I picked up a leaflet about this book yesterday at a breast cancer conference, just wondering if anyone has read it?
karen
I certainly haven’t - bit late for prevention …
I have a healthy diet and a healthier cynicism about any diet purporting to prevent ANY disease but I’m sure there will be someone out there who has read this publication.
If you don’t get a positive response on this site you might also try posting the query on BCPals and BreastCancer.org especially if it’s a US publication as they tend to “go in for” diets of all kinds in the US with particular enthusiasm.
D
That was my initial thought to Dahlia…bit late for prevention…but aptly this organisation is researching ways of preventing breast cancer in the future???
A quote fom the leaflet…
‘’ Dr Michelle Harvie is a leading research dietician based at South Manchester University Hospitals Trust NHS. Her programme of research into the role of diet and exercise in preventing breast cancer and its recurrence is sponsored by the Genensis Appeal.
The Genesis Appeal is the only charity in the UK entirely dedicated to preventing breast cancer. Our breast cancer prevention centre is the first of its kind in Europe and, once completed, will be home to a team of internationally recognised experts dedicated to creating a future free of the disease.‘’…
I too am very cynical about any such diets, and must admit i had never heard of this organisation or diet.
Their website is www.genesisuk.org.
Would be interested to hear others views.
karen
I have just had a look at this website and read some reviews of the book on Amazon. Most of the reviews were positive.
I am not too sure about things like this as I know loads of overweight, unfit women who have not got BC and fit, slim women who have. My own thoughts are what will be, will be and that when BC is a non genetic diagnosis then we don’t truly know who will get it or why. I will continue with my lifelong low fat diet (yo yo dieter) where possible and exercise as much as I can. I will also eat chocolate and drink wine when I want and in the quantity that I want- thats why I am a yo yo dieter- lol! Life is short enough as it is and until it is proved otherwise (diet and BC), I will enjoy my little pleasures in life -in moderation of course!
Kat x
Personally, although I think, yes, diet could be important to preventing BC as well as many other diseases, it is not the oly contributary factor. I think pollution of out atmosphere, land and water as well as the hurried, pressured lifestyles have at least an equal contributary factor.
As with any disease there always seems to be as many outside the ‘normal’ risk groups as there are within, sometimes more. I go with Kat - moderation and I’d add enjoying what we have got!
As an addendum … when I had gallstones and also my strokes I was way out of the high risk groups for both - but they still happened.
Hi Quisie
I had 2 strokes and major bowel surgery at aged 32. During this time, I was the slimmest that I have ever been and the fittest- 5-6 sessions per week. Life is a b**ch and that is why I cannot truly believe in BC being caused solely on diet. I believe my problems are stress related as I was going through an extremley stressful time when I had the strokes and again when diagnosed with BC.
As we have both said, everything in moderation and enjoy life as it’s for the living.
hi Kate, same here - stress a big factor. Was going through divorce with the one stroke - moving wit the second and my nursed my father for much of the year previous to dx - just getting my self back together and wham!
but life is for living and i’m going to keep on living it ! And that will include everything i like, in moderation. Stuff the diets and constant fretting 
I agree with you 100%
Since the strokes, I have travelled extensively, buy what I want (within reason) and make the most of everyday. I was lucky that I recovered well and you would never know if you saw me that I have had strokes. I am still reminded as I have a slightly weaker right side, get pain in arm and leg when its cold and tire out very quickly.
This BC was a bit of a blow- why me scenario but I’m getting over that
Hope you are ok. I raise a very nice glass of Rioja to you,
Kat x
Hi Kat - do please enjoy the Rioja - once my taste comes back I will join you! I too have a weaker right side now! I didn’t do a why me - more a “here we go again”. My big thing was having to give up my trip to Thailand, but will be going next year instead
enjoy the wine
have a lovely evening
Ruth x
This Genesisuk.org seems to be another incarnation of wcrf-uk.org or the UK branch of the World Cancer Research Fund. This is a worldwide cancer prevention research body. It has been established that many things which can prevent cancer can also reduce its rate and virulence of recurrence so it’s worth exploring their site. (I mean the larger www.wcrf-uk.org site.) This seems to cover most angles and has a useful guide on what is known about what causes cancer which makes sense, I think, to most people. After all, as we all agree, there’s so many people who don’t get it, we’d like to know the causes and reflect on their combinations in our own lives to help slow it down or to prevent it in the lives of people we care about. So here’s the summary from the wcrf…
What causes cancer?
