Reduce BC Recurrence Risk Through Fasting
I just read a really interesting book that I thought I would share as it has relevance to BC. Like many middle aged women, perhaps especially those of us on tamoxifen, I have been working really hard to not gain weight. I've even been nursing the so far vain hope that I might lose a couple of kilos. So far despite being pretty careful about my food, exercising at least 4 times a week and just about giving up alcohol, I have gained a kilo.
So I was interested to read recently about the 5-2 intermittant fasting diet in a weekend newspaper. I saw a documentary on it a few months back by doctor/tv presenter Michael Mosley which intrigued me. But it is only this week that I read the book.
What the book proposes is a diet in which you fast (hardly eat anything) for two non-consecutive days a week and eat whatever you feel like on the other 5. You are actually allowed to consume 500 calories worth of food on the fast days so it's not a total fast but still requires a lot of self discipline (asI am finding today).
While I'm keen to lose about 4kg - and hopefully keep it off - an added motivation is that this intermittant fasting, according to Mosley, confers a range of very significant health benefits over and above what you would normally expect as a result of losing weight.
It reduces bad cholesterol, improves your body's ability to regulate insulin and most exciting of all as far as I'm concerned, reduces your risk of cancer. It also appears to minimise the risk of dementia. All of his claims are backed up by scientific research. Have a look at the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre website if you want to read about research on this diet and breast cancer patients.
Obviously this is not going to be easy to do but according to Mosely and his co-author it is not as hard as you might first imagine and you do get used to it. The book certainly made a very compelling case for it.
So I just thought I would mention it. The book is called The Fast Diet by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. I really like the idea that you only diet/fast two days a week and most of the time you can eat what you feel like. Losing some weight is very appealing but reducing the risk of BC coming back definitely makes it worth a try as far as I'm concerned.
Comments
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I too saw the Michael Mosley 5/2 eating idea on TV recently. I might get the book; maybe borrow it from the local library,
Thanks, Kathy.
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I too saw the Michael Mosley 5/2 eating idea on TV recently. I might get the book; maybe borrow it from the local library,
Thanks, Kathy.
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well i am definately going to try it. I find it so hard to lose weight and I like easy rules not complicated diets. its got to last a lifetime so if its too messy i wont stick to it. i have a few rules at present which i have maintained for 2 months... no sugar...1.5 litres of water per day....eat breakfast...very little coffee/treat only...read labels.
fast monday and thursday i think i can handle ill work out 500 calories and put that in stone for m and th.
thanks for that
cheers
Terry
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Hi Terry and Kathy,
Just thought i would let you know how I am going with it. I've done 5 fasting days so far - Mondays and Thursdays over 3 weeks. I didn't do it yesterday because I'd had a terrible nights sleep and I couldn't cope with being exhausted and starving at the same time.
I haven't lost as much weight as I'd hoped - only about 3 pounds or a bit over a kilo. This could be due to tamoxifen keeping me chubby perhaps. Or I'm wondering whether I might have converted some of my fat to muscle (which is heavier) as I have been exercising vigorously most days as well. Or maybe I'm eating a little bit too much on the non-fasting days.
Either way I do plan to persist with it as I like the idea that it minimises the risk of cancer coming back. If I do lose some more weight that would be a bonus but I'm probably only a 3-4kg overweight anyway so I can live with that if I have to. I just don't want to gain anymore as so many women on tamoxifen seem to do. My oncologist told me that most of her patients gain 5kg on tamoxifen. So I guess just maintaining my weight where it is would be an achievement.
The fasting days are hard. You do get very hungry and I find I feel a bit agitated, especially around 5-7pm when everybody else is having a proper meal. It doesn't seem to effect my energy levels much though. I even went for a run on one of my fasting days and I was okay afterwards. And it is good to be able to relax a little bit on the non-fasting days. I agree Terry that the simplicity of it is very appealing. Anyway, good luck with it. Hope it works for you. Janet.
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