Diet and Lifestyle
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Moth, I kinda do a bit of both. My odds are poor whatever I do. Chances are that the cancer will kill me before I reach 3-score and ten. I like being thin and I like feeling strong, so exercise is a no-brainer for me. I like real food and always cooked, so eating a healthy diet is another no-brainer. But I also like wine ...
I hear you though on the medicos. I joined a new FB group for survivors recently, and I was somewhat shocked to discover how many of the women there had no idea that fat produces estrogen, for example. It also seems like very few of them were counseled about weight, exercise etc. Exercise may well lower BC recurrence risk, but it will also ward off countless other ills and help heal damage from treatment in various ways. In my homeland, Denmark, exercise is an integrated part of cancer treatment. US doctors need to do better in this area, and the stats quoted further up are depressing.
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Moth, I kinda do a bit of both. My odds are poor whatever I do. Chances are that the cancer will kill me before I reach 3-score and ten. I like being thin and I like feeling strong, so exercise is a no-brainer for me. I like real food and always cooked, so eating a healthy diet is another no-brainer. But I also like wine ...
I hear you though on the medicos. I joined a new FB group for survivors recently, and I was somewhat shocked to discover how many of the women there had no idea that fat produces estrogen, for example. It also seems like very few of them were counseled about weight, exercise etc. Exercise may well lower BC recurrence risk, but it will also ward off countless other ills and help heal damage from treatment in various ways. In my homeland, Denmark, exercise is an integrated part of cancer treatment. US doctors need to do better in this area, and the stats quoted further up are depressing.
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Pi-Xi - almond milk contains gellan gum instead of carrageenan. From a quick search, it appears to be safer to consume.
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DearLife - Love that pic!! Looks gorgeous. I like the idea that fruits and veg may prevent the most aggressive cancers - that's a comforting theory. I will keep that in mind as I make daily food decisions.
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Hi ladies, I'm several pages behind, but wanted to pop in quickly.
Hapa, Thank you for the lentil cooking info last week. That's helpful!!
Dearlife, Thank you for the BC foods to avoid list link. I hadn't seen it. It amazes me that even after 3 years no health professional has presented me with this or any dietary guidance.
Rdegirl, I'm from MN, but was in Superior last week for a couple of days. Yes, WI is beautiful!! I went to Amnicon Falls State Park and Pattison State Park.
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DearLife - where in the world are you? I'm so jealous!
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Hapa we are in the Pacific Northwest, about 50 miles north of Vancouver. So many pretty spots to anchor. Went ashore for a forest hike today - trying to keep up my daily exercise. Wish you were all here too!
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That sounds like the PERFECT getaway DearLife!!
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How bitter is too bitter for flaxseed oil? I just bought some and there is a very slight bitterness to it. I hear it should not be bitter at all and bitterness is a sign of rancidity but then again I'm more sensitive to bitter than most.
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WC3 - I have never tasted flaxseed oil, but I eat flaxseeds and they are not bitter at all. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/flax-rancid-11223...
That link says that flaxseed oil should not taste bitter (flaxseeds themselves shouldn't taste bitter, either).
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Does anyone color or highlight their hair? My hair has lots of gray and I need to cover it. I am looking for a brand that doesn't have the harsh chemicals. I have heard of Madison Reed; has anyone tried it or a different brand with good results?
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GoKale, I don't have enough hair to color yet but my salon uses mostly Pravana.
"PRAVANA hair care and hair color products are always free of parabens, sulfates, cocamide DEA, formaldehyde, phthalates, and many other ingredients commonly used in cosmetic products but known to be harmful to users or the environment. This hybrid approach, which marries time proven botanical extracts and natural proteins with modern elements such as nano-amino acids and micro-polymers, provides hair care that is truly super-natural while also protecting the planet and its people.
http://www.pravana.com/pravana-our-philosophy0 -
Moth - thank you for that - I have not being using much on my hair since chemo and have kept it short - wonders for the budget but I do have some grey hairs and two years on I think I would like a colour from time to time - so thanks again !!😊🌷
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Thanks Moth. I have asked my hairdresser if they can get this product. I have tons of grey and am not yet ready to embrace it.
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Gorgeous picture DearLife.
Well so far my search for a doctor to follow me has been a bust. I thought I had a doctor, but he has closed his practice to new patients. Also another has retired. My hospital has looked high and low for me, and have come up empty. I do not want to be followed by any Oncologist. My family doctor, whom I liked, does not practice anymore. It took me years to find her, and now she is gone. I am going to see my NP that I like next week for a physical. She is the one that saw me when my cancer was discovered. Well, I knew I was sick and went to see her. I got the chills last time I had breast cancer and this time as well. Nobody knows why I turn into an ice cube.
