Anti Cancer Diet

After ten years of research, personal experience, and interviews with cancer patients I have concluded that cancer cannot be prevented or cured through diet alone. I have read or “heard tell” of some cures but personally am aware of only two such cases.

Gail had done three rounds chemo—none of which succeeded—for non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They were trying unsuccessfully to harvest her stem cells for a transplant when Gail decided she’d had enough of conventional treatment and sought alternatives. She settled on a Qi Gong, a probiotic diet, and other lifestyle changes. She rallied and has been cancer free for eight years.

Jess Ainscough, The Wellness Warrior, http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/about/ was diagnosed at twenty-two with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare cancer that attacked her arm and shoulder. The only cure offered by her doctors was amputation. Instead she chose the Gerson Therapy which she followed rigorously for two years. Today she is healthy.

You may disagree with the opinions in this blog entry.You may know of more success stories from people who chose alternative healing methods.I am not here to debate or argue or dissuade you from the path you have chosen. My only purpose is to share ideas which worked for us.

There is no doubt in my mind that changes in lifestyle help—both in prevention of cancer and survival. And better all round health makes your survival more enjoyable. As Mickey Mantle said, “If I knew I was going to live this long I’d have taken better care of myself.”

If you are taking care of a cancer patient now isn’t the time to try some radical diet like Paleo or Gluten free whose benefits are debatable. Instead modify your diet gradually in ways that may not “cure” cancer but will be a step in the right direction.

Of course, you will try to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains. Everyone knows that. But here are some more specific, nearly painless changes you can make in your diet to start you on your way to better helath.

1. Switch to whole grain bread and cereals.
2. Buy organic milk.
3. Use real butter—no butter substitutes.
4. Switch to steel cut oatmeal. If, like Jim, you hate oatmeal, at least go with a less processed, low sugar cereal (Cheerios or Rice Krispies).
5. Use olive oil.
6. Cut back on sugar laden foods.
7. Make your own desserts, cookies, snacks and eat them with a meal—not alone.
8. Buy organic when possible especially for the Dirty Dozen. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214
9. Limit restaurant and fast food eating to once a week for each.
10. Avoid processed foods—which unfortunately for the time challenged caregiver are also the convenience foods.

Cancer and the Sugar Monster

Jim has a sweet tooth; in fact, Jim has a mouthful of sweet tooths. Being a rather picky eater myself, I was astonished—no, appalled--when first introduced to some of his eating habits. Cottage cheese with maple syrup? A half inch thick glob of frosting sandwiched between two saltines? Grits with grape jelly?

At Cracker Barrel he orders two (three, when he is self indulgent) of the little bottles of syrup with his pancakes. (Campbell calls him the Syrup monster.) As my great-great grandmother said, “I do believe he would eat a turd if it was dipped in frosting.

Over the course of our marriage with my emphasis on healthy eating (and a lot of nagging) Jim has tempered his sugar hunger and modified his eating habits. But the natural desire is still there. If cancer cells love sugar, his are in a constant state of blissful satiety.

From the beginning of our cancer journey I have heard the maxim, “Cancer Feeds on sugar.” I have been told—not by doctors come to think of it—that cancer patients should avoid sugar. With someone like Jim, it is easier said than done.
My goal is always to fix healthy meals full of the nutrients he needs, but during the chemo process my resolve weakens, and I let him eat as he pleases. When his mouth is full of sores, and his taste buds have been altered by the toxic drugs, when nothing sounds good to him, and he is losing weight, I give up and give in to his demands. His ideal diet would consist of yogurt for breakfast (rather than the fruit and steel cut oatmeal I prepare), a triple chocolate DQ blizzard for lunch (rather than a beet, carrot, lemon and apple cocktail), and a mocha caramel shake from Sonic for dinner (rather than chicken, quinoa, and roast vegetables, lovingly prepared at home.) I’m sure you’re saying, “Who can blame him?” Seriously, several weeks into chemo, I do my best to accommodate his changing tastes—homemade Mac-n-cheese, pastas, and soups, but he still sneaks off for his sweet treats. What’s a girl to do?

First of all she hits the computer for the lowdown on sugar and cancer.

The idea that cancer feeds on sugar has been around since 1924 when Dr. Otto Warburg a Nobel Prize winning cell biologist wrote, "Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar." Many people who referred to his work in later years misquoted Warburg's statement by saying, "Cancer loves sugar." Although parts of Warburg’s theory have been disproved, the misquoted statement has held fast.

The truth: Cancer cells like all cells need sugar to survive, but these sugars come from the metabolism of carbohydrates necessary to sustain the life of the organism. Cancer cells do use sugars (combined with specific proteins) at a higher rate than normal cells but sugar does not cause cancer.

Before you run out to Dunkin Donuts for a bag of cinnamon glazed twists, you need to hear the rest.

While sugar doesn’t cause cancer, it has no nutritional value other than to supply energy. As Mom always said, “If you fill up on snacks you won’t want your dinner.” A diet saturated with sugar leaves no room for the nutrients vital to overall good health. Plus, sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, depression, and a plethora of other maladies.

Even though sugar doesn’t exactly “feed” cancer cells, it is a good idea to limit the amount of simple sugar you eat. This is because when you eat a lot of sugar, your body produces a lot of insulin, which is not good for your health. Recent findings indicate that it may be this abundance of insulin which contributes to the proliferation of cancer cells. (Dr. Rios, obviously aware of this research, has Jim taking Metformin, a common diabetes drug.)

Should you eliminate simple sugars from your diet? You can try. It certainly won’t hurt you. Will eliminating sugar cure your cancer? Unlikely. Must you deprive yourself or your spouse of the foods he loves? No, but keep the sugar monster in check. Moderation. Moderation. Moderation.

Bottom line: Does sugar cause cancer? No. Should Jim continue to consume the equivalent of forty teaspoons a day? Absolutely not.