Hi There
We have recently had another person who is enthusiastic about diets changes, supplements etc., making suggestions to the site. It is their right to do so and I would defend that. I would also suggest a bit of rationality.
Many of these dietary suggestions have a lot in common - avoid meat; high amounts of fruit and vegetables; lots of 'organic' foods and swallowing lots of juices made from all sorts of vegetables. No sugar, bread, pasta, tea and coffee, alcohol and dairy products. Add to that lots of multivitamins and mineral substances and herbals supplements.
If you are one of these people and that is how you get your kicks go for it, but please do not be so evangelical about it and believe that everyone else should follow.
Several things need to be balanced here. One of them is quality of life. Most people who are diagnosed with cancer are in there late sixties and early seventies. They are fairly settled in their habits and you have to balance the discomfort of radical change to their diet versus what they are comfortable with.
Another is that a lot of this stuff is unproven and whilst there are guru's out there promoting such changes of lifestyle, they have very little rigorous evidence to support them.
For those of us who are younger, particularly those in their twenties and thirties, then there are a lot of lifestyle changes recommended for which there is good evidence. Regular exercise, plenty of green leafy vegetables, less meat, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking and so on. The Heart Foundation, Cancer Councils, Diabetes people are all in agreement and there is plenty of material on their websites as to what is appropriate.
What's my anecdotal evidence - well I have a very aggressive cancer, I am statistically at least eight years past my use by date. I have made no changes to my diet, I enjoy most things in moderation, I do not take dietary supplements, multi-vitamins herbs or anything like that. I do not undergo any of the new age things that seem so popular, I avoid aromatherapy like the plague, and I do not sit round in a circle doing weird and strange things. Clearly I am doing something wrong by not doing any of these things - I'm just well past my use by date with an aggressive cancer. I enjoy life with a good quality.
Cheers
Sailor
He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. Leonardo da Vinci
