Thriving After Breast Cancer

When treatment finally ends there is the inevitable question that goes through every breast cancer survivors’ head – what now? What can I do now to optimize my chances of staying cancer free? Luckily, the answer to that is “a lot”! The first step is to recognize the incredible healing power of food. Remember that old adage “you are what you eat”? Well, it is quite true. Think of it this way, every morsel that you put in your mouth is becoming you, literally! Old cells die and new cells are formed every minute of every day and what is the foundation for that process? Yes, that’s right, it is the food you eat. With that in mind lets explore some of the powerful foods and drinks that you should incorporate into your cancer fighting strategic nutrition plan.

The idea is to structure our diets around the most nutrient rich, cancer fighting foods possible. Dr. Joel Fuhrman actually coined the term nutritarian, which is a person who does that on a daily basis. Perhaps, another similar way to look at it is that we need to make the shift to a plant-strong diet. This simply means that one half of your plate at every meal should be plants. The amazing thing is that as we begin to make choices with this in mind we actually start to crowd out the other disease promoting foods in our diet. G-BOMBS is an acronym that Dr. Fuhrman uses to help us remember the most health promoting foods on the planet.

G – Greens

B – Beans

O – Onions

M – Mushrooms

B – Berries

S – Seeds

Greens are the food most missing from the Standard American Diet (also known as SAD!). They may be the most challenging for people to incorporate but also the most essential. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. They are packed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and tons of other micronutrients and phytochemicals. The list of choices is long – broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, dandelion greens, arugula, endive, chicory, and wild greens. Spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens are excellent too, but best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid that binds to calcium. To balance this effect cook these with something rich like olive oil or add nuts or seeds to the dish. So as you plan your meals for next week incorporate one or two of the greens from the list above that are new to you, find a recipe and go for it! Think about what is on the rest of your plate as well and make it your mission to get as many G-BOMBS as you can each day.

If you want to really get specific and break it down even further then we have to include the subcategory of cruciferous vegetables that include most from the list above, but also include – cauliflower, radishes, and red cabbage. These vegetables have a sulfur-containing compound that when they are chopped blended, or chewed well, converts into isothiocyanates (ITCs) that have powerful anti-cancer activity. One of these ITCs, Indole-3-carbinol and its metabolite DIM may be especially protective against hormone-sensitive cancers because they help the body break down estrogen so that it can be more easily eliminated from the body.

You may be wondering about whether all of the above vegetables must be organic? Well, the answer would be yes in a perfect world, but since that is not the case it is better to get familiar with The Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen http://www.ewg.org/  and then make the best choices possible as your budget allows.  As far as cooking methods, it is best to vary what you do – try steaming, lightly sautéing in olive oil, water sautéing, roasting, or lightly pickling and don’t forget to eat some of you veggies raw every day!

As beverages are concerned, green tea has been very well studied and it seems to have some very powerful anti-cancer effects. One of which is the anti-angiogenesis effect of the compound EGCG in green tea. Angiogenesis is the formation is new blood vessels by cancer cells. After two or three cups the levels of EGCG rise in the blood and block the cancer cells signal for the growth of new blood vessels. So, if you like tea, make sure some of it is green and if you are a coffee drinker start substituting green tea once or twice a day.

Supplements are always a hotly debated issue, but when it comes to breast cancer most people agree on a few.

Vitamin D – is actually a hormone, not a vitamin and plays a huge role in supporting the immune system. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have low Vitamin D levels. Talk to your doctor about getting your level tested and then supplementing so that your level falls in the desirable range. The optimal range is 40-60ng/ml. A good place to start is with 1000 IUs of D3 per day.

Tumeric – the yellow spice that is a component in curry is an exceptionally powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. It is also believed to stimulate apoptosis which is cancer cell death and has anti-angiogenesis effects. You can take a supplement and/or use regularly in cooking. It is better absorbed if paired with black pepper so look for a supplement that contains both and take with or after a meal containing some good fat. If you want to try it in cooking try making a mix of the following in a jar: ½ teaspoon tumeric, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic salt then sprinkle this on vegetables tossed in olive oil just before roasting.

Omega 3s – they reduce inflammation and restore cell membranes. If you want to get them through fish oil, look for high quality purified supplements or incorporate small fatty fish into your regular diet such as anchovies and sardines. Wild salmon is also an excellent choice.

Remember, this should not be overwhelming and stressful. It is a process and it takes time to make lasting changes to your lifestyle. Just make one new change this week and another the next week and before you know it you have gotten on an anti-cancer eating plan!

By Kathy Beach, MS, ATC

Certified Health & Nutrition Coach

Kathy is a breast cancer survivor as well and works in private practice to help cancer survivors make the transition to an anti-cancer lifestyle. Visit www.integrativehealthmanagement.org or e-mail kbeach1962@aol.com for more info.

The Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Workshop - November 14th, 7-8:30pm, The Community Center, $40

Call Canton Parks and Recreation to sign-up 860-693-5808

http://www.cantonrec.org/info/