HEALTHY-GOURMET.ORG
Marie
Lovenheim
Nutritionist
Lovenheim
Nutritionist
Ask The Nutritionist
PANCREATIC CANCER AND FOOD
Q My husband is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. What would be helpful to include or eliminate from his diet? I want foods that will boost his immune system, taste great, and be easy to digest.
A Here's some info I put together that I hope you find helpful. Protein is certainly needed but put the focus on plant foods - fruits, vegetables (not canned), nuts, seeds, whole grains, since they are high in potassium and have no added sodium. Research at the National Cancer Institute found that fat from meat and high fat dairy foods are not helpful.
SUGAR AND WHITE FLOUR: Minimize or eliminate them; they actually feed tumors, which use large amounts of glucose for energy. It's a good idea to also minimize other "whites" in your diet like white rice and white bread, since these refined grains convert quickly to sugar in your body which means excess insulin (produced by the pancreas) is needed to help process the foods. AGAVE NECTAR is better than sugar as it doesn't have the same insulin response as sugar, yet it's sweet (same plant tequila is made from!)
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: NO!
BEST GRAIN CHOICES: Whole grains because they are more slowly absorbed than refined grains like the white ones I just mentioned. Stick with brown rice, introduce yourself to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) if you haven't already (it's an ancient high protein grain.) Go for oats (not the instant) and even popcorn.
GRAPE SKINS/RESVERATROL: Research at the University of Rochester suggests that resveratrol, an anti-oxidant substance found in grape skins and red wine, helps destroy pancreatic cancer cells by altering the ability of the cell's energy-producing mitochondria.
NUTS & SEEDS: High calories, high protein, high in good fats. Don't get salted nuts or cocktail sugar encrusted nuts. Choose a mixture of nuts and seeds and store in a tight-lidded container. Nuts can be bought in bulk or in bags and you can even freeze them. Nut butters add plenty of calories and make a great lunch or snack. Try cashew butter, almond butter, and even hempseed nut butter. Eat trailmix, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds.
Dukkah: A nourishing blend of nuts, seeds and spices.
SMOOTHIES: So delicious and refreshing! When bananas become black speckled, it's time to peel them and freeze them in freezer zipper lock bags or in Tupperware type containers. Fresh berries can be frozen and used to make this delicious beverage.
Basic Fruit Smoothie: First, choose a liquid like 1 cup of fruit juice (such as pineapple, papaya, grape), coconut water, green iced tea or herbal tea, or unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Almond Breeze is a brand I like), add 1/2 frozen banana for sweetness, add 1 cup berries and 1/4 cup yogurt. Blend thoroughly and drink.
Q My husband is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. What would be helpful to include or eliminate from his diet? I want foods that will boost his immune system, taste great, and be easy to digest.
A Here's some info I put together that I hope you find helpful. Protein is certainly needed but put the focus on plant foods - fruits, vegetables (not canned), nuts, seeds, whole grains, since they are high in potassium and have no added sodium. Research at the National Cancer Institute found that fat from meat and high fat dairy foods are not helpful.
SUGAR AND WHITE FLOUR: Minimize or eliminate them; they actually feed tumors, which use large amounts of glucose for energy. It's a good idea to also minimize other "whites" in your diet like white rice and white bread, since these refined grains convert quickly to sugar in your body which means excess insulin (produced by the pancreas) is needed to help process the foods. AGAVE NECTAR is better than sugar as it doesn't have the same insulin response as sugar, yet it's sweet (same plant tequila is made from!)
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: NO!
BEST GRAIN CHOICES: Whole grains because they are more slowly absorbed than refined grains like the white ones I just mentioned. Stick with brown rice, introduce yourself to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) if you haven't already (it's an ancient high protein grain.) Go for oats (not the instant) and even popcorn.
GRAPE SKINS/RESVERATROL: Research at the University of Rochester suggests that resveratrol, an anti-oxidant substance found in grape skins and red wine, helps destroy pancreatic cancer cells by altering the ability of the cell's energy-producing mitochondria.
NUTS & SEEDS: High calories, high protein, high in good fats. Don't get salted nuts or cocktail sugar encrusted nuts. Choose a mixture of nuts and seeds and store in a tight-lidded container. Nuts can be bought in bulk or in bags and you can even freeze them. Nut butters add plenty of calories and make a great lunch or snack. Try cashew butter, almond butter, and even hempseed nut butter. Eat trailmix, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds.
Dukkah: A nourishing blend of nuts, seeds and spices.
SMOOTHIES: So delicious and refreshing! When bananas become black speckled, it's time to peel them and freeze them in freezer zipper lock bags or in Tupperware type containers. Fresh berries can be frozen and used to make this delicious beverage.
Basic Fruit Smoothie: First, choose a liquid like 1 cup of fruit juice (such as pineapple, papaya, grape), coconut water, green iced tea or herbal tea, or unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Almond Breeze is a brand I like), add 1/2 frozen banana for sweetness, add 1 cup berries and 1/4 cup yogurt. Blend thoroughly and drink.
