Nutrition advice

[Clancydp]

Hello! So, is there any medically backed recommendations with regard to what you should and shouldn't consume while in remission, in order to either stave off a return, or prepare for it?
Many thanks

[julesTO]

Hi,

The best book I've come across on this subject is Anticancer: A New Way of Life. The authour is scientist, doctor and cancer survivor David Servan-Schreiber.

http://www.anticancerbook.com/

I highly recommend it!

[Aegean]

Hi,

The best book I've come across on this subject is Anticancer: A New Way of Life. The authour is scientist, doctor and cancer survivor David Servan-Schreiber.

http://www.anticancerbook.com/

I highly recommend it!

Read it too... hard to stick by, but definitely worth a read.

[Clancydp]

Great, I'll take a look. Thanks

[Clancydp]

Hi
Just to say that i have read this book and have indeed found it useful. it's tone is very much with regard to the complimentary nature that diet and environment can play (rather than an alternative to medical treatment....)

Also, for those viewing the thread that are interested, there is a freely available pocket guide available to download at www.penguin.co.uk/anticancer

[Kiwi]

The key seems to be BALANCED diet with at least some daily exercise.

Foods across all the food groups and “good” and “bad” foods are all ok with appropriate quantities.

There are lots of diets and fads out there with all sorts of theories, spin and propaganda. But you need to be happy. You will be attracted to different schemes depending on what’s going on in your life and your own values (also your body type), mix and match and read a wide range of material.

Watch the portion sizes to not over eat.


Cheers

Kiwi

[CW406]

I enjoyed Anti Cancer as well, but thought it was a little bit extreme in some places. Frankly, my advice to my girlfriend when she wanted to read it was just that she read the glossy insert in the middle. The difference in major takeaway between reading that and reading the whole book was fairly minor in my opinion (of course hearing the details of each and every study was interesting as well). Also, one part that stood out in my mind as just plan silly was when he ripped on the American Cancer Society for their brochures on diet tips for people undergoing chemo. He made fun of them because they weren't telling people to eat turmeric, garlic, and loads of green tea. Give me a break - you tell most people undergoing chemo to eat that stuff and it's ending up in the toilet. (Not to mention any possible interactions with the chemo drugs). Besides, what got me through my first cycle pretty easily was the fact that I allowed myself to eat whatever the hell garbage I wanted to - basically Chick-fil-a and pizza the whole time...

[hbr777]

Besides, what got me through my first cycle pretty easily was the fact that I allowed myself to eat whatever the hell garbage I wanted to - basically Chick-fil-a and pizza the whole time...

I think there is a lot of truth to this. Your body will tell you what to eat.

[CW406]

I think there is a lot of truth to this. Your body will tell you what to eat.

Agreed wholeheartedly. All the guidance was to eat white, starchy, sugary, bland stuff. Gross. What worked for me was eating the densest, richest, fattiest meat-based food I could find. Like general tso's chicken and big burgers. Filling up on that would really knock down the rotten chemo gut feeling for a good while.

[gilly6993]

I ate McDonald's every day during chemo.....

[Davepet]

Anything chocolate would always sound good to me. Not that I didn't eat other, healthier foods as well, but chocolate always sounded good to me.

I pretty much ate the same foods I always do, but some of them just didn't sound appealing from time to time & a few other things I rarely eat did sound good. I really didn't have a problem eating, I managed to gain 15 pounds during my 3xBEP. IT took a lot more than 9 weeks to lose it...

Dave

[BarclayBanister]

I lost 15 lbs but only because I didn't eat AS MUCH. Like CW I lived on chick-fil-a as well as chinese food, McD's etc. I was told to eat whatever the hell I felt like eating.

[Davepet]

I guess I was lucky that the only fast food within 30 miles was a Burger King. I used to enjoy BK, but cannot anymore, they just got old....

[julesTO]

The original question was about what to eat to minimize the risk of relapse once remission is achieved, rather than what to eat during chemotherapy.

Anti-Cancer definitely speaks to the former.

Good luck and good health to you!

[Clancydp]

@Jules: Indeed it was.
Please god I wont have to worry about what to eat during Chemo....first CT scan in surveillance programme is on thursday (4 months post operation).

Thanks for all the responses.

[Davepet]

The original question was about what to eat to minimize the risk of relapse once remission is achieved, rather than what to eat during chemotherapy.

Anti-Cancer definitely speaks to the former.

Good luck and good health to you!

Yeah, well every forum I've visited gets off topic eventually. This topic would have gone into a political debate by now on one of them....

Dave

[Davepet]

@Jules: Indeed it was.
Please god I wont have to worry about what to eat during Chemo....first CT scan in surveillance programme is on thursday (4 months post operation).

Thanks for all the responses.

There is no proven food that will enhance you odds of recurrence. A healthy diet that is more plant based than animal based is as good as it gets, but even total vegetarians get cancer....

Dave