healthy eating

Oh the voice of reason! Unfortunately the conversation seems to deteriorate considerably from here on down with lots of people claiming to 'know' all about nutrition and cancer. I often wonder  if people would be so liberal with their advice if they were held legally accountable for it.  

Nice try and excellent advice. Unfortunately, the desire to be 'in control' and to believe in 'miracle cures' seems to be so strong that there is no way to dissuade people from accepting unsubstantiated and often dangerous advice from dubious sources. It's one of the things I find very frustrating about this site. There's a risk that the misinformation gathers it's own momentum and convinces otherwise sensible people to try dangerous things.

In answer to your question 'What's the worst that can happen?" the answer, unfortunately, is that you can undermine your treatment.
I was all set to adopt a high anit-oxidant and reputedly 'cancer fighting' diet until my oncologist advised me that my chemotherapy worked by OXIDISING cancer cells. The diet could have worked against the chemotherapy. 

While I agree that there is a lot we can do to improve our survivial rates and quality of life by eating well I beleive we also need to be suspect of anyone trying to sell us supplements, books, remedies or miracles. Where there is money there is fraud and this is very true when it comes to cancer. Some of the 'diets' I've found are shockingly unhealthy, including the much touted 'alkaline diet' and another regime that prescribed coffee enemas!

Interpreting research is difficult because it's written in jargon, so most people just accept that when a journal article reports something has anti-cancer properties, it must be true. I often find that when I check the source research, the writer of the article has completely misunderstood the science or the findings.

Lots of things kill cancer cells in a petri dish or a test tube (in vitro). This does NOT mean they will kill cancer in something as complex as the human body. If you read that something prevents or cures cancer then see if you can find a double blind human trial with the results published in a peer reviewed journal. If it doesn't meet this standard then it's just 'promising' research. In other words, the substance being studied may OR MAY NOT cure cancer and more research is needed.

The same is true of research involving rats and other animals. Yes, results are interesting and will hopefully be used to argue for funding for a proper human trial, but don't use those results to conduct your own experiments on your body unless the substance being recommended is generally safe to eat. 

I don't know why there are people in this feed claiming that doctors can't recommend a healthy diet or a particular food. What's the basis for that claim? Of course a doctor can recommend changes to diet and you should certainly tell your doctor about anything you're doing because you might, without realising it, be undermining your treatment. Several medications come with a list of foods to avoid.

I think the real issue with food is that because it's one of the few things we can control it's tempting to believe that we can use it to take total control, to cure ourselves or to prevent recurrence. It's very appealing to believe that just by including certain foods or juices or supplements that we can be free forever from our fears and the appeal of that thinking tempts us to place far too much emphasis on the risks and benefits of a healthy diet.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that eating a healthy diet is one of the best things we can do to support our treatment. When it comes to 'superfoods' or anything 'cancer preventing' there are actually some things out there that pass the double blind trial standard, including omega 3, vitamin D and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. But sorting out the legitimate research from the rubbish involves a lot more than just taking a journalist's word for it.

Be particularly mindful that having 'doctor' ahead of ones name doesn't qualify someone to give you medical advice. Always check what kind of 'doctor' a person really is, and whether they've been sanctioned for giving poor advice, as so many of the 'doctors' selling online products have been.

Thanks Deanne and Robyn,

and how easy is it to remember G-BOMBS and then to just put that food item with the initial. 

I have an ice cream shop, so did a roaring trade today, totally exhausted.

Merry Christmas and good riddance to 2013.

Viv

Just thought I would share this site whilst doing my Google thing, interesting reading, and seems like sound advice. Even for the non believers, nothing recommended on this site is bad for you.

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/breast-cancer-breast-cancer-risk-genetics-vs-lifestyle.html

Looks like mexican tonight with my weight watchers recipe using refried beans, the only way I can eat these pinto beans ,99% fat free, cholesterol fee (now that I am on Arimidex this is a problem), and they are really high in fibre.

Have a good weekend, enjoy the heat,41 here in Wodonga today,  hey one bonus is that everyone thinks I am just hot from heat,  I am so hot that I cannot tell if it just the weather or my multi hot flushes. Having ovaries removed has given me a double wham with the flushes :( 

Take care

Viv

wow wot a can of worms i opened!!!!!!

i was told my my chemo nurses that mushrooms are a good food for my cancer as somehow it has Eostrigen in it or something like that.. im the only one that likes or liked mushies anway so its not a worry to cut them out of the diet.  i have been slowly buying things that will make me healthier. i baught some weight loss powder stuff and still not opened it cos im scared that it will have something in it that will feed my cancer,, i dont want that ever.  i will check out the american  cancer site and the Ian Fawler foundation regarding the book as well. 

i have enjoyed reading all the comments and thank you all for leaving me some information, i have also been told that Kail is a good food to get into as well,, raw or cooked, i love grwoing my own vegies so i hope i can grow it next season.

thank u all sooo much

wow wot a can of worms i opened!!!!!!

i was told my my chemo nurses that mushrooms are a good food for my cancer as somehow it has Eostrigen in it or something like that.. im the only one that likes or liked mushies anway so its not a worry to cut them out of the diet.  i have been slowly buying things that will make me healthier. i baught some weight loss powder stuff and still not opened it cos im scared that it will have something in it that will feed my cancer,, i dont want that ever.  i will check out the american  cancer site and the Ian Fawler foundation regarding the book as well. 

i have enjoyed reading all the comments and thank you all for leaving me some information, i have also been told that Kail is a good food to get into as well,, raw or cooked, i love grwoing my own vegies so i hope i can grow it next season.

thank u all sooo much