What is your view?

Yes,I read this book after my first bc diagnosis in 2003. Perhaps it may be relevant in England but in Australia animals are not treated with hormones and antibiotics.I was abit concerned about her comments on homoginized milk.I found her book(from what I can remember)to be abit extreme.I have read so many of these sort of books now that it can become abit confusing. I liked Petrea King's book"Quest for life" and also "Foods that fight cancer"-can't remember the author but he's a scientist. I try to eat everything in moderation.I don't really drink much milk anyway.Once a week I have fish and red meat and the other nights either chicken or vegetarian.I try to avoid processed meats and packaged food with preservatives/chemicals.But above all,I try not to stress.Patrea King states that peace of mind is  most important,followed by a healthy diet and exercise.I know my diet can still improve and I need to drop some weight so I will work towards that goal.

                                    Tonya xx

I have not read Jane Plant's book but have attended Galwer Foundation courses and find the information that I have read since fascinating - you may want to read the China Project - also about dairy and meat.

I have to be honest and say that my gut says there is something in it all. I too still feed my children dairy and meat although much less. As for me I no longer have dairy apart from occasional biodynamic yoghurt. I have not eaten red meat for 7 months and don't miss it at all.
I eat fish regularly, have very little processed food, focus on plant based foods and have pretty much eliminated sugar, most shalt and saturated fat from my diet. I don't info it helps but I am certainly willing to try - it is not damaging my health and if it is benefitting it then at is great. I have never felt better.

Diet is only part of the pie though. As Tonya said - peace of mind is important. For me I gain some of that by taking active control over my diet and lifestyle. I believe that when you have extreme health issues you can make significant changes to your body chemistry by making extreme/significant changes to your diet - I don't think cutting out chocolate after dinner is going to make a difference. But that is just m opinion.

We will probably never know the answers - I think that the concern with dairy actually has a lot to do with the protein in cows milk in particular and our inability as humans to process it properly ( being made for cows and all), it is also quite high in saturated fat and you have to wonder what they do to skim milk to take the fat out of it.

The more I read the info supports a primarily plant based diet, low in processed foods, sugar, salt and saturated fat. Interpret this as you will. There is a wonderful world of great food out there still. It is amazing what is put into food too! I've never read so many labels in my life!

This may be an interesting discussion.
Amanda xx

The discussion about what to eat and what not to eat will go on forever.  As long as we are eating everything in moderation and a wide variety of things, surely that can't be bad for us?  I am not moderate in anything (!) so have had to learn to be very quickly but have long believed that it's about quality not quantity (unless it's french champagne then it's a free for all!!)  Millions of people eat dairy and meat and don't get cancer - who knows really what is the 'cause' or what 'contributes'? 

I agree with both Amanda and Tonya. I know Australian red meat does not have any added "nasties", but with that said my body is telling me to eat less of it. I feel much better when I have had a meal based around fish, pulses or lentils. And my red blood cell level is still climbing after the very low level caused by chemo.

 I have added foods to my diet that I knew I should be eating, but never got around to cooking before diagnosis such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower etc.

Interesting that it is these foods that have to do with controlling estriol in our bodies, often thought of as the lesser of the three types of eostrogen we produce but very important in keeping the balance right between the other two. I'm now on eostrogen suppressing medication so they no longer will have this effect on my body but I still feel better basing a meal around them.

Amanda is correct when she talks about control. This disease takes over our lives and lets us control very little of it. The feeling of taking control through diet or by shaving your hair off before chemo is our way of demonstrating that we can still have a say and not give in completely.

Does it work? Who knows, lots of anecdotal evidence says it does and research coming out of America at the moment damns sugar in our diets.

Is it harming our bodies more than the treatments? No!

Does it make us feel better? You bet it does!

With love

Joy K

Bring on the chocolate!

                Tonya xx

At the end of the day, it is up to yourself what you put in the "open mouth".  Because I am gluten and lactose intolerant, I watch my diet fairly closely.  In the past I have been able to get away with adding in some "naughty" things but at present I am finding that the elimination of all gluten and lactose works well for my health.  I try and limit my processed foods but some times it is really hard especially when you are out and about.   I love fruit and could easily just live on fruit and cheese, however I know that I must eat other good stuff as well.  I would rather drink vege juices than eat veges but what a pain to do the juicing every day!!!!! I think if we just try and do our best to eat healthy well balanced diets then that is good.  To live on a really strict vegan or other type of diet without some "banned" foods would take out the fun of living.  All in moderation is the key. XLeonie

Hi all

I tried to cut out dairy for a while but then just craved cheese and yoghurt so have re-introduced these to my diet but to a much smaller degree. No more big slabs of cheese every day!  I do eat read meat  but only once or twice a week - and now it's organic, as is any chicken I buy.  I eat more fish now too.  I'm now looking into recipes using pulses.  I figure it can't be bad for me and hopefully it will get my kids into healthy eating - not that I ever thought I really ate unhealthily before!  We're also planning on extending our veggie patch to have more of our own vegetables - yum!

Amy x

PS  I can't quite kick the chocolate yet!

Hi Ladies

Just wondering what everyone's take on soy is? If you cut out dairy do you replace with soy? Isn't there talk about soy causing cancer too? I have a bit of both but I'm also interested because one of my daughters is allergic to dairy (anaphylactic) and so only has soy products.

