Diet

Lately I've been adjusting my diet a bit to become more alkaline and less acidic. According to my research, an alkaline diet is healthier for those who have had cancer or those with cancer.

Recognizing that many of "us" have had to turn to the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast) to just keep food down on occasion, and recognizing that not all cancers are alike, have you made any changes in your diet to try to stave off a recurrence, or to keep your situation on a low simmer?

Currently, I've changed my diet to lots more vegetables and fruits, and have greatly cut meat and dairy. It's been a good change for me, I think. 

For lunch, I had an ear of corn (no butter) and about twenty blackberries. The corn is acidic, but the berries are alkaline. Not perfect, but healthy-ish.

For breakfast, I had some vegetables with quinoa and a slice of turkey. Some meat there, so not perfect, but not too bad. 

I think I'm going to add in some curcumin / pepper / olive oil to a daily breakfast of a slice of sprouted grain bread, with half an avocado. The pepper apparently helps to activate the curcumin / tumeric.

Am I putting you to sleep yet?

<3 Deb

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Comments

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    Diet after cancer

    It's ok to eat what works for you depending on what you are dealing with after treatment. 

    If you are dealing with diarrhea, you can extrapolate from a BRAT diet to eat other foods that are sources of soluble fiber and pectin to help you over a longer a period of time. That's what a BRAT diet does. You'll eventually learn what you can or can't tolerate in your new normal if it persists for some time. I had 6 months of terrible diarrhea that started about 18 months after pelvic radiation and while I'm past the worst of it, it still rears it's head from time to time. I don't eat restaurant food anymore. I do eat organic to avoid the endocrine disruptors that I can.

    With adenocarcinoma, many of us take a long hard look at it's risk factors and try to improve by losing weight or going organic. If we weren't getting enough exercise we might be motivated to improve that. The thing is, though, none of those are any kind of guarantee, so don't beat yourself up about any of it. Just do what works for you that makes you feel better both mentally and physically. The point of survival is to enjoy what you endured so much to have.

  • misstaylor84
    misstaylor84 Member Posts: 73 Member
    edited August 2021 #3
    Diet

    I was doing the Keto diet for a few months, about a year and a half before I was diagnosed. Which I know now it isn't ideal because it has too much fat. But sticking with a diet, or lifestyle change, of mostly whole, non-proicessed foods will make a big difference. When I stayed away from sugar and processed junk I did feel like I had a lot more energy, some of my PCOS symptoms were diminished, and I had less body aches. That's my plan now. 

    I have looked at foods that are high in antioxidants, and are known to be good for cancer fighting. Lots of fruit (berries in my case because they are lower in sugar and I'm a diabetic), brussels sprouts, broccoli, lean meat, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes are very good in small amounts. I have also started a good women's immunity supplement with vitamin E and B vitamins. Vitamin E helps eliminate free radicals. I'm also going to try starting an Omega 3 fish oil supplement. Coffee, green tea, are also good.

     

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member
    edited August 2021 #4

    Diet

    I was doing the Keto diet for a few months, about a year and a half before I was diagnosed. Which I know now it isn't ideal because it has too much fat. But sticking with a diet, or lifestyle change, of mostly whole, non-proicessed foods will make a big difference. When I stayed away from sugar and processed junk I did feel like I had a lot more energy, some of my PCOS symptoms were diminished, and I had less body aches. That's my plan now. 

    I have looked at foods that are high in antioxidants, and are known to be good for cancer fighting. Lots of fruit (berries in my case because they are lower in sugar and I'm a diabetic), brussels sprouts, broccoli, lean meat, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes are very good in small amounts. I have also started a good women's immunity supplement with vitamin E and B vitamins. Vitamin E helps eliminate free radicals. I'm also going to try starting an Omega 3 fish oil supplement. Coffee, green tea, are also good.

     

    Sounds Great!

    Thanks for sharing! You have reminded me that I want to get some additional supplements. 

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member
    MAbound said:

    Diet after cancer

    It's ok to eat what works for you depending on what you are dealing with after treatment. 

    If you are dealing with diarrhea, you can extrapolate from a BRAT diet to eat other foods that are sources of soluble fiber and pectin to help you over a longer a period of time. That's what a BRAT diet does. You'll eventually learn what you can or can't tolerate in your new normal if it persists for some time. I had 6 months of terrible diarrhea that started about 18 months after pelvic radiation and while I'm past the worst of it, it still rears it's head from time to time. I don't eat restaurant food anymore. I do eat organic to avoid the endocrine disruptors that I can.

