Plant Based Diet

Carmelle

I was diagnosed 13 years ago and did all of the surgeries and treatment. I wish I had known additionally then about plant based eating …have been eating plant based (high carb/no oil) two years and it has resolved lingering issues I have had since chemo, some within weeks and absolutely feel the difference. There is data to support within BC & survival.

LoveJoyPeace

Carmelle,

Do you eat soy/tofu? I've been trying plant based diet since my diagnosis. I do love soy/tofu based food, but they contain isoflavones, which is similar to estrogen. I'm wondering if eating soy/tofu is okay for people with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer.

EstelaLorca

Hi, I've been trying to eat a plant based diet since I found out about my recurrence in December. The transition was challenging, I kept it up for at least a month but once I started treatment I started integrating meat again. My body just seemed to crave it. So I adapted, still do some vegan days and once Im done chemo I'll give it another shot. I avoid all soy/tofu as my cancer is estrogen positive.

There's a lot controversy in regards to Soy. My MO says to avoid it. And on top of that most soy beans are GMO which I also avoid. It's quite annoying though, it's in everything. Soy Lecithin. I'm an ingredient checker, or I should say that my husband is.

MelissaDallas

I am treated at an NCI cancer center and my MO says a serving or so a day of "whole" soy, such as tofu or edamame is fine, and in fact the Vanderbilt study shows women who eat soy do better. They didn't recommend eating much manufactured isolated soy protein such as in most bars and shakes

ksusan

My MO and ND have said the same as MelissaDallas's treatment center.

Eleanora23

Processed soy products, like most processed food, is bad for you. Soy in its original form, or fermented (miso and tempeh, for examples) are just fine in moderation according to many studies. There is some debate of course, but many people just lump all soy products together as one bad thing. . I have read that the much weaker estrogen like substances in soy actually trick estrogen receptors from take up the more active estrogen in the body. I'm unlikely to give up soy as I eat a plant based diet, but I do try to eat the forms that are known to be healthiest. Miso soup (fermented soy paste) eaten widely in many east asian cultures, is excellent for breast health!

abigail48

my moher's name was eleonora. always said not eleanor. we called her polly her grandmother's name, her sister called her no-no, we also called her eleo at times

LoveJoyPeace

Thank you ladies for the feedback.

I love edamame. I get organic frozen non-gmo edamame from Costco and eat 1 bag (9 oz) a day because they are so addicting. I kept on forgetting to ask my MO about it. With your feedback, I now don't need to feel guilty about it.

Momine

Also, "plant based" and "vegetarian" are not the same. It is possible to eat a plant based diet that still incorporates meat and seafood. The thing is to make the plants the main component and treat the animal protein as the side-dish. Like others, I found, especially during treatment, that I absolutely needed some animal protein to keep an even keel. So yesterday, for example, I had a big salad of tomato, avocado, cucumber and cilantro for a lunch, with a small meat patty on the side. For dinner I had peas and artichokes (a classic Greek dish) with a little feta crumbled over the top. So the bulk of what I ate was plant based, but there was also some animal protein in the mix.

Kkubsky

I was told a plant based diet includes some meat...chicken, turkey, fish... Red meat is ok sometimes just not all the time. Cruciferous vegetables are very important too. Cut out processed food, and refined sugar. Guess that means jelly donuts are out.....

sunshine2003

Hi Carnelle: I'm still here ....13 years later! We've recently switched to a vegetarian diet. We were vegetarian for several years before children but I changed with pregnancy so now we've decided to re-visit it. It started when we didn't feel good after eating Christmas dinner - so we're here for good except for the odd bit of fish. I love cooking curries, risotto, stir-fries etc. I think being vegetarian makes us so much more conscious of healthy eating that it can't help but be good for you. A little soy or edamame now and then, I think, is just fine. I hope you and the kids are fine! Ours are 29 and 26 I thought of this site today as my sister is doing chemo for a different type of cancer. This site was tremendous for me when I needed it. Glad it's still here for others going through Dx and treatment. Take care everyone.

