Diet and Nutrition

So here's a couple of lists of the things I have given up and those that I have started to include daily.

OUT

Refined Sugars and glucose (Sugar feeds cancer)
Caffeine
All processed foods ie: bisquits, cakes, chocolate bars, sweets
Red meat
Soya (because I have estrogen rich cancer and soya has estrogen mimickers in it)
Dairy (NO COWS PRODUCTS AT ALL) only Goats skimmed milk and yoghurt
Stress
Alcohol (practically t-total anyway)
Nicotine (gave up the day I was dx nearly 3 years ago and will never smoke again)

IN

Buying organic where ever possible
Juicing raw fruit and vegetables
Vegetarian cooking
Decaf organic tea and coffee
Take supplements (see supplements page and list)
Yoga
Meditation/crystal healing
Spiritual healing
Walking

This next posting is taken from an article in 'The Mail' Newspaper and is an extract from the book The Pink Ribbon Diet by Dr Mary Flynn and Nancy Verde Barr, published by Da Capo at £9.99 anti-breast cancer diet

Every day you should have: 


STARCH: 6-7 servings per day - ideally wholegrain. A typical serving size is a slice of bread; one pitta; half a bagel; 1oz/25g breakfast cereal; 1oz/25g uncooked rice or pasta; 3oz/150g potatoes; 3 cups air-popped popcorn.

VEGETABLES: Unlimited, but at least four servings per day (ideally cooked in olive oil).

FAT: 4-5 servings per day, at least three from olive oil. A typical serving is 1 tablespoon oil; 2 tablespoons nuts, sunflower seeds or pine nuts; 1 tablespoon peanut butter; ¼ avocado; 4oz/100g stoned olives.

FRUIT: 3 servings per day. A typical serving is 1 apple; 4 apricots; half a banana; 13 cherries; 17 grapes, 1½ kiwis; 1 nectarine; 1 orange; 1 peach; 2 plums; 3 prunes; 2 tablespoons raisins.

DAIRY: 2 servings per day. A serving is 1 cup/250ml skimmed milk; 1 large egg; 1 oz/25g hard cheese; 4oz/100g cottage cheese; 125ml yoghurt.

MEAT: Optional, but don't have more than 12oz of poultry and seafood (roughly two chicken or fish fillets) per week. You can replace 6oz of poultry or seafood with 6oz of beef, pork or lamb once a month only.

A typical day's food would be:

BREAKFAST (about 400 calories):
2 servings of wholegrain starch.
1-2 servings of fat (eg nuts and nut butters).
1 serving of deep-coloured fruit.
Optional: One or two servings of dairy and any amount of vegetables.

LUNCH (500-600 calories):
2 servings wholegrain starch or beans.
2 servings of vegetables.
1-2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil.
1-2 servings of fruit (preferably deep-coloured).
Optional: Cheese, egg, nuts (substitute for olive oil), some of your meat, poultry, or seafood allowance.

DINNER (500-600 calories):
3-4 servings of wholegrain starch or beans.
2 or more servings of vegetables.
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
1 serving of fruit (preferably deep-coloured).
Optional: Cheese, some of your meat, poultry, or seafood allowance.

SUPER FOODS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE
Dr Flynn's research has identified these foods in particular as having cancer-beating benefits, so they feature strongly in her Specific Foods, which play a prominent part in the diet:

OLIVE OIL Rich in vitamin E: Extra virgin olive oil
A diet rich in olive oil is related to a reduced risk of cancer, specifically breast cancer, according to Italian, Spanish and Greek research - although of course olive oil, like all fat, is calorific so don't overdo it! 

Extra virgin olive oil, which is the least-processed, confers the greatest health benefits. It's rich in disease- fighting antioxidants, contains more vitamin E and has a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat than any other oil.

This is crucial because monounsaturated fat does not oxidise in the body - a process of decay which causes damage to cells, and uncontrolled oxidation increases cancer risk.

Polyunsaturated fat (corn and sunflower oils), on the other hand, does oxidise. Olive oil also contains the compounds oleocanthal, which can decrease inflammation; squalene, a proven tumour-inhibitor; and lignans, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

It makes insulin work more efficiently so you don't have to produce so much - beneficial as higher-than-normal blood levels are related to breast cancer risk. Another big plus of a diet rich in olive oil is that it helps to slow digestion, reducing hunger between meals.

WHOLE GRAINS
Wholegrains contain fibre, which helps you manage your weight and lowers blood oestrogen levels, reducing the risk of breast cancer. 

Life savers: Wholegrain cereal and broccoli

VEGETABLES
Vegetatables are packed with so many cancer-fighting nutrients that you should include as varied a mix as possible in your diet. Maximise their nutritional value by buying as fresh as possible.

You absorb more of the nutrients if you eat them with fat, in the form of nuts or drizzled with olive oil. The best absorption is obtained if they are cooked in olive oil.

Vegetables with deeper colour contain more carotenoids, which numerous studies have shown are linked to lower breast cancer risk.

Broccoli, carrots, peppers, spinach, beetroot, tomatoes and pumpkin are particularly rich in carotenoids. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are rich in folate - a B vitamin that is needed for healthy cells.

A low intake is linked to cancer. Cucumber, okra, spinach, sweet potato, processed tomatoes, green peppers, radishes, courgettes and broccoli all contain salicylic acid, an anti-inflammatory thought to lower breast cancer risk.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is linked in many studies to reduced cancer risk. Our bodies absorb lycopene best when the tomatoes are cooked, concentrated, or processed, as in tinned tomatoes, sauces and paste.

Cruciferous vegetables - cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli - contain nutrients called glucosinolates, which have been shown to activate enzymes that halt the making of carcinogens, andeffectively convert oestrogen into weaker, less dangerous forms.

Get fruity: Most are high in the anti-inflammatory agent, salicylic acid

FRUIT
Fruit is limited to three servings a day because most contain enough carbohydrates to make them high in calories.

Most fruits are high in the anti-inflammatory agent, salicylic acid. The deeper the colour of the fruit, the more abundant the carotenoids - and the better it is for you.

Choose red grapes, berries, apricots, peaches and raisins over pears, bananas and apples. 

Apricots, berries, and citrus fruits are also rich in antioxidants. Adding nuts to the blueberries on your morning cereal and eating a piece of fruit with a meal that contains healthy fat will help your body effectively absorb the nutrients from fruit.

DAIRY/EGGS
Milk, cheese and yoghurt are limited to two servings per day because they can hike calorie intake without contributing worthwhile cancer-busting health benefits.

Milk is unlikely to increase cancer risk, but you might want to substitute with soya milk, which has been linked with anti cancer properties. Choose an unsweetened variety and consume no more than the daily dairy allowance. Avoid soy if you are taking the anti-cancer drug Tamoxifen, though, because it interferes with its absorption.

Eggs may be protective. A 2003 study showed that those who ate eggs as teenagers could be at reduced risk of breast cancer in later life, possibly due to high levels of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Interesting links and articles:
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/vegeta ... st-cancer/  
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1317756/Diet-beat-breast-cancer-Yes-cheese-eggs-red-meat.html