Making diet changes....

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mom3band1g
mom3band1g Member Posts: 817

What are people doing as far as lifestyle goes to help their body fight the cancer.  I am so new to this and just starting to read about nutrition, etc.  I have always been very aware of nutrition and tried to feed my family as healthy as possible.  We eat  about 90% organic, no fast food, no pre-packaged foods, etc.  I am feeling a little irritated that I got this cancer when we try so hard to be healthy.  Oh well.  I have increased my Vit D to 4,000 iu's a day.  I take Adrenal Support and Breast Health (oh, the irony there).  I am going to look into iodine deficiency as well.  What are others doing?  I also do Pilates 3-4 days a week.

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  • kellyrs
    kellyrs Member Posts: 21
    edited February 2010

    Hi Mom3,

    I know what you mean about the irony - but at least choosing to eat healthily and look after yourself gives you a modicum of control when everything else is so random. I'll eat the things people suggest are good for cancer, but only because I then know I've done my best to look after myself, not because I expect it to change my outcome. I eat manuka honey, drink white tea, eat mango (a friend rang me to tell me about an article she'd read about its anti-cancer benefits), munch on broccoli from time to time and enjoy good red wine! I don't know if this will help me medically at all, but it certainly makes me feel better. x

  • somanywomen
    somanywomen Member Posts: 872
    edited February 2010
    mom3band1g, There is a ton of info in books like "Anti cancer, A New Way of Life" by David Servan-schreiber, MD, PhD (himself, a brain cancer survivor)......and my favorite book "Foods to Fight Cancer" by Beliveau, PhD & Gingras, PhD......These two books and others I have accumulated in the last couple of months give a lot of information as to the beneficial cancer fighting effects of tumeric with pepper along with other simple ways to add cancer fighting foods to your diet.....Both books are available on amazon...
  • RegulJ
    RegulJ Member Posts: 244
    edited February 2010

    Be careful with the VitD it collects in fat and can become toxic. Have your levels measured.

  • MariannaLaFrance
    MariannaLaFrance Member Posts: 777
    edited February 2010

    I just saw the "Anti-Cancer, A New Way of Life" book at Costco this weekend and quickly browsed through it. I will probably end up buying it at a certain point. I noticed that cruciform vegetables like brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli were high on his list, mainly for their anti-inflammatory properties. I am considering changing to a more plant-based diet, depending on what the results say about if my tumor is estrogen-fed.   The only thing I have noticed when reading about anti-cancer diets and for those who have been diagnosed is that people tend to cut out a lot of meats and eat more vegetables. (Not too different from my current diet, but willing to go 110% now)

    I went to yoga for the first time today since my diagnosis. I was having too many crying episodes to go before now. My surgeon told me that I could walk for the few weeks after my surgery for exercise, then resume a normal course of activities. As for radiation, she tells me that I will be okay for 3 weeks, then I will be very tired. I don't have a plan for that period, except maybe doing a bit of yoga at home.  As for ballet classes, haven't been able to go back since last week (had class the day before I found out), but will try to fit in a few in the next 2 weeks before surgery. I'll have to put in on the back burner for awhile. I love Vinyasa flow these days, so maybe that's where I will get my "movement fix..."

    I've stopped all my vitamins for now. I usually take a Women's Multi and 2 Omega 3 Gummy Bear vitamins each day. I guess I can resume those later, but wanted to meet with the radiation oncologist first before I started supplements again.

     Hope you're having a good day today.Smile

  • somanywomen
    somanywomen Member Posts: 872
    edited February 2010
    Marianna, I just finished 30 days of rads on Jan 14....had zero tiredness.....did get an itchy rash that is almost healed...I was eating very healthy just like mentioned by you, I think this helped me through rads....good luck....
  • 3monstmama
    3monstmama Member Posts: 1,447
    edited February 2010

    Our family is like yours --- I'd say I was at about 80-90% organic for nearly 20 years even before I married and had kids.  All I can figure is that I am being impacted by the unknown  genetic factors which are being impacted by environmental factors I can't control. 

    Since we are already eatting pretty well, we are trying to increase our number of 100% veggie meals.  We have never been big meat eaters [all our meat is free range stuff which, with 3 hungry children, gets pricey!]  but I think in the last year, the veggie percentage has gone down and the carb percentage has gone up---my husband has been doing more cooking and his specialty is pasta based.  I'd rather we up the other grains--barley, ferro, millet, etc.--so I'm doing that.

    I am taking a class in Buddhist vegetarian cooking--thats been fun except that alot of the things that are used in Asian cooking are not available as an organic.  So I have to consider which is better--organic or veggie.

    I am trying to cut back on my coffee consumption and increase my water or herbal tea consumption instead.  

    Increasing exercise has been far harder than impacting my diet.  I work full time out of my house and have three kids who really need my time when I'm not at work.  The best thing is to find exercise that involves them like hiking.  I would like to take yoga but I can't figure out when to fit it in my schedule. I try to use the stairs at work--mostly getting off 2 floors early and walking up but since I'm on the 28th floor, I've also walked all the way down and up a few times.  My goal is to do it 2x a week but with all the doctor appointments I haven't been able to fit it in the way I want.

    So I bought a bike! I haven't owned or riden a bike since I was about 11---had one of those bad falls and never got back on.  But I know its good exercise and I thought it was something I could do with my kids, especially as the weather gets warmer.  It is NOT a fancy schmancy mountain bike--if anything it looks like the bikes you see French or Dutch people riding to market.  But I like it.  The night before my lumpectomy I took it out and actually rode it [its been raining on weekends or dark when I get home, not at all optimal baby bike rider weather] Okay not very far but stil, its a start!

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