dairy. I still eat eggs and limited red meat.

Hope this helps.

solfeo

Thanks odie. Secondary to the appetite the diet thing is just so confusing. There is a website food for breast cancer that aggregates all of the studies done on different foods and supplements, and some have been proven in one study to fight the cancer, and in another study the same food has been shown to make it worse. I'm afraid to eat anything at this point!

My well-meaning husband shopped and cooked dinner tonight, and since I haven't really discussed the diet thing with him he didn't know I should avoid red meat, and he made some nice steaks. Well, since I need to eat something, and all of it seems just as likely to help me as hurt me, I enjoyed the darned steak (just not a huge portion). And my tummy feels good!

Thanks again to both of you for the kind words. You put some things in perspective for me. My top priority right now should be getting enough nutrition and slowing the weight loss down to a reasonable level to reduce the estrogen overload. I mean, I know I need to lose the weight to improve my odds of survival, but definitely not this fast.

Next stop: exercise. I'm scared to move much until the tumor is out because I don't want to get the lymph fluid flowing too much and pass the cancer around. Hopefully the surgeon will talk some sense into me tomorrow. haha

maxdog

I don't know about following a ketogenic diet...your body can not heal while in ketosis. I lost 50lbs on.Ideal Protein prior to diagnosis and had to go off because of ketosis.

solfeo

Thanks for your input and opinion maxdog. All will be considered.

solfeo

One thing that surprised me to read is that avocados are apparently not recommended for breast cancer. Avocados? Really? You could have knocked me over.

http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/avocados

"One study found that a diet high in avocado oil promoted the formation of mammary tumors in rats. Another study of postmenopausal U.S. Latina women found that consumption of avocados was associated with higher circulating estrogen levels."

Then the long list of studies that follows makes the situation about as clear as mud. I am not good with scientific jargon.

Has anyone been told to avoid avocados?

solfeo

Thank you kayb. What came to my non-scientific mind is that many postmenopausal Latinas are probably also eating a lot of tortillas with those avocados, and it could very likely be the combination of the high fat diet combined with the simple carbs that's causing the problem from the avocados. It has been my understanding that newer nutritional research has shown that healthy fats only pose a problem when they are combined with a lot of junk carbs. Which is contrary to the conventional wisdom for many years prior. I'm not sure how that applies to breast cancer patients though, so I'm trying to figure it out before I attempt the ketogenic diet my ND has recommended. He says there is research to support it for breast cancer, but it's newer so most doctors and nutritionists are not aware yet.

Like everyone I want to help myself to survive, and I definitely don't want to do any thing to make it worse. There is just so much conflicting info about EVERYTHING! The only thing everyone could agree on is that I have BC. What to do about it, not so much!

cajunqueen15

Hi there ladies! I'm on an alkalizing diet. I had my PH tested and it was way too low. I am told cancer thrives in an acidic environment, so I'm working to change that. It has basically cut out everything I enjoy, but I'm giving It a go. No processed sugar, processed foods, gluten, potatoes, nightshade veggies, very little dairy, 3 oz of meat, minimal grains. Nothing fried, no fake sugars, on my coconut and olive oils. Added raw nuts and seeds, Omega 6,lots of fruits and veggies, beets, seaweed, going organic. And no more wine (sad!) my weight is teetering on too low, so I'm trying to eat more.

drastic dietary changes are so hard, good luck to all you ladies!

cajunqueen15

I forgot to answer your actual question. I am still eating avocados and am allowed one egg per day.

solfeo

Hi cajunqueen1 - I had already made many of the changes to diet you mention before my diagnosis, trying to lose weight, so it's not so difficult to make the additional adjustments I need (except for figuring out exactly what they are with all the conflicting info out there!). Once your body adjusts you will have fewer cravings for the bad foods. Sugar and processed carbs cause a kind of addiction that lessens the more time you spend away from them. I liked my wine too and I definitely miss that, especially when I want to relax during this roller coaster ride.

