I recently watched a documentary called "The Beautiful Truth" about the Gerson Therapy (nutritional plan for cancer patients). AMAZING. I also ordered the book by the same name. I know in my heart that the way to get to where I want to be is to make changes in my diet. I am a week now without meat or dairy products. I also bought a juicer. There has to be more that I can do for myself than chemo!
This might be gross (I'm sorry!), but I have also been paying attention to what foods cause excess mucus production. I started to wonder if my diagnosis (mucinous adenocarcinoma) had anything to do with the fact that I've had problems with reflux and excess mucus with certain foods most of my life. Have I caused this with my diet? I just don't know, but it would seem to make sense. This was listed as something to pay attention to in a book I just got "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" (first book...the second is "Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor"). These are extremely helpful and uplifting books.
I have written down and posted my new goal in my kitchen: To be able to look my 7-year-old daughter in the eye and say, "Sweetie, Mommy does not have cancer anymore." I have made a promise to myself (first) and to my daughter that I will do everything within my power to reach this goal. I feel like the dietary changes are a big step.
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Dietary changes
- By arksurvivor
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 12:53 am · 8 replies
- In Non-small cell lung cancer - General
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- By cuddles53
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 1:26 am
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Much of this mucous from food is from dairy from what I read in the Miracle pH diet, but then someone else wrote in about it, discrediting this diet, and I had to tend to agree with him. Our bodies adjust to foods we put in our bodies, that is what our liver and kidneys do. I am a believer in anything in moderation. I was only given 12 to 15 months to live, my oncologist wants to know what I did? They saw me in a wheelchair and on full time oxygen, everyone thought I was a goner! It was the treatments not the cancer!! I do not attribute this to anything but, eating what I wanted and craved. Not from just veggies, and fruit! No, I had meat and potatoes and anything and everything I desired, and so did my husband who lived over 5 years with small cell cancer, and also my friend who is going on over 6 years, so how do we account for these people who eat what they want? I believe what has kept me going is my own diet, purple fruits, blueberries, purple grapes, pomegranate juice, red raspberries, carrots, dark chocolate, licorice, green tea, most of all... one cup of ovaltine daily, very minimal caffeine, quit smoking, Not too much red meat, mostly chicken and turkey, most of the time a positive attitude, and a thought in my head I am not dying!!
I can't say too much about your book but will read it, just wanted to give you my views on it.
god bless Sandy
- By drawing3d
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 8:24 am
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You have touched on THE most controversial topic (aside from "sugar" and religion) on this board.
You will have many replies and most of them will negate the positive benefits of a healthy diet. To each their own of course <sigh> but I want to HEARTILY, absolutely, 100% agree with you on the merits of an extremely healthy diet.
Much is now coming to light backed by research on the incredible benefits of food and a healthy lifestyle. But even if it weren't, I can personally attest to what it has done for me.
Like you, I was (well, am still in a way) a patient at MD Anderson. I had low dose chemo and proton radiation, Stage IV adeno nsclc, dx'd in Nov 2007. I have been NED for about 16 months. I am not on any medicine since treatment ended. I doubt I ever will be. Just my personal opinion at this time (so folks don't attack me on this. It is after all my choice) Frankly, I am believing food has given me a new life.
I eat about 30 veggies each day, (or drink) I eat raw foods, about 98%, I do eat meat, but I now limit it to either fresh cod or salmon (NEVER farm raised fish), eat yoghurt/flax oil, no junk foods, no alcohol at all, I don't even eat out b/c I don't want anything that isn't organically grown and I eat foods raw anyway. I don't even trust salads at restaurants anymore.
Anyway, my doctors are amazed at my blood work, (although my WBC counts is still on the low-normal side) I exercise faithfully every day (so important!!) My doctors call me their "miracle girl" and say I am an amazingly healthy woman) . It is: 1. GOD. Yes, Jesus has indeed healed me just as he promises! 2. Diet. And I mean extreme. Not even "one bite" of birthday cake. (Someone once said: "bon-bons = bye-bye)
3. Exercise. At least 20 minutes every single day. That's the minimum.
Right now, you can set an example for healthy living for your child that will carry her all the days of her life. Explain to her why junk food is, well, JUNK and what it does to her body. Stress healthy and you will be saving her life as well as your own.
It's hard at first, but I LOVE my diet now and would never trade it in for my old ways.
God bless!
Ellen
Listen to your instincts. You are getting good advice from your "second brain" - your guts.
- By pilot27k
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 9:31 am
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Hi Arksurvivor,
With the blood type diet, foods that are in the avoid list for certain blood types cause excess mucus production. For example, milk products cause excess muscus production for blood type As.
- By pilot27k
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 9:47 am
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Hi Ellen,
I commend your willpower...you are doing a great job! My dad is the one with the cancer but my eyes are now wide open to nutrition. Knowing what I know now I think food has been slowly killing my family members (aunts, uncles, etc.) as almost all have some kind of a serious illness. I was recently dignosed with gallstones and I blame myself for my food choices. My high carb, low fat diet is most likely to blame.
