raw food

Odile

Anyone using the raw food lifestyle to combat cancer?

michelle1125

No, but Im thinking about it. It seems everything we eat causes cancer. Everytime I turn on the news, there is some food that causes cancer or you should avoid because of a cancer risk. Maybe fresh, organic unprocessed foods are the way to go.

Odile

Thanks for answering. I have been following the raw food lifestyle for about a year now after going to Hyppocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach FL. I juice daily using organic vegetables and eat a diet of raw and sprouted foods. I feel good, I have been able to withstand the chemo treatment without a lot of problems and my lesions are shrinking very slowly. I really believe in this method and have heard of many people who have beaten cancer. It is a lifestyle that requires tenacity, dedication and support. That is why I am looking for people who have done this or are willing to do this. I have lots of information and about it.

michelle1125

Odile said:

Thanks for answering. I have been following the raw food lifestyle for about a year now after going to Hyppocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach FL. I juice daily using organic vegetables and eat a diet of raw and sprouted foods. I feel good, I have been able to withstand the chemo treatment without a lot of problems and my lesions are shrinking very slowly. I really believe in this method and have heard of many people who have beaten cancer. It is a lifestyle that requires tenacity, dedication and support. That is why I am looking for people who have done this or are willing to do this. I have lots of information and about it.

The strange thing is that my doctors and nurses all told me to avoid raw foods as much as possible during chemo. They told me to cook vegetables thoroughly and peel the skin off other vegetables and fruits and wash vigorously if I do eat them. But they stressed trying to eat only cooked foods. Something about viruses and the chemo weakening my immune system. Were you told this?

lizaboy

I take it by raw food you mean fruit and veg and not raw meat! I'm sorry but haven't we eaten "salad' for years. It sounds like another fad with a fancy name. Surely sensible eating' well balanced diet and ALL things in moderation is as good an eating plan as any
Liza

jeancmici

michelle1125 said:

The strange thing is that my doctors and nurses all told me to avoid raw foods as much as possible during chemo. They told me to cook vegetables thoroughly and peel the skin off other vegetables and fruits and wash vigorously if I do eat them. But they stressed trying to eat only cooked foods. Something about viruses and the chemo weakening my immune system. Were you told this?

You were told the standard procedure to eat mostly cooked foods when your white count is low. I first read this on the internet with first diagnosis, but now three years later, it is promoted more widely. Salads can be unsafe and raw fruit - I now skip grapes etc. and all imported items. I bake apples and eat cooked or canned - not too hard to do.

Odile

lizaboy said:

I take it by raw food you mean fruit and veg and not raw meat! I'm sorry but haven't we eaten "salad' for years. It sounds like another fad with a fancy name. Surely sensible eating' well balanced diet and ALL things in moderation is as good an eating plan as any
Liza

Lizaboy,
No I do not mean raw meat but a diet of raw veges. fruits, nuts and grains. It is not a fad but a lifestyle that has helped many people to beat cancer. If you are happy flooding your body with powerful drugs ONLY then this is not for you but it is for those who would like to find a way to strengthen their immune system while it is being bombarded with these powerful drugs. While sensible eating is a good beginning, it does not begin to rebuild an immune system which continues to be under assault. Good Luck with your method.

Odile

michelle1125 said:

The strange thing is that my doctors and nurses all told me to avoid raw foods as much as possible during chemo. They told me to cook vegetables thoroughly and peel the skin off other vegetables and fruits and wash vigorously if I do eat them. But they stressed trying to eat only cooked foods. Something about viruses and the chemo weakening my immune system. Were you told this?

Michelle
I have been eating raw foods for the past year while on chemo and my doctor and nurses are aware of this and have no problems with it. I have had no additional health problems but I do make sure that I wash all my veges and fruits thoroughly. The literature in the health field shows clearly that it is better for the immune system to receive the powerful antioxidants in fresh foods compared to cook foods in which nutrients have been killed by the heating process. Of course while on chemo one can more easily catch viruses and thus you must be careful the same way that you would if you were around someone who had a cold. Anyway, while I am approaching treatment the conventional way (chemo), I am reading, researching and trying alternative methods that have worked for many others. I have nothing to lose and my health to gain back.

inkblot

Odile said:

Lizaboy,
No I do not mean raw meat but a diet of raw veges. fruits, nuts and grains. It is not a fad but a lifestyle that has helped many people to beat cancer. If you are happy flooding your body with powerful drugs ONLY then this is not for you but it is for those who would like to find a way to strengthen their immune system while it is being bombarded with these powerful drugs. While sensible eating is a good beginning, it does not begin to rebuild an immune system which continues to be under assault. Good Luck with your method.

Hi Odile:

Since you have not had any problems from eating raw fruits/veggies during chemo, then you're not likely to have them any other time!

As you know, the cells in the lining of the stomach are particulary sensitive to chemotherapy
(being rapidly dividing cells)and this can cause some people tummy upsets, rendering the tummy more sensitive during chemo, even when eating processed "baby" foods.