Do you know what the justification is for removing nightshades? I already don't eat potatoes, and very little eggplant, but I love tomatoes and peppers and that would make me sad to have to give them up.

cajunqueen15

I'm sure you're right about adapting. I need an attitude check... Time to rally, not whine about eating healthy food, lol. I'm just missing my pasta right now!!!

I'm going to check on the nightshades... It's on my list but I don't know why.

Btw, I read that sugar affects the brain in the same way cocaine does. Crazy!

SpecialK

Nightshades can cause joint pain and digestive issues in some with compromised immune systems. My understanding is that cooking these vegetables reduces the potential for issues.

mysunshine48

What are nightshades? Also, from reading this thread, what CAN we eat besides fruits and vegetables? I am eating a lot of them, but I am not getting enough calories and am losing weight and I don't need to lose anymore. I lost weight during chemo as I had no taste and just did not feel like eating much. I think my stomach shrunk because it does not take much to fill me up. Plus, I am so stressed out from all of this, I do not feel hungry. SpecialK, I know you are very knowledgeable in this area, what can we eat?

SpecialK

Nightshades are eggplant, tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, and chilies. Also spices like cayenne and paprika which are made from peppers.

I eat organic/grass fed/pasture raised/wild caught protein like beef, pork, chicken, eggs, seafood. I eat low-glycemic fruits and vegetables and follow the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 rules for which to buy organic. I eat brown rice and quinoa, steel cut oats, I use organic stevia and a little local honey to sweeten but don't use sugar. Try not to stress out about what you are eating to the point where you are losing weight, make these changes gradually as you find things that appeal and fit whatever guidelines you establish for yourself as an individual. You will not find a lot of guidance regarding what to eat from oncologists - this is not really their area of expertise - you have to do the research and develop what you are comfortable with since there is not a lot of hard and fast evidence about what to eat and what to avoid.

solfeo

What I have settled on for now is a modified ketogenic diet. I am trying to stay in a state of ketosis (so far successfully), but modified because I'm not following the diet exactly. I think it's a good idea to deprive the cancer of sugar, but how do you reconcile that with the many anecdotal stories out there from people who have restored their health after cancer by juicing, which is by nature high carb and high sugar

I have been concentrating more on blood glucose level than following the specific diet and what I have found is that there are ways to consume some of the higher glycemic veggies without significantly raising blood sugar. For instance, my liver enzymes are elevated and I drink a beet juice cocktail in the morning for that, because beets have been proven to improve liver function (also great for high blood pressure, if anyone is dealing with that). No one would suggest beets on a ketogenic diet (especially the juice), but I found a way to drink it without raising my blood sugar much at all. It's all about how much and what you eat with it.

My fasting blood glucose is usually around 74, and I can drink about 1/4 cup of beet juice, which is all I need for my purposes, as long as I eat it with a good amount of healthy fat and fiber. For me that is usually a hard boiled egg, about a cup of broccoli, 2 tablespoons of almond butter and 1 tablespoon of liquid fish oil. I also take all of my morning vitamins and supplements at the same time, which adds some carbs. Then when I check my blood sugar an hour and two hours after eating there's usually either no change or a very small change, like up maybe 10 points to 84. The idea is to keep it as steady as possible with no big fluctuations.

There is probably also much value to drinking carrot juice, although I'm sure you would need more than a quarter of a cup to get the full benefits. That's something I plan to play around with in the future - seeing how much I can drink without letting my blood sugar get too high.

My weight loss has slowed to a reasonable level of about 3 lbs. per week.

mysunshine48

How do you make a beet juice cocktail? I find that vegetable juice drinks you can buy in the grocery hsve a high content of sugar. What about eating yogurt? Good? Not good? I am eating organic yogurt, but, once again, I don't know if that is healthy. I must have a lot to learn. Whst is stevia? Thanks!

