The Cancer Diet

Recently I've been reading about the Gerson therapy for cancer.  At first it seemed that it was pretty close to what I've been doing.  While it does have some of the same elements, upon closer examination, I don't recommend the Gerson therapy, at least for someone with cancer as fast growing as the kind I've had. 

I re-read the cancer diet that I originally started with from cancertutor.com (not a pretty or very well organized website, but it has been key in my healing process), and I am back to being extremely strict.  It was good for me to read it again and to remember some things I'd forgotten

In defense of the Gerson therapy, it has helped hundreds of people overcome cancer, and it might be better for long-term cancers, but it is not what I'm going to follow right now.  It is pretty detailed and hard to follow without going to the Gerson hospital in Mexico.  Lots of their recommended foods are big no-no's for me.  Also it asks you to completely avoid all fats and salt.  I don't eat refined salt, but I think you need to consume some fats and salt.  I realize you can get most of that salt from your diet. 

Maybe as I come off my diet, I might be able to start following the Gerson program.  We'll see.

There was one thing it did help me with, namely adding in more juice (Gerson patients drink 13 cups a day, one cup every hour).  It has helped me not to slack off in the juicing department.  Although I am not up to 13 cups a day.  I do drink about 8 cups right now.  I'm trying to do more.

Here is a long summary of the diet I've been following for those of you who are interested. 

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The Cancer Diet Summary

·       Read more about each item at: http://www.cancertutor.com/AltTreatments/Alt_Diet.html

·       Every cancer patient should drink as much natural water (i.e. natural spring water or natural artesian water, processed with ozone) as they can, up to a gallon a day.

·       Also, a cancer patient should get as much exercise as reasonable. Exercise pumps the lymph system and helps get toxins out of the body. Even if a person can do no more than lift 3 pound weights for 10 minutes while sitting in a chair, it will help.

·       Note that when you go on a natural treatment for cancer, such as the grape cure, hydrogen peroxide, raw food diet (i.e. carrot-based vegetable juice), etc. you can expect some strong reactions from the body.

Vegetables

Essentially, you should have organic, fresh salads/vegetables/juiced grasses/sprouts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many of the other foods that are allowed on this diet should be mixed in with the salad, except for the vegetable juices.

·       As a general rule, ALL vegetables should be organic, if possible. Green vegetables, including grasses (generally juiced) and sprouts, MUST be the foundation of a good cancer diet. The fiber, enzymes, chlorophyll, minerals, and many nutrients are necessary for your cancer diet.

·       "Eating cooked food prevents the immune system from working on what is really important in keeping us superbly healthy and young in body, mind and soul. We exhaust and dissipate the body's strength by using the immune system to combat the unnatural cooked foods, chemically based supplements, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones (in meats, poultry, fish and dairy) and numerous other toxins we ingest, breathe in or absorb through our skin. When we really need the immune system to support us (as when a disease or infection develops or an injury occurs), it then lacks the strength to defend us properly."

·       Juicing vegetables and grasses will help get more nutrients into the body. However, some whole vegetables should be eaten in order to get the fiber. Fiber is critical to a cancer treatment.

·       As with all juices, if you make the juice from the actual foods, the juice should be drunk immediately after they are prepared. In cases where many small doses of a fresh vegetable juice are needed to be taken (e.g. to avoid diarrhea), the juice can be refrigerated during the day.

·       NOTE:  Most green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin K. It is definitely NOT a good idea to eat high amounts of cabbage or other green leafy vegetables day after day. This can cause blood clotting and may lead to a stroke, for example. Use moderation and variety in your diet.

 

List of vegetables that your diet should be based on:

          

Specific cancer fighting foods:                                         

o   Broccoli*

o   Asparagus*

o   Beets (moderation)*

o   Cabbage*

o   Carrots*

o   Cauliflower*

o   Bell peppers (red & yellow, green if they agree with you)*

o   Kale*

o   Parsley*

o   Wheat grass (usually juiced)*

o   Garlic*

o   Onion*

o   Sprouts

 

Other acceptable foods:

 

o   Celery

o   Cucumbers

o   Egg plant

o   Green /yellow squash (moderation)

o   Green beans & peas (fresh)

o   Spinach

o   Mustard greens

o   Collards

o   Lettuce

o   Okra

o   Scallions

o   Radishes

o   Swiss Chard

o   Watercress

o   Sea vegetables

o   Barley grass (as a supplement)

o   Turnips

o   Sprouted grains

o   Sprouted beans (esp. lentils)

It is good idea to juice all of the vegetables available that have the [*] symbol above.  Important Note: Beetroot can cause the urine of a person to turn red. Thus, if you take beetroot and your urine turns red, it is not necessarily blood in the urine.

A word about sprouts. Even sprouts purchased in health food stores have been shown to have very dangerous bacteria in them. Wash them very well, but it is even better to make them yourself.

Note: Carrots have a high level of glucose. This glucose is readily taken in by cancer cells. When the glucose is taken in so are the nutrients in the carrots, etc. that kill cancer cells. Cancer cells steal from normal cells not only glucose, but nutrients as well.

