Diet recommendations ER & PR positive.

Poek78

I am ER 95% positive, PR 5% positive and HER-2 negative and am booked to have the lump removed next week.   I don’t want to change my diet drastically but have been searching on foods I can eat or avoid to naturally block the ER. I will, of course, take whatever meds my surgeon recommends. I have, so far cut alcohol and coffee. So much conflicting advice on the internet.  Does anyone have any good references? Or perhaps a professional I need to speak with about diet?  Everything I eat is adding to an already anxious time.  Feel like I need a list to refer to.  Help please. 

iserbrown

From the BCNA website
Healthy eating | Breast Cancer Network Australia (bcna.org.au)

Afraser

Cutting alcohol is generally considered to
be a good thing, for all sorts of health reasons, or at least keeping to a low amount per week. I don’t know about coffee - I’ve never been advised on that matter, other than ten cups a day is a bad idea! Some think one or two cups may be good for you. In general, a healthy mixed diet is recommended. I’m not up on the latest on soy products, but it seemed in the past that unless you were vegan and soy products made up a significant part of your diet, consumption made little difference. 

Anxiety may do you more harm than food. Your oncologist may be best to advise and you may also need to take aspects of your medication and treatment into consideration.

I’d steer clear of the internet for good information, unless it’s for something extremely specific. Many sites are essentially selling services not sound information, some are pushing barrows with no scientific or medical knowledge. And what happens to one person doesn’t necessarily affect another. Cancer is complex and your medical team are there because they have studied it most. 

Best wishes for for next week. 

Julez1958

Hi @Poek78
Totally agree with comment above about steering clear of the internet ( apart from official sources).
Many of the metropolitan cancer centres ( like the Kinghorn in Sydney) have a nutritionist you can see for advice but generally the advice is to follow a healthy balanced diet with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, lean meat , cut back on highly processed foods , “ empty” kilojoules like cakes , biscuits, junk food and alcohol.
You don’t have yo line the life of a monk , just have a good look at what you are doing now.
All the studies recommend regular exercise as well and again seeing an exercise physiologist helped me there.
If in doubt check with your oncologist as any suggested diet or supplement may counteract other treatment.

Abbydog

I was never given advice re diet. I just ate normally. 
I trusted my Oncologist and surgeons, accepted the treatments on offer.
I never felt a cure was in the food.
Of course eating healthy, generally speaking is always good.
It is early days for you, take one step at a time.
Always ask your most important questions, from your surgeon and Oncologist if you have one.
Thinking of you and wishing you all the best.

Cath62

Hi @Poek78, 

We are all different so I guess knowing your body and how it responds to various foods is important. I wasn't given advice initially by my oncologist or breast care nurse when I had active treatment in 2020. I believe there are new recommendations for those having chemo these days around certain foods to avoid while having chemotherapy but if you have that type of treatment it would be best to check with the nurses on that.

I was recommended a juice during chemo to help with the liver processing all those drugs. It was apple, celery , carrot, beetroot and ginger. I still have this juice most days. 

Cutting alcohol down is a good thing. I still drink but no where near as much as I use to. I always had a good diet but I am a bit stricter since my diagnosis. I largely eat fresh vegetables, fruit and protein. Lean meat and plenty of fish and no processes food. When I go shopping I really don't buy much out of those supermarkets isles. 

I am gluten and wheat sensitive so that keeps me away from bread, pasta, cakes etc.  Some people consider the keto way of eating and I suppose that's largely how I eat but check if you want to do anything like that with your dr. For me that lifestyle resolved inflammation in my body and stopped side effects from my AI's (for hormone positive treatment). My oncologist said to me she never really believed in those types of diets helping however she has changed her mind after seeing so much success from patients. 

Best wishes with your surgery and treatment.

Mightystar

I was searching for a way to help my sleep, weight gain and hot flushes without another drug. A GP looked at my blood test results and recommended I try a plant based diet- I switched overnight. I hadn’t had a period in 4 months then had one shortly after. My skin cleared up. But then I wasn’t eating enough fats and gained weight. Got that under control then ate too much tofu/Tempe and my hormone levels increased significantly that my surgeon said if I don’t get it under control I would need another drug.
I’m sure it doesn’t suit everyone and requires lots of different thinking, shopping and eating habits, but I feel better eating this way. I flex when the food looks really good, but generally stick to a plant based/vegan diet now.