    With adenocarcinoma, many of us take a long hard look at it's risk factors and try to improve by losing weight or going organic. If we weren't getting enough exercise we might be motivated to improve that. The thing is, though, none of those are any kind of guarantee, so don't beat yourself up about any of it. Just do what works for you that makes you feel better both mentally and physically. The point of survival is to enjoy what you endured so much to have.

    Your POV is always interesting

    You are so right in that "none of those are a guarantee," and just earlier today, I was reviewing that some of our members and their mothers were initially diagnosed with low grade and early stages, but are now metastisizing. Not fair! 

    I'm not going to beat myself up, not at all. I eat well, and grow a lot of my own food. I walk about thirty miles a week, and am working at achieving better health, given this horrible eight months. Early days for me. I'm glad to be able to share what I'm doing---not suggesting it's what "all" should do. Just putting out some feelers.

     

  • EZLiving66
    EZLiving66 Member Posts: 1,482 Member
    I didn't change my diet at

    I didn't change my diet at all. I do have to take some medication because of how the chemo damaged my body. Before chemo, I took levothyroxine for hypothyroidism since I was seven. After chemo, well, I take a lot of stuff - mostly for neuropathy and stomach problems. I don't do a lot of exercise either because my feet are pretty numb and it's hard to walk very far. I do chair Yoga and chair Zumba Gold because it's fun. 

    I try to keep my life as stress-free as possible. I'm retired but volunteer about 20 hours a week. I play cards, lunch with friends, paint, design resin jewelry, play with my little Maltese, and write. I laugh a LOT! I have many, many friends and I treasure them all. 

    Everyone has their own way of dealing with this awful disease. Whatever makes you feel better is what you should be doing - for yourself. 

    Love,

    Eldri

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member

    I didn't change my diet at

    I didn't change my diet at all. I do have to take some medication because of how the chemo damaged my body. Before chemo, I took levothyroxine for hypothyroidism since I was seven. After chemo, well, I take a lot of stuff - mostly for neuropathy and stomach problems. I don't do a lot of exercise either because my feet are pretty numb and it's hard to walk very far. I do chair Yoga and chair Zumba Gold because it's fun. 

    I try to keep my life as stress-free as possible. I'm retired but volunteer about 20 hours a week. I play cards, lunch with friends, paint, design resin jewelry, play with my little Maltese, and write. I laugh a LOT! I have many, many friends and I treasure them all. 

    Everyone has their own way of dealing with this awful disease. Whatever makes you feel better is what you should be doing - for yourself. 

    Love,

    Eldri

    Hi Eldri!

    Eldri - 

    I also take Levothyroxin, for Hashimoto's. I've been taking it for about thirty years! 

    Because of the thyroid issue with Hashimoto's, I do avoid soy products, and probably should be cautious with glutins. 

    These days, I'm adding lots of dark leafy greens, including spinach, beet greens, and kale to my diet, and I'm "eating the rainbow," including more alkaline fruits, such as cantaloupe. I'm also eating watermelon and blackberries, along with bananas and apples. 

    I used to be on Metformin, but decided to work at coming off it and eliminating "added" sugars, although I do eat fruit---somewhat judiciously. 

    I'm so glad to hear you are laughing a lot, and your volunteering sounds amazing! What is your volunteer work like?

    My volunteer jobs include as a trail ambassador for a State Park, and I'm also a Kiwanis member. I am undecided about going back to substitute teaching this coming year with the Delta variant, however.

    Here's to good food, good friends, and laughter!

    Deb

  • BluebirdOne
    BluebirdOne Member Posts: 654 Member
    For those with endometrioid vs. serous

     histology, being over weight is a major factor that contributes to their estrogen driven cancers. Those of us with serous histology frequently have the p53 mutation, the tumor suppressor gene, our cancer is not estrogen driven, our bodies simply stopped killing the cancer cells. p53 mutation folks have the dreaded “poorer prognosis“.  (I am still here) Before cancer, I ate well, and like Eldri, I continue to eat well. I do not see the need to change my diet. I have been physically active for most of my life, walking, hiking, bicycling, extensive gardening, but also overweight since menopause. As noted many times before, many extremely fit, with strict healthy diets get cancer, many who are overweight, eat poorly, do not. The rest of us fall on some part of that spectrum. Of course, we all beat ourselves up over that Hershey Kiss, the occasional french fry, that glass of wine. We all try to do our best. Obviously we are an overweight society which is making our health much worse. Maybe being overweight somehow caused my p53 mutation, no one knows the answer to that, but older age is certainly a factor in many cancers. We all feel the urge to fix our cancer selves with new supplements, no sugar, no meat, etc. Honestly, I barely had the emotional strength during dx, treatment and early survivorship to get out of bed, eat the only thing I could stomach, a home baked oatmeal raisin cookie, and water. Anything green made me greener. There is no right way or wrong way. 

