Category Archives: Diet

Breast cancer and diet, cleanse edition

Leave a reply

At this point we all know that maintaining a healthy diet, exercising on a regular basis, and avoiding known pollutants and carcinogens in our environment are all key to optimal health. To that end, we all make related decisions in our lives based on what we believe.

There are no guarantees that if we live well, we won’t get cancer or another disease. But, there is enough evidence showing that how we live and what we eat can impact our health. Why not give yourself the best fighting chance you can to stay healthy?
-Dina Coleman (Top Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips for Preventing Breast Cancer)

I feel like I should take advantage of the little control I do have over my health. I maintain a whole foods, plant based lifestyle .. I would say I eat healthier than the average Jane. I’ve never been one for fad diets, with the exception of South Beach, which was the beginning of my long-term lifestyle transformation many years ago. I have done 30-day green smoothie and other similar challenges. My most recent endeavor was a 21-day cleanse. I went through that program back in November and am preparing to do it again now. Join me!

The Fresh Start 21 Cleanse from the girls at Simple Green Smoothies is a really great program! It can be purchased and completed at any time, but there are four “group” events throughout the year. The next group cleanse starts on Monday, February 2. The SGS crew partnered with a holistic nutritionist to create awesome and tasty dishes, a full 21-day meal plan, shopping lists, and a handy dandy cleanse guide. There is also a Facebook group for cleansers to support each other, offer tips, ask questions, commiserate. Having completed this once before I will say that this program is really worth the $59 (on sale). That’s a pair of shoes or jeans or a couple of dinners out. The food is wholesome, healthy, nutritious, and really tasty. I’m excited to it is all again. If you’re interested in exploring the whole foods menu or just looking for some fresh recipes, get more info here.

FoobieFitness.com

Leave a reply

You’ve seen me mention the amazing Casey Eischen and her post-mastectomy exercise program, I’m sure. I’ve done it more than a couple of times. Foobie Fitness, which started with Casey’s YouTube channel and a community page on Facebook, recently became an official non-profit! Today Casey and her team launched FoobieFitness.com aiming to help not only women navigating breast cancer-related journeys, but anyone interested in disease prevention, nutrition, yoga, and the overall cancer-free lifestyle. Who isn’t interested in saying NOPE to cancer?!? Make sure to visit this awesome resource!

FoobieFitness.com

 

My feedback featured as a Success Story on FoobieFitness.com:

 “The Coach Casey post-mastectomy exercise program is was what really helped me make a speedy and successful recovery after my prophylactic mastectomy and tissue expander reconstruction over a year ago. I knew that my range of motion and mobility were going to be severely impacted by the traumatic procedure, so I began searching for the right program that I could begin right away and would help me in my recovery. I found just that in Casey’s videos.

I started doing wrist bends while still in my hospital bed and I slowly progressed through additional exercises in the following days. Each time I played that YouTube video I was doing better than the day before and I attribute that to this program!  I talk about and recommend it whenever the opportunity presents itself. I still do it as of the day I write this, having had additional reconstructive surgery just four weeks ago! Casey has always been positive, encouraging, and willing to offer additional advice and tips. She even created a clean and simple nutrition plan to supplement the exercise regimen. Thank you Coach Casey for helping me and countless other women get through this!” – Nope2BC.com

On a side note: I had my second fill today bringing the expander to 400ccs. I have also moved my exchange surgery out a few weeks to September 11. The story continues.

Breast cancer and diet, green smoothie edition

4 Replies

If you’ve ever watched Forks Over Knives, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Food Matters, or read any of the multitude of books out there, like Anticancer, that support a whole-foods, plant based diet and lifestyle, you already know that eating clean offers protection against cancer and even suppression of any disease already present (cancer or otherwise).

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

Mushrooms, flaxseed, soy, collards, kale, carrots, berries, tea, legumes, nuts, oats, and on and on and on. Superfoods can help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more. But it doesn’t work when they’re deep fried, slathered with unhealthy, high-fat dressings or sauces, or barely there in whatever you are eating. You can eat them raw and whole or join me and smoothie it up! I am in for the SimpleGreenSmoothies.com 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge. It starts January 1 – that’s TOMORROW. Get your blender ready and stock up on some leafy greens and fruits. It’s time to get healthy (or healthier). Click below to sign up for the challenge. You’ll get emails with details and recipes + shopping lists every Thursday.

Do you already drink green smoothies? Got some great recipes to share? Are you using any boosters like chia/hemp/flax seeds? Coconut oil? Let me know what works best for you!

Related articles/videos:

Breast cancer and diet, continued

1 Reply

As I mentioned in a previous post, Breast cancer and diet, I subscribe to the daily video from Dr. Greger (NutritionFacts.org). This week, he posted a series of videos about fiber, flaxseeds, and breast cancer. I just can’t keep these to myself!

A clinical study explored lignans/flaxseeds and thier effect on tumor growth (comparing it to Tamoxifen). Consuming flaxseed muffins over a period of five weeks made tumor cell proliferation go down, cancer cell death go up, and HER2 score go down. That’s amazing. The little ol’ ground flaxseeds I put in my morning oatmeal can do this!

Similar positive effects are linked to fiber. A study out of Yale on pre-menopausal women concluded that a higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer – 62% lower odds. For younger women that goes up to 85%. Whether it’s the fiber directly or the way it interacts with other nutrients in your body, it doesn’t hurt!

Check out the short videos below to learn more.

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Survival: Clinical Evidence

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Survival: Epidemiological Evidence

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Prevention

Fiber vs. Breast Cancer

Breast cancer and diet

2 Replies

I subscribe to the daily video from Dr. Greger (NutritionFacts.org), who is a nutrition expert. This week he posted a few videos related to breast cancer.

Studies suggest that eating 5 plain white button mushrooms per day may be sufficient to suppress breast tumor growth! Consuming soy and green tea also provides protection against breast cancer (contrary to some thoughts on how soy/isoflavones effect hormonally-sensitive cancers – see related articles below). Don’t forget collards and carrots. Watch these short videos for more info.

Many articles and videos available from NutritionFacts.org as well as multiple other sources support the fact that a plant based, whole foods diet (read: vegan) is not only good insofar as prevention, but could also be curative. This applies not just to cancer.

If you haven’t yet come across and watched Forks Over Knives, I highly recommend that you take the time out of your day to do so. It is a feature film that explores the foods we eat and what effect they have on our health.

“FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.”

Related articles