Has anyone read any good / interesting books about diet / lifestyle and breast cancer which they would recommend?
Thanks
Magsi
Hi magsi
Whilst you wait for the other users to reply with their recommendations I thought you might find the breast cancer care fact sheet on diet of interest. It can be found by following the link below:-
breastcancercare.org.uk//docs/diet_and_breast_cancer_dec_06_0.pdf
I hope you find this useful.
Best wishes
Sam
BCC Facilitator
Hi Magsi,
How are you keeping and managing your work ?
I am looking into my diet and lifestyle also. I,ve put on a stone since started my BC journey so would like to lose that but its harder said than done. I,ve upped the exercise and i,m trying to cut down on wine and naughty food but so far with no improvement. I blame Tamoxifen although my Onc says that there is no evidence, Also being forced into the menopause doesnt help.
I,m am researching the Macrobiotic diet for cancer fighting claims, also I,ve just bought " Your life in your hands" by Professor Jane Plant. The blurb on the back says that she had BC five times before she learned of the relationship between diet and the disease, she has now been clear of the disease for 14 years.
I know that there will be lots of books that claim all sorts of miracles so who knows.
Lots of love
Andrea x
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the info
I’ve also just found some older threads with some titles but its good to know of books which others have found useful.
I’m still tired after work - hence thinking about diet and lifestle.
Joined a local yoga class last Friday morning - 90 minutes of stretching, now I ache all over but probably very good for the arms. Being off work meant that bad habits had crept in - numerous hot chocolates, cakes and chocolate bars in other words -comfort food.
Now I am back (finish at 2 this week) its time to get proactive so thought a book might prove inspirational - so thanks for the suggestion. I’m sure a simple solution would be just to replace the comfort foods(which I really deserve!!!) with 5 fruit and veg. but somehow its not so appealing.
Hows your return to work? still going well I hope.
Love
Magsi x
Works still being really good. Have decided to up it to 3 hour days next week for 3 days. I have just been training and doing side my sides with people. Its good to have a gossip and laugh with my old work mates again.
I swear by pilates for strengthening your back and flattening your tummy. I have a 20 minute dvd that I try to do regularly. I should do it everyday. Well i better get back to making the Sunday dinner, maybe just 1 Yorkshire pudding for me today.
lots of love
Andrea x
Hi Magsi
I have several books given to me, but I would be wary of some of them as they are very negative and you would end up not actually enjoying any food if you took all of the advice offered. Better to eat a balanced diet. So I would recommend Nutrition for Life which has a section on diet during cancer treatment but contains good all round advice on how to eat at various stages of life. There are various diets out their including one my the Bristol Cancer Centre.
To increase my veg. intake I now have a veg/salad box delivered and this really helps as I feel I have to eat it all up before the next weeks box arrives.The organic beansprouts are really yum, no really.
love Pauline x
I found ‘Foods to Fight Cancer’ very good. I don’t think it’s in any way controversial (unlike Jane Plant’s book & the whole dairy thing) but just gives the science on why certain foods help to prevent cancer.
Andrea:- Glad to know work is going well, its the gossip and banter which I missed (not the 25 children - actually they are really sweet) I’ve worked with my nursery nurse for almost 14 years so get on pretty well and share a similar sense of humor.Hows the planning for your holiday going?
Pauline and Roadrunner:-Thanks for the info and the practical advice. Its easier on the 3 days I work as I eat my packed lunch with the children so it has to include fruit,wholemeal bread etc. Its 10 weeks since I finished treatment (rmastectomy / rads) and I now actually feel able to open a book with cancer in the title which at one time I couldn’t. I’ve compiled a list off one of the old threads and am keeping this with your suggestions. Will hit the library at the end of the week and see if any are there.
Many many thanks for your help.
Magsi x
Hi,
A friend gave me a great book to read called ‘Love,medicine and miracles’ by Bernie Siegal.
He is a surgeon who started a therapy group called ECaP (‘Exceptional cancer patients’) in the seventies.The book is all about positive thinking and how Doctors and Oncologists etc should talk to their patients in a positive way.
I highly recommend it!
Has anyone else read it?
Alli x
Yes, I read it some years ago when I had a lung cancer recurrence and together with the wonderful help of spiritualists I was able to be more positive. I’m finding it much harder with BC since I have not been very happy with my treatment - lack of information, explanation etc. Think I’ll read the book again though. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Sarcath
Hi Magsi
I,ve booked 2 weeks off from the 2 June so plan on going then, the flights look ok because I have to go stand by for the cheap flights with work. Starting to get really excited. Its partly a 1 year post DX holiday and also it my big 40 the end of June.