 

The Superfoods

·       By a very wide margin, the best foods in the world are wheatgrass juice, barley grass juice and a few other grasses. Only a small number of vegetables can even come close to these superfoods. However, most people are not going to sprout grass (search the Internet for the phrase: "wheatgrass kits" if you want to do it). Thus, many vendors make a variety of qualities of parsley powder, kale powder, barley powder or powder made from a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and grasses. Hopefully you will pick the high quality products. Such foods are absolutely required for a cancer treatment, mostly due to chlorophyll, but for other reasons as well.

·       It is impossible for a family to recreate some of the products which include multiple grasses and leaves. These are good additions to a cancer diet.

 

Nuts

·       In general, only whole natural (unpasteurized) almonds, macadamia nuts and walnuts are allowed on a cancer diet. Cashews are strictly prohibited. Almonds and macadamia nuts both have laetrile, and both are acceptable. Walnuts have the very critical omega 3. Other nuts should be used very sparingly. Peanuts (which are not really nuts) and cashews both have too much fungus and should not be used at all.

·       With the exception of walnuts being used in a Budwig Diet treatment, even the acceptable nuts should be used sparingly.

 

Legumes

·       Legumes (except peanuts) are allowed to be eaten by cancer patients, but only in moderation and only to stabilize the weight of the patient or to provide protein.

 

Meat, Fish, Fowl, Eggs, Dairy Products

·       All beef, all pork, all fish, all turkey and all chicken should be avoided during a cancer treatment. There are many reasons for these restrictions.

·       The only exception is that if a person is fighting weight loss, some fresh, freshwater fish can be eaten if that is the only thing the cancer patient will eat (e.g. they won't eat beans or other legumes).

·       Avoid all dairy products, including butter, all cheeses and all malts, except cottage cheese or skim milk when used in the Budwig Diet.

·       One exception is that pregnant and nursing women should eat two eggs per day because the choline is necessary for the baby's brain development and the baby takes precedence since two eggs a day is not life-threatening to a cancer patient.

 

Sugar and Refined Grains

·       You should absolutely avoid eating refined sugar and refined grains and anything else refined. These things not only feed the fungus and yeast in your body, they also feed the cancer cells. The yeast in flour makes things even worse. Do not eat anything where yeast, fungus or mould is used, added or is a part of.

Sweeteners

·       There is only one acceptable sweetener in a cancer diet - Stevia, which is an herb.

Fruits

·       The only fruits that are allowed on this diet, without restrictions, are the following: unsweetened lime, unsweetened lemon, and avocados. That is it.

·       Lemons are actually a required part of any cancer treatment because of their beneficial effect on the liver and because they get oxygen into the body. Lemon juice and lime juice should be taken primarily just before bedtime.

·       Exceptions:  Tomatoes have cancer fighting nutrients. Berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, black raspberries may be used in moderation.  Raspberries contain laetrile and ellagic acid.

Mushrooms

·       There are some mushrooms that are used in cancer treatments, generally as supplements. Realizing that some mushrooms kill cancer cells, but are at the same time primarily a fungus, take heed. Mushrooms are one of the good and bad foods. Use with caution.

·       The good news about mushrooms is that they do contain polysaccharides, which are essential to the immunity system. Mushroom supplements such as beta glucan are certainly acceptable to a cancer diet.

Algae (e.g. chlorella and spirulina)

·       Dr. Young says to stay away from blue-green algae, chlorella and spirulina. For cancer patients, I strongly disagree with this advice with regards to the chlorella and spirulina.

·       The benefits of chlorella and spirulina to a cancer patient, I believe, far outweight the negative aspects. Between spirulina and chlorella they contain: polysaccharides (required for immune system communications), vitamin B12, GLA, Chlorophyll Growth Factor (CGF) and a host of other powerful anti-cancer nutrients. A vegan diet simply cannot provide all of these things.

·       If you do choose to avoid these items, then make sure you eat plenty of fresh organic broccoli.

Herbs and Spices

·       All herbs and spices are acceptable, except black pepper and other highly acidic spices. Several herbs, such as Sheep Sorrel and Black Walnut, are known to be strong anti-cancer foods. Turmeric, which contains curcumin, is a spice that is a potent anti-cancer food.

·       As with all foods, the storage of herbs can cause them to be high in fungus. Also, herbs should generally not be used on a non-stop basis, unless specifically instructed to take them daily. Generally, it is best to take a periodic break from herbs.

 

Bad Fats and Oils

·       Avoid all heated oils

·       Other foods you should absolutely avoid are trans fats, meaning trans fatty acids or partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fatty acids may be one of the major causes of cancer. They become part of the cell's wall (replacing cholesterol) and make the cell wall rigid or sticky and can make the cell anaerobic (i.e. the first step to becoming cancerous) because large oxygen clusters cannot get into the cells. Like refined salt, these fats also destroy the electrical charge of red blood cells, causing them to "stick" together. When this happens, among other things, the red blood cells do not get to many cancer cells, meaning the cancer cells get far less oxygen (if any), meaning they thrive because they are anaerobic.

