article - Diet and Lifestyle Influences in BC

Very interesting.  This is exactly the thing the nurtitionist at the cancer center I go to recommended.  It's not easy but I am trying!  Must get back on the lowfat bandwagon now that Christmas is over.  I've been bad! 

Thanks for the link!

Hey there Bourscheid-- just noticed you are in Murphy NC-- we're neighbors!  Just curious-- which cancer center do you use?  I went to Hope A Women's Cancer Center in Asheville for surgeon and chemo and went to Dr. Thomas in Sylva for my radiation.

I have been bad too, really really bad.  I gained weight during chemo and can't seem to get "with it" to get it off, but thanks to Cp418's post, we've got some great guidelines now!

Take care and Happy New Year!

Mary Jo

My onc recommended dietary change (I'm already an exercise nut) and recommended Walter Willett's book (easily Google-able) which is based on results of the Nurses and Professionals studies (he's at Harvard). I find it easy to follow and some recent articles suggest that these changes, especially low BMI, can lower risk substantially.

Farrah raises an interesting question, though, since estrogen levels and women's body fat are related. Thumbing through what I have here in the office doesn't turn up any articles that have looked at that--I think I need to get on MEDLINE.

Well, from what I've been reading there's a stronger link between BMI, exercise and BC than a low-fat diet. Like you, Estepp, I've kept a good diet and healthy level of physical activity. However, the diet my onc suggested (Walter Willet's the author of the book describing it, based on Nurses & Professionals studies) does limit animal protein quite a bit and recommends more fruit and vegetables than the US guidelines. And, he and my PS both say that they would like me to stay at this weight, which is the lowest I've been--ever. I've gone from a petite 4 to a petite 2 and am 105 (5'2"). To me, that's pretty gaunt but I do feel good on the diet.

Thanks for posting the link. I'm willing to read anything that might be helpful. I have been an active exerciser and eaten healthfully all my life, but even more so in the last 30 years. I'm 5'6" and been 125-130 lbs since high school. I do have a family history of cancer though so I guess it finally caught up to me at age 56. My BC was ER+. I really felt defeated this fall. After years of being healthy I ended up with cancer anyway. All the surgeries and the meds, all the doctor visits, the changes in my life; it's been tough to stay positive about exercising. For a couple of months I ate too much and didn't work out like normal so I put on about 5 lbs (you know, I got cancer anyway so why bother?) But I hate it when my pants are tight. So now I'm back to eating carefully and going to the gym every day again and I feel so much better. Maybe us ER+ girls need to be even more vigilant about diet.

Car,

I'm curious if you know anything about the dairy.  I don't like milk, but I do like yogurt and cheese.  I try to stay away from too much cheese, given its fat content, but I've really been enjoying some of the Fage 0% fat Greek plain yogurt every day.  It's basically got no sugar and loads of protein.  I mix it with high fiber low sugar cereal.  Why does dairy get a such a bad rap?  Is it the high sugar content in some of the fruited or flavored yogurts?  Just curious...

Interesting, thanks.  I'll have to pick his book up.  I do eat a lot of chicken, so maybe that's not so good.  But I do love those vegetables and fruits from Whole Foods, so I'll continue with those.  I have osteopenia in my spine (I'm 47 but have had it for a while...I'm small-boned and my mom has osteoporosis, so that's probably expected), so I better start taking those calcium supplements.