Diet and Lifestyle
Comments
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Heidi, the small French “Puy” lentils don’t need to be soaked and cook in about 20 minutes. They are delicious.
Here is how I cook them:
- Cover 1 c. Puy lentils with 1 1/2 in. cold water
- Simmer 12-25 min. (Until the “bite is right”)
- Drain and reserve 1/2 c. liquid
- Sauté 1 c. chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic, 3/4 tsp salt in olive oil in medium pot over low heat, covered for 10 min.
- Uncover and cook 5-10 min. more
- To pot of onions, addlentils, reserved liquid, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, pepper to taste
This is great with fish.
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Heidihill - lentils don't need presoaking! Not like beans.... We make lentil soup a lot and it's ready in an hour (though it's better reheated the second day)
Also, another option is canned no salt added legumes.
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Lentil & Escarole (or spinach) soup
we sub olive oil for the butter
https://www.marthastewart.com/344910/lentil-and-es...0 -
Heidi, for lentils, I use the small ones, either Greek or French. They cook, with no soaking, in about 30 minutes. For the ones that have to be soaked etc., like chickpeas, I cook a large batch and freeze in portions. I rarely eat potatoes, mostly if I am out somewhere, but almost never at home. Ditto for rice and pasta.
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I am so glad this is back! I didn't post much, but loved reading this thread. It was my favorite and there was so much information. I am sorry to the hear about HapB and if you are reading any of this HapB.. I apprenticed the time and energy you put into this thread, so thank you! Oh, its nice to see some familar names- thanks ladies for getting this going again!
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Heidihill,
Lentils in the slow cooker is the easiest thing. Add water and put them in with finely chopped garlic, carrot, onion, celery, bayleaf until it becomes so soft, you don't even need to puree it. Mash it a little with a fork and mix in seasoning and it's done. I put leftovers in the fridge with chili powder and use it as bean paste for quesadilla/ burritos.
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Hello Ladies, I'm new to posting here but have been lurking quite a while.
Warrior, I have a question about your comment that your sister is now high-risk for BC even though you did not have the BRCA genes (that is my case, too). Do you have a source for that information? Despite the myriad number of genes the genetic tests cover, is there some idea that because we still don't know definitively how genetics are related to BC, that having a close relative with a BC diagnosis increases my sisters' risk? I guess that would make sense since something like < 10% of BC is correlated with the BRCA genes, specifically. All the rest of the diagnoses must be caused by something, possibly a genetic issue we don't yet understand?
But if you (or someone) has a link, I'd like to share it with my sisters. Or, maybe they should take a run using one of the on-line calculators that predicts risk? I should have taken notes...
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Kayak- I pm’ed you! Thank you in adavance for sharing the info.
I love lentils. Those all seem like very good recipes to try! I haven’t been eating them much lately but will be adding them back in along with quinoa. I just throw them in a pot and they cook in about 20 mins or less. Then, I rinse them under cold water, throw them in an air tight container with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, cut up carrots, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Simple but good.
Hi Saw! Nice to see you here!
Sorry if I didn’t give enough info on the genetics. What I was told is that the overall risk of getting breast cancer falls into 3 main categories. He drew a pie chart- the smallest area represents genetic/hereditary, the next largest piece is Familial- not having the BRCA genes but there’s a close family member that has been diagnosed with BC (my grandmother had BC), and the largest piece represents Speradic/Chance. For my sister/ since I have BC and our G-ma had BC there’s familial, but she also now falls into a portion of the Chance/risk piece because we have shared the same environment and upbringing so “Chance” would not be in her favor. For instance, and this is just an ex, if the lawn fertilizer that my parents used every summer was the reason I got BC, then my sister was also exposed to it and now has that same risk plus the fact that family members have BC. He said her risk of having BC is greater than 25%. My overall rate of reoccurrence is 20% at max, if I do not receive any additional treatment then the surgery I just had. Very scary for her.
