Food
I’m keeping this one pretty simple. There are TONS of resources out there about what you should or shouldn’t eat if you have cancer, and some of that shifts and/or becomes more important if you are getting chemo (i.e.many people agree that you should especially avoid sugar during chemo).
Everyone’s body is different and responds better to different foods — and our own gut biome is constantly shifting, making specific foods more or less beneficial for us at different points in our lives. It’s confusing and we’re just scratching the surface when it comes to personalized nutrition and the wonder that is the microbiome. However, there are certain principles that I think are useful and effective for everyone, like avoiding processed foods and sugar. Whether you incorporate high-quality animal protein into your diet or not is up to you (and I’ll not use this space to convince you one way or another).
I have always had a very healthy diet, so this was not an area I needed to change too much. I feel best when I eat a dairy-free, gluten-free, low-sugar, organic, Paleo diet. This is how I ate before cancer, and it’s how I’ll continue to eat until I die, with constant tweaks and adjustments.
Diet alone likely won’t cure your cancer, but it is a crucial component: if you’re poisoning yourself with pesticides / hormones / antibiotics and foods that allow free radicals to cause oxidative stress, you can’t expect your body to ward off cancer or heal. Food matters.
For those who are interested, my daily diet looks something like this:
Breakfast:
A smoothie with unsweetened almond milk, ground flax seed, chia seeds (whole or ground), grass-fed collagen powder, protein power from grass-fed cows, cacao nibs, greens powder, half a banana, frozen blueberries/strawberries/or cherries, cinnamon. I’m lazy, so I make enough to last 2 days and refrigerate the leftovers. I also sprinkle cannabis flower on the top — it has no psychoactive effects (because it’s not heated) but processes the healing properties of the raw cannabis through your digestive tract.
Matcha green tea powder blended with grass-fed ghee (1-2 cups)
Lunch:
Pastured organic chicken eggs or duck eggs (duck eggs are richer and bigger), possibly scrambled with my homemade, dairy-free pesto
A salad or sautéed spinach
Avocado
Try to include something probiotic, like kimchi
Sparkling water (some people think you shouldn’t drink anything while you eat, but I love sparkling water so much, I have a glass with lunch and dinner)
Dinner:
Grass-fed, organic meat or wild caught fish
Starch: usually rice (I’ve switched primarily to white rice, as it’s a resistant starch once it’s cooled and reheated, and therefore better for your gut and also less likely to have mold toxins than brown rice; I know, we are taught that brown rice is better, but many biohackers are switching to white rice), sweet potatoes / yams, winter squash, or quinoa.
Vegetables: usually a green vegetable, like kale, dandelion greens, chard, or broccoli. I also have a zoodler and love making zucchini noodles (and adding my delicious pesto!).
Sparkling water
Snacks: might include any of the following
Homemade energy balls (I would post my recipe, but I honestly want to launch a balls company!! See above for the cocoa matcha and lemon coconut)
Homemade applesauce (the pectin is great for your gut)
Gluten-free rice crackers with almond butter or some kind of dip, like baba ganoush, hummus, or Bitchin Sauce
Banana with almond butter
Tea throughout the day: I drink green tea in the morning. For the rest of the day, in addition to hot water with ginger, my favorite is Republic of Tea Roasted Dandelion (it has a biscuity flavor and a hint of vanilla and is caffeine-free; everyone I’ve ever served it to loves it); Republic of Tea Double Dark Chocolate Mate is also great
Methodology food delivery service: After my surgeries and while I’ve been spending a huge chunk of time getting (and researching) alternative therapies — and catching up on work — I have been too exhausted to cook (I normally cook nearly all my own meals), and I needed the nutrients and couldn’t afford to keep losing weight. So for a few months, I’m using Methodology. It’s the healthiest, most customizable meal delivery service I could find. It uses all the same ingredients of the same high quality that I would use for myself (and with even more diversity). In addition to full meals, you can add on proteins / starches / veggies, probiotic specials, protein pancake mixes, and much more. They deliver to my area Mondays and Thursday. It’s not cheap, but it is more economical than eating out or ordering in and far healthier. I won’t use it forever, but I do really appreciate having it now. It’s not available everywhere yet, but this link will get you 10% off your first order, if it is in your area.
Thrive Market: I also really love Thrive Market and order many non-perishables from them. I find them to be high quality and more affordable than Amazon or Whole Foods in most cases. This link gets you 25% off your first order.