Janet

Srh242

I'm on a plant based diet too🌻

chocomousse

My diet has been plant based since age 20 and I still got breast cancer 20+ years later so I can say that although it might reduce ones chances, it certainly doesn't eliminate them. My diet consisted of all the right things, organic root vegs, green leafy vegs, cruciferous vegs, my favorite veg was broccoli. I ate tons of it each week. Also loved carrots, asparagus, greens and grains. I completely eliminated red meat from my diet but would occassionally eat seafood and poultry and by occassionally, I mean once or twice a month. I took vitamins and drank caffeine-free herbal teas like rooibos, moringa, chamomile, etc., the super teas that possess the anti-cancer properties. I didn't drink because I don't like the taste of alcohol, wasn't a fan of soda, cows milk or sugary sweets, never smoked, never used drugs, never used hormonal birth control and I've never weighed more than 105 lbs....and yet, I got breast cancer, HER2+ , grade 3 breast cancer, the super mutant, aggressive type. It's made me cynical now because I believed 100%, for over 20 years, in all of the things the healthy lifestyle community said about how a healthy lifestyle will keep you healthy and how you won't have to worry about x and y medical condition. Now, I honestly don't know what to believe. I feel lied to. My sister and mother (smoker and drinker) are healthier than me, they're both overweight, eat a ton of meat, sugar and dairy, rarely eat anything green, aren't active...and they've never been diagnosed with cancer. At this point, as far as diet, I'm not convinced that it makes much difference. There are direct connections between smoking and drinking and certain types of cancer and eating a ton of meat supposedly predisposes one to colon and digestive cancers. Just not sure if diet is a strong predictor for or strongly implicated in the development of breast cancer. I did/do have a stressful life so I wonder if stress outweighs diet in certain instances.

georgiaredskin

I feel you, chocomousse. I think there is a lot more to be learned about what causes cancer. I didn't eat perfectly, but we have eaten organic everything (from a CSA) and I was a competitive athlete through college. I want to prevent the high recurrence rate, however, and therefore have tightened the reigns even more on my diet (minimal dairy and meat). I also have Her-2, the aggressive booger! It isn't fair, but it is what is is. Hang in there

ChiSandy

No way I can go on a high-carb no-oil vegan diet. My blood sugar, lipids, and a1c would go through the roof...and so would my hunger. Every low-or-no-fat diet I’ve tried has been a disaster, and I felt like crap. I think the reason for “no oil/fat” is that so much grain, fruits and starchy veggies are fairly high-calorie, and the fat would push it over the top. But there is no such thing as the one correct diet for everyone, not even for everyone with the same kind of breast cancer!

I have found that moderate-protein, reasonable-fat, moderate (organic whole) dairy, no sugar, little-to-no grains, and loads of leafy green and colorful non-starchy veggies (with some nuts and low-sugar fruit like berries, melon and stone fruit in season) has been what worked for me in terms of losing weight and body fat. And it is the easiest to stick with when traveling, either here or abroad, and can be followed in restaurants with little modification (and no eye-rolling from scornful waitstaff). Portion control is instinctive, and the modicum of fat helps satiety (makes you feel full longer). And real food (as opposed to stuff in boxes and packets and cans) looks and tastes better. Remember: if it comes from a plant, great. If it’s made IN a “plant,” forget it.

As for ER+ bc, the less body fat you have (and unless you get fat cells surgically removed, you can only reduce the amount of fat in your fat cells, not lose the cells)* the less androstenedione your fat cells will be able to make--and the easier it will be for aromatase inhibitors to prevent its conversion to estradiol. (Or for those on tamoxifen, the less estrogen will be available in your body to latch on to the tumor cells’ receptors).