    Denise

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member
    edited August 2021 #9

    For those with endometrioid vs. serous

     histology, being over weight is a major factor that contributes to their estrogen driven cancers. Those of us with serous histology frequently have the p53 mutation, the tumor suppressor gene, our cancer is not estrogen driven, our bodies simply stopped killing the cancer cells. p53 mutation folks have the dreaded “poorer prognosis“.  (I am still here) Before cancer, I ate well, and like Eldri, I continue to eat well. I do not see the need to change my diet. I have been physically active for most of my life, walking, hiking, bicycling, extensive gardening, but also overweight since menopause. As noted many times before, many extremely fit, with strict healthy diets get cancer, many who are overweight, eat poorly, do not. The rest of us fall on some part of that spectrum. Of course, we all beat ourselves up over that Hershey Kiss, the occasional french fry, that glass of wine. We all try to do our best. Obviously we are an overweight society which is making our health much worse. Maybe being overweight somehow caused my p53 mutation, no one knows the answer to that, but older age is certainly a factor in many cancers. We all feel the urge to fix our cancer selves with new supplements, no sugar, no meat, etc. Honestly, I barely had the emotional strength during dx, treatment and early survivorship to get out of bed, eat the only thing I could stomach, a home baked oatmeal raisin cookie, and water. Anything green made me greener. There is no right way or wrong way. 

    Denise

    I sure hear you there

    When I was so sick after my fifth radiation treatment, I could only eat watermelon and some toast. That was it!

    And menopause...sigh. I gained a lot of weight at that point. I'm not even talking numbers, but it's work to stay healthy, and by that, I mean overweight, not obese.

    I'm currently feeling good, unless I'm in pain, and I'm addressing that on the 17th. My surgery March 24th was not your typical TH BSO etc. as my adhesions and physiology made things complicated. I'm working on addressing it, and trying to figure out if I could be having a recurrence or am struggling with more adhesions, or what.

    In the meantime, I'm finding that tinkering with what I put in my mouth brings me joy, so well, that's what I do!

    Now I want a cookie, Denise!!!!!

  • Dak82
    Dak82 Member Posts: 109 Member
    edited August 2021 #10
    My recent experience

    I've been off the net for a few weeks because I went in the hospital 28 July with a small bowel obstruction. Had surgery on 30 July and lots of problems getting my guts working again which resulted in a second insertion of a nasogastric or NG tube. Having the tubes put in was the worst experience of my life. But the background and what makes this relevant to this thread is that I had started a raw veggie and fruit diet that included lots of nuts and seeds as well. I started this after reading the book "Chris Beat Cancer" so I figured what the heck and I wanted to be an active participant in my treatment.

    The obstruction in my small intestine was caused by scar tissue from my surgery in December which was a radical abdominal hysterectomy that took out all the female parts plus iliac and para aortic lymph nodes. The surgeon described the small intestine as a "cranky toddler" always seeking trouble and often finding it; that it doesn't take much to set it off. The timing of the obstruction, which was really a kink that left a drastically narrowed intestinal passage convinced me that by dumping a huge increase in roughage and fiber into my gut I created the tipping point for an obstruction. So I will not be eating much roughage in the near future unless it is liquified in the Ninja blender! I will also continue juicing.

    So all I'm saying is be cautious about drastic diet changes. I had no idea I had this little time bomb and had I stuck to my regular boring diet with one or two salads per week I may have avoided this experience forever.

    Cheers,

    Deb

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member
    edited August 2021 #11
    Dak82 said:

    My recent experience

    I've been off the net for a few weeks because I went in the hospital 28 July with a small bowel obstruction. Had surgery on 30 July and lots of problems getting my guts working again which resulted in a second insertion of a nasogastric or NG tube. Having the tubes put in was the worst experience of my life. But the background and what makes this relevant to this thread is that I had started a raw veggie and fruit diet that included lots of nuts and seeds as well. I started this after reading the book "Chris Beat Cancer" so I figured what the heck and I wanted to be an active participant in my treatment.

