Food

Updated Feb 25, 2012

• The guidelines below still apply. I am not being strictly vegetarian but am not really eating fish either. It's more about the odd bowl of wonton soup. I have 20 or so grams of organic whey protein (powder) most days which mostly feels like enough. 

Updated January 18, 2012

Guidelines – Some of the foods good for me that I like

• organic, unprocessed, unrefined ingredients 
• congee* or broth based soups – gentle on the stomach and hydrating (I should have 64oz of liquid per day)
• gentle on the digestive system/stomach/liver
• lots of protein
• omega 3's – I am sometimes eating fish, especially tuna (check out seafoodwatch.org, or bi rite market [expensive! And recognized by Green Peace as one of the most sustainable seafood retailers in the USA. In California, second only to one store in Sacramento.])** 
• sprouted anything (lightly cooked)
• vegetables, legumes, cruciferous vegetables
• cooked garlic, onions, ginger
• tumeric
• miso
• varied grains – brown rice, quinoa, wheat is ok. 
• seaweed
• fruit: figs, coconut, avocado, berries, apples, watermelon + 
• olive oil and coconut oil ok
• some dairy is ok, especially but not only milk products from goats and sheep
• THEMES: low glycemic index (foods that convert to glucose slowly) & non-inflammatory, alkalizing food, macrobiotic, not a lot of raw food (some is ok)

Foods bad for me

• processed, refined, foods like white sugar, white rice, white bread, fried foods
• hydrogenated, saturated and transfat oils 
• added sugar
• caffeine, alcohol
• "Avoid
 pro‐inflammatory 
foods. 

Many 
people 
experience 
increased 
inflammation 
with 
refined
 sugar, 
dairy,
 wheat/gluten,...peanuts,
 corn, 
and 
nightshade 
vegetables 
(tomatoes, 
eggplant,
peppers).
 Another
 way 
to
 keep
 inflammation
 down
 is 
to 
focus 
on 
eating
 low
 glycemic 
foods.
"

* http://biritemarket.com/butcher/seafood-choices-making-a-difference/
** Congee 
is 
a 
great 
food
 to
 eat, 
particularly
 when 
you 
have 
any 
kind 
of 
digestive 
problem.
To
 avoid
spikes
 (and 
then 
crashes) 
in 
your 
blood 
sugar, 
combine
 basmati 
rice
 with 
barley
 or
 quinoa 
instead 
of 
the
 traditional 
simple 
white 
rice
 as 
the
 base 
for 
your 
congee.

You
 can 
add 
egg, 
aduki
 beans,
 or 
mung
beans 
for
 protein.

Try 
adding 
Qi
 and 
Blood 
tonifiers 
such
 as 
Huang
 Qi/Astragalus, 
Dang
Shen,
 dates,
 Gou
Qi
Zi ...Goji?.


January 5, 2012

Recipes:
http://lifeovercancerblog.typepad.com/
http://tinyurl.com/7jvufr3 (Life Over Cancer recipes on Facebook)
http://acidalkalinediet.com/recipes/



January 2, 2012

• Alan W strongly suggested a high alkaline diet, which is interesting. I would like to test my PH (I ordered a kit online.) Not sure what the best source is for info online but here is one. I went to Rainbow grocery and they had several books on acid-alkaline foods. The books didn't appear to be super scientific and sometimes contradict each other, however, I can't see any harm in it, as highly alkalizing foods all appear to be super healthy. I bought "Alkalize or Die" by Theodore Baroody. It not only recommends alkalizing foods and but also not combining radically different food groups in the same meal (and never eating melon with other food.) It's got a few recipes too. The recommendation for healing is to eat 80:20 alkaline to acid. 
• Generally, alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts: grapefruit, lemon, baking soda, all sprouted seeds, cayenne, garlic, wheat grass, carrots, watermelon, stevia, virtually all vegetables except canned, frozen etc.
• Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes: coffee, black tea, alcohol, most nuts, artificial sweeteners...all things canned, processed, or frozen. 
• Well, it's too much to list here. I'm going to try it for a while...

Dec 2011

• On the strong advice of my acupuncturist, I am eating 0 foods with added sugar, very few carbs. A common phrase I've heard is 'sugar feeds cancer'. I'm finding this easy to do so far. No caffeine.
• Lots of veg and protein, no processed food. I have some excellent pea protein powder which has 25g of protein, feel really good when I have it in the morning. I am also eating chicken and will probably start eating fish. 
• Need to work on having lots of healthy snacks around. 
• Lots of advice in: "Healing with Whole Foods"(Paul Pitchford). 
• Kaiser has given me no dietary advice at all, though there is a nutritionist available. I think I'm happy for the acupuncturists and friends to cover that part.