First post here.

DDD

Well-Known Member
I don't know what I need to know, lol. As some of you may know I have cancer and will not be going thru chemo or radiation. The Oncologist's programs indicate that I have over a fifty percent chance of living five more years. That's statistical but as we all know disease does it's own thing.

Anyway I found a book at the library about what to eat to give yourself the best shot. It's a bit beyond me as I know nothing about supplements etc. What I do understand is whole grain cereal/fresh fruit for breakfast. Check. Plenty of fresh salads and vegetables (preferably deep colored). Check. Limited amount of meat from natural grass fed animals (mail order items?). Lots of fish but "good" fish. No tuna, sword etc. etc. and wild salmon not the cheaper salmon. No canned tuna. Three natural eggs a week. Whole grain breads with seeds. New rices..no idea why, lol.

I don't eat sweets usually, I use 1% milk, I am drinking green tea with ginseng. Yes, I am still have a Cutty each night or a glass of red wine. That's a book no no but wth I'm old and deserve it. LOL

Back to the point, sigh, I want to alter my diet first before adding supplements. Any other highlights that you guys can offer to guide me but not overwhelm me? I'm not doing tofu, miso etc. Just well chosen "normal" foods. DDD
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Limit your fat intake - and what fat you do have (you need some, for the fat-soluable vitamins!) should be mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated... olive oil, almonds, etc.

If you can, avoid all red meats - or limited quantities of high-end organic and/or wild, for a treat.
Chicken is better - avoid the skin.
Learn to use beans and lentils as a primary protein source.

And... really load up on the high-food-value fruits and veggies. Try to get max food value out of every calorie.
For example... peas and corn are more "starchy" than "veggie"... broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, greens, etc. have more food value.

Make your starches full of fiber... skip white bread and white rice. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole grain bread, old-fashioned oatmeal, etc.

All of this is is stuff that "everybody" should be doing...
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
In the book it stresses salt water seafood which we love but is pricey. It stresses 3 oz servings (lol, I could eat a pound) of meat noting boneless, skinless, hormone free chicken breasts and grass fed beef small portions. There is no mention of pork or lamb. We really like pork and it is affordable. Are there no healthy pigs? :) Evidently Buffalo is easily available and grass fed and low fat. I think they "roam" at Ted Turner's place but never thought about eating one. Sigh.

Actually we have been eating healthily for a long time. Our vegetable selections are nutrient laden etc. Guess I'll have to keep researching. Thanks for the input. DDD
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Buffalo is as good or better than organic beef. Definitely lean, may need to play with cooking it a bit, but great flavour.

Pork? challenge is... pork is always "marbled", so... more fat in general, and specifically saturated fat.
Turkey is going to be similar to chicken.
You're probably good with ostrich, if you can get it (it's available where we used to live)

That 3 oz portion size? really does matter - you don't need as much protein as you think you need...

Oh, and REALLY watch out for sugar - not the natural stuff in fruit, but "sugar" - white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, etc. Suppresses the immune system, they tell us.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Regardless of the type of meat - is IS the amount.

My family (Mom, Dad and I) have always been small-portion-size people. So dropping my portion size because Bean is squashing my stomach wasn't too difficult. You would be SHOCKED how far 3 oz. of meat can go. Most people in the USA get the bigger portions because it's a wealth thing - we can afford it, so we should (or a value thing, same-o). And then we eat them. Cut it small and savor - and have some rice with that - preferably wild/brown. And spinach or broccoli. A little of all of this will fill you - if you take your time.

As for the Cutty - they probably don't want you to have it, but your amounts - enjoy. (Non-medical, happy-type opinion...)
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
My MD's are scotch drinkers who (with a little smile) say "an ounce or two at the end of the day should reduce your stress and your stress has been your main enemy for decades". :bigsmile::bigsmile: Seriously, lol, do they know what it is to spend almost fifty years raising difficult child's on a controlled budget with next to no help????????? NOT!

I'm not sure about the protein issue. I was told by two medical professionals following my surgery "make sure you eat alot of protein". I could eat Elsie the cow if she was cooked medium rare. I LOVE protein. Now, unfortunately, I have no way of knowing why eating protein was suggested. To heal the wound? I have no idea. So far I haven't found anything specific at the library that tells me either...sigh.

Thanks for the responses. I'm "kinda" confused about my nutritional needs and, obviously, a little confused about my changing health status. DDD
 

buddy

New Member
I can't advise much on nutrition but I found an odd source for bison. Individually packed portions and so easy to prepare. Go to HSN and look up Tony little's bison. Q loved the Bacon hotdogs burgers and steaks. I was surprised it was good and they do sample specials and deals. Lower fat can always mean dryer so make sure to not overcook. I think there was only one thing I didnt like ...maybe a sausage or something spiced like that. Worth a try. I tried it looking for healthy alternatives.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Don't mean to sound like a difficult child, lol, but EEEEEEWWWWWWE! by the way, sour cream is on the no no list. That I enjoy.
Sigh. DDD
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I'll try it. I have read that it is great and healthier and more expensive, lol. I'm not sure what the texture is like and I do have "a thing" about textures. Guess the investment is worth it. DDD
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
For ANY yogurt... if you line a strainer with a coffee filter, put it over a bowl, dump in the (plain) yogurt, and put the works in the fridge overnight or so... it really thickens up and is more like the texture of sour-cream. (without the fat)
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I assume frozen yogurt doesn't have the same curative powers?? I have no idea why sour cream is a no no. We use the fat free type but guess it doesn't matter as I've deep sixed white potatoes anyway. Teaching old dogs new tricks is more than a challenge, lol. DDD
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
DDD, the reason for protein is your red blood cells. You need those for healing, too. ALSO, protein is fuel. It's like... Well, a Snickers bar - the sugar (carbs) & chocolate rev you up quickly, the peanuts (protein) keeps the energy going.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Oh, and white potatoes aren't TOO horrible, it's mostly what people do with them that is the issue. One of my favorite things is a smallish Idaho, baked, with a small amount of real butter, a dash of salt and pepper, and I eat the whole thing. The skin is actually my favorite part.

Most people (I have no idea how you do it) take a HUGE potato, bake it, then scoop on butter and sour cream and bacon and cheese. That's not a side dish, it's a meal for two.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I can eat sweet potatoes in lieu of white. I'm trying to learn the rules and then follow those that are not a real hardship for me. LOL DDD
 

Ktllc

New Member
I don't want to relay what I "think" I remember, but if you can watch the documentary "the beautiful truth". It's about how proper nutrition has the power to heal. I am not a scientist and, for me, it boils down to the following question : do I believe in it? Yes, I do.
We have a friend who was diagnosis with lukemia about 5 years ago. She was young (under 40) and did go through chemo and other standard treatment. Her and husband kept very private about it, but at first they thought she had just a few days to live. Then regular treatment and after maybe 18month of battle, she came home. I do not know if she stopped going to the hospital, but I do know that with the help of her sister she started educating herself about nutrition, went to conference all over the country, etc... She is now a nutritionist and recently went back to work with her new skills at a gym center.
Is she in remission or not? I don't know. Is she living with cancer? I don't know.
All I know is her food choices are VERY strict: only organic, no processed food and more.
I really think she follows the diet describe in this documentary. I'll try to look for the name of the diet itself.
 
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