Have you made any changes to your diet... - My Cancer Community
Have you made any changes to your diet or lifestyle since your cancer diagnosis?
Yes I am now mindful.........the Living Well programme taught me so much, in such a short period of time. I realised I didn't have balance in my life before, so conciously pay attention to all areas, and try very hard to keep everything in check! It's not easy but using the meditation tapes, and listening to my body I am gently winning.
Yes, I've not gone back to anti perspiration spray (with aluminium in) after changing to Pit Rock while on rads. This was an easy thing to do and Very cost effective - one roll on has lasted more than 2 years and only half gone. I don't think aluminium is a cause of cancer but I can avoid it, so why not. Then I stopped spraying anything to avoid inhaling chemicals as much as possible. Just prior to diag I was caring for sick cat and daily spraying masses of industrial type of cleaner to clean house after her. The stuff was bright pink with a lovely smell !! Then there's all the shelves of How to beat cancer and live healthily books - putting all that into practice and stop going back to bad old ways is where I need lots of help and motivation right now - especially with all these cold, damp and so grey days. Any ideas please ? A buddy system at Penny Brohn ? Best wishes to everyone and hope this forum takes off.
Have you done the living well course at PB? If not that will give you a great starting boost....
Changes to my lifestyle? Well, I think the most fundamental change was purchase a vertical macerating Juicer and start drinking a pint of mixed organic juice each day. I had steadily become more and more exhausted for a period of a year or so prior to diagnoses of locally advanced Prostate Cancer in July 2011. Within a couple of weeks of starting on the organic juice, the energy just pulsed back into my body. I picked up the book 'The PH Miracle' by Dr R Young. He certainly recommended a complete revision of eating habits. I recon I went about 70% along his path. For the time I was struggling, I did my best to give, animal, sugar and processed food a miss. I was warned to keep my energy levels up as i was doing a lot of healing. Once into the Penny Brohn environment, advice on food was much easier.
On a negative side, I have found that the amount of exercise I can do had radically decreased and my body weight increased. I am now on Hormone Treatment and have a Lymph situation that I am managing but it is ard Guv! I have always walked about 9km a day to work but can only manage about 3 now but have hopes for the future. Hope that helps.
I am on hormones too and can feel my joints drying out..... What juicer did you buy please and where from ?
I too am trying to eat more alkaline and follow PB and rainbow diet but I find I stay around the 6 ph level which is still too acidic for those with cancer
energiseyourlife.com/produc...
This is the Juicer I bought. It is not cheap @ £299 but there again, that is a about a weeks holiday to the Med, except you come home and you still have your little tissue issue! It is so easy to use and clean, even a fellah can cope with it but more importantly, do it every day!
The one I received had two juice filter screens with it so I can either filter out all the fibre or leave some in. I find fruit juice is better with fibre but vegetable are better clean.
The only problem I had was leaving a plum stone in, the machine spat bits of stone and filter across the kitchen but replacements were not expensive and arrived a couple of days later.
A superb bit of Cancer fighting kit and it give you something that you can do yourself.
Hi mountainman. I was interested to hear about your juicer. I wonder if this is the same one and whether it would have all the same bits and pieces.
juiceland.co.uk/item--Hurom...
It is £30 cheaper but not sure it has the same book as the one you got. I borrowed a juicer a while ago but got really fed up with all the chopping etc. This is expensive if I'm going to get fed up with it but worth the money if it's a quality product.
So many decision in life!
Rosabella, it certainly looks like the same bit of kit and even comes with the added filter. All I can say is that after a year now, even I as a fellah have not tired of using it. At a push, I can make about 400ml and wash everything up in under 1/4 hour, 10 minutes if Im lucky. At that rate, it is not a chore doing it daily and I know just how much good it is doing me.
Getting the organic veg can be interesting although the main Super markets are stocking quite a lot now. My local Farmer's market is also good.
Decision???? go for it m'dear.
Thanks Mountainman. Great name by the way - how often are you up mountains? I love the thought, though a few minutes walk around my village is all I can cope with at the moment. Do seem to have more spring in my step with the warmer weather so live in hope.
Think I will go for the juice - will blame you if I don't get on with it!
Rosabella
Good luck with the juicer. As for the mountains, I am a walker. I walk the green dotted lines through life, the muddier and the hillier the better. However, my current physical situation is one of building back up towards getting back to my beloved mountains. I have been taking groups up to Snowdonia since 1993 and last year was the first year I had to actually cancel out - the old bod was a wee bit busy in other areas. Interestingly enough though, I do use my mountain sticks regularly as a whole body work out that really gets the pumps and filters working but more importantly, the Lymphatic System all fired up n working.
Lily57, I am interested in your joint problems. I have been on Hormone treatment for almost 18months now and have quite some Osteoarthritis of RH big toe joint and inflamed finger joints which all seemed to start after the treatment.
I am taking Glucosamine and eating as much Mackerel as possible and it all seems to be just another part of the journey. What do you mean by joints drying out?
