Nervous About Eating Anything?

Frill

I'm posting this here because it came up sort of in the discussion about the Radical Remission book. I'm getting to where I don't want to eat anything, well, for a million different reasons. Meat - it's full of hormones, what if that gave me cancer, plus it seems like it's not supposed to be very good for LE. Bread - not full of hormones, but ready and waiting to make me fat(ter). Dairy - hormones again, and possibly might not be great for LE. Processed food? It's processed food. So, fruit. Fruit is safe. Organic.

The LE, I haven't been able to concretely link anything that's improved it except weight lost. I'm 30 pounds down since March/April and after using FlexiTouch it looks like my other hand, almost. Not quite the same ring size, but I wear a 4 1/2.

Dinner is out, because eating late is bad for LE. (from what I've read) I'll eat a couple of bites of DBF's dinner to satisfy him.

Logically I don't believe this is helping me. I hadn't eaten for 3 days before I went into the hospital. This is the only time I've talked about the ED raising its head again. Doctors haven't said anything because right now I will reach normal weight in 3 pounds. 34ish pounds before I'd be underweight, which would be 15 pounds higher than what I was when I graduated high school. The dietitians in the hospital though were all over me for the first time.

Is anyone else nutty about food now? It just seems like it's the only thing that's within my control. That and exercise, I just need to get back on track.

I also keep thinking, the less fat, the less estrogen. I'd rather do this than take one of those pills for 5 years.

ErenTo

Have you checked this website? It has links to various research-based articles on food and you can even search by your type of cancer or therapy.

http://foodforbreastcancer.com/

exbrnxgrl

Frill,

I am in a very different position from you and this is not advice, so much as my personal, anecdotal story.

I eat and drink pretty much what I want, when I want it. I try to buy organic when I can (and if prices are not crazy), don't eat much meat (and did not prior to bc), and overall just use balance and reasonable choices. If I want a drink, I have one. If I want meat, I eat it. Sweets? My downfall, so I try to be moderate. I deprive myself of nothing. What does this get me? Joy, satisfaction, lively family meals, no anxiety about restaurants, no compulsion, no dwelling on every bite that passes my lips.

Stressing over food is still stress and it may diminish the benefits of the social aspects of enjoying food with others. Stressing over food may rob you of joy and sweet times in other parts of your life too. At stage IV, I don't want to give up a minute to stress,especially about food, given that my diet is quite reasonable. I have been NED since initial tx. I work at a job I love, enjoy family, friends and food and have chosen not to stress over anything. This may be too passive an approach for those who feel they need to actively do more, but I have had 5 great years of living with cancer and I'm planning on many more. If I don't have many more ahead of me, then I am very content to know I spent little time stressing about anything and simply enjoyed the ride.

labelle

Some people think I'm crazy about food/diet. LOL. I've followed a Paleo diet for several years and Paleo eaters do tend to be a bit evangelical about their diets, preaching the joys to one and all! Anyway, I maintain my weight and I feel really good on a Paleo diet. It took awhile, but I eventually got my husband on the bandwagon-I'm still preaching to our adult kids!

I think that is probably the key, find a type of diet or food plan or whatever, that YOU do well on and you feel good on and one that doesn't get you all stressed out! Personally, I've had lots of fun finding and trying new recipes and have met some pretty interesting people as a result of eating Paleo, but I love to cook and I think real food does taste better than chemically laden junk, so I like and enjoy my diet and I don't feel I sacrifice any enjoyment by following this diet plan.These days I'm not as rigid about my diet as I used to be. I do occasionally cheat-a small piece of birthday cake when offered (I had chocolate creme brulee for my own birthday in July) and I sometimes buy coconut milk ice cream (it has sugar in it) or have homemade hummus and flatbread at a local restaurant (so not Paleo, but so good) and I can usually find something on the menu at most restaurants that isn't a big cheat (big salads with chicken breast or steak). You have to live a little!

I think it was discussed a bit on the Radical Remission thread, that food/diet shouldn't drive you crazy, or be a source of stress, or make you feel deprived in some way.

Eating healthy is important, but everyone seems to have different ideas about what is or isn't healthy. Decide what you can and cannot do in terms of diet, choose the most important changes you want to and can comfortably make and implement them, but keep in mind stress isn't good for us either, so making one's diet a source of stress can cause more harm than good.

ruthbru

Eat a diet that you enjoy and makes you feel good. Food (to me anyway) is one of the great joys of life; be good (whatever that means to you....to me it is more fruits & veggies, less red meat, less bread, a small bag of licorice ins) most of the time; but also have the wine, gravy, cheese sauce, cake etc. etc. every once and awhile as well. The BIGGEST non-medical thing we can do for ourselves is EXERCISE. That is what will change the fat into muscle (which diet will not do), reduce the estrogen, make you feel better emotionally, improve your overall health markedly, AND let you eat without guilt as well.

Momine

Yeah, the first year or two after DX, I went a bit jiggy with the food thing. I ate no sweets, no white bread, no red meat and absolutely minimal dairy. However, I did eat, and quite a lot, although mostly fish, chicken and veggies. At one point I had to count calories, because I got too skinny.

Since then, I have calmed down quite a bit, although the fish and veggie habit has remained. I am maintaining a low weight, but also take femara

fleur-de-lis

I watch how much sugar and starches I eat....but to a certain extent I watched this for years, as I was DX.ed with reactive hypoglycemia at age 18. I had a Phyllodes in 2009 ( and just found out that I have a re-occurance, will have a lumpectomy next week ....hope it is not malignant) that tumor was AR and IGF-1 positive...no ER or PR receptors. So I limit my sugar, starches and alcoholic beverages. Mostly protein and fruits and veggies. I do take Metformin, which, surprise! Levels off my ( low) blood sugar levels. No more sweats, light headedness, or brain fog from low blood sugar