On 8/21/2007
leenielew wrote:
On 4/9/2007
Sewwonderfulwoman wrote:
So have you read
Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman? Check out his website, too. www.drfuhrman.com Lots of helpful advice, not only for cancer patients but diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc. He backs up what he says with scientific data. He's helped lots of folks. I am following his diet, losing weight and feeling healthy. As a breast cancer survivor with lymphedema this is just what I need. Statistics show I'll live longer if I am at optimum weight (also good for the LE) and eat a low-fat diet. That's very motivating and I'm planning on being amongst those statistics!
What type of foods does Dr Fuhrman recommend or what is a no no food?
I will be starting RT, soon; would like to know what is the best food to eat and what not to.
Thanks,
Leenie
Hi Leenie,
Wow, I'll try to condense that info for you but do try to look at the book too and check out the website drfuhrman.com and get info there.
Furhman's book has a "Life Plan Food Pyramid" in it (p. 187) that has vegetables (1/2 raw, 1/2 cooked) making up 30-70% of your calories as the base. Next level is divided between fruits (20-50% of calories) and beans/legumes (10-30% of calories). The level above that is whole grains, raw nuts (not roasted, salted), and seeds (5-20% of calories). The level above that is marked fish and fat-free dairy and you would only have that twice weekly or less. The level above that is poulty, eggs, oils and you would only have those once weekly or less. The top level consists of beef, sweets, cheese/milk, processed food, hydrogenated oil and you would rarely have any of these.
Eating from the bottom of the pyramid will keep you very healthy. I found if I did that then I didn't worry about counting calories as long as I ate a variety of fruits & veggies and had legumes, a handful of nuts, and either tofu or edamame every day. Emphasize veggies, esp. green ones. Cruciferous veggies are especially recommended for cancer patients--those are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. Black raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are all high on the list for cancer patients. Fuhrman recommends organic for the fruits especially. Cook food without oil (you can "saute" with water), use a salt substitute, eat salads at least 2X/day (there are recipes in Fuhrman's book for dressings and also a list of commercial dressings w/less than 20 calories per 2 tablespoon portion. Have a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day to give yourself omega-3 fats (I've also read of a study that showed it helps stop/slow tumor growth)--you can mix it in a smoothie, sprinkle over oatmeal.
I would add that you have to be careful about starchy foods---limit high starch whole grains and veggies to not more than one cup/day at first and make most of your starch consumption from veggies such as butternut or acorn squash, corn, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, cooked carrots, sweet & white potatoes. If you want a whole grain bread, use a thin whole wheat pita because you can then stuff it with healthy fillings. When you eat whole grains use brown or wild rice, quinoa, etc. You want to avoid white rice & bread. Eventually you will figure out how much of the healthy starchy foods are right for your metabolic needs & activity level. If all this sounds overwhelming to do at once try changing your habits a little at a time. That's the way I did it--first eliminating breads and processed foods and added salads at lunch and dinner, then progressed from there.
With radiation therapy you want to eat healthy but you don't necessarily want to lose a lot of weight during the process if you're having external radiation. Major changes to your body contours would necessitate changes in the angles the radiation is aimed. Make sense? I would also, from experience, recommend getting a little exercise most days---a walk, stationary bike, whatever. I rode my stationary bike and I'm convinced it helped me avoid the profound fatigue so many other women reported with radiation.
Hope this helps and I wish you all the best for your treatment and recovery.