What to eat when you have cancer?

pinkkari09

Hello out there,
I'm working the overnight shift, and all my clients are sleeping (I work with special needs), anyhow, I'm trying to find a good book or even some good tips on what to eat when you have cancer. I'm also interested in some herbal supplements. Now that my cancer has returned I'm feeling like I better switch up my eating habits and try some preventative consumptions. Yesterday I managed to get some "retail therapy" in, three new pairs of jeans and some GNC Calcium and Vitamin D (Doc says I'll need to be on it when she starts the bone hardener), that made me feel better. How about a good book that I can pick up at my local Barnes and Noble? Hollering out for some advice from my favorite sisters and brother (Aortus, you have to have researched this).
Miles of Love,
~Kari

Sher43009

books
Hi Kari

I went to my cancer centers dietician and this is what she recommended.
"The New American Plate" American Institute for Cancer Research www.aicr.org

"Nutrition for the Person with Cancer during Treatment" ACS. I used this during my treatment and it really made me feel better.

I just got "The Great American Eat Right Cookbook" ACS. You can order it on the ACS main page, bottom left, click bookstore. This is a wonderful book, full of easy recipes.

Check with you oncol. before taking any herbal suppliments as they my react to the treatment.

Hope this helps.
Sher

pinkkari09

Sher, thank you thank you
Sher, thank you thank you thank you....I'll look into these.
Miles of Love,
~Kari

Aortus

pinkkari09 said:

Sher, thank you thank you
Sher, thank you thank you thank you....I'll look into these.
Miles of Love,
~Kari

Wish I could help you, Kari
But somewhere up in Heaven, my beloved Moopy is rolling around on the floor laughing at the mere idea of anybody asking me for suggestions on what to eat. BACON BACON BACON BACON BACON!

sausageroll

Aortus said:

Wish I could help you, Kari
But somewhere up in Heaven, my beloved Moopy is rolling around on the floor laughing at the mere idea of anybody asking me for suggestions on what to eat. BACON BACON BACON BACON BACON!

Funny
That is very funny Aortus!!!!

Sher43009

sausageroll said:

Funny
That is very funny Aortus!!!!

I just went on the ACS main
I just went on the ACS main page and there's an article/new guide out on what to eat. Perfect timing for those of us wanting info.

Aortus--all I can picture is that dog treat ad where the dog is saying BACON,BACON,BACON.
Very Funny.

laurissa

Hey kari
I've been reading about turmeric lately. I'm thinking about taking supplements of that. I also take C, D, selenium, and E. My onc told me to take 2 tums twice a day after each Zometa treatment for a few days. I should watch what I eat more, but I do take supplements. I order mine from Puritans Pride, they seem the least expensive. I have to say the E has helped my nails grow stronger than ever. Good luck with your treatments.

jayeroche

laurissa said:

Hey kari
I've been reading about turmeric lately. I'm thinking about taking supplements of that. I also take C, D, selenium, and E. My onc told me to take 2 tums twice a day after each Zometa treatment for a few days. I should watch what I eat more, but I do take supplements. I order mine from Puritans Pride, they seem the least expensive. I have to say the E has helped my nails grow stronger than ever. Good luck with your treatments.

eating
Hi. I was told to ask my Onc before adding supplement as it may interfere with chemo. Also I found many books on what to eat by googling exactly that. In fact I think there is a book called "what to eat during chemo." Also it depends on blood counts. If your WBC's drop and you become neutropenic, like I had the pleasure of encountering, then no fresh anythings. Many options for books either way.


**on the Bacon note.. there has been a tremendous amount of support from my friends and family and everyone has been bringing meals. When my 11 yr old daughter (profile pic with blue hair) was asked what she would like, she replied, "BACON, BACON, BACON."

