Helping Yourself during Chemotherapy July 11, 2009

Although many people fear chemotherapy more than they fear cancer, it often seems to be the only option they have. I believe that within the next few years we will have other options within mainstream medicine and that some of these options will be drugs derived from foods and herbs that are already known to have healing and protective properties. At present most Oncology Units around the World are offering the three main treatments of Surgery, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy and extremely poor nutritional advice that encourages high calorie intake such as ice cream, cakes and milk shakes. The Tide is Changing and some Oncologists are now encouraging their patients to work with these treatments with supportive nutrition and supplements. Education is empowering and nothing is more encouraging than knowing that you can do things that will help the therapies work and give you a better quality of life and a better outcome. A very good website, overseen by Oncologists, is www.oncologychannel.com and I was excited to see that Naturopathic treatments and advice are included with information on drugs and side effects and also advice on which natural substances decrease toxicity and which enhance effectiveness. I will list some of the main self help measures that have been proven to be effective..

Preparing for Chemotherapy

• Reduce your anxiety about your treatment by asking your doctor questions about what side effects you are likely to experience and how best to deal with them.
• Try to relax and focus on yourself and healing. Find someone or some method that suits you and will help you through it. Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Meditation, Massage, swimming, Music….. the list is endless but it is important that it suits you.
• Get plenty of sleep. There are many supplements that can help relieve insomnia. Herbal ones like Passionflower, Valerian and Kava. Homeopathic treatments like “Calms” and nutritional supplements like Magnesium, Flax seed Oil and 5-HTP that is the precursor to Serotonin. Melatonin(1 -5 mgs) taken early evening is also an extremely strong antioxidant that can help lessen the toxicity of chemotherapy and also help normal sleep patterns especially in older people who produce less. Melatonin is not available over the counter in some countries.
• Take care of your immune system and your gastrointestinal health. Treat any candida or parasite infection with herbal remedies. One of the best ways to enhance your system is to take a good probiotic and also a green food like Chlorella or Spirulina and this will help you body to produce vitamins B and K in the intestines as well as provide many minerals. Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) helps protect the liver from toxins and therefore improve nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue. Glutamine is an amino acid that will help stop inflammation of the mouth and stomach and also significantly reduce nausea associated with chemotherapy. Powdered Glutamine can be added to water and drunk three times a day. A good antioxidant that includes Vitamins A, C and E plus Selenium. CoQ10 as an antioxidant and heart protector. As well as Milk Thistle, herbs like Astragalus, Cat’s Claw and Echinacea can help the body deal with the chemotherapy and recover quicker between treatments.
• Eat Well. Try to eat a really nutritious diet with plenty of wholefoods, low fat proteins(fish, chicken and beans), fruits and vegetables. Drink a Nutri -Shake (see in previous blog) with added ground flax seeds as these have many beneficial properties for before, during and after chemotherapy.
• Drink plenty of fresh, pure water.
• Exercise within your capabilities ever day to increase energy and vitality by improving the oxygenation and detoxing of you body.
• Take 1000mgs- 3000mgs of L-Carnitine a day. This is sold in many supermarkets as a sports supplement and it can significantly reduce the fatigue that often accompanies chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is currently undergoing clinical trials in several countries and it is also possible that it may protect the heart from the side effects of certain drugs like Doxorubicin.
• Drink Green Tea and Aloe Vera. Avoid alcohol during treatment.

During Treatment

Continue with all the recommendations above and if you still experience nausea try:

• Snacking on healthy foods in small quantities 5 or 6 times a day  and some of these snacks can be in the form of the protein powder smoothies.
• Don’t drink liquids with meals and don’t lie down immediately after eating. If you can, a short walk after a meal would help digestion.
• Ginger and Peppermint can both help settle the stomach. Cut up a little root ginger and steep it in hot water, then add a slice of lemon and drink it warm or chill it and sip it cold. Carrot and ginger juice is very soothing and full of vitamins. Avoid sugar and pure fruit juices because these can encourage overgrowth of yeasts in the stomach and intestines.
• If you have sickness and diarrhea make sure that you add some sea salt to your vegetable broths or make a soup with Miso which is naturally salty.

