Rectifying nutritional and hormonal imbalances part b

This post continues Chapter 13 on Principle Three and covers maximizing nutrition, the role of certain nutrients, special cancer diets, food as medicine, superfoods, and recipes. Part A covered Testings & Deficiencies.

Maximizing nutrition

The human genome is packed with 4 million ‘switches’ and 80% are an on/off switch for disease. Epigenetics and nutrigenomics study how nutrients turn these switches on and off. According to the US National Cancer Institute, 80% of cancer patients suffer from malnutrition and roughly half of those die from causes related to malnutrition. Some of this is from cancer and some is from western medicine treatments. Either way, cachexia, or the weakness and wasting of the body, is a serious condition that must be addressed if you wish to survive cancer and its treatments. Tips for maximizing nutritional absorption:

Eat organic. Soil has lost 40-80% of its nutritional value since the advent of contemporary, commercial agricultural practices. Organic farming seeks to restore nutrients to the soil. And pesticides block absorption of nutrients.
Juicing. Juicing releases 90% of nutrients (3x more than chewing) and you consume a concentrated amount with juicing. Exposure to air oxidizes it and decreases nutritional content. I store leftovers in a vacuum-sealed bottle and drink throughout the day. I make ‘crackers’ by dehydrating patties of the leftover pulp mixed with oil, nuts, seeds, and spices.
Digestive enzymes. Enzymes are important for optimal digestion, nutrient absorption, immune response, cognitive thinking, and systemic cellular detoxification. If tests show a deficiency in pancreatic enzymes, your doctor will probably prescribe a large dosage of supplemental enzymes. I received extensive radiation to a tumor in my thoracic vertebrae and in the process, my pancreas was compromised. I’ve been prone to chronic pancreatitis due to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, ever since. I supplement with Creon, under doctor’s orders and it helps me to keep chronic diarrhea under control. You can buy lower-dose supplemental digestive enzymes over the counter, which will help you maximize the extraction and absorption of nutrients in your diet. Chewing extensively helps release enzymes in saliva.
Sprouting. Sprouting seeds such as nuts, vegetables, beans, and grains releases nutrients, such as anti-oxidants and enzymes, and increases absorption… protein, amino acids, Vitamin B₁₂, iron, magnesium, and zinc. It also decreases the presence of anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, polyphenols, saponins, and lectins, which interfere with absorption. Sprouting makes food easier to digest and fiber more available and it reduces allergens. One can soak in water, lemon water, or brine, rinsing once a day. One can purchase an inexpensive sprouter at the health food store, along with seeds and directions. My favorite things to sprout are radish and broccoli seeds, beans, and soaking almonds. I sprinkle on soups and salads.
Leaky gut syndrome. In Principle Two, we discussed Candida and leaky gut syndrome, which can cause nutrients to not go where they can be best utilized and toxins to go where they can cause problems. After doing a Candida cleanse to stop this, I drink aloe vera juice to help the intestines heal.
Pre- and pro-biotics. The micro-biome plays a huge role in health and disease, especially breast cancer. The breast even has its own microbiome. We want these bacteria working with us not against us. Avoid unnecessary anti-biotics and ingest pre- and pro-biotics to maximize nutritional absorption. Probiotics populate your intestine with beneficial bactiera and prebiotics are mainly dietary fiber that feeds them and keeps them happy.
Microwaves. As we discussed in Principle Two, heating foods in microwaves changes the molecular structure of food and decreases nutrients.
When you eat may be as important as what you eat. Recent research on circadian rhythms and eating suggests metabolic health is improved when meals are eaten in an 8- to 10-hour window, late morning to early evening.

The role of certain nutrients

Adaptogens. Adaptogens are a natural substance that help the body adapt to stress and exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. They are powerful allies in our quest to achieve homeostasis. They include ginseng, maca, astragalus, ashwaganda, tulsi, milk thistle, licorice, cordyceps mushrooms, and resveretrol. All of these have been mentioned as having restorative, cleansing, immune-boosting, hormone-regulating, and cancer-fighting properties.

Anti-oxidants. As we’ve mentioned before, antioxidants inhibit the oxidation of other molecules, thus reducing free radicals that damage cells.