Since you carefully wash these raw foods I'm not aware of any reason NOT to eat these goodies from nature sans cooking them. (I lightly steam a lot of stuff, as I find it really makes the flavor pop) I have several friends who are seriously into "juicing" and they put every veggie imaginable into their juicers and drink every drop, several times daily and it causes them no problems and they swear by its benefits.

Actual foods are the prefered method of getting one's vitamins and minerals. Research has shown that some nutritional elements are not nearly as well absorbed/utilized from supplements as they are from the actual food product. Example:
Licopene. It's a great element but is only well utilized when actually eaten as cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, tomato juice, stewed, etc.) Many supplement manufacturers have jumped on the Licopene bandwagon and market it heavily, but it's practically worthless in a manufactured form, according to the research.

I'm a lifelong ovo-lacto vegetarian and as such I routinely consume some strange combinations of foods. Necessary to get complete proteins and because I really like them in whatever combinations. I also take those supplements which I believe in and which have proven helpful to me.

I'm hooked on fruits and veggies...preferring organically grown when available, and I like them both cooked and raw. One thing I do take the time to attend to, however, is the removal of seeds from everything possible. Reason is that chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc. are more concentrated in the seeds of fruits and veggies(cucumbers for example). To take that one neurotic step further, even organically grown veggies are not certified as grown in "chemical free" soil...foods may be organically grown but the soil they're grown in could have well become contaminated years ago...so there you have it. Peels are also to be removed, even though they often contain some of the higher concentrations of vitamins/minerals. Reason: they absorb very high amounts of contaminants (particularly root veggies such as potatoes, radishes, carrots, beets, and onions, etc.)

I prefer my whole grain breads processed. I make some of my own and buy some as well.

Healthy eating demands some thought and time commitment as was already mentioned but I beleive it's an effort well worth the benefits for those so inclined.

I say do what works for you and whatever you have the strongest feelings about. You seem well versed and informed about what you're doing. Info is critical when adopting a non-mainstream diet and I'm sure you have that under your belt.
So, just two words: Happy munching.

Good luck and my best wishes for a complete recovery with many healthy years ahead, in which to enjoy and expand upon your raw foods lifestyle.

Love, luck and laughter,
Ink

Odile

inkblot said:

Hi Odile:

Since you have not had any problems from eating raw fruits/veggies during chemo, then you're not likely to have them any other time!

As you know, the cells in the lining of the stomach are particulary sensitive to chemotherapy
(being rapidly dividing cells)and this can cause some people tummy upsets, rendering the tummy more sensitive during chemo, even when eating processed "baby" foods.

Since you carefully wash these raw foods I'm not aware of any reason NOT to eat these goodies from nature sans cooking them. (I lightly steam a lot of stuff, as I find it really makes the flavor pop) I have several friends who are seriously into "juicing" and they put every veggie imaginable into their juicers and drink every drop, several times daily and it causes them no problems and they swear by its benefits.

Actual foods are the prefered method of getting one's vitamins and minerals. Research has shown that some nutritional elements are not nearly as well absorbed/utilized from supplements as they are from the actual food product. Example:
Licopene. It's a great element but is only well utilized when actually eaten as cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, tomato juice, stewed, etc.) Many supplement manufacturers have jumped on the Licopene bandwagon and market it heavily, but it's practically worthless in a manufactured form, according to the research.

I'm a lifelong ovo-lacto vegetarian and as such I routinely consume some strange combinations of foods. Necessary to get complete proteins and because I really like them in whatever combinations. I also take those supplements which I believe in and which have proven helpful to me.

I'm hooked on fruits and veggies...preferring organically grown when available, and I like them both cooked and raw. One thing I do take the time to attend to, however, is the removal of seeds from everything possible. Reason is that chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc. are more concentrated in the seeds of fruits and veggies(cucumbers for example). To take that one neurotic step further, even organically grown veggies are not certified as grown in "chemical free" soil...foods may be organically grown but the soil they're grown in could have well become contaminated years ago...so there you have it. Peels are also to be removed, even though they often contain some of the higher concentrations of vitamins/minerals. Reason: they absorb very high amounts of contaminants (particularly root veggies such as potatoes, radishes, carrots, beets, and onions, etc.)

I prefer my whole grain breads processed. I make some of my own and buy some as well.

Healthy eating demands some thought and time commitment as was already mentioned but I beleive it's an effort well worth the benefits for those so inclined.

I say do what works for you and whatever you have the strongest feelings about. You seem well versed and informed about what you're doing. Info is critical when adopting a non-mainstream diet and I'm sure you have that under your belt.
So, just two words: Happy munching.

Good luck and my best wishes for a complete recovery with many healthy years ahead, in which to enjoy and expand upon your raw foods lifestyle.

Love, luck and laughter,
Ink

Inkblot,
Thanks for your words of encouragement. You seem very knowledgeable about nutrition, I am glad to hear from someone who is following this lifestyle. Thanks for taking the time to write.

God Bless,

Odile