The development of cancer is a complex biological process which is still not well understood. Thanks to scientific research, we
do, however, have an increasing understanding of the factors which are involved in the cancer process. Hormones, immune conditions and inherited alterations in the genetic material of a cell can all play a part in cancer development.
But we now know that environmental factors – particularly diet and lifestyle – have a significant influence on the development of cancer. Environmental factors include exposure to ‘toxins’ – such as tobacco and alcohol – unhealthy food choices, infectious agents – like bacteria and viruses – chemical agents and radiation. All of these can damage the programming and health of cells in the body and so encourage cancer growth.
Some aspects of our daily lifestyle choices can encourage the cancer process while others help protect against it. The aspects of lifestyle most likely to increase our risk include: unhealthy food choices, not being physically active, being overweight, drinking heavily and smoking tobacco.
So that’s it in a nutshell. The site has masses of info which can be helpful in the healthy food choices bit. The other things under our control such as hygiene (avoiding bacteria and other toxins), losing weight, no smoking and no heavy drinking are self-explanatory. It says that up to 50% of breast cancers are preventable. That means that 50% aren’t. Seem to maybe be the ones caused by our lifelong exposure to factors beyond our control but I think it’s too early to say - unless everyone were to adopt their guidelines for the next 50 years, how on earth would anyone know how many cancers could be prevented. See what you think… Dr. Michelle’s diet strangely doesn’t agree in every respect with the WCRF diet which seems based on the same research, so I’d go for the original wcrf rather than how Genesis interpret it. It seems to have been watered down.
Wishing you well,
Jenny
JennyW,
Thank you for breaking it down as you have- very understandable and makes sense.
I will look at this site now.
Kat x
Gets up my bl£%dy nose the losing weight bits of these diets. why the hell do they put ya on tamoxifen which has sent me into the change and i have put on 2 and ahalf stone with it. I hardly eat a thing, but have to eat regularily as i have IBS, fed up of lettuce and celery and soups.
I actually dont believe anymore in even thinking is it diet, is it being fat, is it drinking, is it pollution? The only thing i definately believe from my own experiences it was related to stress, but i could not avoid my mothers death and starting a new job which i didnt realise would be so awful.
Don’t you think these people who write these ‘new diet’ books are in it for the money?
I do feel angry i got BC at just 44, although i know so many women are even younger.
I have persecuted myself over the last 2 years since DX thinking, if only i had been thin, if only i hadnt drank too much wine, if only i hadnt had the stress of mums death, relationship probs, probs with teenage kids. Taken on a new job, carried dad through his loss of mum, eaten a healthy diet etc etc etc.
Sorry if this all sounds OTT but I dont think we can avoid cancer if the bugger gets us it gets us. the only thing i feel i would benefit from right now is a huge punch bag and pair of boxing gloves so i could punch and punch and get rid of my anger.
Rx
jennyw
thank you so much for that, you amaze me. Especially since chemo started I can rarely get a train of thought out of the station, let alone seriously research something, so thank you.
Liverbird
cheaper than a punch bag is bread dough - I always made my very best dough when I was cross with my ex husband. The more you pound their head … ooops, the dough! the better the bread is.
I personally won’t beat myself up over what I eat/ drink etc I believe there are many contributory factors and if we get too involved with them we are only increasing the stress - increasing our blood pressure and risking heart disease and stroke.