* Unfairly, men get obese by filling their fat cells (hypertrophic obesity), which expand in size. We women also get obese by filling our fat cells....and also by making new ones (hyperplastic obesity). One more gift from Mother Nature (who tries to ensure we have enough body fat to ovulate, but hasn’t got the memo that in this day and age the species will survive if some of us never reproduce, and that most of us live well past our childbearing years--we need that extra fat like we need a hole in the head). But at least we don’t have external genitalia to have to protect.

Even with a low-carb moderate-protein-and-fat diet, it is possible to follow Mark Bittman’s motto: "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much."

Theresanne

Well, I was a vegetarian before my diagnosis, but with that...still ate dairy....which is highly estrogenic. Plus, I was a huge worrier, did not exercise enough, had wine now and then to "calm down"....low and behold...breast cancer. I think I created the perfect storm..the stress..led to all other habits which increased my estrogen levels and destoyed my immune system. I did the chemo, BMX...now on femara..five years. but, after my chemo...I began a whole foods plant based vegan diet..no dairy at all...no added sugar ( no fruit juice and limited fruit daily) ,only drink water, water with lemon and unsweetened organic green and chamomile teas. Absolutely no alchohol. I dont know if this way if eating will have a direct effect on breast cancer...but I have lost 40 lbs and kept it off. I also take mushroom extract, curcumin and sulphorophane ( broccoli extract) daily. 3000 mg of D3, B12, ..lots of exercise. and alot of prayer...bless all of you.

Anonymous

Thereseanne,

Just wanted to write and say there are so many more variables to a dx of b.c. than just what you've done above. I hope you aren't blaming yourself for your "perfect storm", because if avoiding b.c. was as easy as eating right, not drinking, and exercising, there would be a lot less of us on these b.c.org boards. None of us gave ourselves this disease. It is hard enough swallowing the fear and anxiety of dx, but so much more goes into our dx that we (and science) haven't uncovered yet...environmental toxins, a cell that simply goes haywire for no reason, estrogen dominance, etc.

But congrats for weight loss! That definitely makes a difference in avoiding recurrence!!!

Hugs

Claire in AZ

Theresanne

Claire, unfortunately, I have put alot of the blame on myself. Even so far as to say I was an awful mother for not taking better care if myself. I have worked to put that out if my head, because I know that there are so many unknowns about breast cancer...just about anything could have started the process. Although I am going to do everything to stack the odds in my favor to prevent recurrence...I do have alot of work to do with my stress level. I have made some strides...but, The constant worry about every ache and pain...waiting fir the other shoe to drop drives me nuts.....I have tried counseling twice...but, it made me feel worse. So, I try to keep myself busy with things I enjoy...the great art of distraction....

Rhoo

I am new to these boards and newly DXd. Theresanne, I blame stress and bearing the consequences of others choices for much of my current health. Although I have learned to balance better, I have a low tolerance for stressors and have found ways to avoid many of them (as in removing from my life). However, some stresses come with life and I find that the more often I access my spiritual resources, the better I fare. Today, I am still in the decision-making phase. I have a bone density test next week, then am expected to make a decision by 10/18/16 about my treatment options. In the meantime, I am reading, limiting my communications and interactions so I do not have to "explain myself".

My diet is plant-based and I found a lot of information on cancertutor.com regarding diets for various types of cancers/treatments.

cocobean39

I'm curious to learn more about your plant based diet, do you use vegetable oils?

exercise_guru

I am so excited to report that my doctor referred me to the lifestyle medicine center at the hospital. They support a plant based diet and have exercise physiologists, health coaches, cooking and nutrition classes and an internist that sees you every 8 weeks to check your progress.

For those of you interested in getting started I highly recommend the movie on netflix and amazon called

Forks Over Knives

It totally changed my relationship with animal protein and cancer.

For cookbooks I have tons of recommendations so pm me if needed. I like to start with

The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet: Eat Plants, Lose Weight, Save Your Health

by Rip Esselstyn | Dec 27, 2016

it is absolutely the easiest and most assessible with delicious food ideas for one and up to any number. I use this book more than any other for meal ideas.