At some point, I plan to get very vocal about the lack of support by doctors with respect to those that refuse conventional treatment. I feel abandoned. Nutrition is totally ignored in the medical community. Fasting is never discussed. Exercise is talked about but rarely implemented.
The first step to serious dialogue about diet and exercise is that the medical community must police their own behavior. The majority of staff is overweight. Significantly over weight. I have recently spoken to a doctor about my concerns. She is a vegetarian. She is fit. She recently admitted trying to find anything in the hospital cafeteria that was healthy was hard to do. I mean even drinks are full of sugar. I go to the cancer center every week for PT and there are bowels of candy everywhere.
Momine is right. Women have no idea the correlation between estrogen and fat and sugar. I am trying to politely explain this to women and men I meet. Does anybody think it is a coincidence that since I gave up sugar, I no longer have any headaches? How about NO joint pain anymore? That was inflammation. How about I can sleep now?
Not sure this was ever posted, but thought I would share.
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Redgirl that is a very good point about health professionals who are seriously overweight. It is the elephant in the room that no one talks about. Like the doctors who smoked, even in TV ads. The medical and nursing associations need to address this with their members.
Instead of candy in the hospital there should be posters about nutrition and cut up vegetables in the cafeteria. We have a long way to go.
I know how hard it is to find a new doctor. My beloved doctor died of non smoking lung cancer and it took me years to find another. Finally a friend pleaded with her busy physician to take me and she did, saying that doctors are not allowed to refuse a pregnant woman or a cancer patient. Not sure where this policy comes from but it does seem humane.
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1redgirl:
You might be interested in seeing a DO as your doctor rather than an MD. A DO is a doctor of osteopathic medicine. They are doctors and go to medical school, receive the same training as an MD and are licensed to practice medicine but the two different medical philosophies have different historical backgrounds, with DOs having more of a focus on holistical whole body approaches. They tend to be more open to the unconventional.
A while back when the local hospital cafeteria tried to offer more healthful food options, they did it by switching the saltine crackers to low sodium, whole wheat saltines, and the ranch dressing at the salad bar to low calorie....it was uneffective and made for disappointing cracker snacks and salads.
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Actually my nurse navigator was trying to find me a DO. Both possibilities that did not work out were DOs. I agree it would be the best fit. Even though we have several hospitals, we do not have but a couple DOs. I think there is 1 more at another hospital. My insurance can go anywhere, but because there are so few DOs, they are in high demand. My navigator even had staff call around to even a family doctor that would consider me. No takers. BTW, this happened to me last time. I was refused as a patient by doctors that so disagreed with my decisions. I may be forced to see a doctor not close to home, which certainly is not the best situation. Basically, I want a medical doctor, with respect for nutrition and lifestyle that can guide me and follow me. So somebody that thinks outside the box of just prescribing drugs. When I see doctors, nobody can believe I am 66 and take no medications. I never have.0
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I'm not sure what hospitals are supposed to do about fat staff members. Seriously, medical professionals are people too and some of them struggle with weight. I'm not going to judge them for it. So unless someone can make an argument that being overweight interferes with their ability to do their jobs, "policing" them is a no-go. Especially when medical professionals are in high demand, no hospital is going to last long telling their employees what they can and can't eat.
redgirl - what do you mean by "follow"? A doctor is limited to recommending scientifically proven treatments, they'd get their license pulled for advocating unproven treatments and it's a fine line between condoning and advocating, so I don't think you can expect to get any actual advice from a doctor on alternative treatments. And I agree with the recommendation of a D.O. if you're looking for a new general practitioner. In most areas, most GPs are actually DOs and the MDs tend to go into specialties. Don't expect much indulgence of alternative medicine from the medical community. There are naturopaths that specialize in oncology, but even those people tend to look at supplements and nutrition as a complement to traditional treatment, not instead of. One more thing, you might be better off telling a doctor that you've refused treatment for your cancer instead of that you're doing alternative treatment or that you've eschewed conventional treatment. Like I said, they can't be expected to recommend alternatives to you, they could get their license pulled for it.
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redgirl1:
I hope you find someone who can meet your needs. The place I go for health care is pretty conventional but they do have a few centers that are more integrative.
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I don't care if my health care providers are overweight. I had put on a lot of weight when I was a teenager for a brief period of time. I was getting winded just walking to the corner so I was sent to see a very fit cardiologist who did a stress test. He emphatically proclaimed I had to walk 6 miles per day and my immediate thought was "This guy is out of his mind!" He was of no help at all because I couldn't even walk an eighth of a mile.