Pre and pro-biotics and fermented foods. Prebiotics provide food for our microbiome. They reduce inflammation, regulate hormones, and help absorption of minerals. Prebiotic foods include dandelion greens, jicama, asparagus, garlic, leeks, onions, bananas, oatmeal, berries, and beans. Probiotics are basically the healthy bacteria that make up our gut microbiome. The healthier that population is, the more able we are to absorb nutrients and fight disease. Healthy bacteria can kill other bacteria, viruses, cancer cells and fungus, have an anti-oxidant affect, reduce inflammation, protect from radiation, improve digestion, reduce joint pain, and can improve your overall health and well-being both physically and mentally.

In addition to reducing inflammation and boosting immune function, probiotics influence your cancer risk by repairing DNA, detoxifying carcinogens, regulating hormones, and inducing apoptosis (cancer cell death.) Food sources of probiotics include fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, natto, tempeh, raw cheese, apple cider vinegar, and sauerkraut, kimchi, and other cultured vegetables.

Special Diets to prevent and kill cancer

New research^1,2,3 links poor diets to cancer diagnosis and survivability. The most frustrating thing about taking charge of our healing by controlling what goes into our bodies is endless contradictions published daily. The only thing that seems unanimously agreed upon and supported by the research is that the more fresh fruits and vegetables you eat compared to animal products, the healthier you will be. Not only will you get more cancer-fighting and homeostasis-achieving nutrients, you will be exposed to fewer carcinogens.

Plant-based diet. Hundreds of studies have been done showing the overall health advantages of a plant-based diet. Specific to cancer, one study found the overall cancer incidence in vegetarians to be 18% lower then in non-vegetarians.⁴ One analysis of research also concludes that a plant-based diet is cancer-protective, reducing the risk of cancer.⁵ The American Dietetic Association’s position is that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of disease.

The evidence for switching to a plant-based diet as a treatment for cancer has been elusive, although most alternative and complementary protocols advocate it. There are thousands of anecdotal stories and there is preliminary research by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, to support the notion that cancer can be reversed by switching to a plant-based diet. Campbell’s research is based on the negative aspects of animal proteins, which cause inflammation, increase cholesterol, degrade the microbiome, can trigger ‘cancer genes,’ and exacerbate if not instigate diabetic conditions. Survival after breast cancer is greater for women who eat more fruits and vegetables.⁶

Additionally, animal products are the main source of methionine, an essential amino acid that cancer uses for angiogenesis or, creating its own blood supply. It is argued that by restricting methionine, one can restrict cancer’s growth. And plants contain anti-angiogenic factors such as: green tea catechins, genistein (from soybeans), resveratrol (grapes), lycopene (tomatoes), omega-3s, compounds found in cruciferous vegetables, flavonoids, menaquinone (Vitamin K), curcumin, and carotenoids.⁷ All of these things are found in the plants we’ve recommended as anti-cancer. Coincidence?

Low-fat diet. The Women’s Health Initiative evaluated a low-fat diet high in fruits, vegetables, and grains and concluded low-fat eating patterns reduce breast cancers with greater mortality. A follow-up study found significant reduced mortality.⁸ An in vitro study looked at ‘before and after’ blood from overweight, postmenopausal women who participated in a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercise program and found their ‘pre’ blood stimulated tumor growth and their ‘post’ blood increased apoptosis by 20-30%.⁹

We know that obesity increases the risk of cancer. Increased levels of hormones (estrogen, insulin, ILGF, leptin, etc.), free fatty acid-induced production of reactive oxygen species, an altered intestinal microbiome and chronic inflammation are known to be associated with an increased cancer risk in obese subjects. However, the mechanism underlying the connection between obesity and cancer development remains elusive. This study shows that a high-fat diet (HFD) promotes tumor initiation/progression and messes with our T-cells.¹⁰

Fasting. A recent study found that fasting for a little as 72 hours triggers stem cell regeneration, and can restore the immune system after damage from chemotherapy and even make chemotherapy more effective.¹¹ Selective starvation can shrink tumors¹² and a recent study found breast cancer survivors who didn’t eat for at least 13 hours overnight had a 36% reduction in the risk of recurrence and were 21% less likely to experience breast-cancer-related mortality.^13,14One reason fasting is good for you is that it stimulates destruction of old mitochondria and replacing with new (the little engines in each cell). I do intermittent fasting (16+ hours), eating meals within a 6-8 hour window.