·       Another bad food for cancer patients is polyunsaturated oils. Polyunsaturated oils (e.g. corn oils sold in supermarkets everywhere) promote the growth of small blood vessels (by promoting the production of "bad" prostaglandins). This is bad for cancer because it allows tumors to grow new blood vessels. However, these small blood vessels are good for preventing strokes. Thus, while on a cancer diet avoid polyunsaturated oils.

 

Salt

·       Refined salt may be a major cause of cancer. Refined salt, the wrong fats, margarine and butter are the main causes of red blood cells sticking together (called: rouleau), causing them to absorb less oxygen and making hemoglobin a free meal for yeast and fungus. The clumped together red blood cells do not get as much oxygen into the cells of the body. Also, the clumped together red blood cells cannot pass through the smaller arteries/capillaries, meaning much less (if any) oxygen gets to cells in these areas of the body, and some of these cells may be turned to anaerobic (i.e. cancerous). As if that weren't bad enough, once the cells are cancerous, the oxygen still can't get to the cancer cells to slow down their spreading or kill them.

·       On the other hand, natural sea salt has a very similar mineral content as human blood. It is truly a health food as long as you don't eat too much of it.

·       Another thing is for certain, the organic mineral cell salts found in vegetables, seaweed, etc. are critical.

Foods to Avoid

·       Yeast products of any sort

·       Peanuts are perhaps the number one food that should be avoided because they are so high in fungus. Foods that have little resistance to invaders, when they are growing, are frequently high in fungus.

·       Corn, rice (because of the way it is stored) and potatoes, and any foods with corn, rice or potatoes, should be avoided, also because of fungus and the way they are stored.

·       Cashews are another food high in fungus.

·       Avoid processed apple juice for reasons beyond the scope of this article.

·       Avoid oranges, tangerines, and dried fruits, for a variety of reasons.

·       Do not microwave any foods during a cancer diet.

The Liver

According to Dr. Max Gerson, and others, even before the symptoms of cancer appear, the liver is damaged. As the cancer progresses, the damage to the liver also progresses.

The liver is the major organ in the body which deals with toxins. A person on an alternative cancer treatment releases a lot of toxins into the blood stream which end up in the liver. Because of this, the liver must be "detoxified" or "cleansed."

There are some alternative treatments that contain liver detoxification elements in the treatment itself. The grape cure, Essiac Tea, barleygreens, and others, cleanse the liver along with the treatment.

There are also a slew of herbs which "stimulate" or "detoxify" the liver. At the head of this class, as far as I know, is the herb "Milk Thistle."

Several alternative cancer treatments specifically deal with the liver by using enemas. Coffee enemas are by far the most common and are part of the Kelley metabolic plan, the Gerson diet, the Hulda Clark treatment, and others. "[Coffee enemas are] said to open the bile duct of the liver so that it quickly sends material into the colon for elimination." Occasionally, lemon enemas are also used.

The bottom line is that in designing a treatment plan, the care of cleaning the liver is critical. If the toxins in the liver build up and are not removed, it can cause the death of the liver, which means the death of the patient.

"The liver (among its many other functions) is the major organ of detoxification. Anything we can do to ease our toxic burden makes the liver’s job easier – including eating less, drinking more water, reducing our intake of toxins, exercising more, eating more fibre, and so on. There are also a number of herbs that help the liver with its detoxification tasks. These include dandelion root, yellow dock, burdock, chickweed and barberry – which are more effective when taken in combination than singly."
http://www.mysticalwildes.builderspot.com/page/page/1026287.htm

Another thing that will ease the burden on the liver is the lymph system. The lymph system also helps remove toxins from the blood, but the lymph system does not have a "pump," such as the circulatory system has (the "pump" of the circulatory system is the heart). The lymph system is only pumped by exercise.

"Like the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system is made up of channels or vessels, valves and filters (nodes). Unlike the bloodstream system, however, there is no pump like the heart. Instead, the lymphatic fluid is forced through the system by the action of the muscles and breathing."
http://www.cbass.com/lymph.htm

The lymphatic system is critical to the immunity system, to the treatment of cancer and to taking a burden off of the liver. Many cancer patients, for a variety of reasons, are in no condition to go for long walks, jog, or do other types of exercise. However, the good news is that the arm muscles are just as good, and perhaps better, at pumping the lymphatic system as are the legs. Thus, lifting hand weights can accomplish much in helping the lymphatic system.

However, prior to cleansing the liver of toxins, the colon must be cleansed so that the toxins can be dumped into the colon!! This means that at the beginning of any alternative cancer treatment, there must be a colon cleanse.

“It is important to make sure that the colon is in good shape before stimulating the healing of the liver. If toxins cannot be excreted, the liver may store them, causing harm.”
http://immunedisorders.homestead.com/Detoxification.html