So I had my Integrative Onc appt today and it was very worthwhile. If anyone has the opportunity I highly recommend it. She spent an hour and a half going over everything and all the services offered there are accredited and will coincidence with all the information and appts for my other Drs. It was good to be able to discuss diet and lifestyle in such great length. She agreed that keto is not sustainable and she would worry about cardiovascular health if it was kept long term. So I will be adjusting slowly to adding more healthy grains like the quinoa and lentils. She mentioned taking Arnica for after surgery so I’m starting that. FYI- most are made with lactose so I had to find a vegan one on amazon. She also recommended curcumin/turmeric- start at 500mg once a day then move up from there to eventually taking 500mg 3x a day. She recommended Pure Encapsulations, Nature’s Way, Jarrow and Now brands as the best brands for supplements and she also recommended that I should have my B12 levels checked along with my micronutrient levels. So that’s my next step. Oh, vitamin D- she said to verify that level as well and if I’m low then she would like to put me on a 50,000 mg pill a week to start then once I’m at a good level, then regular dosage for maintenance.
Whew! That’s a lot! 😊😊😊
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Oh she also mentioned a probiotic. I currently take one that has 30 billion. She recommended one called Women’s renew for life, 25 billion, 10 cultures.
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Warrior, thanks so much for that very logical explanation. I love graphics, like pie charts, that are simple. Of course, my sisters and I share an upbringing that could have been the/a source of my BC. When I get into discussions with people about it, I recount that I spent 18+ years growing up in a household breathing second-hand smoke from 2 smokers. Plus, my job has put me in some toxic situations over the years (I'm an environmental engineer). But I learned from these boards the futility of trying to figure out the cause; there's only living for the now.
One note on the probiotics: I started chemo in late December with a port. For diarrhea/constipation control, my MO recommended probiotics (Florastor). Within a month, a report came out that probiotics were being increasingly associated with infections around ports. I never looked up the study, I just went on my MO's instructions to stop. I still have a port for my Herceptin infusions through the end of this year, so I no longer take probiotic supplements. I do try to use diet to keep my gut healthy.
Like so many others, I really enjoy this thread and thank everyone for all you contribute.
Mindy
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Question: Something has come up a couple times now to me about how stress could be a cause of BC. Thoughts on this? It would make sense, I named my BC after my mother in law.
Seriously though, my therapist and nautralpath have both stated this as a possibility. I am a high strung stress mess or at least I was, I am now learning to slow down, take it easy and try not to sweat the small stuff. Easier said than done, but I am getting there. 0 -
Hi there
Curious...what has your oncologist said about taking vitamins other than D3 and B12? I've heard that certain vitamins feed cancer cells and some can effect radiation.
I had my radiation simulation today but forgot to ask. Also...any info regarding swimming in a chlorinated pool?
I had my lumpectomy April 9...i start radiation next Monday and then I start Famera.
Cheers,
Teresa
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Vampeyes, I am not sure stress causes cancer but it can weaken the immune system. I too am learning to let things go.
In the old thread, there was a great post about tactical breathing - I think by Warrior. (Please correct me if I am wrong - I have also lost some marbles from breast cancer 😜.)
I loved this post and saved it http://undisputedfitness.com/2014/04/tactical-breathing/
Mindful breathing is a direct route to stress management. I am also currently reading Jon Kabat Zinn “Wherever You Go There You Are.” Very calming.
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Hi Tess- as for me, my Medical Onc recommends getting the supplements/vitamins I need from whole, (unprocessed) foods. The Integrative Onc I saw today was the one that recommended the supplements in addition to a whole foods, plant based diet. But I also plan on getting my micronutrient levels tested so that I can be certain about what supplements are best for me. Perhaps that could be an option for you at some time?
I do know that there are certain supplements that can interfere with radiation and/or chemotherapy so in my opinion I would ask your RO or MO about what to take or not take, or maybe someone with more experience in that department will chime in here..😉
I had a lumpectomy 4/25 and my plastic surgeon said that as long as my wounds are healed then swimming is ok. The main concern is about sun exposure/ burning. Avoid sunburn which can hinder healing.