For more info on helpful alternative and complimentary cancer therapies visit Cancer Resolution Blog

Nutrition and Cancer – Let’s start now! June 14, 2009

The aim is to alter our chances of survival and have a better quality of life. The aim is to die of old age!

The World Cancer Research Fund now says we can slash cancer rates by at least one third by promoting healthy foods and exercise.(http://www.wcrf.uk.org )

With the addition of supplements and lifestyle changes we could push this to nearer 90% reduction.

The Tide of Change is growing. Many hospitals around the world are now researching and using ‘Alternative’ and ‘Complementary’ therapies and they are now embracing the work of the nutritional pioneers like the Gerson Institute and Dr. Gonzales in New York. The World is uniting in a quest to find the answers and all the exciting developments are coming from areas outside chemotherapy. The New Millennium is supposed to be a more gentle, understanding age.

There is so much information available now on the Internet, in books and the media that it can be daunting and confusing – especially for anyone who has just been diagnosed with cancer and who wants all the answers now.

To make it as easy as possible I will give you the evidence based guidelines for an anti-cancer diet without long explanations as to why each food is beneficial. If you need to know more about the science behind it then there are some great websites in my Links column. I will then give you some easy ways to incorporate the changes into your daily regime.

They say it is easier to get someone to change their religion than it is to change their diet. Preventing and treating cancer should be a strong enough incentive to start right now.

Foods and drinks to avoid.              

• Sugar, salt and most dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream and any foods that contain them) The only exceptions being organic, low fat cottage cheese or yogurt when mixed with flax seeds and flaxseed oil  as an anti-cancer treatment for which a recipe will be included later.
• Red meat avoid as much as possible and if you eat it only have a small portion(about 3oz or 80g)
• Fried food , minimise your intake  and heat cooking oil gently. Boil, steam, poach or bake food instead.
• Bad Fats, Trans fats, hydrogenated fats and margarines that are solid at room temperature.
• Avoid all processed meats, sausages, frankfurters, bacon and smoked meats and fish.
• Avoid all burnt meat and food.
• Cut out white flour products, pastry, cakes, biscuits.
• Avoid Yeast and yeast products like marmite.
• Limit your alcohol to no more than one or two units a day or less. Avoid spirits, red wine is preferable.
• Avoid all soft drinks that are high in sugar. Dilute fresh fruit drinks with water.
• Limit Coffee or avoid completely. If you are a coffee addict – cut down slowly to avoid severe headaches.

Foods and Drinks to Increase                        

• Free range chicken and game avoiding farmed meats if possible
• Oily Fish like herring, mackerel, sardines and salmon avoiding farmed if possible.
• Fresh Fruits and vegetables every day try to eat several portions, some cooked and some raw. Have as many different and colourful ones as you can and  organic if possible. If little is available then opt for frozen substitutes.
• Cruciferous Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale – every day.
• Garlic have some everyday.
• Spices Turmeric, cumin, chili, curry powder, cinnamon and saffron.
  
• Olive Oil for salads and cooking.
• Flax seed oil, walnut oil, olive oil for salads and cold use only. Cold Pressed is best.
• Avocados and homemade guacamole
• Almond milk, rice milk, goats or soya milk can be substituted for cows milk.
• Eat wholefoods such as oats, wholegrain rice and wholegrain pasta, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds. Wholegrain organic bread in small quantities.
• Shiitake Mushrooms and dried seaweeds like Kombu and ginger can be added to cooked dishes.
• Fresh Herbs mint, coriander, thyme, sage and lemon grass
• Drink green tea and herb teas rich in antioxidants.
• Drink pure water, filtered tap water or spring water from glass bottles.

This diet will increase your vital energy and you will soon feel much better in body and mind.

Dr. Gonzales suggests that if you have a solid epithelial tumour, such as tumours of the lungs, pancreas, colon, prostate, uterus etc. you would do better on a largely plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and seeds and with minimal to no animal protein.

If you have a blood or immune based malignancy such as leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma you would do better with more animal protein and good fats.

If you have breast cancer and eat almost a vegetarian diet you need to supplement with Vitamin B12 which can be taken with a B complex vitamin and as a sub-lingual powder.

More on supplements in the next post.