Learning About Cancer-Fighting Nutrition

INTEGRATIVE CANCER TREATMENT - Nutrition

updated 5/29/15
First of all, let me get this out of the way - I believe in Western Medicine, and I am so grateful that I live in a time when we have treatments for illnesses that used to guarantee a poor quality of life or a death sentence. Even without talking about my cancer, I can't imagine having my seizures without the medications that are available today. Some people believed that seizures were caused by demons, etc. but even in 400 B.C., Hippocrates wrote, "Therefore, epilepsy can and must be treated not by magic, but by diet and drugs” [History and Stigma of Epilepsy] He was a pretty smart dude, huh?

I acknowledge and respect anyone that wants to go another way and avoid any Western Medicine Cancer Treatments - surgery, chemo, and/or radiation. And I know there are stories about people surviving and sometimes thriving without these things. However, I'm a scientist at heart, I think.

So, I am sooooooo thankful for Western Medicine, but I also believe in Integrative Care - things beyond/beside Western Medicine that help us heal and stay healthy. This appeals to me especially because it means that I have some control over my destiny. And for someone with cancer, it's a good feeling.

So, I am doing a lot of research on my own to find out about nutrition and healthy/healing. I absolutely feel that what you put into your body may be the most important thing to support your health.

A little list of some things I have come to believe. Many of you already believe these things. This pertains to everyone, not just people diagnosed with cancer.

• Most Americans eat too much food. Period.
• Most Americans eat far too much processed food. Unfortunately, this is directly related to our culture of go-go-go and trying to save time...to work some more.We need to slow down.
• The farther we are from the natural source of our food, the less nutritious it is going to be for us. 
• Organic is a better choice if you can find it - and afford it. It's especially important for "The Dirty Dozen" (Click on the link below for "Food Matters" for more info about that.)
• Obesity isn't healthy, so if you're a little (or lot) chunky, eat less overall. It might help you to afford more organic foods. Especially if you cut out the take-out. Let's face it: McDonald's and Taco Bell are not real food, anyway!

Beyond The Basics - What I'm Learning About Nutrition & Cancer
Some of you might have heard of the Ketogenic diet. Interestingly, this diet has been around a long time to treat epilepsy. This is the "latest thing" within the cancer patient community. There is a LOT of controversy right now about this diet. Check out this article if you're interested. Both my local oncologist and my neurooncologist at UCSF didn't have anything to say except that this ketogenic diet "has not been proven effective at fighting cancer", but suggested that I meet with a nutritionist that specializes in cancer treatment. A typical "doctorly" response. I'm finding that doctors are loathe to give an opinion about something that is not their specialty. We have yet to successfully set up an appointment with a nutritionist.

So, what's a girl with GBM to do? 
I am unable to work right now since I am on chemo. I could catch something that wouldn't normally be a big deal, but in my condition, I have to be very careful to protect my immune system. Steven and I both feel like my full-time job right now is to figure out how to extend my life as long as a possible. (The pay isn't so good, but the pay-off is excellent!) So, a lot my time on a regular day is spent reading books and researching on the internet, preparing healthy/healing foods, and getting exercise. (Full disclosure: On chemo weeks, there's about 3 days when I just lay under the blanky and binge watch Netflix and nap.)

Since some you have asked me about my diet/nutrition...I'm putting this out there. This is NOT meant to be a prescription for how to eat and heal cancer. I'm one person, trying to wade through all the information - sometimes really confused! - but trying to make the best decisions I can at the time. As always: when you know better, you do better. This is why this particular page is a "Living Document", meaning, it will be changing and evolving as I learn more.

My Typical Daily Food Intake
Ironically, as I've been studying nutrition & cancer, I've realized that I've been following a "semi-ketogenic diet" without even knowing it!

• NO processed sugary or "white floury" food. I don't have a sweet tooth, but I have found that a little bit of high quality (65+% cocao) dark chocolate can ease that craving. At first, I missed the processed white flour stuff: crackers, bread, etc., but that's gone away. 
• Lots of veggies, especially green, leafy ones - kale! spinach, romaine, etc., but I also love eggplant, mushrooms...I actually love pretty much all veggies! Yay!
• Very little fruit - mostly apples, mixed in our green juice for a little sweetness. This is different from a non-cancerous healing diet because I think I have really have to watch my sugar intake. 
• Not at every meal, but lean proteins (mostly organic chicken) and good fatty wild caught fish
• beans, legumes, seeds - I love lentils! and quinoa!
• Sometimes nuts - but I'm learning that some are inflammatory, and therefore, not good for a cancer survivor, and others are healthy/healing...I told you! I'm still learning every day!
• garlic & ginger
• Green Juice - prepared at home with my masticating, slow-juice. A very generous gift from my mom and dad. If you click on the link below for Kris Carr, there's a lot of good info about green juice recipes, etc.
• Hot tea - especially green tea, but all organic and mostly naturally decaf 
• And of course: Water, water, water! I have a water bottle that goes everywhere with me!

The one thing that isn't clear to me at all is dairy vs. non-dairy. I don't drink milk, so that's not an issue, but I like plain, unflavored organic yogurt. And I do like me some cheese. I'm still trying to get a clearer picture about that. More research!

(FYI: We do pretty much all our shopping at Whole Foods and buy organic everything we can. Sprouts is another alternative, but they are much more limited in the organic produce that they have available. We also try to hit the local farmers' market on Saturdays where we can get buy local and organic!)

Visualization can help
I really have given up "junk food" (white flour/sugar processed crap) for good, I think. In my imagination, I picture hungry little cancer cells gobbling that up and growing, so it's not appealing at all. I prefer to visualize my cancer cells starving and dying, and leaving me alone! I'm not trying to lose more weight at all right now. I have to be careful to continue feeding my immune system, and so this Ninja Warrior can be ready for battle anytime I'm called! Rawwr!

Websites that I've found very helpful:

Kris Carr - Home of the Crazy, Sexy, Wellness Revolution
My mother-in-law sent me Kris Carr's first book, Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Survivor, when I was first diagnosed. I love her positive, upbeat attitude. She has Stage 4 breast cancer and has been living...thriving for about 12 years. Her website is full of resources and feel-good stuff! Highly recommend you check her out. She is a long term survivor, but so much more than that at this point.

Food Matters 
I just recently discovered this on Facebook. Great information about health and wellness, but it looks like they have a lot of good recipes, too.

Environmental Working Group
This website has a lot of information about more than food. It includes pretty much everything in your environment - cleansers, makeup, water, etc. They have an app that you can download that will read bar codes right in the store and give you information about products. I've found it very helpful. You can't trust that just because something is on the Whole Foods shelf, that it's "healthy".

Long Term Survivors:

Ben Williams, PhD is a 20 year survivor of a GBM. (Diagnosed March 31, 1995) 

A doctor and author of Surviving Terminal Cancer, this link will lead you to his Virtual Trials page. (Anyone who is diagnosed with brain cancer is probably familiar with this web site already.) He has some updates from 2014. His writing is very technical and dry (he "tells it like it is"), but he also thinks outside the box. His life depends on it, too!

Cheryl Broyles, "poster child" for long term survivors of GBM.

She has a book, too, that I downloaded to my Kindle for $0.99 on sale (months ago). It's an interesting read, but if you're looking for 'how she's done it", her website has tons of information. She was first diagnosed with GBM in 2000, so that is an impressive run. She's had five recurrences at this point, so there's no doubt that she is a Warrior!