hi there everyone.
i have heard from a few people now that there is food which us ''cancer'' patients should avoid.. a few of them being
red meat
bbq food
sugar
has anyone got any opinions on this?
alison.xx
You are here
what food?
Hi Alison
I have quite strong opinions on 'you are what you eat' as I was brought up that way and it has served me and my family well.
If you look at the body purely as a chemical processing plant with a natural homeostasis to maintain, then, just like plants there are optimal maintenance and repair conditions - all of which can be influenced by the food we eat.
I believe that keeping the body within the range of a neutral or slightly alkaline tissue ph (sorry about the science) is a KNOWN benefit to all, but especialy cancer patients as cancers LOVE an acid body. So do the foods we eat leave an acid or an alkaline 'ash'? This is where the heavy meat proteins, BBQ etc come in as they are most acid forming.
All processed foods that contain sugar are not good for anyone, especially those of us whose bodies are striving so hard to find a balance whilst being chemically managed! All nutritionists would tell about the no nos of sugar.
Similarly, a really healthy balanced, mostly enzyme rich diet including supplements can provide an optimal ground for the continual detoxing that our organs are required to do on these drugs.
I guess at the end of the day we all have to make the choices we feel happy with and BIG changes in diet are sometimes in themselves too arduous for some to make, whereas others feel they are adding to their healing empowerment by watching diet carefully.
I also believe in moderation, so that a little bit of something naughty is probably very good for the soul! BUT should I begin to go downhill, I would definitely tighten up on my dietary regime before anything else.
Hope that helps and all the best
Beth
Dasatinib requires stomach acid for absorb into the body,so please be aware of this when selecting foods,And NO GRAPEFRUIT.
Dear Beth, I thought all protein foods are acid forming- including cheese, eggs, fish, poultry etc. so to single out meat protein as more acid forming is confusing.
I am also not too sure about the famous line 'you are what you eat'.... you can have the most healthy diet according to current thinking on this and yet still develop cancer.
However, I do think it does very little harm to try to eat 'whole' and nourishing foods and cut down on sugar and all other processed foods as far as possible.... but all this does depend on how much we can afford to spend, both in time and money, on such changes. Supplements are also very expensive but I do agree they can be extremely beneficial.
Sandy
Hi Alison,
if you are taking any of the TKI's...imatinib, dasatinib or nilotinib you should not eat grapefruit or drink its juice. This is because it contains an enzyme which interacts negatively with the chemicals contained in this class of drugs.
As for a general diet for cancer patients to follow... I do not think there is one other than to say that you should try to eat a rich and wholesome diet with as few chemicals/additives as possible. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (preferably unsprayed with chemicals) and maybe decrease the amount of protein based foods. But that is a debatable point. Personally I try to follow a way of eating that separates different classes of foods... like protein from starch foods for instance. So for example I would not eat meat/fish/cheese/eggs together with potatoes/rice/pasta or bread and vice versa. I would instead combine vegetables/salads with starch (as list above) or vegetables/salads with protein. I try to eat fruit separately from any other foods.
Since I have followed this way of eating I have had little digestive upset and feel generally better. However, I am not sure this is exclusively for cancer patients.
Drinking plenty of water (apart from that in tea/coffee etc) is my mainstay and I find really makes me feel better.
Sandy
yes Sandy - I agree with all you say. ALL proteins are acid forming, supplements ARE expensive, food combining does seem to ease the digestive strain, yes, I have eaten well all my life and DO have cancer.... all ideas and opinions seem to get blown to the wind!
But... whether we are healthy or health compromised, it makes sense to me to try and keep the body in optimal nutrional balance (if we can ever really determine what that is...and its different for all of us!)
Perhaps it's just feeling one is doing one's best for oneself!
Hi Beth...... yes it is true what you say. A diagnosis of cancer (no matter what kind, and there are many) delivers such a blow to the 'soul' that it can be very difficult to recover from. It took me a long time to recover. I don't think I will ever be the same person I was before diagnosis- but then I prefer now to take this experience and make it into a positive. I am much more aware that life is not simple, nor is it easy.
I agree that doing the best you can to keep well and make sense of what has happened is so important, probably as important as taking 'the pills' regularly ;o)
best...
Sandy
hi Jacqui
According to what I have researched - hard cheeses are not great (especially when combined with bread! I personally only eat very little soft white, goat or feta cheese. There is a school of thought about cancer and dairy - you might like to Google it yourself.
best
Beth
Hello Jacqui,
please don't worry about the reference to 'acid' forming foods. ie. proteins. The discussion was based around whether acid forming should be combined with alkaline forming foods. You should not cut out cheese just because there is a school of thought that connects cancer with an 'acid' state. This is not proven by any means and I am yet to hear of vegetarians or vegans being immune from cancer. Please don't misunderstand the discussion that Beth and I have been having.
Cheese- whether made from cows or sheep/goats milk is highly nutritious and enjoyable. I love it.
Best wishes,
Sandy