Help My Dad Beat Cancer

Nutrition
1

Hey guys,

Long time reader, first time poster here. I used to read T-Nation a lot a few years back when I was still a chubby highschool kid. You helped me passed that phase so thank you for that. I still read some articles every once in a while, but other then that im not so sure of whats going on here. I`m Dutch so excuse me for my grammar in advance.

I`ll get to the point. My dad has cancer and it has spread through his body. He had an operation a few weeks back that was successful and that took out a lot of it. The problem now is that after the operation there is not much left of his stomach.

Its a lot smaller then it used to be. His throat is hurting. So those two things combined, he has a lot of trouble eating. Liquids go down easy, but the texture of some foods make them hard to swallow. They can get stuck in his throat. Hes getting thinner every day. Right now he`s doing chemotherapy and he needs his strength!

I figured with all the nutrition knowledge over here, I might get some good information. If I won`t, no problem.

So basically my question is; With the limited amount of food he can eat, what are the things I should have him eating? What are foods that are low in volume but very high in calories? I need to get him strong so he can handle his next batch of pills better.

I do have a basic idea of what a healthy diet looks like, but he can only eat so much, which makes this difficult. I would really appreciate any ideas! Not sure what I`m going to get out of this, but might as well give it a shot. If I missed anything please ask away…

Im a Dutch guy, who is in Athens now. I dont have internet access 24/7. But I check daily in an internet cafe.

Thanks in advance!

3

I agree with bushidobadboy, make some healthy shakes. Whey protein, oatmeal, and PB is a good place to start as you’d be getting a lot of calories and a good variation of fat/carb/protein. Add in lots of fruits and veggies and possibly look into getting a juicer for vegetable juice drinks. Also, ask the doctor.

4

Broccoli every two hours. Isn’t that mandatory on this forum?

5

sorry but in my honest opinion, do as the doctors state!

only eat what they tell him to and take his meds as perscribed,

supplements like “Superfood” (sorry bushy i know your knowledgeable but) have not been tested for the long haul and no one “REALLY” knows whether something such as that will conteract with meds or something else in his body. Until he is healtheir from natural and possibly organic foods.

This is my opinion and nobody elses,

Bushy i hope i have not offended you? I in no way or another plan to offend anyone or their suggestions or the such.

add whipped potatoes, very filling and add softer foods such as buttered soft rolls/breads

eat eggs if possible, scrambled or fried (not too many fried)

sliced peaches (canned with water) slimy and will go down easier

fruits that have been in cans and can be swallowed easier

veggies in cans until they are able to swallow brocolli and stuff like that.

lots of fluids with vitamins and possibly energy drinks (if allowed by the docs due to mixxing with meds/)

cottage cheeses
yogurts to replace the good stuff in the stomack and intestines

hope i have helped at all,

again sorry bushy, but the Superfoods to me have not been tested with the meds and the situation that has occurred. (it may or may not counteract something/)

j2048b

7

I’d recommend checking out someone such as Dr Young - probably hated by bodybuilders because he is anti-protein and says the blood builds muscle. However, what isn’t disputed is that maintaining a healthy pH level is very important, and cancer is an acidic condition.

I think he would suggest 65-70% fats; lots of omega-3 fats, monosaturated fats, coconut oil, superfoods (especially greens), virtually zero sugar (important)!

8

Bushy’s right on the mark. Shakes should probably be the mainstay. Scrambled eggs are great too. The only thing I probably would add might be some milk thistle. I realize some of the research is inconclusive as far as aiding and repairing the liver, but at the very least, it’s a good antioxidant. My father had problems with his mouth and throat afterwards due to radiation. It was very difficult for him to swallow most solid foods. What I did was use whey protein powder, a touch of centrum multivitamin (in liquid form) and a scoop of ice cream. His doctor had no problem with it and my dad liked it fine.

9

Bushy,

Not offended at all! just a few more of my own opinions is all:

i was simply stating that (while Superfood is high in orac and everything else,) i just thought it would be a good/better idea to obtain the nutrients from easier to swallow canned fruit, for now, (and organic fruit/foods) especially if the person does not blend the drink well, it will hurt like hell going down and possibly scratch the guys throat?

Another thing is that i know Superfood is not a medicine, BUT without substantial evidence and years of use of a product, no one really knows if MAYBE, there just might be something in it that COULD counter act with meds and or chemo/ or cancer? You just don’t know? i know it is fruit/ but how it is packaged or made, or even how it is freeze dried could have chemicals in it that counteract with this guys situation.

(I am only refering to the guys situation in these posts, not someone who is a healthy specimen with out taking meds and chemo and having cancer)

I know most doctors are pretty ignorant when it comes to ALOT of things, so the guy may benefit from going to see a nutritionist?

Another thing is that yes/ they may use chemicals on fruit and veggies? But that is why i said to use organic stuff. Does it really say on Superfood where they obtain the freeze dried fruit that they use.