Ketogenic diet. The Ketogenic Diet is a high fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to put the body into ketosis, where ketone bodies are produced by ‘resetting’ the body to burn fat instead of sugar. It reduces inflammation, increases mental clarity and increases energy through mitochondrial biogenesis. It is used for weight loss, cancer starvation, and brain health (ketones promote brain cell growth and connectivity.) Used in conjunction with intermittent fasting, it’s been successful in treating epilepsy and is recommended for brain cancer. It is such a trendy yet controversial diet for cancer that I feel compelled to take you in a circle through the arguments and share my own experience.

The ‘pro’ theory is based on Warburg’s hypothesis that “cancer is a disease of metabolic dysregulation” (basically insulin resistance, carbohydrate intolerance, and inflammation) and relies on glucose to get its energy. It posits normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to switch to ketones but that cancer cannot. It is now being referred to as ‘metabolic’ therapy. Western medicine is also studying approaches to interfering with cancer metabolism by ‘cutting off supply lines.’

Studies have found removing carbohydrates from lab mice with aggressive cancer increased recovery and that people with brain tumors have a significantly lower survival rate when they have higher blood sugar levels. There are convincing anecdotal stories of people who have successfully fought cancer with this diet. In a systematic review of 13 animal studies, it was found that the ketogenic diet could inhibit tumor growth and increase survival time.¹⁵ And the ketogenic diet has been shown to enhance the efficacy of both radiation and chemotherapy in vivo. On the other side is a study that found that ketones increase tumor growth¹⁶ and that found cancer cells can metabolize fat.¹⁷

I need to pass along an important warning that was somehow missing from everything I read. While I did get my waist back (I had developed a ‘chunky trunk’), I learned the hard way that one should not indulge in drinking alcohol… at all. After a month on the diet, I let myself have a glass of wine, to disastrous consequences. I only had one because I feared low blood sugar and empty stomach might make it count for more. What I found out, too late, is that it not only accelerates the metabolism of alcohol, it leads to ketonemia and high concentrations of acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate in the blood. Thinking I was fine after only one glass, I drove, and I should not have. Ulp!

Alkaline diet. As discussed in Part One, your body will always maintain normal pH so a lot of claims about pH and alkaline diets are ill-conceived. However, I made the point that by eating to reduce the workload on your body to maintain normal pH, you may be setting it up to heal. Alkaline diets are plant-based and reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a natural response to injury and infection, but too much inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer. So eating to reduce inflammation can reduce cancer risk.

Enzyme therapy. enzymes help digestion and nutrient absorption and play a systemic role, breaking down fibrin protection in cancer cells, making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy… one can achieve optimal effects with lower doses. They protect against radiation damage. Three of the best plant-based enzymes come from pineapple, papaya, and asparagus. Enzyme therapy for cancer uses high doses of enzymes in combination with intermittent fasting.¹⁸

Combination of the above. Much more research needs to be done (this is a sample size of 1) but I found this study to be an interesting read. They combined Metabolically Supported ChemoTherapy (utilizes insulin), the ketogenic diet, hyperthermia, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a Stage 4 TNBC woman and received a pathologically complete response, linked to increased survival.¹⁹

My diet. The logic of my protocol is to convert my bioterrain from one that is hospitable to cancer to one that is hostile to cancer. By consuming fewer animal products, I reduce things that make my bioterrain hospitable to cancer and by consuming more fruits and vegetables, I balance my body so that it can effectively fight cancer and heal. Make sense? In a nutshell, I eat an organic, plant-based diet (with bone broth and organic chicken and eggs) with an emphasis on natural immune boosting, detoxifying, and cancer killing nutrients. I eat natural sugars and healthy fats in moderation and avoid toxins.

Food as medicine

Medicine is not health care.

Food is health care. Medicine is sick care.

I don’t understand how people who don’t believe that what we put into our bodies makes a difference to our health, believe that taking pharmaceuticals drugs will make a difference. You can’t have it both ways. And most pharmaceuticals are derived from natural substances. I’ll say it again… we have co-existed on the planet for millennia with natural substances that were either designed and given to us or co-evolved with us. Either way, nature provides everything we need. The biggest problems to our health come from subverting the natural order. That throws our physical systems into imbalance and natural substances hold a key to regaining balance, homeostasis, and optimal health.

