[RhondaH]

I have to admit…I’m the strange one of the group…I take 1, 200mg Coenzyme Q10 supplement daily to keep my heart healthy while on Herceptin. The BALANCE of what I take is dietary. I follow the Diana Grant Dyer Breast Cancer Diet (she is a 3 time cancer survivor who is a registered dietician and I STRONGLY recommend her diet, book and website. (http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-1-93-43-270-1,00.html?) as when I was first diagnosed, I read that supplements provide only 10% of what the actual food does. I do it RELIGIOUSLY 6 days a week and give myself 1 “cheat day” (even this day I also drink my TBS of olive oil and the shake (which incidentally, my 4yo even likes). I am including some excerpts from her diet as to why I do what I do (comments in bold and parenthesis are mine or points I want to emphasize). I didn’t do it while on chemo as doing TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan) every 2 weeks for 6 rounds, I needed as much protein as I could get AND I got diarrhea REAL BAD. Also, you should stay away from grapefruit while “doing drugs” as you don’t want it to interfere with the efficacy of the drugs (I’ll start eating it AFTER Herceptin).



Breastcancer.org Info
Grapefruit juice and medication

• Certain components in grapefruit decrease the level of a particular enzyme that helps clear medications from the body
• This interaction causes unpredictable changes in the amount of medication that your body can absorb
• Medicine that accumulates in the body may cause an increase in side effects
• Do not eat grapefruit or drink the juice while on tamoxifen, since grapefruit can interfere with absorption



“I wanted everything that I put in my mouth to help maximize my potential for long-term survival from cancer.”



“3 to 6 Servings a Day of Whole Grain Foods
I threw away my white rice and now use a variety of whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, and wheat berries. I buy only whole grain bagels, breads, cereals, crackers, tortillas, and pasta. This maximizes my intake of fiber, which may fight breast cancer by lowering levels of estrogen in the body.”



“1 or 2 Servings a Day of Beans
I can honestly say that my gastrointestinal tract has adapted, with a minimum of physical and social discomfort, to having beans every day! I put beans in everything from soups to salads to pizza for a huge fiber boost. I always have bean soup on hand, and I eat lots of hummus made from chickpeas. I use a lot of canned beans because they're quick and easy to keep in the pantry.” (I don’t like garbanzo beans so I put ½ c. in my shake every day…can hardly taste them.)



“A Handful of Nuts Several Times a Week
Nuts are a great source of fiber and another likely breast cancer foe--monounsaturated fats.” (I specifically eat (Brazil nuts are highest in selenium, hazelnuts are highest in a
compound like Taxol. I eat all nuts) 3 times a week.



“9+ Servings a Day of Fruits and Vegetables
As a dietitian, I had been eating my "five-a-day" consistently. But I moved up to nine or more a day because research shows that fruits and vegetables are packed with promising cancer-fighting phytochemicals. By eating twice as much produce, I hope to create a biochemical environment in my body that maximizes my ability to resist cancer.

Getting nine servings a day doesn't happen by accident; it takes thought and planning. So I aim for three servings at each meal plus fruit or veggie snacks each day. (The shake takes care of 3 servings, 1 serving for breakfast; the salad takes care of 3 servings, 1 serving for lunch and dinner the rest of the servings) Once you get the hang of it, it's much easier than you think. (I created a food diary checklist that helped me in the beginning and I would be happy to email it to anyone that is interested) Every single day, I try to include something from each of these groups:

· Cruciferous veggies: broccoli, broccoli sprouts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower (I rotate these each time I need a new one and cut up 1/2 c. for my salad)

· Lycopene-rich produce: tomatoes, red grapefruit, watermelon, guava (I put ¼ of a tomato on my salad)

· Beta-carotene-rich produce: winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes (I put a carrot in my daily shake and rotate the others)

· Citrus fruit: oranges, grapefruit (see above)

· Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries (I keep bags of these in the freezer and rotate them)

· Dark green, leafy veggies: spinach, romaine, kale, collards, Swiss chard (I put a cup of these in my salad each day and rotate them)

Once a week, I eat shiitake mushrooms for their anticancer activity (I put ½ c of these in my salad once a week as well as slice them for a salmon recipe I have), and fresh or water-packed artichokes (I put ½ c of these on my salad once a week) for their silymarin content. (Also found in the herb milk thistle, silymarin supports optimal liver function.)”