    The obstruction in my small intestine was caused by scar tissue from my surgery in December which was a radical abdominal hysterectomy that took out all the female parts plus iliac and para aortic lymph nodes. The surgeon described the small intestine as a "cranky toddler" always seeking trouble and often finding it; that it doesn't take much to set it off. The timing of the obstruction, which was really a kink that left a drastically narrowed intestinal passage convinced me that by dumping a huge increase in roughage and fiber into my gut I created the tipping point for an obstruction. So I will not be eating much roughage in the near future unless it is liquified in the Ninja blender! I will also continue juicing.

    So all I'm saying is be cautious about drastic diet changes. I had no idea I had this little time bomb and had I stuck to my regular boring diet with one or two salads per week I may have avoided this experience forever.

    Cheers,

    Deb

    Oh, Deb!

    Your experience sounds miserable. I'm so sorry to hear you got an obstruction (shudder). The leader of my band gets those, and they are so painful according to him. I don't know, and hope never to know!

    My current focus is not so much an "adding to" as a "taking away." I'm eatig a lot less cheese, like down to nearly none. I'm also eating a lot less meat, like down to nearly none. 

    What I've added in quantity is water. I'm also adding dark leafy greens, which are actually helping me to feel better, I think? Watermelon is also serving me well, as are blackberries. 

    I'm wondering what kind of a juicer you use? Do you use wheatgrass, or what are you making drinks with?

    * * *

    I've worried about you, as you haven't been on the board. I know that some of you e mail back and forth, so I'm sure someone knew you were okay, but from this newbie, I worried. 

    * * *

    Good advise about caution with roughage and fiber. Thanks, and again, so sorry you're suffering. 

    The worst experience of your life? Oh, Deb...

     

  • Dak82
    Dak82 Member Posts: 109 Member
    edited August 2021 #12

    Oh, Deb!

    Your experience sounds miserable. I'm so sorry to hear you got an obstruction (shudder). The leader of my band gets those, and they are so painful according to him. I don't know, and hope never to know!

    My current focus is not so much an "adding to" as a "taking away." I'm eatig a lot less cheese, like down to nearly none. I'm also eating a lot less meat, like down to nearly none. 

    What I've added in quantity is water. I'm also adding dark leafy greens, which are actually helping me to feel better, I think? Watermelon is also serving me well, as are blackberries. 

    I'm wondering what kind of a juicer you use? Do you use wheatgrass, or what are you making drinks with?

    * * *

    I've worried about you, as you haven't been on the board. I know that some of you e mail back and forth, so I'm sure someone knew you were okay, but from this newbie, I worried. 

    * * *

    Good advise about caution with roughage and fiber. Thanks, and again, so sorry you're suffering. 

    The worst experience of your life? Oh, Deb...

     

    To each her own

    I tried a diet that was very different because I felt the need to take control of something in my treatment. Lots of anecDoran evidence that diet can play a huge role in cancer treatment. I use an Osterizer--it works well enough but isn't on anyone's short list of top brands.

    I had to have the NG tube put in twice and the second time made me scream in pain--and I don't think I've ever screamed in my life. I should have accepted the anti-anxiety meds--don't stop the pain but you don't care!

    I've been in good shape my whole life--29 years in the USAF do that to you. My weight fluctuated at most 10 lbs except when I was pregnant. I'm still walking, trying yoga and doing the occasional workout. The point is I couldn't do much besides a radical diet change so what the heck. I got into triathlons at age 50 which provided great structure to my workouts always aiming to a few events each year. Now I'm aiming to participate in an event in 2022. It's my optimistic carrot in the future that I plan to do if I have anything to say.

    Cheers,

    Deb

  • RainbowRita
    RainbowRita Member Posts: 72 Member
    edited August 2021 #13
    MAbound has good advice

    I think we are all so desperately searching for that "magic bullet" in order to be pro-active on beating our cancer. We acknowledge that we have to “do something.” And what we put into our months is is one thing that we do have control over. I decided it was self-defeating to keep doing the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" about how I ended up with and "advanced stage" cancer. I think it is just human nature to want to try and do better now and eating better is something that just about everyone can improve on and something we do have some control over.