I got the weight off but with no help from him. I got a gym membership for my birthday and the personal trainer who did my orientation was also overweight but had already lost 80lbs. She told me to do 15 minutes on the treadmill at a pace a little too fast to hold a conversation and that is what I started. I had gained the weight so fast my heart had not had time to adapt so I could only walk very slowly and that 15 minutes was incredibly difficult (I'm starting to feel like that again on chemo!). Within a few weeks I increases my time to 20 minutes, and then the speed, and when I maxed out my walking speed, the incline. I got the weight off within a year and a half and have been regularly walking a few miles almost daily ever since. I got up to 7 miles at one point but that is actually detrimental to me due to other health issues and I still think that cardiologist was out of his mind. He might as well have told me to climb Mt. Everest the next day and then play for the NBA.
I think a guy like Dr. Nowruzian on "My 600lb Life" is a little more relatable to his patients with his gut than without it. They see he's not perfect and realize they are not expected to be perfect. He is not saying eat salads for the rest of their life. He is saying stop eating 10,000 calories per day, and their goal seems a little more reachable.
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It is not PC to hold people today to any standard. There are just too many excuses. The medical community needs to project an image of health. Obesity is an epidemic that has grave consequences. It is running up our healthcare bills if anybody cares about that and severely limiting the quality of life for so many. Most people at some point struggle with their weight. Going on periodic diets is not the answer. Making lifestyle changes is the only solution. It is hard. Life is hard. Nobody is expecting perfection.
Habits are hard to break. Nobody loved sugar more than me. I baked almost every day. When I was a working student on a horse farm, I ate a box of donuts nearly every day. I also drank a milkshake every day. It is equally true I looked somewhat slim, but I was killing myself with my diet. If I was not as active as I was, I would have been fat. Pictures of my relatives, whom I did not know, were obese. It was exercise that kept my weight down. Sure not my diet. I take full responsibility for my actions. Growing a tire around my middle was my fault. It was killing me.
Here is an article highlighting the issue.
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1redgirl:
I agree that obesity is an epidemic and there are changes that many people need to make to their diet and lifestyle to combat that. But I think a lot of times people who struggle with obesity feel that losing the weight and keeping it off is out of reach. A lot of them have tried and failed and really start to feel it's futile and that thin people don't understand, and a lot of thin people actually don't understand. There are a lot of myths that always thin people tend to believe about those who struggle with obesity such as all of them eat a lot of fast food or junk food, or gorge themselves on food regularly, or are inactive, and these perceptions help to reinforce the idea of obese people for whom these notions are untrue that losing weight is impossible. They think "I don't eat fast food. In fact I hardly eat anything, I am walking around all day, and I gained 5lbs this week, but sister is rail thin, eats cheesey fries and sits on the couch all day, therefore I am programmed to be a fat person and it's impossible for me to lose weight."
The obese personal trainer who had already lost 80lbs and believed me when I said I didn't eat fast food and a lot of junk was a far more effective guide for me than the cardiologist who told me to do something I literally could not do. I went to him for help and I just walked out of there frustrated and humiliated. I only saw the personal trainer once but she was coming from where I was coming from, was success personified, and the things she told me to do, I could do.
To a lot of people who struggle with obesity, being thin is a fantasy and very fit people don't always serve as an inspiring example. A lot of times thin, fit people are seen as different species that are better avoided in some sense like a dentist phenomena. People with bad teeth often avoid going to the dentist not just out of fear and cost, but because they are ashamed, embarrassed, and don't care to hear the lecture they think they are going to get, so they don't go and their teeth get worse.
Our health care providers need to facilitate health care but I don't think that means being an example of good health.
Those are my experiences and opinions anyway. Each to their own though....different people have different needs. If an olympian doctor would be good for you for whatever reason then that is what works for you.
In the meantime I would really like the hospital to bring the regular saltines back.
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I hope you get your saltines back too WC3!!!
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My best friend in high school was obese. I am very familiar with the struggle.
Nobody starts out obese. People generally work up to that condition. Go to the grocery store and look around what is going into carts. That tells the story. What does the grocery store sell the most of? Frozen pizzas. Chips. Sodas. Frozen waffles. Where do they lose money? Produce. What they throw out is heart breaking. I know as a buyer at one time for a restaurant.
About a month ago, our cable public station, had a program about high school culinary classes. It was started in the Milwaukee public schools. According to the instructor, many of those kids had never seen a stove. What was even more appalling was that they did not know the orange skinny things. Carrots. Good grief. It is because carts are full these days with packaged food. Everything can get microwaved. No need to make anything from scratch. No time. No interest. Many of those kids on that program were already obese. It starts young. Food is now referred to as “comfort” food.