The really sad thing is that we will all be vilified over this - we will be “blamed” for causing our cancer, it will become “our own fault”. The next step to this will be whether we are “deserving” of the money spent on treatments and cures. Will we have to undergo ‘lifestyle’ changes in order to ‘qualify’ for treatment? We are none of us perfect, every one of us makes poor choices in diet, lifestyle, career etc yet only some will get cancer - this does not make others better than us or us worse than them. It just is. If we are perfect then, and only then, do we have the right to judge another, but humans being humans we seem to like to point the finger.
Hi Girls
Admitted to a very good “invisible friend” on here, which was hard to do, of the dreadful state I got myself into at the weekend, bottle of wine in my hand standing in the kitchen literally debating with myself whether or not to open it. In the end I didn’t but made up for it on Sunday. I know I am under an awful lot of stress at the mo with losing my Dad and my son’s been very poorly, but I suddenly realised what on Earth am I doing? I am beating myself up over something that I had no control over, I am not a heavy drinker but do enjoy a glass or two of red wine. I have had a very stressful life for the past 20 years but have also done all the right things in looking after myself. If there was any one particular sure thing of why we get cancer then everyone would know about it and wouldn’t do it. Everything comes down to risk factors. My Nan smoked 40 a day from a very young age and died at - I believe - 81 of a heart attack, not one single cancer cell in her body. We can all quote people who have died younger than they should have for various reasons and also people who have died at a vast old age despite their “questionable” lifestyles. I refuse anymore to sit and wonder if I do this will the BC come back etc etc. Its good to be aware of what we are doing to ourselves to make informed choices, but at the end of the day that’s the whole point - TO MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES - there are no guarantees either way.
There, I feel better for that little rant, come on girls, lets try and enjoy our lives to the best that we can in each of our own individual circumstances, there might be a big bus heading our way tomorrow lol 
Love K
Just another thought, I haven’t read the Genesis Diet so not too sure what it actually says, BUT, if you follow the diet religiously (or any other for that matter) and then get BC can you sue them: its not like buying a new washing machine, it breaks down and you get your money back: or I am talking rubbish here before I have read a little about it.
Also, what if you are vegetarian, diabetic, wheat intolerant or have other dietary limitations: the list can go on. Do agree that all these new fangle-dangle diets are just ideas to make fast money. We all know without special diet books the good and bad things to eat, well balanced including variety of everything is the best.
Love K
My friends Dad had problems years ago. He kept reading that this that and the was bad for you. He stopped eating and ended up as an emergency admission.
If we take notice of everything we read we would end up int same boat.
Whatever in moderation - wine, chocolate, meat, fruit & veg etc.
There are no guarantees with whatever treatment we have, that having will prevent or not having will not prevent.
I’ve decided that I’ll eat, drink and do whatever and enjoy as I know a few who’ve led the ‘right’ lifestyle and still haven’t made it.
I hope I don’t offend anyone.
Marilyn x
Thanks for so many having a good sense of humour, felt so down this morning and had a cry. I havent been like this for ages so your posting of the dough and hubbys head made me smile.Will buy ingredients when i next shop.
Just off to get a bus which is unusual as i normally have the car, will be extra careful after your posting Kelly lol.
Rx
I do so enjoy your comments, lets me have a giggle, even without the wine. Mind that bus Liverbird, remember your green cross code lol. My letout is the ironing, when I am angry you will never see better or straighter creases! Even iron my dishcloths, t-towels, flannels, sheets and bath towels. The only thing I don’t iron are my tights. Wonder what “diet”, “psycho” or “analytical” books would make of that. Probably call me a right nutcase that needs urgent psychiatric help.
Love K
hiring a courier to take all my ironing to Kelly
Never again will I stand in my kitchen with a carton of milk (organic of course!) in hand wondering whether a dash in my tea will undermine all my treatment!! Thanks for the sanity you wonderful people…No one knows what causes this horrible disease for anyone person…And unfortunately there no guarantees…There is no one answer and all we can do is stay aware and trust our instincts…And of course watch out for those buses…
Jo
x