Making the
ordinary
extraordinary
ordinary
extraordinary
Marie
SUMMER 2010
AVOID PROCESSED FOODS LOADED WITH SALT or SODIUM: This includes pickles, luncheon meats and cured meats like sausages, hot dogs, bacon, beef jerky, fried pork skins, salami, processed American cheese, Velveeta, salted cod, smoked salmon or lox, and more. Read ingredient labels and stay away from sodium nitrite and other sodium derived ingredients. Most fast foods are out.
REGULAR SALT OR SEA SALT? WHAT ABOUT SOY SAUCE? Sea salt is your best choice since it has more minerals than regular table salt, which is bleached and can leave a bitter aftertaste. If you like the taste of soy sauce, choose low sodium Tamari wheat free soy sauce.
FRUITS & VEGGIES: eat 9 or more servings a day. Extra virgin olive oil lightly sprinkled on cooked steamed vegetables and then with a little salt and pepper makes most veggies taste good. Don't buy the mild olive oil.
JUICED DRINK: In a juicer, add 5 carrots, 1 small beet, 3 stalks celery, 4 stalks kale, asparagus or broccoli.
CHICKEN, BEEF, PORK, LAMB AND OTHER RED MEATS: if you're going to have some red meat, limit it to small portions of fresh, organic, free range meat. Eat more chicken than red meat. Expensive? Yes. Got wok? Stir fry onion, garlic, lots of veggies, a few ounces of chicken, meat, tofu, seafood or fish. Add dark sesame oil and herbs or spices.
FISH: Wild caught rather than farm-raised for the most omega 3s.
EGGS: Don't avoid the yolks, eat the whole egg. They're nourishing and have protein, iron, omega 3s, and vitamin D, and carotenoids. Trust me, these are all beneficial. (Don't worry about the cholesterol in the yolks.)
For more specific suggestions order my recipe cards.
EDEMA REMEDY for frustrated swollen people!
Q Please help me shrink my swollen ankles! I've done everything right with my diet like keeping sodium to a minimum, being active, eating whole foods, yet for the past couple of weeks my ankles and feet have been so swollen and I don't know what to do or what caused it. I feel healthy otherwise.
A Swollen limbs (edema or water retention) are not uncommon if you are at or near menopausal age because of hormones. Also, if you have a job where you're on your feet most of the day, taking breaks to elevate your legs while sitting, or even better, lying down against a wall and elevating them up the wall, might be all you need to do. If that doesn't help, here are a few foods to be sure you're getting, and also a supplement that many people find to be quite effective:
Foods: Asparagus, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon, parsley, celery, black tea, green tea.
Supplement: Dandelion root tincture (taraxacum officinale acts as a diuretic). 10-20 drops in a few ounces of water or juice 3 times a day is said to aid the functioning of the liver which means your kidneys might work better and your tissues won't bloat. Best taken before meals.
REGULAR SALT OR SEA SALT? WHAT ABOUT SOY SAUCE? Sea salt is your best choice since it has more minerals than regular table salt, which is bleached and can leave a bitter aftertaste. If you like the taste of soy sauce, choose low sodium Tamari wheat free soy sauce.
FRUITS & VEGGIES: eat 9 or more servings a day. Extra virgin olive oil lightly sprinkled on cooked steamed vegetables and then with a little salt and pepper makes most veggies taste good. Don't buy the mild olive oil.
JUICED DRINK: In a juicer, add 5 carrots, 1 small beet, 3 stalks celery, 4 stalks kale, asparagus or broccoli.
CHICKEN, BEEF, PORK, LAMB AND OTHER RED MEATS: if you're going to have some red meat, limit it to small portions of fresh, organic, free range meat. Eat more chicken than red meat. Expensive? Yes. Got wok? Stir fry onion, garlic, lots of veggies, a few ounces of chicken, meat, tofu, seafood or fish. Add dark sesame oil and herbs or spices.
FISH: Wild caught rather than farm-raised for the most omega 3s.
EGGS: Don't avoid the yolks, eat the whole egg. They're nourishing and have protein, iron, omega 3s, and vitamin D, and carotenoids. Trust me, these are all beneficial. (Don't worry about the cholesterol in the yolks.)
For more specific suggestions order my recipe cards.
EDEMA REMEDY for frustrated swollen people!
Q Please help me shrink my swollen ankles! I've done everything right with my diet like keeping sodium to a minimum, being active, eating whole foods, yet for the past couple of weeks my ankles and feet have been so swollen and I don't know what to do or what caused it. I feel healthy otherwise.
A Swollen limbs (edema or water retention) are not uncommon if you are at or near menopausal age because of hormones. Also, if you have a job where you're on your feet most of the day, taking breaks to elevate your legs while sitting, or even better, lying down against a wall and elevating them up the wall, might be all you need to do. If that doesn't help, here are a few foods to be sure you're getting, and also a supplement that many people find to be quite effective:
Foods: Asparagus, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon, parsley, celery, black tea, green tea.
Supplement: Dandelion root tincture (taraxacum officinale acts as a diuretic). 10-20 drops in a few ounces of water or juice 3 times a day is said to aid the functioning of the liver which means your kidneys might work better and your tissues won't bloat. Best taken before meals.