Finty, thanks for that re fructose. I’m glad fruit in its raw state is ok, wouldn’t like to feel guilty for eating it. Really must cut down on refined sugar though. I’ve never used refined fructose.
Wendy, nuts: I’ve been told by a herbalist if there’s one thing you should eat organically, it’s nuts, especially peanuts. That’s because they are very prone to pests and diseases so are grown with many pesticides, especially peanuts as they’re on the ground and susceptible to mould. So rather than the shell protecting them, the chemicals are taken up by the growing nut right from the beginning. There’s also some discussions about it being the chemicals that cause allergies, rather than the nuts. That’s just what I’ve read and been told, mind!
Thanks for that info regarding the nuts. I do buy organic nuts and organic anything if it has come from a developing/third world. DET, pesitcide that is banned in Western countries is still sold to poorer countries so is invariably used on their crops. Have to double check but DET is strongly linked to cancer and other issues.
I get an organic, cold pressed, olive oil from Sainsburys, it is delicious. I think it was the Jane Plant book that stated oils should be such to really be of any benefit
Ann - don’t worry, I’m glad you mentioned it, and it is logical. I will ask my onc, but I’m not that confident that she will know much about it - I suspect it is rather specialised knowledge. I haven’t been able to find out anything authoritative myself, just similar comments on other forums. I suppose like a lot of other things, we have to choose the lesser of two evils. It is a concern though, as I still haven’t started Femara - my onc wants me to wait until February when I finish Avastin.
Hi Wendy. I’m afraid I couldn’t find any research at all specifically on TN and dairy. I found this very general Q & A which might have some new info for you:
I had said on the closed thread that I didn’t think eating a handful of blueberries was going to make much difference to anyone - maybe I spoke to soon (wouldn’t be the first time!).
Re the dairy thing - my personal take for what it’s worth is that the link is by no means proven, but there is enough of a circumstantial case for me not to want to take the risk of continuing to eat it, particularly as I ate a lot, not being much of a meat eater. At the very least I now eat a much healthier diet (much more fish) and am losing weight, so apart from missing cheese for a while, there is no downside to me.
Jane and Gretchen - thanks for that info on nuts - I hadn’t really considered the implications of what is done in other countries. I suppose I was trusting the authorities here to not allow such products in - but I imagine that trust is often misplaced.
Ann I completely agree that once you start to look at things closely, almost nothing seems safe, and we’re left with very limited choices. Before bc I used to have a rather cavalier attitude to it all - because I was always quite fit and exercised a lot, and ate lots of fruit and veg, I never worried that being overweight was going to cause any serious problems - how wrong I was. And I also congratulated myself on being a very moderate drinker - turns out not moderate enough. Incidentally on the alcohol front, I read yesterday that all the evidence on alcohol risk relates to primary breast cancer, and there doesn’t seem to be any specifically on risk of recurrence. I imagine it is the same, but thought it was worth mentioning.
Recently I had a conversation with someone who works for a large sandwich making firm. All of their chicken is 'sourced in the EEC" as stated on their packaging. Aaahhh yes, it is bought in from Holland - who buy it in from the Far East and South America.
I know some insider info about what happened with the milk powder in China around the time of the Olympics. Very corrupt and put it this way, China is not a good country to buy from.
It’s ok, dont panic, ive not come on to make any “derogatory” coments.It seems I just cant keep away :).Norberta tamoxifen doesn’t actually strip the oestrogen.The cancer cells have proteins called recepters that the oestrogen attach to.Under normal circumstances,when the oestrogen comes into contact with the receptors it fits in to them and activates the cancer cells to devide so that the tumour grows. Tamoxifen fits onto the oestrogen receptors but does not activate the cells to devide,it stays in place and stops the oestrogen from reaching the cancer cells so that they stop growing or grow more slowley.So the less oestrogen in the body the better.
Re buying organic. I read one that herbs and spices are important to get organic as like nuts they tend to be treated with a lot of pesticides. It’s probably not a major worry as we tend to use smaller amounts but I’ve gradually switched picking them up whereever I can find them.
I had been wondering about nuts so thanks for the info on them. The only thing I struggle to find is organic pecan nuts which I love on top of a veggie pizza. Anyone found anywhere that sells them?
How worrying about the chicken in the sandwiches. This is always the problem with eating out, you never know where you’re food comes from. I suppose a little bit won’t do much harm though. I do like the occasional chinese takeaway but know its packed full of unhealthy things.