I'm probably mentioning something you know about but, have you tried mushroom extracts (AHCC) for your WBC? They have done wonders with my dad's bloodwork.
Also, are you familier with some new nutritional research published in the book The China Study? If so, what do you think about it? Who knew that certain combinations of fruit can be good or bad for you. It talks about utilizing the digestive enzymes in the most effecient manner. For example, having water with a meal will dilute the digestive enzymes and make them less effective.
- By drawing3d
- Posted June 26, 2009 at 10:54 am
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pilot27k;
I have never read books like "Eat right for your blood type", etc., but the little I do know makes good sense as we are all just as different as the DNA is different in every single cell in our bodies.
I eat SUCH a healthy diet and lifestyle, I am very in tune with my own body now I think. I DO get mucous with cheeses and milk products as well as tomatoes, peanut butter and most peppers. I constantly have my inflammation levels checked and it has dropped way down by eliminating these from my diet, with the exception of low-fat yoghurt. But at the same time I have increased my flax oils too.
As for water, yes, I have heard that all of my life and believe there may be truth to that. Again, it makes sense. recently I began to take a digestive enzyme with my morning meal as it is the largest by far. I honestly spend about 3 hours + in the kitchen each morning preparing my raw foods to eat/drink for the day. By about 4:00, I have eaten 90% of my food. After that, it might be an apple at night.
I have taken mushroom extracts for over a year now. But much more is known about coriolus versicolor (PSP / PSK) than about AHCC, although in the beginning I took AHCC also. I still eat shiitake mushrooms (same as in AHCC) every single morning.
From what I have read, Japan has more smokers per capita than we have, yet they have one of the lowest rates of lung cancer. Mushrooms are an every day staple in their diet. (Please, no lectures about lung cancer and smoking everyone...this is just a very interesting bit of info if a correlation is to be made)
Again, I have not read much about food combinations but that makes sense also (i.e., no protein with starches - like meat and potatoes)...
My bottom line belief is that cooking destroys the LIVE cells in foods (and for those who don't believe that, try cutting a wedge out of a fresh butternut squash...it tries to "heal" itself just like our bodies do when we get cut. It's an amazing sight)
I believe we do need fiber and that chewing is an important process to start/build and keep the digestive process intact, so I don't believe in juicing every thing like Gerson advocates, but I do believe in helping it along so I use a Vitamix which makes digestion easier as the whole vegetable is still consumed. I believe juicing (if a person is healthy enough) should be used to supplement an already extremely healthy diet, not in exclusion of all else. Gerson also advocates coffee enemas, which I believe alos has merit, but I know for a fact they strip Vitamin A from the liver quickly and that can be dangerous so that is why they insist on all those carrot drinks each day.
As for fruit, I never consume fruit alone but always combine it with fiber or with my yoghurt/flax oil combination with cinnamon. Exception being my apple at night. It is good for the tummy.
Oh well, I guess I am rambling now...
Anyway, I am so glad you and your family are on an enlightened path to health now. It is NEVER too late to start a healthy life style!
God bless,
Ellen
- By cuddles53
- Posted June 27, 2009 at 12:09 am
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I think healthy diets are great if you can do it and also if you have the will power it takes to change so drastically, but as for me my own terrible diet also worked keeping me well, who knows how much better it would be if I could stick to some good diet, I know I would lose some of this nasty weight I have put on. I give you much credit anyone who can stick to the healthy lifestyle, I just know for me I wouldn;t be able to do it all the way, so have adopted some of the healthful foods like antioxidants into my daily schedule. I love the purple grapes, blueberries, I drink the green tea, licorice is good for what ails you in the respiratory department, they say it was a drug used hundreds of years ago, licorice root. Pomegranate juice and carrots are added to my everyday rice bowl. so take care ladies, good luck with your eating plans, but please try not to feel guilty if you slip and fall off the wagon from time to time. Not worth putting the guilt trips on yourselves. We have enough in life to worry about besides eating that big ice cream cone from The ice cream stores. Whatever happened to the basic food pyramid?
God bless Sandy
- By pilot27k
- Posted June 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
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Hi Sandy,
My dad is like you and would have a hard time completely changing his diet. However, I am proud that he is doing like you, injecting good stuff (superfoods) in there too. He won't go near fried foods anymore and has cut down drastically on his beef intake. And he takes the Dr. Budwig protocol cottage cheese/flaxseed oil mixture every day. Something must be helping as he feels better than he has felt in over a year.
- By sheilake
- Posted June 28, 2009 at 11:57 am
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Sounds most of the posts chimed in well with your sentiments! Just like to say I am one more person in agreement. Adenocarcinoma is an inflammation/excess mucous problem that usually stems from a faulty immune system. Many say inflammation comes from food allergies (milk, wheat, meat). I also read that doing things like drinking ice cold water adds to the mucous problem.
What is neat is to know that eliminating those allergins also contributes to feeling good! I always feel better when I am eating right. It is also nice to watch the blood work (inflammation markers like Lycopene and Lutein) improve with good nutrition.
Yeah for knowledge. The discipline issue is a bit tougher.
Sheila
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