As far as chocolate goes I eat much less since my periods stopped in May - I used to eat heaps of it when I was pre menstrual. No cramps, no cravings LOL.

Take Care
Ann-Marie xoxo

From what I've read,soy has mild"estrogen like"properties and although quite good for you,shouldn't be consumed in large quantities. This is probably extra so for women with estrogen+ve cancer.I think it comes down to moderation. I don't go all out to include it in my diet but I don't totally avoid it if it's in bread etc.

                                 Tonya xx

Ann-Marie,  I have avoided soy since my first diagnosis of Oestrogen positive cancer back in 2006.  I read that it affects hormones so took it all out of my diet.  I use lactose free milk, rice milk or almond milk. XLeonie

Is Flaxseed  oil okay to take?, Was told this helps to prevent breast cancer.Debbiexxxxxxxxxx

My dear father believes that diet or no diet, & moderation is the key.  This 75+ father thinks that the cancer element is all around us, since we live in a chemical world of products.  That is chemical in our laundry powder, air freshner, food, plastics, radiation, phones, stress,  etc etc.     So it will depend on how our body adapts with this surroundings, some body copes well, a small number don't - like "me".    As he believe - some smokes all their entire life, and still cancer free.

Hi,

 I like seasonal foods and variety etc. I also wonder if our genetic makeup ( my ancestors are English, Roman, Scottish/ Celtic etc ) influence our choices and needs ?

 I have tried soy milk, but I find it does not agree with me too much. I do not crave red meat much now I am post menopausal. I like beans, hommus and lentils. I eat tinned sardines, free range eggs, chicken,  prawns and other fish. I like lamb too.  I try and eat low GI  and wholegrains.  Bhurgen bread is nice. I use olive oil.

I eat plain yoghurt. I like mature / vintage cheese, but not too much. Plums are nice atm..stewed plums and yoghurt ..yummy....

I like mushrooms and root vegetables, also tomatoes, onions, garlic, spring onions, carrots, plus greens each day like celery, parlsey, rocket and other herbs, raw food and handful of nuts, etc.

I like the brassica group of foods... and also drink more tea now and like spices.

I think your mindset can affect things too; so I try and go with the flow more now. " be like water, find the easy path. "

Maybe it is just getting older and slowing down, but I feel more accepting and maybe a little enlightened since my BC diagnosis. I had to go through some suffering to get here though. I have found that " giving back " feels good.

 "Eat to live, not live to eat. "

I am  NOT perfect, by any means, but I enjoy knowledge on ways to help our bodies function as well as they can.

I forgot drinking water, and strolling along an ozone rich seashore, etc as  some other things to do for health. " Listen to your own body and what it needs, "  I try and do now. I try not to breathe car fumes or other toxins.

I wish you all the best. People on here are amazing and an inspiration to me,

 Love Kathy.

At the end of the day it comes down to individual choice.  I don't see my choices as a "diet" but the way I now live.  It is different to before but I have read a lot and I am sure it will keep evolving for me.  The information can be so conflicting.  As your father said Chemostyle - who knows why some bodies adapt and others don't.  What we eat is only one way of impacting our bodies but we can control it perhaps more than some environmental influences.  

Moderation means different things to different people which is perhaps why recommending extremes are popular - if extreme is recommended then maybe someone will make a few changes that are beneficial.  

Regarding soy and flax - there seems to be controversy everywhere about these and oestrogen.  My belief is that the closer to natural the better - so soy or flax in any sort of processed form is possibly harmful - powders in particular.  I use flax oil daily and soy as my preferred milk substitute (I prefer Bonsoy as there are no added nasties) though I often mix it up with almond or rice milk.  I am quite comfortable with the small amounts of soy that I consume and also adding Flaxseed oil (cold pressed and organic) to my diet daily.  

There is also controvery regarding coconut oil - I am leaning toward it being ok in moderation rather than excluding it from my diet because of it's saturated fat content - anyone else have thoughts on this?

At the end of the day - food can be medicine and it can be wonderful providing our bodies with amazing nutrition. That's worth celebrating.

Amanda xx

Leonie - I noticed you wrote that you are gluten and lactose intolerant.  Are you sure its the gluten you react to?  I have lactose and fructose malabsorption, (diagnosed by breath testing,) and now avoid wheat as it is very high in fructose.  Gluten, I am ok with, as it is the protein part of wheat, fructose being the sugar.  I have found a lot of people cut out wheat from their diet and feel better and then assume gluten is the problem. But fructose in fruit and veg might also be causing problems. I don't mean to tell you what you already know!

I am in week 3 of a 12 Gawler Foundation course and diet will be covered soon - I am already restricted in my eating - fructose and lactose, casein, (dairy protein,) and egg intolerance and a vegetarian by choice.  I am also sensitive to chemicals in food, eg amines,  salicylates and msg, which occur naturally as well as in additives.  I eat very little processed food.  However I have been on this diet for some years, well before my diagnosis of early breast cancer last year - so I can't say that this diet has prevented cancer!  Moderation in all things - I have chocolate and crisps occasionally - there has to be some quality of life!

cheers,

Anne

cheers,