[RhondaH]

I probably shouldn't respond to your post as I will end up saying something I shouldn't, but what the heck. I'll be honest with you, prior to my dx, my "views" were pretty much non existant, my diet was BEYOND attrocious (1 month prior to dx, I had been allergic to fish and fowl and just found out that I could eat fish, but since I was 4yo, I ate NOTHING but, beef, pork and sugar...lots and lots of sugar). Since dx, I pretty much LIVE the Breast Cancer diet I preach (though, yes I do give myself 1 "splurge" day a week), but in my opinion, I mistreated my body for the 1st 40 years of my life, now the next 40 years of my life, I was going to treat it well. Everything I read has said that supplements provide only 10% of what the actual food provides and as far as I was concerned, no food (or lack of food) was worth going through chemo again (NOT that diet and exercise alone are the answer, but I wanted to walk away knowing I did everything I could; surgery, chemo, rads, Herceptin, diet, exercise and prayer). I buy VERY little processed food (if you can call it food), eat REAL sugar and butter (I don't have much but, I just KNOW that like aspertame etc that made from sugar "splenda" can't be good for you, and I've read articles about margerine) eat fat (my MAIN fat comes from olive oil, canola oil, organic butter and 1% milk, fatty fish and yes, I DO still have meat though organic from a local farmer once a week). I'm considering about either writing a blog or book regarding how since the turn of the LAST century, all the "conveniences" that have been created to make our life easier has not only complicated our lives health wise (I know on here there is a study about housework and cancer and I can't help but feel that there is some truth to it), our lives in MANY ways are sedintary, but especially those of us w/ children, are "encouraged" to put them in every "activity" known to man, no one has TIME to cook from scratch any more ( I use VERY little packaged food and while my grocery bill is higher, it is due to all the fresh foods I buy...ironic, but there are NO coupons for the food/products I buy as all the coupons are for the latest and greatest food and product...curious, when you go shopping look at other peoples grocery carts and I BET they have WAY more frozen/packaged food than fresh, I know Meijers in GR, just expanded their frozen food section, it's HUGE), no one "rests" or sleeps anymore and it just seems like in MANY ways all the progress we have made (but not all) has set us back...just THINK of all the conveniences we have and what the ultimate price has become for it. Our local newspaper had an article today on consumption, but I can tell I'm starting to wander and will leave THAT topic alone. I read a book called the Omnivores Dilema and it is VERY interesting as to the entire food process, past and present. Bottom line, supplements are insurance for what you don't get enough of, but there is no substitute for real food (my salad for this week will have collard greens and cabbage, now if THAT isn't bitter...but I let the salad dressing marinate it to cut down the bitter). I had better quit, but I REALLY wonder if a "true" cure is possible due to the pharmaceutical companies (don't get me wrong they HELPED me, but to me medicine should be as short a term as possible) and the people making money off of the drugs. I'll probably regret "sharing" my opinion, but please this only "my" opinion. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda