On 5/8/2008
Tumor wrote:
I read a lot about specific diets for Cancer and the avoidance of sugar, which leads me to post this message.
I have been advised by a licensed Naturopath Doctor to be careful of the fruits in my diet. Bananas are loaded with sugar as well as all apples, the Granny Smith are the lowest in sugar content and I am able to include 3 of these per day in my juicing. Oranges are lowest in sugar content when peeled and eaten, not sliced. Don't understand that except however it may be the preparation method and the activation of the juices. Carrots in moderation and not cooked are good for you, but only 3 per day. They have a high sugar content, again it depends on the preparation.
I found a great tasting Protein Bar called "Oh Yeah", I am wondering if these are harmful because of the protein. If anyone knows anything about this please let me know. The wafers are excellent tasting, but then I don't eat much sugar so they are good to me. You can tell they have very little fat content.
Hallelujah Acres diet is good but allows lots of fruit, and in reading their testimonies have found that many come out of remission after awhile. That scared me, but you don't have to eat all that fruit either.
I hope this helps someone...
Bev
Hi Bev,
I looked at the label of the Oh Yeah bars. The protein is almost all soy and milk derivatives. Possibly no problem with the soy as regards cancer - the flavenoids in it may actually help, but lots of research that I've seen describes animal proteins as not being the cancer victims friend. (Some say that digestion of animal proteins takes up too many of the other goodies - most specifically enzymes- needed to fight cancer; some even go so far as to implicate animal proteins as actually contributing to the formation of cancer.) Plus some of the proponents of natural treatment for cancer recommend going easy on peanuts and cashews, as they are subject to molds that might not be completely removed in the harvesting process.
I do not use protein boosting products myself as I get plenty through my diet, but I know that a lot of people recommend CLIF BARS - wide variety of flavors and ingredients, really great sources of vegetable protein, plus they are concerned with using organic ingredients and working at becoming a more green company. Take a look at the Luna bars - specifically created for women who want all the nutrient goodies without all the calories:
http://www.clifbar.com/
If you're wondering about good plant sources of protein, check out these foods:
Protein in nuts and seeds : Almonds, Cashews, Filberts, Hemp Seeds,
Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts (black). (A handful of roasted pumpkin seeds (less than 1/4 c, contains 14gm protein, plus all the omega 3's, 6's, and 9's an adult needs for the entire day. They are delicious and inexpensive, and green pumpkin seeds are not hard to roast - just be careful cause they burn easily. Roasted Squash seeds are sposed to be pretty good, too, altho I haven't tried them.)
Protein in fruits : Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit,
Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry,
Tangerine, Watermelon.
Vegetable protein : Vegetable protein is made of the lesser quality
of protein, (I disagree - it ISN'T LESSER, just different. Actually much more digestable. And you need to look at the amount of protein you get comparing foods by calories consumed, not by weight.) but for vegetarians vegetable protein is an important
part of a nutritiously balanced diet.
Vegetable protein : Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper,
Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach,
Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini.
Here are some examples of vegetarian foods with high sources
of plant protein:
PROTEIN IN LEGUMES: Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans,
Lentils, Lima beans, Navy beans, Soybeans, Split peas. (Regular peas should be on this list, and just about any kind of dried beans, although the ones listed are the highest in protein.)
PROTEIN IN GRAINS: Barley,
Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Oatmeal, Rye, Wheat germ, Wheat,
hard red, Wild rice. (Buckwheat is one of the best sources of grain protein in the world, and it can be a delicious addition to many breads and foods. Just be careful, too much buckwheat has been known to make people a little dizzy. Brown rice milk is an excellent alternative to dairy - private message me if you want the recipe to make it yourself. I don't know why the list doesn't contain more of the ancient grains: take a look at spelt, quinoa, amaranth, kamut. Basmati rice is absolutely delicious and very easy to cook - get the brown basmati if you can find it.)
Tomatoes aren't on the list because they are not a source of protein, but the licopene they contain is a powerful weapon in the arsenal against cancer.
I would never indiscriminately tell you "do this or do that, eat this or eat that," cause everybody's body chemistry is different, and what's right for me may not be right for you. I can, however tell you what I find helpful to me: I became vegetarian specifically because I wanted to free up my body's enzymes to fight cancer rather than digest animal products. I have designed a very powerful regimen of herbs, supplements and natural foods. I don't worry at all about the sugar in fruit - I just make sure that whatever fruit I eat is a good choice in terms of antioxidants and other cancer fighting properties. (e.g. I love pomegranates - they are extremely nutritious, but due to very high phytoestrogen content, not a good choice for fighting breast cancer, so I don't eat them. Strawberries are very high in vitamin c and other important cancer fighting nutrients, so I try to eat quite a few, and I use just a little organic fructose to sweeten them. Apples are powerful cancer fighters, so I don't worry about how much sugar they have - I buy Gala or Cameos cause I like them the best. I also eat the seeds - a little bitter but the vitamin b-17 in them kills cancer cells, and is not contraindicated in such small amounts. Dark cherries are extremely high on the list of cancer fighters, as are papaya and pineapple because of the enzymes they provide, but they are expensive, so I use extracts in tablet or gelcap or wafer form, reserving the actual fruits as special treats. Again, if I buy a pineapple, I don't worry about the sugar, cause I feel I am getting much more benefit from the nutrients than I am risk from the sugar.) Bananas aren't real high on my personal list of cancer fighters, but they are one of the highest natural sources of the potassium I need, so I eat them occaisionally, without worrying about the sugar. ( I figure all the other goodies I am eating and taking can more than balance out the higher sugar of a banana now and then.)
I still use dairy and eggs, but as little as possible, and not as my primary source of protein. The milk products we buy are from an organic farm and hormone-free, and we get our eggs from a local Amish farm that also uses no pesticides and range-feeds their chickens.
I have been on my regimen for 3 months now, and whereas surgical biopsy of one of multiple lung nodules in Feb definitely was positive for non-operable metastatic breast cancer, my PET scan now is very stable and the docs are saying that they cannot say that anything in the PET represents cancer. All this with NO prescription treatment, just the herbs and supplements I am taking and the diet I am eating.
Plus, I'm eating as much as I want of whatever I want (reasonable portions - no gorging myself) and I am slowly but steadily losing weight. (Down from 260lbs to 236 lbs in less than 5 months.)
By the way, If you're going to eat carrots, eat celery, too. (Unless you have a problem with the high sodium content.) Together they are powerful cancer fighters, and the low sugar content of the celery offsets the high sugar content of the carrots.
I have an excellent vegan crockpot chili recipe if you are interested - loaded with protein, anti-oxidants, and cancer fighters, delicious, easy to prepare, and freezes wonderfully for when you don't have the time or energy to cook! A piece of hommade organic corn bread is the perfect complement, and a small serving of fruit a wonderful desert. Send me a message if you want the recipe for the chili and/or the cornbread - I am quite happy to share!
I hope my comments on protein and snack bars were helpful. Take care,
Tre