Heatherbelle

Hi Kari
I saw the
Hi Kari
I saw the nutritionist at my cancer center about a month ago. We sat & went over my current diet and she told me of lots of anti cancer foods. I will go through my paperwork & send you a message on here or on FB of some of the things we went over, but some of the anti-cancer foods she told me about that I can remember off the top of my head are: blueberries, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc), green tea, flax seed (i actually put it on my cereal, and mix it with pudding, and have found a great no-bake cookie recipe with milled flax seed on it.
I'm getting ready to take the girls to visit my mom this afternoon, but when I get home I'll get out my info sheets & pass it along to you. Kudos to you for looking into adding more arsenal to your fight brave sister!
*hugs*
Heather

faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy

Heatherbelle said:

Hi Kari
I saw the
Hi Kari
I saw the nutritionist at my cancer center about a month ago. We sat & went over my current diet and she told me of lots of anti cancer foods. I will go through my paperwork & send you a message on here or on FB of some of the things we went over, but some of the anti-cancer foods she told me about that I can remember off the top of my head are: blueberries, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc), green tea, flax seed (i actually put it on my cereal, and mix it with pudding, and have found a great no-bake cookie recipe with milled flax seed on it.
I'm getting ready to take the girls to visit my mom this afternoon, but when I get home I'll get out my info sheets & pass it along to you. Kudos to you for looking into adding more arsenal to your fight brave sister!
*hugs*
Heather

The Anticancer-A New Way of Life
No, it's not yet another zodiac sign, a book by David Servan-Schreiber, MD. Chapter 8 is devoted to anticancer foods.

Another overall supportive resource, After Breast Cancer, A Common Sense Guide to Life After Treatment by Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW

Just a couple of books I discovered from this site that I have found informative and comforting.

and then there's Sexy Forever, by Suzanne Sommers....I'm just embarrassed that I bought this.

pinkkari09

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon
Yep that's what my dogs are saying (Black Lab and Italian Greyhound) "eat bacon Mom and get to dropping it" Joe, I'm sure you have your beloved Moopy laughing :-)
Laurissa, I'm starting xoloda next month, is that what you took for your bone mets?
The bone hardener is a new one but it's like zometa and I'll be getting that in a shot, how do you do with that? They put me on calcium and vitamin D so the med doesn't take it from my blood.
Mountains of Love,
~Kari

aztec45

What to Eat
Well when I had cancer and was on chemotherapy, I basically ate what sounded good to me; I ate what my stomach could keep down; and ate what did not bother my mouth sores. I ate Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and, tuna.

On my good days, I ate chicken and liver. Not together. And for some reason I craved cheese pizza.

I drank a lot of Gatorade and ensure.

They say dried apricots are good to.

Fruit and veggies just added to my already unmanageable D.

Hope this helps.

roseann4

aztec45 said:

What to Eat
Well when I had cancer and was on chemotherapy, I basically ate what sounded good to me; I ate what my stomach could keep down; and ate what did not bother my mouth sores. I ate Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and, tuna.

On my good days, I ate chicken and liver. Not together. And for some reason I craved cheese pizza.

I drank a lot of Gatorade and ensure.

They say dried apricots are good to.

Fruit and veggies just added to my already unmanageable D.

Hope this helps.

All things in moderation is my motto.
When I was first diagnosed, I was given the book "The Biology of Belief". Written by a research doctor. Very interesting information but not really about diet specifically. I feel anyone with cancer should read that book. I also read "Anti-Cancer" which was written by a brain cancer survivor (also a researcher) and he really goes into diet and excersise.

I still read a lot about cancer research and diet. Good stuff out there....but again I believe in all things in moderation. There is a man in my support group who was diagnosed in his 40s with prostate cancer....he's been a veretarian all his life.

Roseann

Gabe N Abby Mom

Here's a website to
Here's a website to check...thecancerproject.org. They have easy to prepare recipes, dvd's, cooking classes, etc. Their book is "The Cancer Survivor's Guide". You can print the entire book from on-line if you want. The chocolate mousse (pg 215) is really, really good!

I also got a lot out of Anti-Cancer. And there's "Life Over Cancer" by Keith I Block.

Hugs,

Linda

phoenixrising

laurissa said:

Hey kari
I've been reading about turmeric lately. I'm thinking about taking supplements of that. I also take C, D, selenium, and E. My onc told me to take 2 tums twice a day after each Zometa treatment for a few days. I should watch what I eat more, but I do take supplements. I order mine from Puritans Pride, they seem the least expensive. I have to say the E has helped my nails grow stronger than ever. Good luck with your treatments.

Laurissa, can I share this
Laurissa, can I share this article with you about Selenium?