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I'm not convinced about the stress thing per se. There are tons of super stressed people who do not have cancer. And otoh, babies & children get cancer - even happy placid cheerful little babies get cancer
I do think being unhappy and angry is bad - not because I think it causes cancer but because it's a shame to spend tons of time being unhappy and angry. But stress is more complicated. Organisms need stress. Stress is what makes muscles grow & keeps them strong. If you don't stress a muscle, it atrophies. So what is that we mean by "stress"? Stress is part of human existence imo.
I do suspect there's some constellation of things that go along with the harried busy life that some people lead that is called 'stress' & which might be independent factors for the development of a cell that goes rogue:
-not enough sleep, not enough aerobic & strength exercise, dependence on fast / high fat / high sugar convenience foods, drinking alcohol (most people I know who say they're stressed tend to drink a fair bit because they say they need it to unwind), lack of time spent on meaningful relationships & contemplation of their own goals & dreams.
I mean these are important things to tackle but I wonder sometimes if we're stressing people even more by telling them to not be stressed, kwim? And also some people start blaming themselves... if only I'd gone to that meditation workshop in 2012 mabye I wouldn't be here now... type of thing.
I think bottom line is I'm generally a forward looking person. No regrets. Move forward, live the life you want now. Don't stress about being stressed0 -
Tess -
I am doing rads and I used to take a lot of supplements so I asked my RO if I can take them. She said I can only take Vitamin D and Calcium. I specifically asked if Vit E is ok b/c it helps heal the skin, but she said no. So I currently take D and Calcium with magnasium and zinc, only. She also said multivitamins are ok, too.
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Not everyone responds to stressors in the same way, but there is research to show chronic stress can affect the immune system. For those of us with a cancer diagnosis, managing anxiety and stress is important, We want to keep our immune system in top form and prevent chronic inflammation. Here is some further info:
“Several facets of the human immune system have been empirically associated with stress. During acute stress lasting a matter of minutes, certain kinds of cells are mobilized into the bloodstream, potentially preparing the body for injury or infection during "fight or flight" [1]. Acute stress also increases blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [2]. Chronic stress lasting from days to years, like acute stress, is associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but with potentially different health consequences [3]. Inflammation is a necessary short-term response for eliminating pathogens and initiating healing, but chronic, systemic inflammation represents dysregulation of the immune system and increases risk for chronic diseases, including atherosclerosis and frailty [4]. Another consequence of chronic stress is activation of latent viruses. Latent virus activation can reflect the loss of immunological control over the virus, and frequent activation can cause wear-and-tear on the immune system [5].
Interestingly, these responses may not be the same for everyone.“
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4465119/
And a meta analysis here
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/
So it's not so much whether stress caused our cancer; that's water under the bridge. But to reduce the risk of recurrence, managing stress is important. It makes for a happier life regardless.
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Agree that stress is both necessary and unavoidable. What we can do both for QOL and health is work on how we respond to stress. Also, I saw a Ted talk ages ago by a cancer doc, the one who treated Steve Jobs (not the carrot juice cure, proper oncology when he gave up on the carrots), and he talked about stress, in terms of health, not being the kind of stress people usually think about. Instead, the stress we should be aware of is the stress on the organism of not having regular habits basically. In other words, it is important to eat at regular mealtimes, move regularly, sleep properly etc.
This made a lot of sense to me, just looking at people in my family. My grandpa, for example, smoked and drank and should have been unhealthy, but lived to 90. But he also walked every day, several times a day, had good eating habits and set mealtimes, woke the same time every day etc. Ditto for my dad, who finally succumbed to cancer #3 or 4 recently, but lived to be 86 all the same. Both men weighed the same from age 18 until they died, by the way. I have a feeling that gaining and losing weight frequently also stresses the system, whereas finding a sustainable balance that maintains a staple weight is a good indicator that the body is at peace.
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Thanks for all the great lentil recipes and tips!!Regarding stress, I think it's about managing it as most have said. It does lead to higher cortisol levels according to our individual makeup. My DD is under a lot of exam stress so I've told her to take Omega 3 oil. For me listening to music helps me relax as well as getting massages. Other easy ways to lower cortisol: laughing, dancing, Vitamin C. Cortisol increases blood sugar through gluconeogenesis, suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation.