I found out yesterday that my Dad and Sisters are planning something also. Its something to do with a stay in London and possibily a show ( I THINK ). I want it to remain a suprise but you know how it is, i keep asking for clues.
Sarcath, I am really interested in Spiritualism ( especially since I lost my Mum ) please tell me how they helped you. Been thinking about going to a spiritualist church for a while.
Lots of love Andrea xx
Yes I have read Bernie Siegal’s book.
Written at a time when it was still not uncommon for doctors to hide the facts about a cancer diagnosis from patients, and at a time when doctors were often particularly aloof with their patients, I think it was importantly influential in changing many doctors’ attitudes towards their patients and treating them more warmly as ‘whole people’ rather than coldly as symptoms of diease.
BUT beyond that I think Bernie Siegal’s book has had a very detrimental impact and has done much to lend respectability to a very superficial mantra of ‘thinking positive’. I find Siegal’s categorisation of some patients as ‘exceptional’ (because he argues that they really want to get better and cure their cancer…others don’t) as highly patronising, not to say plain damn wrong. People die of cancer because treatments fail to work on the particular pathology of their disease not because they aren’t ‘positive’ or brave enough. I think we do a disservice to the thousands who die of cancer if we set up special categories of heroic exceptional patients.
Jane
PS And I don’t like Jane Plant’s book either…but you can find plenty of my posts on that subject too!
Hello Andrea
There is a national register of reputable spiritualist healers. I found it online and they gave me the names of some local spiritualists. Two came to me once a week for some time. They were not connected to any Spiritualist church - they had the conviction that they had the gift of healing and were very genuine people.
I do agree with Jane that being positive alone does not cure you by any means but I do feel it can help you make the most of things. I had been given a very depressing prognosis and was waiting for the results of a scan (6 week wait for scan then 4 for result!) and felt really down. Through them and with a good scan result I was confident enough to go off to Thailand and Australia when I had thought I would never leave England again.
As for ’ exceptional ’ patients I do sort of understand where he is coming from. I always felt that among lung cancer patients there is a general air of resignation and acceptance, partly, I suppose, because of the usually terrible prognosis. I am pleasantly surprised by the much more positive response to the bad news that I have encountered on this breast cancer site.
I would say that if something in particular works for you then you should go for it.
Sarcath
Hello again
Sorry but rereading I see that I didn’t make it clear that I turned to spiritualists as lung patient rather than breast cancer. I have both.
Sarcath
Hi Andrea
I really found prayer for myself and for me by others really helped. Especially as people were so encouraging and interested in how I was doing. If you want a church recommendation, send me a private message and I’ll find one in your area.
with love
Pauline
Hi Sarcath,
Alot of people on here have a real downer on the “keep positive” train of thought and I know that keeping positive doesn,t cure everything but for gods sake its got to be better than " stay depressed " hasnt it.
I had a taster session of Reiki last year and I felt really relaxed afterwards and slept like a log that night. So I agree that anything that make you feel better has got to be worth the money.
best wishes to you and thanks for the info.
lots of love Andrea x
Hi Everyone,
Following on from what Sarcarth was saying ‘If something works in particular works for you then go for it’ I found , like Pauline , that I really felt supported by people in my church praying for me.
There were times when it was so difficult to focus on anything let alone prayer and then it was good to know that others were praying for me, especially at times of appointments and results.
Magsi x
Just to add on the “keep positive” theme. Last week I visited GP when I thought I may have liver secondaries (which thankfully they have said not). He said the most important thing is to keep positive. I said why. My husband thought my reply was funny. The GP replied because to stay positive will keep you alive. I think it was a pep talk to keep my spirits up more than anything. Yes its better than being depressed but I think a lot of it is down to the treatments offered and how our bodies respond to them.
But I do find Jane Plant’s book uplifting. I question some of it. But I do feel we all need to ask plenty of questions about the treatments we are offered and the side effects we can expect etc.
Starfish x
Thanks ladies for all your thoughts suggestions and comments.
Even more interesting when someone doesn’t like a book (JaneRA) and someone else finds it uplifting (thanks Starfish) now I will have to read it if only to find out which camp I side with.
.
Magsi x