AQD_0056_Final_Small.jpg

My Anti-Cancer Diet

An evolving list including cold pressed juices and yummy vibrant plant-based foods

My diet philosophy is to eat to boost immunity, elevate health and healing, and create an adverse environment for cancer cells to form. It follows an anti-inflammatory and alkalizing model and is ever evolving. It is plant-based, which doesn’t necessarily mean vegan or vegetarian, but consists mostly of foods derived from plants, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, and a few animal products.

Because of my age and my stage in life (just turned 59, at the tail end of menopause), I have a greater need for protein and a purely vegan diet has never agreed with my body. After my cancer diagnosis I read everything I could get my hands on to determine what diet would be best for me. Plant-based + bone broths + some wild fatty fishes, with some other high quality animal proteins kept coming up as a theme, so I used that as a basis. It’s similar to a “pegan” diet. And while I’m still investigating keto, I’m not following a strict keto diet but am limiting carbs as they break down in digestion into glucose (blood sugar) and spiking blood sugar is something I’m trying to avoid.

Following are my guidelines:

NO sugars (other than low glycemic index sugars like stevia and erythritol,) gluten, alcohol, coffee or carbonated beverages, or processed foods.

Lots of:

  • Nutrient dense foods (containing vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats.)

  • Organic veggies, particularly green leafy and cruciferous veggies, plus anything darkly hued

  • Grass-fed Beef bone broth and chicken bone broth (nutrient rich)

  • Daily protein superfood smoothies with lots of supplements: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides protein powder, pure collagen powder, MCT oil, adaptogen mushroom mix, trace minerals, kelp powder, organic flax seed meal, cultured cashew drink (unsweetened) or nut milk yogurt (probiotics), Udos 3-6-9 blend (Omega fatty acids), Organic berries (antioxidant).

  • Avocado and coconut— plus their oils (nutrient rich superfoods)

  • Lots of fresh mushrooms, particularly asian mushrooms

  • Cold pressed green juices (detoxifying, nutrient dense)

  • First thing in the morning: warm water with an organic lemon squeezed in (ayurvedic liver flush, morning detox to alkalize the body)

  • Reverse osmosis filtered water + alkaline water (hydration). Add a pinch of Celtic or Himilayan sea salts for electrolytes. Carry it in BPA-free stainless steel or glass bottles.

  • Detox waters, raw organic coconut water, Loquat-ginger-reishi tea (more hydration!)

  • Raw organic fermented veggies and other fermented foods (natural source of probiotics)

  • Seaweeds. Those dried seaweed snack sheets are an excellent snack.

  • Yerba mate (a roasted green tea from South America) and other green teas such as matcha and sencha (green tea is an antioxidant and a great substitute for my usual morning coffee)

  • Nutrient dense superfoods like hemp seeds and microgreens

  • Turmeric (with black pepper,) and cinnamon

  • Light food preparations - nothing with black grill marks, charring or obvious browning. Poaching, sauteing, steaming and baking are best. (When foods cooked at high heat start to blacken, possible carcinogens can develop)

Some:

  • Grass fed pasture raised beef and lamb (good source of protein, iron and omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants)

  • Raw garlic and ginger (trying to eat more of these for their medicinal benefits)

  • Apple cider vinegar (alkalizing, lowers blood sugar level)

  • Legumes like lentils and garbanzos, and some whole grains like brown rice (fiber, protein)

Minimal: