You Have Cancer: Now What?

Cancer is a devastating diagnosis one that requires the patient and his or her family to begin fighting for life. You will be overwhelmed with emotions and information within the first few weeks. Family and friends will offer lots of advice and suggestions and meals. Doctors and social workers and insurance representatives will offer suggestions, provide you with pounds of paperwork and tax your will.

When you are diagnosed with cancer one of the MOST important things that you have to do is everything you can to keep your strength and your weight. Food choices become very important. Your body is going to be filled with chemicals and radiation to fight the cancer. Chances are you will have to have some surgery. You want to make sure you do all that you can to make sure you are strong, that your healthy cells stay healthy and that you are not feeding your cancer cells.

Here are some suggestions and recipes for helping your body heal. If you have friends and family who offer to help by bringing food by for you and your family PLEASE tell them what you need and what you should not be eating. This is NOT a time to worrying about hurting someone's feelings. You are fighting for your life. Your friends and family want to help you let them by being honest

Juice

The day after you get your diagnosis and have gotten out of bed go and buy a juicer and the following fruits and vegetables. Everyday you are going to make yourself eight to twelve ounces of fresh juice and you are going to do all that you can to drink that juice. BUY ORGANIC. Remember the goal is to feed the healthy cells and starve the cancer cells you do not want to put anything toxic in your body if it can be avoided.

Fruits:

Blueberries

Cherries

Mango

Acai

Strawberries

Watermelon

Apples

Bananas

Kiwi's

Anything else that sounds appealing.

Vegetables

Spinach and other leafy greens - mix these in with the fruits. They are VERY IMPORTANT and please make sure you get ORGANIC I cannot say this enough. Nothing toxic if it can be avoided

Carrots

Whatever else is in season

Talk to your spouse or partner or someone who will be the one who will make you your juice. It will give the person making the juice a feeling that they are contributing and it will give you a sense of being nurtured. This is important for everyone.

Comfort Foods

Often after chemo you are going to feel terrible. You may be exhausted and sick to your stomach and you just will want to be left alone. These feelings are normal. Go with them, expect them and give yourself permission to feel them and then prepare for these days. Get yourself some trashy magazines and some movies. You may or may not have the energy to read or watch TV - this is OK but you must have something to eat to maintain your strength. So make sure you have the following foods in your house

Mashed Potato's - ORGANIC POTATO'S

Bananas - mash them up with a little whole milk and some raw sugar. This is not the time to worry about calories.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients for milkshakes. You want to make sure you have good organic whole milk and good organic ice cream choose whatever flavor you like. Add some protein powder and some ground flax seeds. Drink with a straw.

You may have mouth sores which will make it much harder to eat so you want to make sure you have soft foods and ones that if they come back up will be as easy on your system as possible. If you have to eat/drink just one or two ounces at a time. Go slowly and remember to be kind to yourself.

On the days when you are feeling good try and get some protein into your body. It should be as clean as possible. This means it should not be grilled and it should not be cooked in a non-stick pan. Use a good quality olive oil or some fresh butter and saute your meat. I know I keep repeating this buy PLEASE BUY ORGANIC. You do not want meat that has added hormones or antibiotics. Hormones can wreck havoc on your body and with cancer it is likely that at some point you will get an infection. You do not want your body to be resistant to antibiotics if you need them to fight an infection.

Broth

Buy some good organic low salt chicken or vegetable stock. Add some garlic and onions and a big batch of mushrooms, if you are interested carrots and any other vegetables that you like. Let it all sit together on the stove for a few hours and steep then strain. On the days when you cannot keep anything down you may be able to keep a few ounces of this down and the more vegetables that have steeped in the broth the more vitamins will enrich the broth.

PROBIOTICS - you buy these at a health food store. Everyone should already be taking these but if you are not go and buy them the same day that you get your juicer. Probiotics help your gut stay healthy and 70% of your immune system is in your gut and with chemo you want your digestive system to be in the best shape possible. Get the one's that are refrigerated you want to make sure that the cultures are active when they hit your colon.

Pickles - I know pickles sound like a crazy cancer food but there are a number of patients who have indicated that eating a pickle before their meal makes the meal taste better. So give it a try if it does not work do not do it anymore.

The other thing you need to be aware of is that your tastes may change when you are fighting cancer and foods that you loved you may hate. Listen to your body. If there is something that you are having a terrible aversion to do not eat it - it will be OK. Cancer is a time when you can tap into your intuition and listen to your body. Do the best you can, know that you will have days that are good and days that suck and that is OK your fight is not a one day fight nor one battle. It will take you time to get rid of the cancer and time for your body to heal. Ask for help, be kind to yourself, try and be kind to those who are caring for you (this is not always easy), get involved in a support group, meditate and take it all one day at a time. When it is over you will have an amazing story to share with others who are just beginning their journey

Peace