Ddw79

I was interested to read about your diet solfeo and about your fantastic blood sugar numbers. I am on a similar diet for different reasons. I try to stay as close to ketogenic as possible but that is because I am a type 1 Diabetic. I could never juice or eat beets in any form . I am now at high risk for BC having had a surgical biospsy which resulted in ADH. I am on insulin 24/7. I don't know how I can do both Diabetes and breast cancer. This scares me a lot. As bad as it's going to be to get breast cancer , it seems almost simple to me in comparison to type 1diabetes and breast cancer. There is no way even on an extremely low carb diet that I could maintain such low blood sugar . Great job. It's hard to do what. You are doing

solfeo

I haven't purchased a juicer yet so I use a freeze dried beet & beet green powder from Eclectic Institute. It's not organic but I like how they make it and test it, and it's the only concentrate I could find that includes the whole plant, including the greens. It's a well-respected company and I also take a mushroom blend supplement made by Eclectic.

My basic recipe is 2 slightly rounded tsp (equiv of about 1/4 cup juice) of the powder mixed in 8 oz of liquid (green tea, ginger root tea, water or any combination of those), juice of a whole organic lemon or lime and tiny amount of organic stevia to taste. Then for a little spice I usually dump the contents of my turmeric supplement capsule, a couple of ginger root capsules (natural anti-inflammatories, and good for the liver), and my liver-specific supplements (milk thistle and Himalaya LiverCare) in there with some ice and shake it up. Not everyone would like it with the supplements mixed in but I do. Then as I drink it down I add more water to dilute it even more so it will absorb even more slowly.

I agree with SpecialK that everyone has to make up their own mind about the best diet for them, but I wouldn't personally drink beet juice right now without the high fat/fiber meal to mitigate the glycemic load. I'm sure my own preferences will evolve the more I learn because I'm new at this BC game too.

Stevia is a sweetener made from the leaves of a plant, that doesn't have any calories or carbs or affect blood sugar in any way. If you get the pure kind it's a lot sweeter than sugar by volume so you need very little, and if you use too much it has an aftertaste. A 1.5 oz bottle lasts me most of a year. I have been using it instead of sugar since before the DX. Some brands mix it with other sweeteners and/or fillers so you have to read labels. You can find the pure organic stuff in health food stores and online.

mysunshine48

Thank you

solfeo

Hi Ddw79 - As I'm sure you know, just because you are higher risk for BC doesn't mean you will get it for sure. I was at a higher risk because of some benign problems I have had and multiple benign biopsies (not ADH), and I worried a lot about BC because I was always having some issue with my breasts, and always wondering if the most recent incident would be IT - the real thing. For decades it really wasn't IT, until it was last month.

One thing I would probably go back in time to tell myself back in the day, is not to spend so much time worrying about it, because if it ever happens you will have plenty to worry about then. Do what you can to prevent it by taking the best care of yourself that you can, medically, nutritionally, physically and mentally, and then if it does happen you will know you did everything you could and you will be in the best position possible to deal with it. One positive about knowing your risk is that they will be watching you carefully, so even if you do get it you have a very good chance of having it caught early at a curable stage. Hopefully you will never have to deal with it at any stage, and it would be a shame to have to look back on a lot of time spent worrying about something that never came to pass, or that isn't as bad as you worried it would be.

I do know that is easier said than done, so take it for what it's worth from someone who never quite mastered the 'not worrying' thing.

Best wishes!

ksusan

Stevia may help lower blood sugar. Where I live, you can grow it as an annual; in Florida, it might be perennial.

Despite chemo and steroids, my last a1c was 5.4. I went heavy on vegetables, olive oil, and rice and whey proteins.

Ddw79

That's great advice Solfeo. I'm trying . I just feel that I have no " luck." This is just a deadly duo. Getting my financial / legal affairs in order though which is a relief to some extent.

MelissaDallas

Ddw79, I think you will find you will "calm down" somewhat about the high risk situation after a couple of years. I did when I had had some time to put my true risk in perspective. It took a while. I know now that most women with my risk factors, although I am deemed "high risk", do not go on to develop breast cancer.

Ddw79

I hope so Melissa . It doesn't help though that I can't take any of the suggested meds due to all the other diseases.