Finty, well done on losing so much weight. These threads have really got me making a conscious effort to lose more. Especially cutting out sugar and other things like agave etc. I’m not so convinced now on agave given what’s been on this thread about fructose.
thanks everyone for sharing such interesting info.
Hi
Thanks for all the posts. I have found lots of the info useful and have made some changes to my diet, now using only organic dairy and meat and reduced quantities of both but not thought about nuts so will be checking that next time I buy some.
Flinty - not really thought about alcohol before, though like you made sure it was moderate, well what i think is moderate but not read or seen any evidence about risk of bc and recurrence. Do you have a particular article you read that you can give me a link to as I would be interested in reading about this, thanks
Ali.
There is quite a lot about alcohol and bc - I’ll dig a link out when I have time - sorry, rushing to get out to see my physio now. But generally the risk seems to rise quite steeply with each drink after 1 drink per day, with hormone +ve cancers being particularly susceptible, the exception being lubular bc for which any alcohol at all seems to raise risk. I think there is more than one thing going on with alcohol - it’s ability to damage DNA and disrupt healthy cell division, but also contributing to being overweight (perhaps the link with hormone +ve cancers?)- not to mention liver damage. Alcohol itself is a carcinogen - responsible with smoking for most mouth and throat cancers.
Sad isn’t it - one of life’s greatest pleasures ruined. Much as I have learned to love my green tea, it isn’t a patch on a lovely cold chablis.
Gretchen I’m not at all surprised about the chicken - I watched a documentary about chicken in Holland that was bought as condemned and headed for animal feed, and basically being washed in chemicals and repackaged and sold to the UK as catering supplies - exactly as you say to finish up in sandwiches and school meals! I have always been squeamish about meat, and only ever ate it if it was still in it’s original form if you see what I mean - I would cook a joint, but never any that has been processed. I have tried to persuade my husband that pork pies are probably not made from happy pigs strolling around the English countryside - to no avail. I don’t miss meat really - unless I can smell bacon cooking …
Re alcohol, my nutritionist banned me from it entirely on the basis that it stops you absorbing some of the nutrients from your food, rather than the damage the actual glass of wine does by being carcinogenic, fattening or whatever. If I’m making such an effort to eat healthy organic foods, I want to get the maximum benefit, so cut out my occasional tipple… Can’t say I miss it much though, unlike sweeties!
Finty - thank you for the links - I had read somewhere about a low fat diet and triple neg bc and have cut down my fat intake. Only trouble is I was not overweight before dx but have lost 21 pounds so struggle to maintain my weight.
I usually have blueberries on my muesli so will carry on with them! Can’t always find organic ones though.
Wendy - seems like we have opposite problems. Is it particularly animal fat that they recommend cutting down on - would it be ok for you to pack the calories in with things like olive oil (omega 9), avocados, peanut butter (not all together!)?
Hi scaryfox, that is interesting new info re absorption. To be honest I don’t miss it that much either (although I still have a small amount of red wine for other reasons) - just occasionally when it’s right in front of me and I can’t have it - it was just a habit that can be unlearnt.
What I do think this cancer diet business has done for me is broken my emotional attachment to food and alcohol - the comfort eating and drinking. I no longer look at a slice of cheesecake and think how lovely it is going to be, just is it going to help me or not - so I can now easily resist it. I am still marvelling at this new found ability - it’s taken me 51 years but I got there eventually! And I don’t think I will ever go back to my old ways, whatever the future holds - this is it now.
Below is a link to a brief summary of the latest research about alcohol and different types of bc. I have just read an article that sums it up as saying alcohol isn’t as high risk for bc as it is for many other cancers, but the risk starts at much lower levels of consumption. On average, the risk increases by 7-11% for each extra unit consumed per day. That is a % age increase - not an absolute percentage, ie. if your risk starts at 10%, it increases to 10.7% if you have one unit a day, not 17%.
I always have in the back of my mind that people tend to under report how much they are drinking (I always did) - I don’t know if that is the case in all this research. I hope it is, because then the safe limits would be very slightly higher.
Finty the article I read just said about a low fat diet and did not specify what type of fat. Having said that although I am trying to follow a low fat diet I try to reduce saturated fat as much as I can. I
I will check out Holland & Barratt for the blueberries - thanks.
Regarding alcohol not quite sure where I stand as my cancer was lobular + trip neg! Just have the odd glass of wine now for special occassions but then usually feel guilty afterwards!!