A prospective study of dietary selenium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes


I think Selenium is a mineral one needs to be careful with when supplementing with. Sometimes adding what we get in our food, plus in our multivitamin and then taking a supplement can take us over the desired level. Just a thought.
hugs
jan

TraciInLA

Gabe N Abby Mom said:

Here's a website to
Here's a website to check...thecancerproject.org. They have easy to prepare recipes, dvd's, cooking classes, etc. Their book is "The Cancer Survivor's Guide". You can print the entire book from on-line if you want. The chocolate mousse (pg 215) is really, really good!

I also got a lot out of Anti-Cancer. And there's "Life Over Cancer" by Keith I Block.

Hugs,

Linda

Kari,
(apparently, faith_trust is not only stalking me on the sides of buses...she's also raiding my library! :-)

The one and only book my oncologist has ever recommended to me is Anticancer: A Way of Life, by Dr. Servan-Schreiber. I think it may be just the kind of information you're looking for.

I have a list and descriptions of all the books I've found helpful in this journey on my Resources page -- just click on my name, to the left, then click on "resources."

Traci

Chickadee1955

TraciInLA said:

Kari,
(apparently, faith_trust is not only stalking me on the sides of buses...she's also raiding my library! :-)

The one and only book my oncologist has ever recommended to me is Anticancer: A Way of Life, by Dr. Servan-Schreiber. I think it may be just the kind of information you're looking for.

I have a list and descriptions of all the books I've found helpful in this journey on my Resources page -- just click on my name, to the left, then click on "resources."

Traci

Hi Kari,
Keep in mind that
Hi Kari,

Keep in mind that some foods that are great for some are not so great for others. I have estrogen/progesterone positive cancer and was told to stay away from green tea and anything soy. I don't recall whether flaxseed was a phytoestrogen, but some foods that are 'super-foods' for general good nutrition and antioxidant properties can be counter productive if you're on Femara, Tamoxifen, etc.

I'm pretty sure bacon works great with all cancer meds---- ;D

Chickadee

meena1

Chickadee1955 said:

Hi Kari,
Keep in mind that
Hi Kari,

Keep in mind that some foods that are great for some are not so great for others. I have estrogen/progesterone positive cancer and was told to stay away from green tea and anything soy. I don't recall whether flaxseed was a phytoestrogen, but some foods that are 'super-foods' for general good nutrition and antioxidant properties can be counter productive if you're on Femara, Tamoxifen, etc.

I'm pretty sure bacon works great with all cancer meds---- ;D

Chickadee

Read "Anti Cancer, a new way of life" (if you haven't already) it is wonderful. I have heard that aspargus is supposed to be great, you smash it up in a blender and eat 2 tblspoons in the morning and at night, also, a food with flaxseed oil and cottage cheese, i am not sure how to make it. Tumeric is supposed to be wonderful, it has to be mixed with olive oil and black pepper, you can add it to a salad or chicken, not too many ways to make it though. I have been told not to drink green tea while on chemo. Look into the Anti cancer book, though, really has alot of info it there.

cabbott

meena1 said:

Read "Anti Cancer, a new way of life" (if you haven't already) it is wonderful. I have heard that aspargus is supposed to be great, you smash it up in a blender and eat 2 tblspoons in the morning and at night, also, a food with flaxseed oil and cottage cheese, i am not sure how to make it. Tumeric is supposed to be wonderful, it has to be mixed with olive oil and black pepper, you can add it to a salad or chicken, not too many ways to make it though. I have been told not to drink green tea while on chemo. Look into the Anti cancer book, though, really has alot of info it there.

Tumeric Recipes
I grew up on the all American diet and tumeric was also a rarity.Lately I started exploring recipes from India. Wow! They put tumeric in just about everything except maybe dessert dishes. Not all the recipes are hot and spicy though I love the ones that are. Somehow I don't think those would be too good with a jumpy stomach. But some of the dals--kind of like a thick soup made of lentils are mild. Almost all the red and yellow lentil dishes start with "put in a cup of .....lentils, a 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and skim off any foam that develops." Then they add sauteed onions, garlic, and other spices depending on the soup. Tomatoes are common. And when you look at those ingredients, they are all in the cancer fighting food list. No wonder breast cancer isn't as common in India as it is here!