Nature’s pharmacy contains natural antibiotics, antivirals, painkillers, and vital nutrients for brain, digestive, immune, reproductive, and overall health. Part Three: Substances contains information on these substances and their properties. An interesting observation is that some fruits and vegetables resemble the part of the body they help… walnuts are great for the brain and resemble a mini brain, tomatoes have 4 chambers and are red like the heart that it helps, beans are kidney-shaped and improve kidney function, sliced carrots resemble eyes, which they nourish. I think of food I ingest in terms of:

causing or enabling cancer,
interfering with treatments,
enabling the immune system to fight cancer, or
actively fighting cancer.

Superfoods

Superfoods most commonly touted as cancer-fighting powerhouses:

Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
Leafy greens – spinach, kale
Allium vegetables – garlic, onion, leeks, chives
Berries – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, açai, maqui, goji
Omega 3s – flax seed, flax seed oil, fish oil, chia seeds. hemp hearts
Fermented foods – yogurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented vegetables
Roots – carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, ginger, turmeric
Cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary
Nuts – walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds
Teas – green, tulsi, moringa, pau d’arco, dandelion, matcha
Seaweed – kelp, wakame, seaweedsalad, brownalgae, spirulina, chlorella
Red grapes, turmeric, bee pollen, tomatoes, mushrooms

For more information on the compounds in these and other foods and how they work against cancer, see:

Recipes

Bone broth. I found soup to be the ultimate meal when actively fighting cancer and undergoing treatment. I used bone broth as the base as it contains essential nutrients and aids in fighting cancer and building bone marrow. Bone broth improves immune function, reduces inflammation, builds muscle, heals the gut lining, maintains and improves bone health, speeds up injury recovery, and helps to regulate insulin. Making it from organic bones is a great way to get the nutrients from animals, especially if you have bone mets, without overloading your system with iron and the digestion of meat. Barley and mushrooms contain immune-boosting beta glucans. Most vegetables have cancer-killing properties. Pureed soups facilitate swallowing and digestion. They can be made ahead of time when you aren’t as ill or are easily gifted from friends and family.

Get organic beef or lamb bones from the butcher or save your organic chicken and turkey carcasses and boil the bejeesus out of them for 2-3 days in a slow cooker. That extracts the bone marrow and nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, collagen, and gelatin) into an extremely concentrated, gelatinous broth. Since I consume so many fruits and veggies, eat only organic, and live in a remote place, I have to constantly clean and prune my supply. I throw all that in with it. Clean it to your taste but bear in mind that some of that scummy looking stuff is the good stuff. You can drink it on its own when you are nauseous and can’t get much down.

Bone broth is a nutritional powerhouse. I keep it frozen in glass jars and use it religiously as a super rich soup stock for risotto or organic vegetable and legume soups. While actively fighting cancer, I didn’t add meat because meat is a bit of a strain on your system to digest and I was trying to stay away from meat. Other than bone broth and organic yogurt, my diet was primarily fruits and vegetables, much of it raw. I do allow myself infrequent and small portions of organic meat now that I am NEAD.

You can replicate some of the benefits of bone broth without using animal products. To aid collagen production use seaweed, celery, soybeans, kale, beets, spinach, tamari, and olive oil. Save vegetable scraps and use garlic, onion, and turmeric, astragalus, cordonopsis, and ginger roots (for immunity). For broth or as ingredients for the soup… seeds, nuts, and beans, red peppers, spinach, kale, carrots, mushrooms (every kind but especially shiitake, reishi, and chaga), celery, beets, seaweed, broccoli, and miso (for fermented benefits). These are recommended ingredients for the animal bone version as well. Stay away from potatoes, rice, and pasta in favor of sweet potatoes and beans.

Fermented Foods & Drinks

As we discussed, fermented foods are full of beneficial bacteria that foster the health of our microbiomes, aiding digestion, making nutrients more available, and supporting the immune system.

Yogurt. Heat whole, organic (ideally unpasteurized) milk to 180˚ stirring constantly, let cool to 110˚and add culture (either purchased starter or a bit of yogurt). Incubate at this temperature in glass containers (either by wrapping in a towel and putting in an insulated container such as a cooler, or by inserting in a warm water bath, or using a commercial yogurt maker) for 8-10 hours. I use a yogurt machine and yogurt as a starter. Refrigerate and flavor after thickening.

Kefir. Purchase kefir grains and rehydrate them for a week at room temperature in pasteurized milk, straining and replacing milk every day. Set grains in large amount of milk and let incubate for at least a day. Store kefir grains in milk in fridge for future use. Refrigerate and flavor with honey after thickening.