    I think the safest route to go is certainly just as MAbound has suggested. Eat a variety of foods in moderation and avoid the processed stuff. I asked my radiologist oncologist about taking the supplement l-glutamine because I had seen it recommended for side effects of radiation and she said they now discourage people taking supplements because they've found that in some cases they cause treatments to be less effective. She said they prefer that patients get their nutrients via healthy foods rather than supplements. Although the nurse for my gyn oncologist did suggest some magnesium and B6 as a supplement for peripheral neuropathy, so maybe the "experts" don't all agree in that regard either. However, I did read some research that one study was done trying to gauge if certain supplements were beneficial and they had to discontinue the study because the people taking supplements were having such noticeably higher instances of poor outcomes that they decided it was unethical to continue the study. There is research out there that supports the theory that anti-oxidant supplements “help” cancer cells fight off chemo and make the chemo less effective. So it is just something to consider.

    One thing I never thought about before I got diagnosed with cancer is just how much time I was going to be doing researching my particular type of cancer, various treatments and outcomes, etc. I imagine most of you are have done something similar. In the process, I’ve discovered that the “experts” don’t all agree on treatments and there are studies that support one treatment and another one saying something entirely different. It is overwhelming and frustrating.

    Even my gyn onc told me one thing about my treatment plan only to call me back the next day and say she reconsidered and thought I should undergo a more aggressive treatment plan than she originally suggested. Originally she had recommended just the radiation treatments, but then discussed my case some more with others on the tumor board and felt that I might be “undertreated” if I didn’t get chemo in addition to the radiation. She told me that if my cancer metastasizes then chemo is not very effective against it, but it was worth trying now to hopefully prevent any micro-metastases from becoming tumors later in places like the lungs or liver.  So instead of 6 weeks of radiation therapy it turned into 6+ months of chemo and radiation treatments. So I had chemo, followed by radiation, then more chemo (sandwich therapy). I’m not complaining that she changed her mind because after doing research myself, I agree with her. Those cancer cells they found floating about in my peritoneal fluid had the potential to be “setting up shop” later in my lungs and that radiation therapy wouldn’t have done a thing to stop that. But it just goes to show, that not even the experts always feel confident about their decisions being the best course of treatment. So much of it is about “risk vs. benefit” and there are definite risks associated with more “aggressive” treatments. And that is something they also need to take into account. I think in my case, it was worth the risk as I haven’t had just too terrible of side-effects and most have been temporary. But after reading about so many other women’s stories, I know that it could have just as easily have been much worse.

    Sorry, I didn’t mean for this post to become all about me. I just think that for most things we do, there are no easy answers and just like most things in life, any extreme has potential risks and not just benefits and that is something that we often don’t consider.

  • cmb
    cmb Member Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited August 2021 #14
    Diet Conundrums

    Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I revamped my diet to conform with recommendations for diabetics and, with diet and exercise only, controlled my blood glucose level for about 12 years. At that point the diabetes progressed to where I needed to take Metformin.

    When the Metformin dose needed to be increased a couple of years ago, I decided to try the intermittent fasting routine of 8-16 (only eating between eight hours per day, which for me is lunch and dinner). This was actually very easy for me since I had never liked eating breakfast and only started when I was diagnosed with diabetes "because I should."

    I tested my blood glucose extensively during this period and did not find any problems. I also lost some weight, although my actual diet wasn't any different than before. My A1C and other labs have all improved a lot and I haven't had to increase the Metformin dose again. My doctor has approved my eating plan, so I've been sticking with it for a couple of years now.

    When I was on chemo, I tried to maintain my usual diet, but some things just didn't taste good or appeal to me. The worst period was when I was on Ifosfamide and Doxorubicin. I was so fatigued, weak and nauseated at times all I could manage to make and eat were grilled cheese sandwiches. And I'm not talking about sandwiches made with artisan bread and specialty cheese. No, I mean grilled cheese with plain old white bread and Kraft singles that I would normally never eat.

    While I felt bad that I couldn't eat better during that time, I was later surprised to learn that my A1C from this period was the lowest it had ever been since before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Of course, that didn't last once I was able to resume my normal diet, but for a brief time I was able to say "get cancer – cure diabetes!".

    I ate right and exercised for many years and took Metformin for several years, but I still got cancer. I have Lynch Syndrome, although my type of uterine cancer isn't supposed to be caused by Lynch. So who knows why some of us who do the right things get cancer and others who don't eat well or exercise don't.

    I don't take supplements other than the B12 my doctor has prescribed. She also had me on extra Vitamin D for a few years, but no longer, as my Vitamin D level are back in the normal range now. I must admit that I haven't been interested enough to research the pros and cons of various supplements to determine which, if any, might be helpful. I just try to eat a balanced diet.

    Rita, our posts are often "all about me" and that's a benefit of this site. We all bring different experiences and opinions and it's this collective wisdom that can help others, even if the specific feedback isn't directly applicable to someone's question or issue.

