Nutrition

[Christine]

I was just wondering what changes other people have made in their eating habits after their diagnosis. I wanted to see a nutritionist to discuss my own diet, but I know that I'll have a great deal of difficulty getting that paid for so I'm doing some research on my own to see what I can find. I've already started reading "Beating Cancer With Nutrition," but if anyone has any other suggestions of books or websites, I would love to hear them!

[ASTEPHENS33]

I went to a naturopath and provided the following guidelines for my particular post-chemo situation. (You probably should check the information out.) I was stage IIIA and am completing 6 months of Xeloda.

1. Detox. Three day cleansing program - basically fruit juice and protein powder.

2. Supplements:
- BCQ - 3 caps-twice a day (per cap: bosellia-200mg, bromelain-100mg; curcuman-200mg, quastar-100mg)
- citrus pectin - 1T in juice-twice a day (1T: 6.5 grams)
- ultrathistle - 1 cap twice a day (1 cap: 360 mg)
- fish oil - 4000 mg a day
- 1 enteric coated aspiring per day - 345 mg
- wobenzyme - 1 tab at each meal

[Molly]

Hi Christine-

I was a bad patient in that I didn't change my diet to be more healthy while I was doing chemo. I ate what I craved...which was odd because I craved weird things like pasta with no sauce, grape Gatorade and popsicles. I also wanted nothing to do with anything dairy...and I usually LOVE ice cream.

Since then I've gotten much better about what I eat, but there are 2 cook books that I've found. One is called "Eating Well Through Cancer," by Holly Clegg & Gerald Miletello, MD. I belive it's produced by Roche Oncology (Pharma), so if you happen to know any reps, they can probably give you one. If not, I think I have an extra. PM me your address and I'll send.

The other is "The Cancer Survival Cookbook," by Donna L. Weihofen, RD, MS with Christina Marina, MD, MPH.

Both have some great stuff!

[cynnycal]

i just bought some betty crocker cancer cook book off amazon, hopefully that'll give me some ideas.
but i'm a bad patient too. everyone is so concerned that i may lose my apetite and not wanna eat. so i just appease them by eating everything i come across!
cookies, cakes, fried chicken, pizza, burgers, pretty much unhealthy stuff.
thing is, before this all started, i didn't eat all that badly.
the nutritionist i saw didn't want me eating spinach or lettuce or anything i can't peel (i guess b/c of pesticides n such?) which sucks b/c i love nothing more than a good spinach salad.
but this 'bad' diet i've been on has only been since i started this chemo. i guess i just figure i'll give myself whatever i want, i deserve to spoil myself.
but i really dont' wanna eat like this. so that's why i got the cook book.
besides the fact that i was never a BIG eater anyway. I was always one of those 'grazers'. eating little things all day long but not three lare meals.

i was 125 when this all began. and i'm tiny, noone believed i weighed that much, but it's mostly muscle from doing the martial art. so very quickly i went to about 117. and they didn't want me to go below 115, so when i neared that that's when i just started eating whatever i wanted. and last time i went in for my chemo i actually gained 4 pounds and was back to 120.

i hadn't realized at first that it's not just a matter of them worrying that i wasn't eating alot, but that chemo actually ups your metabolism alot so you're just burning stuff off even if you're not doing anything.

great diet hm? Chemo: drop the weight without even trying.

anywho, i'd love to hear good tips from people on here. recipes, supplments, etc.

[Babs]

Since my dx in 6/05 - I have been trying to eat healthier (veggies, bran, no fried or high fat). However, during chemo, my nutritionist wanted me to make sure I got plenty of protien. She didn't care how I got - just stressed that was very important.

[sue kidera]

I went to the hospital "nutritionist" and was told pretty much what cyn was. Eat, eat, eat, don't waste away. She really didn't have a clue. I did loose a considerable amount of weight (12 lbs) because I had two surgeries within 11 weeks of each other, and I'm small, so it really showed, (kinda sacry) but now I've gained it all back.
When I had treatment, I craved stuff and within reason, I ate it. Things I hadn't eaten in years, like red meat, turkey subs etc...
I tried to then eat well the second week though.

I am only two weeks past my last treatment, but I have really embarked on a new road of nutrition. I was a healthy eater before, but now I'm all organic, I try to do at least 7 fruits and 7 veggies a day. It's not easy. You have to eat all the time. I do take a high anti ox multi, calcium and fish oil. I am still investigating what supplements fit for me. I didn't take them until the treatment ended though.

I really like Andrew Weils books. 8 weeks to Optimal Health is a really doable plan for people who need to make a lot of changes and are overwhelmed by the prospect.

I have a website I love. It has a lot of information about eating to treat lots of different diseases including colon cancer. If you sign up for the weekly bulletins, you get some good info in small managable notices plus recipes.

http://www.whfoods.com
And here is the best part. It is a non profit organization so no agenda to sell. Sue

[Christine]

Thanks for all the responses.

I've been receiving chemo treatments for almost 6 months and I've been eating pretty much what I want. I have increased my fruit and vegetable intake, but I feel like I need to overhaul and really pay attention to what I'm eating. I lost weight the first month, but then they put me on steroids for 3 days following each treatment and I was hungry ALL THE TIME! I wound up gaining weight and it has continued even though I have stopped the steroids. I'm 22 pounds heavier than I was when I started. I think a lot is water weight because it came on rapidly and there's no way I ate enough calories to gain that kind of weight. Anyway, my oncologist want me to try and lose the extra weight and I really want to do it carefully.

Thanks again for the info and any more suggestions and information are appreciated!!