Non-dairy yogurt and kefir. You can use coconut milk in the same way to create yogurt and kefir. You will need to use a coconut milk yogurt as a starter. Using the full-fat coconut milk in a can will produce a thicker, creamier yogurt while the thinner coconut milk in cartons is good for a thinner yogurt or kefir.

Kombucha. Use a large, wide-necked glass jar, and make tea (green or black, I use Pau d’Arco, Tulsi and Moringa for their anti-cancer properties). Add organic cane sugar (the organism eats this, don’t worry), dissolve, and let cool. Add live Kombucha or SCOBY, cover with breathable membrane (paper towel and rubber band), store in a cupboard safe from drafts, and let ferment for a week or two. You can buy starters and SCOBYs online or at a health food store, get them from home brewers, and you can store in the fridge and re-use. They double with each batch so you can share with others. I keep apple cider vinegar by my bathtub and noticed a SCOBY, or mother, in my bottle that had been unrefrigerated for some time. I used it to make Kombucha!

Turmeric Sauerkraut. Shred a medium cabbage into a large bowl and sprinkle with 2T sea salt. Massage cabbage until wet and limp. Add 1T of black pepper, and 2T of powdered or 4T of grated fresh turmeric, massage again, place in glass jar, pack solids below the liquid so all is covered in liquid. Place a clean flat rock on solids to keep them submerged. Let ferment in the dark at room temp for at least a month. Refrigerate when bubbles stop forming.

Kimchi. You basically make this Korean version the same way but use Napa cabbage and pear, ginger, red chilies, garlic, daikon, and onions (scallions).

Fermented vegetables. Take this same theme and get creative. At least some cabbage is desirable as a base because it has enzymes that contribute to the ideal ferment. I love using ginger and shredded root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and turnips before adding to the mixture. I also add different types of rehydrated seaweed for health benefits. Sliced cucumbers can give it a pickle quality. I also like to make a version with cubed vegetables and add jalapenos, cumin, cauliflower florets and oregano for a Latin flavor.

Pickled avocados. Yes, and they are awesome! The trick is to use just ripe avocados and slice them into ½ inch wedges. I use turmeric, salt, pepper, allspice, chilies, lemon juice, and honey as the pickling brine. (ACV optional)

Pickled ginger. Mandolin-sliced ginger, steeped in boiling water to soften and brined in rice vinegar, salt, and honey (vinegar optional).

Sodas and tonics. Use water or coconut water as a base, ginger, pineapple, lemon juice, honey and cinnamon as flavors (these are all anti-inflammatory ingredients), and kefir grains as the fermenting agent (cover loosely and let steep for 24-48 hours). I always add turmeric. Because, of course.

Favorite anti-inflammatory recipes

Turmeric Cauliflower Bread. 2c riced cauliflower, 4 eggs, 1c nut meal, 3t turmeric, ½t sea salt. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix and press onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ½ inch thick. Bake 30 minutes.

Turmeric Coconut Snacks. 1c almond butter, 3/4c shredded coconut, 1T coconut milk, 1T each coconut oil, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, 2T honey. Combine first two ingredients and heat slowly over low heat. Add remaining ingredients, mix, roll into balls and rolls balls in shredded coconut. Refrigerate.

Anti-inflam Tonic. Fresh turmeric and ginger roots, lemons, pepper, coconut water, fresh pineapple. Mix ratio to taste, steep in hot water, and blend.

Golden Milk. Warm coconut milk and turmeric at bedtime.

Anti-inflam foods: Amaranth, ginger, tea, Kale, mushrooms, oregano.

This post, Rectifying Nutritional & Hormonal Imbalance, is from Book 2 of my Thrive Tribe Series, What I Did and Do and Why, a naturopathic protocol that helps me to survive and thrive, available from the bookstore, starting at $7. I am posting the entire book sequentially, in its entirety, on this blog once a week. Subscriptions are free.

Nothing contained on this website nor in my blogs or books should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer thriver who is currently NEAD and simply sharing my journey in the hopes it helps you to find your power and path. Please research anything I share to determine if it is a good choice for you. I believe in you! Bless you all on the path you choose.

All original content contained on this blog, What I did and do and why, is copyrighted 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Kaiulani Facciani, Snarling Wolf, Inc.