  • Harmanygroves
    Harmanygroves Member Posts: 486 Member
    cmb said:

    Diet Conundrums

    Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I revamped my diet to conform with recommendations for diabetics and, with diet and exercise only, controlled my blood glucose level for about 12 years. At that point the diabetes progressed to where I needed to take Metformin.

    When the Metformin dose needed to be increased a couple of years ago, I decided to try the intermittent fasting routine of 8-16 (only eating between eight hours per day, which for me is lunch and dinner). This was actually very easy for me since I had never liked eating breakfast and only started when I was diagnosed with diabetes "because I should."

    I tested my blood glucose extensively during this period and did not find any problems. I also lost some weight, although my actual diet wasn't any different than before. My A1C and other labs have all improved a lot and I haven't had to increase the Metformin dose again. My doctor has approved my eating plan, so I've been sticking with it for a couple of years now.

    When I was on chemo, I tried to maintain my usual diet, but some things just didn't taste good or appeal to me. The worst period was when I was on Ifosfamide and Doxorubicin. I was so fatigued, weak and nauseated at times all I could manage to make and eat were grilled cheese sandwiches. And I'm not talking about sandwiches made with artisan bread and specialty cheese. No, I mean grilled cheese with plain old white bread and Kraft singles that I would normally never eat.

    While I felt bad that I couldn't eat better during that time, I was later surprised to learn that my A1C from this period was the lowest it had ever been since before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Of course, that didn't last once I was able to resume my normal diet, but for a brief time I was able to say "get cancer – cure diabetes!".

    I ate right and exercised for many years and took Metformin for several years, but I still got cancer. I have Lynch Syndrome, although my type of uterine cancer isn't supposed to be caused by Lynch. So who knows why some of us who do the right things get cancer and others who don't eat well or exercise don't.

    I don't take supplements other than the B12 my doctor has prescribed. She also had me on extra Vitamin D for a few years, but no longer, as my Vitamin D level are back in the normal range now. I must admit that I haven't been interested enough to research the pros and cons of various supplements to determine which, if any, might be helpful. I just try to eat a balanced diet.

    Rita, our posts are often "all about me" and that's a benefit of this site. We all bring different experiences and opinions and it's this collective wisdom that can help others, even if the specific feedback isn't directly applicable to someone's question or issue.

    So glad you "weighed" in

    More and more, I've been wondering if there's some sort of relationship between thyroid - diabetes - cancer. I know this is a very divergent topic, one much larger than the scope of this dietary discussion, but I wonder. 

    Also, I got a tear in my eye thinking of you only able to eat grilled cheese. I know, I know what it feels like to be that miserable. "Cure diabetes, get cancer!" Your dry sense of humor is so spot on!

    And also, your comment to Rita that our posts "all about us" help each other. It was a reminder to me that one of my doctors told me to stay off supplements. Therefore, should I not use my turmeric supplement? Sigh....

  • MoeKay
    MoeKay Member Posts: 476 Member
    Dak82 said:

    My recent experience

    I've been off the net for a few weeks because I went in the hospital 28 July with a small bowel obstruction. Had surgery on 30 July and lots of problems getting my guts working again which resulted in a second insertion of a nasogastric or NG tube. Having the tubes put in was the worst experience of my life. But the background and what makes this relevant to this thread is that I had started a raw veggie and fruit diet that included lots of nuts and seeds as well. I started this after reading the book "Chris Beat Cancer" so I figured what the heck and I wanted to be an active participant in my treatment.

    The obstruction in my small intestine was caused by scar tissue from my surgery in December which was a radical abdominal hysterectomy that took out all the female parts plus iliac and para aortic lymph nodes. The surgeon described the small intestine as a "cranky toddler" always seeking trouble and often finding it; that it doesn't take much to set it off. The timing of the obstruction, which was really a kink that left a drastically narrowed intestinal passage convinced me that by dumping a huge increase in roughage and fiber into my gut I created the tipping point for an obstruction. So I will not be eating much roughage in the near future unless it is liquified in the Ninja blender! I will also continue juicing.

    So all I'm saying is be cautious about drastic diet changes. I had no idea I had this little time bomb and had I stuck to my regular boring diet with one or two salads per week I may have avoided this experience forever.

    Cheers,

    Deb

    I absolutely feel your pain!