Thank You all nice women

solfeo

Ddw79, I always said that if I ever got cancer I wouldn't survive it because I didn't have the kind of support system and positive attitude about life that 'they' say you need to get well. Then it happened, and, shock to me, somehow I found the attitude I need, and I'm putting together that support system. The actual knowing has not been as hard as I worried it would be. The diabetes complicates matters for sure, but don't write yourself off yet! I bet there is still a lot you can do to improve your chances.

I can only tell you what I would do, which you have no obligation to give two hoots about. I would find myself an excellent functional medicine doctor who can introduce you to a good integrative and functional nutritionist. They are not going to give you the same advice as the ADA, and in my non-expert opinion that could save your life.

I am very overweight and I had started on my journey back to health before I got diagnosed with cancer. What got me on the right path was a book called Wheat Belly by cardiologist Dr. William Davis. His program started out primarily for weight loss, but as he used it more in his practice he found that he was seeing reversal of chronic disease in all of his patients. So now the Wheat Belly Diet has evolved into Wheat Belly Total Health (his books are available on Amazon), and a lot of people are having excellent results reversing conditions they were told they would have to live with for life, like Type 2 Diabetes. Of course Type 1 Diabetes is not reversible, but I have read stories on Dr. Davis' blog from folks with Type 1 who are doing much better in many ways. I'm not saying you should follow his recommendations exactly, but he takes a functional medicine approach, which is more like what you would be getting from your own functional medicine team.

It has worked for me. Besides my liver enzymes, my blood work was near perfect. My PCP was shocked that someone of my weight with cancer could be so healthy otherwise. I think the underlying cause of my cancer is all of the extra radiation I have received in diagnostic procedures since the age of 12, and that it was probably triggered by some poor lifestyle choices. I think I could have prevented it if I had started making positive changes sooner.

You can search for functional medicine practitioners in your area here if the idea interests you.

lynn61

Solfeo - Your words from above are very wise. I have already had my lumpectomy/sentinel node and will be proceeding with radiation and hormone therapy but struggle with the unknown. I have copied your words and will refer to them often. Thanks for posting

One thing I would probably go back in time to tell myself back in the day, is not to spend so much time worrying about it, because if it ever happens you will have plenty to worry about then. Do what you can to prevent it by taking the best care of yourself that you can, medically, nutritionally, physically and mentally, and then if it does happen you will know you did everything you could and you will be in the best position possible to deal with it

solfeo

Thanks so much for the praise lynn61. I really needed it because I'm apparently not wise enough to figure out how to get a timely appointment with a breast surgeon.

Wish you the best possible outcome!

Ddw79

You are spot on Solfeo and I hope you find a good Surgeon. You know something about Diabetes too. I am to put it mildly an expert in that subject . I have amazing control . I see a Functional medicine doc and a Naturopathic Cancer doc . I've got all my bases covered ... Until I get cancer. At that point , all bets are off with the Diabetes and Cancer. I have learned to do type 1 Diabetes which I got at age 60. I do nothing the ADA tells me or the Diabete Educators. They kill people like me. My last a1c was 5.2. It's over though with BC.

Thanks for your inspiring words. We are on the same page.

solfeo

Excellent Ddw79! A lot of diabetics have no idea the typical diabetes educator is advising them right into an early grave. I never had problems with blood sugar, but I educated myself about diabetes because I was trying to prevent all of the obesity-related illnesses that I was destined for if I didn't get a grip on the weight problem. Turned out it didn't take losing all of the weight to improve my statistics - just heading in the right direction in the healthiest way possible was enough in every way except for preventing the cancer, which I believe was growing before I learned how to be healthy, so it was too little too late.

I still hate to see you saying things like "all bets are off." There is another saying I'm sure you've heard, and it goes: "It ain't over til it's over!" I can think of some specific reasons to never give up hope but I'll stop now before I cross the line into obnoxiously optimistic territory. (sorry if I already did).

Hang in there!

Ddw79

Solfeo you are an angel. I'm so happy for you too that you figured so much of this out before you got stuck in Disbetesland. On its own it's a horror show . With cancer.... Well you know what I think. But you don't have it thankfully