I have spent the last week since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer looking into specific dietary guidelines for those living with cancer.
As I have read many books and perused even more websites I kept coming back to the same conclusion…
A good diet for cancer patients is the same one that is good for all of us... it is a fresh, locally grown, non-processed, organic diet heavy on whole grains, healthy fats and proteins, and deeply colored fruits and veggies…simply prepared or eaten raw.
Haven’t we been preaching that here at Not Dabbling in Normal for a very long time now?
Maybe we should write a book…
Or maybe we should just keep on urging and prodding and challenging you (and us) to eat the way cancer patients are urged to eat!
So head out to the garden or down to the farmer’s market and get a basket full of your own cancer fighting ingredients…
Happy healthy eating all!
<3
Love it!!
This is very true. I’ve been reading about homeopathy and one of the things the founder of it said was that if you’re eating a healthful diet your body will often heal itself from many illnesses.
I think part of the problem is that we’re so misinformed about what constitutes a “healthy” diet. We’re told to eat margarine instead of butter? Right all those fake ingredients cant’ be good for you. And to eat mass amounts of soy, which they decided wasn’t healthy, but never bothered to tell anyone, etc. etc. etc.
We try to stick to foods as close to their original form as possible especially ones that require little processing for eating. So we eat tons of butter, veggies, fruits, whole soaked grains, pastured beef & chicken, etc. I must admit, I’ve never felt better. Hopefully it helps counteract my less than perfect choices in college.
Disease is not as much what we put into our bodies, but what we DON’T put into our bodies. While we may enjoy the luxuries of processed foods, our bodies have not physically gone through the amount of time it takes for them to adjust, as people do in regions where indigenous foods are grown. For me it’s common sense: if Nature didn’t provide it in it’s entirety, don’t eat it. I never throw out packages because I don’t bring them into the house in the first place.
We breathe in toxins. We wash in toxins. Why eat them too? Why eat foods with pesticides? Whether they are sprayed on or live in the cells of the foods (GMO)? We have spent far too long in concrete jungles and are paying the price of not being connected to this earth. There is more to putting your hands in dirt than just growing a cucumber…
In an ideal world, healthy, clean living is the way everyone should live. I believe people are becoming more aware, especially as studies are showing links between diet and disease. If we just return to the way our ancestors ate…just fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, I believe we’d all be in a better place. I’ve been cooking for a few friends with cancer, and my focus has been to increase the plant-based portion of their diets. One of my favorite cookbooks is The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz. It has lots of great recipes, and suggests what to make depending on the cancer patient’s symptoms. Wishing the best for your mother.