    I'm really sorry about your small bowel obstruction and surgery, Deb.  I'm happy that you're doing and feeling better now.  I've had roughly 20-25 intermittent partial small bowel obstructions since completing treatment in 1999.  I too had a radical abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy.  I've been lucky in that my obstructions up to this point have all resolved without the need for surgery, but on the occasions I've been hospitalized, I invariably get the visit from the surgeons to discuss the possible need for surgery if the obstruction did not resolve on its own.  I remember my gynecologic oncologist telling me after one of my first obstructions that it was not related to what I was eating.  He said that the bowels continuously move around and if they happened to move in a certain way one day and there is scar tissue close by, this combination of factors would result in an obstruction.  He said that I could eat the same thing 10 times in a row without any problem whatsoever, but if the bowel was turned a certain way the 11th time I ate that particular food, it would result in an obstruction.  I have found my gyn-onc's explanation to be true over the last 22 years, since I have not seen any rhyme or reason to what I've eaten before developing any of my obstructions. 

    I hope your bowel obstruction was a case of "one and done!" 

    Stay well.

  • Tamlen
    Tamlen Member Posts: 343 Member

    So glad you "weighed" in

    More and more, I've been wondering if there's some sort of relationship between thyroid - diabetes - cancer. I know this is a very divergent topic, one much larger than the scope of this dietary discussion, but I wonder. 

    Also, I got a tear in my eye thinking of you only able to eat grilled cheese. I know, I know what it feels like to be that miserable. "Cure diabetes, get cancer!" Your dry sense of humor is so spot on!

    And also, your comment to Rita that our posts "all about us" help each other. It was a reminder to me that one of my doctors told me to stay off supplements. Therefore, should I not use my turmeric supplement? Sigh....

    Be careful with turmeric during chemo

    I don't think you're getting chemo, Harmanygroves, so I mention this for others seeing this thread who are in chemo. My cancer center has posters all over the place that say something to the effect, "Curcumin and turmeric can interfere with the effectiveness of some chemotherapy. Please check with your oncologist if you are taking or wish to take this supplement."

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    edited August 2021 #18
    Tamlen said:

    Be careful with turmeric during chemo

    I don't think you're getting chemo, Harmanygroves, so I mention this for others seeing this thread who are in chemo. My cancer center has posters all over the place that say something to the effect, "Curcumin and turmeric can interfere with the effectiveness of some chemotherapy. Please check with your oncologist if you are taking or wish to take this supplement."

    Not just during chemo

    I try to take curcumin regularly, but it always seems like I'm having to hold it for one procedure or another, so I wonder how much good it is really doing me. It's its blood thinning side effects that you also have to wary of depending on what drugs or other supplements you are taking and when you have dental work or other procedures like a colonoscopy that they want you to not take it for at least 2 weeks beforehand. It's a good supplement to take after treatment, but not the easiest to maintain a therapeutic blood level of.

  • BluebirdOne
    BluebirdOne Member Posts: 654 Member
    Dak82 said:

    My recent experience

    I've been off the net for a few weeks because I went in the hospital 28 July with a small bowel obstruction. Had surgery on 30 July and lots of problems getting my guts working again which resulted in a second insertion of a nasogastric or NG tube. Having the tubes put in was the worst experience of my life. But the background and what makes this relevant to this thread is that I had started a raw veggie and fruit diet that included lots of nuts and seeds as well. I started this after reading the book "Chris Beat Cancer" so I figured what the heck and I wanted to be an active participant in my treatment.

    The obstruction in my small intestine was caused by scar tissue from my surgery in December which was a radical abdominal hysterectomy that took out all the female parts plus iliac and para aortic lymph nodes. The surgeon described the small intestine as a "cranky toddler" always seeking trouble and often finding it; that it doesn't take much to set it off. The timing of the obstruction, which was really a kink that left a drastically narrowed intestinal passage convinced me that by dumping a huge increase in roughage and fiber into my gut I created the tipping point for an obstruction. So I will not be eating much roughage in the near future unless it is liquified in the Ninja blender! I will also continue juicing.

    So all I'm saying is be cautious about drastic diet changes. I had no idea I had this little time bomb and had I stuck to my regular boring diet with one or two salads per week I may have avoided this experience forever.

    Cheers,

    Deb

    Deb, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles.

    We miss everyone who takes a break for what ever reason, and I am sad that you had to endure another procedure.  Take care and we are here for you. 

    xxoo

    Denise 

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    Too Many Diets

    There are just too many different kinds of diets out there and so much marketing of them. It's safer to just eat a variety of the foods you know are healthy and less of the junky processed stuff. Moderation and balance of anything is important and going overboard in any direction because some genius out to make a buck and a name writes a book or has a gadget is a mistake. There is no magic cure in food or supplements, so common sense is the best diet to follow. That's my two cents worth.

