Finishing chemo need nutrition advice

Hi Nunkie -
Well, I applaud all of your efforts....two rounds of chemo is probably much more than I could handle. There are a few on the site who are considered nutritional gurus, but I'll tell you what I did after chemo and where my thoughts came from.
The first thing I wanted to do was to start cleaning the chemo drugs out of my liver. I researched a bit and changed waters to reverse osmosis (a really good filtering process - sold in bulk at places like Whole Foods); I started some supplements which are targeted for the liver - Alpha Lipoic Acid and Milk Thistle - along with something I think is just plain super-healthy,Chlorella (you can do a google or yahoo search on any of these and find some info); it has really helped build my system back, including creating an environment where the natural flora in our intestines can live again (many take probiotics for this and chemo kills all of our good flora).
I found a great site called theliverdoctor.com (Dr. Cabot) which is logical and has great info. I also started back on my regular supplements of antioxidants, Folate or Folic Acid (now well known for preventing colon cancer) which I was asked not to take during chemo, and I bumped my diet up a notch. It had been good and all organic, but I went off just about all refined white flour and sugar. So, all whole grains and sprouted grain breads, no red meat at all, very little dairy (except for yogurt and goat cheese) and boosted my soy to include unsweetened soy milk and added soybeans in for protein (and more walnuts and almonds). I made sure that fresh, raw fruits and vegetables were a huge part of my day and I started juicing at least three times per week with a mixture which I found to work for me - red del apple, beet, red cabbage and carrot; it tastes great, and is known for cleansing the liver as well as this type of apple targeting the lung-cells. I started what is known as an Alkaline diet (again easy to Google or to ask about at a good health food store) which is just understanding how foods break down and affect our body ph....cancer loves an acidic body - something which works hand in hand with a junkie diet. Anyway, this may seem like a crazy or a simplistic explanation, but you can find out so much about diet and really have an effect on how you recover from chemo as well as cancer.
I hope this has been a start....I know that many will chime in as well. All the best to you and feel free to e-mail my box here if you need any help - Maura (and don't beat yourself up for going away from info about cancer for a while.....we all deal with things in our own time and with differing emotions; now you have the mental strength to rebuild your body!)
The book by Patrick QUILLIN, Beating Cancer with Nutrition is considered by many to be the best printed resource for nutritional info.

I totally know where you are coming from in realation to looking at websites and posting on the boards. I have felt the exact same way, so I think it is totally normal. Not only that, but I think it is important to realize that even if someone else has a similar history to us, it seems that every cancer behaves individually. We are all on our own path, so what happens to someone else is not our story - our path...
OK, well I really like the idea of the Cancer Centers of America. I think it sounds great because it integrates different types of healing. Not only should you see a nutritionist but you should also seek out a Naturopathic physician that deals w/ cancer patients. That is what I did and he has me on a variety of supplements and has helped me understand what they all do. A nutritionist focuses on food, but a naturopath can help you with a cleansing routine, what vitamins and supplements to take, and so forth. If only I had known what I know now when I was a teenager!!
Another thing I highly recommend is exercise! It helps so much physically and mentally and at least for me this whole experience has been more difficult mentally than anything else.
As far as your nutrition is concerned I am sure they will tell you to try to avoid all sugars, including processed carbs like white pasta, bread, rice, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, etc....
Personally I have totally given up processed meats like lunch meat, bacon etc. However, you can get this stuff w/o nitrates at Whole Foods, etc....for an ocassional treat..
In a nutshell - eat as close to nature as possible and exercise, do yoga, and do not be afraid to talk to a therapist either. I do...
Good luck - it sounds like you are getting on the right track!
-Susan.