Beside flaxseed and cottage cheese, what can I eat?

[CLTann]

I read carefully the Budwig diet plan on what she suggested for daily nutrition. No meat, no food with preservative, no peanut, no sugar, basically no food that occupies 90% of grocery shelves. If everything works like we hope, this diet will last for the rest of my life.

Are there anyone who REALLY sticks to this very demanding diet on a foreever basis? How can one stand the monotony of having flaxseed, flaxseed, flaxseed, cottage cheese, cottage cheese and cottage cheese everyday?

I have been trying to follow her diet plan but am wondering whether it is indeed strictly necessary. My appetite is certainly way down. I feel tired. I wonder whether I have malnutrition.

Please suggest something.

Ann

[al from Canada]

I think a well balanced diet is just as important as feeling good. If your not doing either, it's not a good thing.

Al

[Sherryg683]

Yea, I read the other part of her diet but ignored it..it would be impossible for me to follow and frankly since there's no guarantee it would work anyway, I guess I am one that doesn't think that diet alone can cure cancer. I have added the cottage cheese and flax seed to my diet, eat it for breakfast and a small portion before bed, I figured it couldnt' hurt and might indeed help, and I like the taste of it. For those that are going through chemo I think you need to eat right and try to avoi accessive sugars, as far as her strict guidelines, I doubt if she even followed that diet. You would have to have one heck of a strong willpower. Plus how crappy would life be if we couldn't enjoy a good meal...sherryg683

[R.B.]

I have not read the Budwig link but do keep citing this as containing a good deal of sense in terms of the key factors that have impacted on our diet.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/81/2/341

ABSTRACT

"The novel foods (dairy products, cereals, refined cereals, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, fatty meats, salt, and combinations of these foods) introduced as staples during the Neolithic and Industrial Eras fundamentally altered several key nutritional characteristics of ancestral hominin diets and ultimately had far-reaching effects on health and well-being. As these foods gradually displaced the minimally processed wild plant and animal foods in hunter-gatherer diets, they adversely affected the following dietary indicators 1) glycemic load, 2), fatty acid composition, 3) macronutrient composition, 4) micronutrient density, 5) acid-base balance, 6) sodium-potassium ratio, and 7) fiber content."


It is going to preclude a lot of processed food, which is a lot of what is found on the supermarket shelves these days, but it still leaves a lot of choice, and room for occasional treats.

If you try the principles and find you feel fitter and brighter you may be motivated to stick with it.

RB

[RhondaH]

6 out of 7 days (the other is my "cheat day") and don't find it to be a problem at all. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[chrisy]

The version of the Budwig diet that I read included tons of veggies, plus you could eat potatoes, cream cheese, fruits, nuts, and some breads and cereals. It did seem pretty restrictive in terms of other protein sources...
I wonder if whey protein isolate would be legit on this - may not have been around when this diet was developed?

I've been following a fairly restrictive diet that does, actually, have cottage cheese as one of the "ok things". I've been able to cleverly dress it up in different ways so I forget I'm eating the same thing again and again! But it does take some planning to do this and I agree, it would be tough to have this be your only source of protein. Who knows, maybe we could get to crave it like dark chocolate. Well, maybe not...

Basically, yes it looks like you would definitely have to shop the "perimeter" of the store (except for maybe pickles)!

For me, I see this as something that I can incorporate into my diet, I already eat lots of these sorts of things...I will definitely add the flaxseed, but I'm not ready to go "meatless" yet...

All things in moderation...except flaxseed...

[R.B.]

Re Whey Protein.

I have seen suggestions of positive potential for whey protein in the diet of cancer sufferers.

A good range of aminos is reported as being essential to good health. A quality cold extracted whey protein has high levels of aminos.

I will do some searches and come back with some links if I have time.

As stated I have not read budwig diet but re meat particularly offal is a good source of long chain omega six, which for those who have no stores and are unable to make it may be important. Strict moderation and variety is I guess a good starting point based on the what did our ancestors eat type thinking. Grass grazed would be preferable from what I read.

As usual please consult with your advisors on dietary changes.

RB

[janet/FL]

I try to always use organic dairy products--but the organic cottage cheese I have tried is terrible. It is just dry curds. Mix that with flax seed---well, maybe the flax seed oil would make it slide down.
What kind of cottage cheese do you all use? Are you careful to always buy organic, if so, what brands and where?
Janet

[CLTann]

Thanks all for your postings on food.

I really wonder about the followings:

1. Why is red meat a no-no? Almost all diet advices say don't eat red meat. On what basis do these experts make this conclusion?

2. Why is sugar another no-no? All foods change into glucose in our body. It makes no sense to me that sucrose (sugar), which easily converts into glucose, is another enemy to us. Of course, I understand for diabetics, they need to restrict their carbohydrate intake.

3. Why is salt, in limited amount, another taboo? As long as your body can expel the excess sodium in the normal function, what harm does a little flavor and taste enhancer, salt, can make one's cancer worse?

4. Some diets even reject tofu as a safe source of protein, citing the harm from the phytosterol content. A diet lack of adequate protein is certainly a harmful regimen for even a healthy person.

Just some frustrating questions.

Ann

[chrisy]

Hi Janet,
Since we are on opposite coasts, I don't know if you have this brand, but Horizon organic yogurt is pretty good and VERY creamy!

[R.B.]

Sugar - sugar in refined from sucrose is empty calories. The body needs other nutrients to convert sugars to glcose and fructose, and metabolise them to fats or energy.

Without the nutrients that are found with whole foods refined sugar is depletes the body of the nutrients and minerals needed to perform other tasks in the body.

And above a limited amount sugar starts blocking metabolic pathways inhibiting the bodies abilities to make long chain fats, and causes conflicting signals to the body as to what to do with excess sugars in turning them into energy or fat - part of the factors that lead to diabetes etc.


Salt - I do not know much about salt but have seen it reported as acid in excess

Meat - Difficult to digest? for those with compromised digestive systems?. Undigested food leads to inflamation mucus and more poor digestion. And high fat content due to the way we rear animals.

I think refined sugar/fructose is a no in an ideal world. Meat is a very moderate, and preferably grass reared.

Tofu - I am open minded on the soy phytoestrogen debate, and dont know enough to comment more.


Moderation variety and whole food sources in general terms seem good principles.


RB