    Addendum:

    I've been thinking overnight about the above and I want to clarify that I'm not so much against one diet vs another or any special diet at all. A lot of those diets have good science to back up their use for people with different issues. I think my rant is against the fact that there are so many different diets and new ones coming out all of the time that people rush to try. It really makes it hard for the average person to know what to do and harm can happen in trying to strictly adhere to many of the latest fads out there. It makes me look at them with a high degree of skepticism and prefer to take a simplistic, clean approach to what I eat. I've retaken control by putting in the time and effort to understand what's behind the production of the food I eat and as a result I don't begrudge the time and effort it can sometimes take to hunt down clean ingredients and do all of my own cooking from scratch. It puts me in the driver seat and I derive satisfaction from that even if it provides no guarantees. I still feel that I've improved by going in this direction.

     

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    edited August 2021 #21
    MAbound said:

    Too Many Diets

    There are just too many different kinds of diets out there and so much marketing of them. It's safer to just eat a variety of the foods you know are healthy and less of the junky processed stuff. Moderation and balance of anything is important and going overboard in any direction because some genius out to make a buck and a name writes a book or has a gadget is a mistake. There is no magic cure in food or supplements, so common sense is the best diet to follow. That's my two cents worth.

    Addendum:

    I've been thinking overnight about the above and I want to clarify that I'm not so much against one diet vs another or any special diet at all. A lot of those diets have good science to back up their use for people with different issues. I think my rant is against the fact that there are so many different diets and new ones coming out all of the time that people rush to try. It really makes it hard for the average person to know what to do and harm can happen in trying to strictly adhere to many of the latest fads out there. It makes me look at them with a high degree of skepticism and prefer to take a simplistic, clean approach to what I eat. I've retaken control by putting in the time and effort to understand what's behind the production of the food I eat and as a result I don't begrudge the time and effort it can sometimes take to hunt down clean ingredients and do all of my own cooking from scratch. It puts me in the driver seat and I derive satisfaction from that even if it provides no guarantees. I still feel that I've improved by going in this direction.

     

    Endocrine Disrupters

    Another Addendum:

    MSN had a article today (8-20-2021) about a pesticide known as Chlorpyrifos (CPF). It's in the "Eat This, Not That" section under Health & Fitness. It addresses the effects of CPF on the unborn and young children. I was curious if it is an endocrine disruptor. It is! Some may find this 2016 abstract published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of interest that I found when I was looking into that question (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26518068/):

    Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are compounds that interfere with hormone regulation and influence mammary carcinogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that the pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) acts as an ED in vitro, since it induces human breast cancer cells proliferation through estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) pathway. In this work, we studied the effects of CPF at environmental doses (0.01 and 1 mg/kg/day) on mammary gland, steroid hormone receptors expression and serum steroid hormone levels. It was carried out using female Sprague-Dawley 40-days-old rats exposed to the pesticide during 100 days. We observed a proliferating ductal network with a higher number of ducts and alveolar structures. We also found an increased number of benign breast diseases, such as hyperplasia and adenosis. CPF enhanced progesterone receptor (PgR) along with the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in epithelial ductal cells. On the other hand, the pesticide reduced the expression of co-repressors of estrogen receptor activity REA and SMRT and it decreased serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Finally, we found a persistent decrease in LH levels among ovariectomized rats exposed to CPF. Therefore, CPF alters the endocrine balance acting as an ED in vivo. These findings warn about the harmful effects that CPF exerts on mammary gland, suggesting that this compound may act as a risk factor for breast cancer.

     

    While organic food may not convey more nutritional value than factory farmed food, it's issues like this that make me feel that eating organic and avoiding endocrine disruptors however I can in my life matters a great deal to my health. It's next to impossible to avoid them all because there are so many of them and there are no warning lables about them on the products we use. We're left to discover them on our own, so it's a chore. 

    I wonder how many realize that chemical companies don't have to prove that their products are safe before putting them on the market. They instead have to be proven unsafe before they are removed and that is a much more difficult hill to climb. Read article below:

    https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/will-congress-protect-americans-untested-chemicals

    Surviving uterine cancer doesn't make us invulnerable to other cancers. If you were treated for a hormone driven uterine cancer and wondering what you can do for yourself next, this is one thing worth looking into. It's worth it even for those who had the rarer, non-hormone driven cancers because we are all still vulnerable to other cancers.