Please pay attention to the posts that say to ask your oncologist while you are on chemo whether a particular supplement is okay. Those supplements protect cells, true enough. But research has shown that some of them can also protect those crazy from the norm cancer cells as well as the normal cells. So then the effect of the chemo is halted in its tracks! You still lose your hair and all that. You just lose the beneficial effects of the medicine. So call your doctor before you self-medicate! Ask his advice and follow it. That's what he gets paid for. After you finish chemo, meet with a great nutritionalist and get your pill box ready. And try out those Indian recipes. They really are good!

TraciInLA

cabbott said:

Tumeric Recipes
I grew up on the all American diet and tumeric was also a rarity.Lately I started exploring recipes from India. Wow! They put tumeric in just about everything except maybe dessert dishes. Not all the recipes are hot and spicy though I love the ones that are. Somehow I don't think those would be too good with a jumpy stomach. But some of the dals--kind of like a thick soup made of lentils are mild. Almost all the red and yellow lentil dishes start with "put in a cup of .....lentils, a 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and skim off any foam that develops." Then they add sauteed onions, garlic, and other spices depending on the soup. Tomatoes are common. And when you look at those ingredients, they are all in the cancer fighting food list. No wonder breast cancer isn't as common in India as it is here!

Please pay attention to the posts that say to ask your oncologist while you are on chemo whether a particular supplement is okay. Those supplements protect cells, true enough. But research has shown that some of them can also protect those crazy from the norm cancer cells as well as the normal cells. So then the effect of the chemo is halted in its tracks! You still lose your hair and all that. You just lose the beneficial effects of the medicine. So call your doctor before you self-medicate! Ask his advice and follow it. That's what he gets paid for. After you finish chemo, meet with a great nutritionalist and get your pill box ready. And try out those Indian recipes. They really are good!

After reading Anticancer, I would also like to get more turmeric into my diet. I tried the salad dressing recipe the author recommends -- it's just too bitter for me. And I'm wary of supplements -- I personally believe it's better for me to get nutrients from food whenever possible.

I love Indian food, and love lentils -- but most of the Indian recipes I find seem to call for unusual spices. Turmeric is easy to find at the grocery store, but I'm just not willing to drive all over town for all the other unusual ones.

cabbott, do you have a favorite recipe or two you wouldn't mind posting?

And that goes for everyone -- anybody else got a good recipe that includes turmeric that you can share?

Bring on the orange-stained food, to scare the bad cancer juju away!

:-) Traci

phoenixrising

cabbott said:

Tumeric Recipes
I grew up on the all American diet and tumeric was also a rarity.Lately I started exploring recipes from India. Wow! They put tumeric in just about everything except maybe dessert dishes. Not all the recipes are hot and spicy though I love the ones that are. Somehow I don't think those would be too good with a jumpy stomach. But some of the dals--kind of like a thick soup made of lentils are mild. Almost all the red and yellow lentil dishes start with "put in a cup of .....lentils, a 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and skim off any foam that develops." Then they add sauteed onions, garlic, and other spices depending on the soup. Tomatoes are common. And when you look at those ingredients, they are all in the cancer fighting food list. No wonder breast cancer isn't as common in India as it is here!

Please pay attention to the posts that say to ask your oncologist while you are on chemo whether a particular supplement is okay. Those supplements protect cells, true enough. But research has shown that some of them can also protect those crazy from the norm cancer cells as well as the normal cells. So then the effect of the chemo is halted in its tracks! You still lose your hair and all that. You just lose the beneficial effects of the medicine. So call your doctor before you self-medicate! Ask his advice and follow it. That's what he gets paid for. After you finish chemo, meet with a great nutritionalist and get your pill box ready. And try out those Indian recipes. They really are good!

Good point Cabbott about the
Good point Cabbott about the antioxidants during chemo. I believe it's the anthracyclines that act as a pro-oxidant so the antioxidants would alter it's effect.

I used to cap my own turmeric and take a few caps/day. Unfortunately, I don't like the taste of it...but I love curry! Cayenne is listed as an anti inflammatory which is something to think about due to the relationship between inflammation and cancer.