“1 or 2 Servings a Day of Low-Fat Dairy Products
I use 1 percent rather than fat-free milk because dairy fat has the highest concentration of a molecule called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has promising anticancer activity. I use only organic dairy products from non-BST-treated cows. (BST is a growth hormone.) Milk from non-BST cows contains lesser amounts of a compound called IGF-1. Higher blood levels of IGF-1 have been linked with several types of cancer. Much more research needs to be completed to clarify the relationship between IGF-1 and cancer, but I prefer to eliminate this possible risk factor from my diet.”



“1 or 2 Servings a Day of Soy Products
Soybeans contain many potentially anticarcinogenic compounds, including saponins, phytates, protease inhibitors, and isoflavones (weak estrogen compounds). So I have one or two servings a day of whole soy foods such as tofu or soy milk (BOTH are in the shake), which supply a total of about 25 to 50 mg of isoflavones. This amount is similar to a traditional diet in Japan, where women get far less breast cancer than do American women--though we don't have proof yet that soy is what protects them.”



“Fatty Fish Two or Three Times a Week
The omega-3 fats in fish such as salmon, mackerel, white tuna (NOT albacore as higher in mercury), sardines, and herring may help fight breast cancer. Almost all restaurants have salmon on the menu now, which is what I order when I eat out. And we eat two meals of these fish each week at home.



I've eliminated all meat and poultry from my diet to maximize my intake of plant foods. If you do eat meat, buy only very lean cuts and keep your portions small (the size of a deck of playing cards or less). (I do STILL eat meat 1 or 2 days a week though I am trying to incorporate a vegetarian meal in it’s place once in a while)”



“Garlic, Herbs, and Spices--Used Liberally
Every herb or spice increases your intake of phytochemicals that may fight cancer. (And they lend great flavor to my low-fat recipes!)” (I sprinkle turmeric and oregano, both of which have cancer fighting compounds, on my salad every day)



“1 to 2 Tablespoons of Ground Flaxseed a Day
Flax is a source of lignan precursors, which are converted inside the body to a weak antiestrogen that may be useful in preventing or treating estrogen-responsive tumors. Flax also supplies a plant form of omega-3 fats. The optimal amount of flax to consume is the subject of much current research.” (this is put in the shake)



“4 to 6 Cups a Day of Green Tea, Either Hot or Iced
I make a half-gallon pitcher of iced green tea every other day. I drink it for the promising anticancer activity of a compound it contains called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).” (OOPS, gotta get my 3rd cup)



“Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola Oil for Cooking
Both of these oils are high in monounsaturated fats, which may protect against breast cancer. I always look for processed foods with no trans fats (from partially hydrogenated oils) because these may increase cancer risk.

My goal is a low-fat diet with 20 percent of total calories from fat. Is the amount of fat you eat linked to breast cancer risk? Research is conflicting, but a low-fat diet does make it easier to stay trim, and that's another way to fight breast cancer.” (Because I don’t cook w/ olive oil daily I drink a TBS per day as well as make an Italian salad dressing w/ it, otherwise it is the only oil I use)



“Diana's Phytochemical Super Shake
This shake rocks! It equals one serving of vegetables, two servings of fruit, one serving of soy, one serving of ground flaxseed, and one serving of whole grain (wheat bran plus wheat germ)--plus one-third of your daily fiber. It's also delicious!

· 2.5 oz soft or silken tofu (about 1/3 c)

· 6 baby carrots

· 3/4 c fresh or frozen unsweetened fruit

· 1 Tbsp wheat bran

· 1 Tbsp wheat germ

· 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

· 3/4 c calcium-fortified soy milk

· 3/4 c calcium-fortified orange juice

Put all the ingredients in a blender. Process on low speed, then increase to high for 1 to 3 minutes, or until fully blended. Makes one serving (3 cups)

Per serving: 313 cal, 18 g pro, 49 g carb, 9 g fat, 9 g fiber, 565 mg calcium, 89 mg sodium”

Good luck and good health

Rhonda Hoffman