I am probably right when i say Biotest does not have a bunch of farms throughout the usa and canada where their little ommpa loompas go out everyday and harvest their purly organic/chemicaly free fruit that is to later be freeze dried into Superfood?

:slight_smile:

Yes some supplements have proven their worth, but in my opinion Superfood is so new that their is no background for it even working as of yet. And it may counteract with the guys situation.

hope no one is offended especially Bushy and Biotest, but what i have stated are facts:

no oompa loompa farms
no lengthy background of the suppplement Superfood
organic for someone who has had cancer exct… would be a better bet (less worries of how it was made/where it came from/and what was put into it)

j2048b

10

some cancer alternatives:

web link:
http://www.healthcastle.com/canceralternative.shtml

http://www.healthcastle.com/cancer-supplements.shtml

cancer and supplementation:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/study-finds-widespread-vitamin-mineral-use-cancer-survivors-benefits-use_462084_1.html

foods for after cancer (maybe just a money thing)?

http://www.specializedcancernutrition.com
/?gclid=CO2e1duMq5ECFQ3NiQod1hgPZQ

14

How about Berardi’s Popeye Smoothie?

1 c mixed berries
1 c spinach
1 c yogurt
1/4 c milk
and some vanilla protein powder (2 scoops)
2 tbsp goji berries

16

Sorry your Pops has to go through this, I lost mine to cancer two years ago. Have you thought of Marijuana to help his appetite? I understand he suffers from throat irritation, but you can get THC in liquid form.

17

LISTEN. I WILL TELL YOU THIS SOLID TRUTH. READ THE BOOK :::
PH MIRACLE BY Rober O Young.

THis is the only diet that I have seen cure cancer.
Its been proven that cancer spreads in a cellular acid environment.

18

Doctors are fucking idiots , they couldn’t cure a stubbed toe. They are the cause of cancer over prescribing everything, unable to use deductive reasoning to get to the root of the problem in any fashion.

Seek things that are gonna get to the root not just treat the symptoms.

[quote]j2048b wrote:
sorry but in my honest opinion, do as the doctors state!

only eat what they tell him to and take his meds as perscribed,

supplements like “Superfood” (sorry bushy i know your knowledgeable but) have not been tested for the long haul and no one “REALLY” knows whether something such as that will conteract with meds or something else in his body. Until he is healtheir from natural and possibly organic foods.

This is my opinion and nobody elses,

Bushy i hope i have not offended you? I in no way or another plan to offend anyone or their suggestions or the such.

add whipped potatoes, very filling and add softer foods such as buttered soft rolls/breads

eat eggs if possible, scrambled or fried (not too many fried)

sliced peaches (canned with water) slimy and will go down easier

fruits that have been in cans and can be swallowed easier

veggies in cans until they are able to swallow brocolli and stuff like that.

lots of fluids with vitamins and possibly energy drinks (if allowed by the docs due to mixxing with meds/)

cottage cheeses
yogurts to replace the good stuff in the stomack and intestines

hope i have helped at all,

again sorry bushy, but the Superfoods to me have not been tested with the meds and the situation that has occurred. (it may or may not counteract something/)

j2048b
[/quote]

19

http://www.recoverymedicine.com/immune_fx_article.htm

have you heard of the use of medicinal mushrooms in treating cancer patients? it helps - this is just one link that you may find interesting.

otto warburg won the nobel prize for his work on showing that cancer indeed is anaerobic. dr. johanna budwig also developed a diet protocol for cancer patients based on dr. warburg’s work for which she was sued in german court to keep quiet about. it’s basically mixing flax oil with sulphurated proteins (cottage cheese, yogurt) to make it more bio-available to the body. she was also nominated several times for the nobel for her work on cancer.

i wish you and your father strength in his recovery. you are a good son. may i be so blessed.

20

Thanks for all the responses, links and support!

My dad can eat solid food as long as it is soft and doesnt have a lot of texture. For instance we just had potatoes and broccoli and that went down fine. As long as the food gets soft he can eat it. Meat is difficult because of the texture. Fish can be a bit softer and he can eat this sometimes. The annoying thing about his throat is that sometimes he can eat solid food and sometimes he cant without a clear reason.

Today he had Brinta (a kind of oat with some more sugar) with milk in the morning. Scrambled eggs in the afternoon. We just had the potatoes and broccoli and he`ll probably have a shake with fruits and yoghurt later.

He drinks tea throughout the day.

I asked him about his supplements and he`s taking fish oil caps and vitamins e and c.

The vitamin e might not be such a good idea after reading j2048b`s link: Diet Strategies During Cancer Therapy | HealthCastle.com

Suggestions?

Im mostly worried about it not being enough to gain weight/strength. He cant eat more then this volume wise. Of course I could have him switch some things up. Make him a big shake and put that in there somewhere.