Hi MM - well I am no medical expert but my understanding is that hormones keep our joints oiled and as we age so does our hormone output, blocking hormones in our bodies effectively ages our joints far faster than normal having the effect of us lacking moisture and hydrated collagen and cartilage thus causing inflammation. I take fish oils for omega 3, (Krill oil format) and a good multi vitamin and was recommended to take Chondrosan....and you need to drink a good 2 litres of water a day, I am still investigating what will help joint problems but mine are not every day thank fully but then I can wake up one day hurting in every joint even my fingers.....
Yes and mostly thanks to the tools Penny Brohn has gifted me. Having learnt on the Living Well course just how much exercise can increase my chances of beating breast cancer, I rejoined the gym and am doing regular pilates and yoga classes. I had virtually stopped exercising because of the fatigue that had taken over me months before my cancer diagnosis. I realise now that exercise actually helps to ease my fatigue and I feel so much better mentally and emotionally too. I bought a juicer and have adjusted my eating habits in order to feed my body what it needs and not what it thinks it wants. I am working on losing my unhealthy apple shape. Being taught how to practice mindfulness has really helped me to calm my mind when I get stressed.
Which juicer did you buy please and does it give you some of the fibre and mush or only give watery juice?
I too find exercise helps but my joints are increasingly painful from Femara - any ideas on supplements for that ?
Hi Lily57
I bought a reasonably priced but much recommended juicer: Phillips HR1861 whole fruit juicer. It's on Amazon for £65.09 at the moment with no p&p to pay. It comes with a great little recipe book, which tells you which fruit and veg are beneficial for cancer, tiredness, skin etc. It produces raw juice and has a big pulp container. It takes a bit of time to wash and I guess more expensive juicers are not so time consuming, but it doesn't bother me and only takes 10 minutes anyway. Are you getting plenty of foods containing anti inflammatory properties? I can't recommend the Penny Brohn Nourish cancer care cookbook enough as it lists all the amazing health benefits foods provide. I attended a nutrition workshop at the Bristol Approach course recently and tasted a simple pate made from a tin of sardines with its oil, grated carrot and lemon - it was gorgeous and a great source of omega 3. I bought a mini Kenwood for £18 from Amazon when I got home and now make it regularly for lunch, with a dose of turmeric added.
xx
If you call the PB Helpline on 0845 123 23 10 you can get an information sheet on Juicing - it can either be posted or emailed to you. The information sheets gives suggestions about which juicers are the best - and the Helpline staff can give you details of some other suppliers not listed on there.
yes completely i now think about what i need to feel well as i used to eat alot of my food just because it was there so i now feel healthier my cancer made me put on a lot of weight which i have to lose but it will take me a long time
Having had cancer for the first time 19 years ago I had already added good things to my life. I ate a healthy diet, used alternative therapies and did meditation, moderate exercise etc . But last years diagnosis prompted me to make sure I do these things more regularly. More a case of fine tuning rather than major change.
However it was much easier to do when off sick. Now I am back in my stressful job it can be a bit of a struggle to keep going with the good things. But I am more relaxed about it if I don't always manage it. I figure as long as overall I manage to look after myself and mostly do it I will be fine.
The day I was called back for a second mammogram bec. of suspicious area on my right breast I started changing my 'bad' habits: stopped drinking tea (strong breakfast tea that I liked and drank through the day and evening without constraint), stopped eating crisps and cake (I suffer from a 'cake' tooth terribly), stopped drinking my weekly glass of red wine and my weekly pint of Guinness, and increased my fruit and vegetable intake. I also started drinking the juice of one lemon in a glass of tepid water first thing in the morning, which gave me a few cramps at the beg. but soon got used to it and I absolutely love it! tons of energy and a good wake up call to the body and mind. You must not eat for at least half an hour after drinking it. I bought some good supplements and started taking Vitamin C everyday (which we normally have when down and out or poorly).
Rooibos tea is what I had when pregnant and breastfeeding so went back to it with a vengeance: it always makes me feel great though sleepy during the first week.
Now I have had my surgery and am on a strict immune system one-month diet, I have a week left to go and cannot wait! I have even got used to green tea, which I disliked before.
I also started a Yoga class I really like (didn't quite enjoy Yoga before) and go for a long energising walk everyday (unless it's pouring like today!)
I'll be on the Living Well program in March and look forward to it, it seems to be just what I need to support my choice of not having Radio.
I have two days left to decide whether I'll go through the treatment or not: extremely difficult choice!
Since being diagnosed with bowel cancer last year - had most of my colon removed,now left with about 12 inches. I was fortunate and did not need chemo or any further treatment and have managed a fairly normal lifestyle since.
But - there is always a but!.....I have to be careful about the amount of fibre my body can absorb....I grow my vegetables and still insist on eating them,sometimes giving myself problems.
It has been suggested I research the use of green clay for healing! anyone know about this?
I have tried juicing but not sure about how much to take, which has resulted in me not juicing now. Perhaps I should continue. Any advice in this area would be welcome.
I am due my first scan /examination, since the operation, next month to see whats going on. I am apprehensive...the fear never really leaves me, but I mediate, practice tai ch i everyday I have good support and try to remain positive. At the grand age of 76.... Life is still good....