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Hi Gals
Time for a food pic. This was lunch - portobellos and spinach on sprouted toast (“big little bread" - half the size, half the calories) From How Not to Die cookbook (great recipes, scary title, have to keep it in a brown paper wrapper or visitors become alarmed 😲) Easy and quick. You could have it on rice or quinoa too.
I have lost ten pounds since going more vegan and cutting way back on wine. Never hungry either eating all those plants! 😋
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Dearlife,
Yummy I have the audiobook for How Not To Die. How is the cookbook? It's such a scary title but very interesting read. .. you cracked me up with the brown paper wrapper! LOL Good for you for losing 10lbs. I am doing plant based as well. Have 10 lbs to lose as well.
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Yes, no use stressing about stress but it gets difficult when it becomes inevitable and unavoidable. It’s all in how you handle things I guess.
Heidi- I like listening to music to relax too. I love Pandora and Apple music.
DearLife- that looks yummy!!! Beautiful plate too! Awesome on the lbs lost 👏🏻
I ❤️ Plant based diets!! Went to a local market and got some zucchini, green beans, corn on the cob (even though it’s eatly), and strawberries. The strawberries were so fresh it was like they melted in the mouth.
I’m slowly adding different foods (more of the whole grains or higher carbs) back into my diet. In my mind I’ve been replaying some of the conversation I had with the Integrative Onc and I think I have been restricting my diet way too much. When I spoke about it, I think it seemed kind of crazy to her. She was like- “ well what DO you eat?” Getting diagnosed with BC has been so scary that I think I have just been over controlling the things that are in my control. Relating to the stress convo- I guess that’s how I handle some stress. Controlling what I can
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Mimi, I like the cookbook but haven't tried many recipes yet. He has a few of his own flavorings to make that are a bit complicated, but I just used a bit of lite soy sauce and a clove of garlic to flavor my mushrooms on toast.
I am using your checklist from Kristi Funk's book thanks! It is a simple way to cover all the main foods. I do eat small portions of organic chicken and fish, also lamb (which is always free range as far as I can tell). Not sure how vegan I will go, but I think it is good to make gradual changes and not try to be perfect (past cause of stress
).I lost the weight over about two months. I haven't been this light since I was a teenager (except for a brief "divorce" diet years ago. Also caused by stress
.)Warrior, I know what you mean about restricting foods. If you try to consider every angle - health, environment, competing food theories - there is nothing left to eat! I am a foodie and want to enjoy my meals, so I am sticking with the basics - eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.
I am enjoying trying new recipes though, so keep 'em coming!
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Warrior, I went through a period like that too after my DX. Eventually I got over it and started eating more "normally." Give yourself time. It was a good bootcamp though. My diet was never terrible, but I got used to eating more fish, pulses and veggies as a regular thing. So those habits have stayed. Like Dearlife I focus on real food, plants and moderation.
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Thank you momine. I will try. ❤️ I agree that some habits that I’ve formed lately are worth keeping around.
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I'm an ethical vegan. Any health benefits are just a bonus because that's not my prime motivation.
Sidenote - I just want to point out a terminology thing because I don't want new plant based peeps to inadvertently step into a minefield. Vegans are pretty passionate people lol...
Plant-based eating is not the same as being vegan. Vegans oppose all animal exploitation (so we don't wear leather or fur for example, don't visit zoos, won't buy makeup which has been tested on animals or contains animal ingredients etc etc etc).
People who focus on the food are eating a plant-based diet. Yay! That's great and we support it but it's not the same as embracing a vegan lifestyle or being vegan, kwim?0 -
Thanks Moth for the clarification.An important distinction.
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plant based breakfast. Lentil, green beans, spinach,roasted cauliflower, tomato, avocado on whole wheat tortilla.
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Yep I agree moth. Vegan has been a lifestyle choice for me as well, but now it’s become about the nutritional benefits even more.
I just purchased a couple of bags for myself, a little treat for me
, from this site: https://theweekndedit.com/Looking forward to getting them!
That looks yummy Nono!
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ooooooh, I haven't seen that site before, Warrior! Thanks. Beautiful vegan bags.
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