People that choose to work in the medical field need to make health their priority. Like it or not, they represent the notion of good health. Look, years ago, after I had my baby at 19, I was hugely fat having gained 75 lbs. Yup, you read that right. I decided after hearing nasty comments about how fat I was to get my body back. I joined a fitness club. The instructor was so fit. What a great role model. All those women wanted to be her. I lost all that weight and became an instructor as well. I felt great. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took control.
Obesity is getting worse. Kids are drinking far less milk and instead drinking soda or sugar heavy juice drinks. The obese medical worker is at risk. The obese patient is at
risk. Think of all the stress on joints. Think of the health costs.
The idea of giving up sugar felt daunting to me. What I did not understand is that I craved food because my insulin levels were screwed up. I am not trying to diet anymore. I just do not crave sweets anymore. I do not wake up starving. I fast for about 14 hrs daily. That has killed those insulin spikes. I did not eat today until about 1 pm. I last ate around 6 pm yesterday. I was NOT starving. No head aches. No growling stomach. Biked 10 miles this am, and 16 miles this afternoon. No biggie. I am 66. I feel great. I am writing all this to share with others that an old lady can change her diet, up exercise, take some supplements, sleep well, because I have removed sugar and carbs. I am NOT suffering. I am being pro active.0 -
Good for you, 1redgirl!
Those are some major changes you have made. It is a lifestyle choice and one that requires effort and commitment. Many people won't or can't make those changes. I'm in a fortunate position that my retired husband looks after my dietary needs leaving me free to work, exercise and get some rest. I'm fairly certain I could not maintain such a healthy fresh diet if I were on my own. The will is there, but tamoxifen keeps me rather fatigued.0 -
I agree with 1redgirl, the medical community should be role models for good health. I personally would not go to a doctor long term who appeared to not care about their own health, as how could they care about mine if they don’t care about their own?
An incredible doc to follow on Facebook/Twitter is Dr. Garth Davis, he is honest and outspoken, he is not afraid of calling out the medical profession’s lack of promoting lifestyle over prescriptions. Very educational posts on a variety of medical topics, along with some of his wife’s mouth watering recipes.
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redgirl1:
I agree too many people don't know what real food is these days. They don't know what a good diet is or what a proper portion size is and they consume too much sugar and don't get enough exercise. We are not in disagreement there. I was discussing the very thing the other day with a friend. The local market has all of the pastries and candy up front and start the frozen section with the ice cream. They keep the frozen vegetables in the back of the isle and that section starts with frozen potato products, and the very first one was, I kid you not, chocolate French fries.
But personally when choosing an oncologist, I really just care about things more pertinent to my health than theirs.
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When the nurse that came into my room at midnight to help me stop throwing up from the morphine after my surgery, I didn’t check to see how much see weighed. Instead I appreciated her knowledge of medicine and that fact that she switched mine and made the nausea completely disappear. I care more about a doctor’s knowledge, expertise and training than I do their weight. Do I think they be health conscious? Sure. But you don’t know for certain why he or she is having weight issues. Maybe that person had just gone through a procedure themselves, maybe they haven’t been able to exercise do to rounds of chemo. Maybe they can’t afford it ordon’t have access to fresh produce. I say walk a mile in their shoes but before you judge.
I’m happy that we’re all involved in this thread, consciously making better choices in our diets and lifestyles, but that doesn’t make us better than anyone. Just my 2 cents.
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Passing judgement does not mean anybody is thinking they are better than others. Many years ago, we had this discussion about smoking. I was at that time, taking respiratory therapy classes at a local college in Dallas TX. I was doing so because my son was at risk of dying from asthma. He was in and out of the hospital with such severe attacks. The drugs worked, for a time, but he was becoming fast to the many toxic drugs. So for my own sanity, I decided to go to school for respiratory therapy. What I saw was startling. All the nurses and doctors all smoked. All the students then did as well. It freaked me out. Why would they do such a stupid thing? Eventually society has put pressure on smokers. In Europe not so much. I have tried for years to talk friends out of smoking. All I hear are excuses. What is funny is that both my parents were chain smokers. My dad was unbelievably bad. As a teen, I yelled at my mom to stop it. Oddly, she did. Never picked up a cig again. She banned my dad from smoking inside. He smoked outside, and then one day no more. Just stopped. I had a good friend, a pharmacist, another chain smoker, just quit and never said a word. Boom.
Resistance to change is mostly in the head. As Nike says “just do it”. Nobody is looking more a medal. The medical community needs to do some serious introspective thinking. My oncologist should have had a plan B for me. So when I refused treatment, insteading of what he did say, and the tone, he should have suggested a DO, a nutritionist, much like my nurse navigator did on her own time. Of course he expects me to die, and so I was dismissed. As I have said, I have been here before decades ago. Apparently much has not changed.0
