HEALTHY FOOD IN CANCER IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE "CANCER DIET"?

Curative nutrition in cancer: Is there an alternative "cancer" diet?

Introduction.

Annually around 5 million people die of cancer in the world, and before those nine million patients who have malignant neoplasms for the first time, there is a difficult task of survival. According to some reports, about one in four people in our country during their lifetime meets with this formidable pathology. According to other studies, two of the three families have relatives with cancer.

Malignant tumors rank second among the causes of mortality. In 2000 in Russia, 13.9% of men and 13.6% of women died from various forms of cancer. According to demographic indicators, our society is aging, hence, further growth of malignant tumors can be expected. In addition, an annual increase in such diseases by 1-2% is already registered.

Most cancer patients are over 60 years old. Elderly people, as a rule, have serious pathologies of internal organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver). Many suffer from diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain due to joint arthrosis, the development of osteoporosis. All this often causes depression in patients, and the detected malignant neoplasms aggravate the state of health.

Everyone knows that to recover is very important to have a positive attitude and a great desire to defeat the disease. This can only be achieved through joint efforts of doctors, relatives and patients themselves. When a person is first told that he has cancer, he feels that his world is falling apart. He is afraid of premature death and the suffering that brings the ailment. He is full of fear, not knowing either the features of the course of the disease, nor the prognosis. It is not only death that is frightening, but also a decline in strength, a prolonged illness, forced immobility, helplessness and, finally, the need for extraneous care. These people have insomnia, lost interest in the world around them. Mental suffering is fraught with social isolation, they affect relatives and close patients. Tensions in a number of cases lead to the destruction of the family.

The true state of the patient, corresponding to the results of the medical examination, is largely underestimated. Do not forget that the detection of cancer at an early stage allows you to completely get rid of the disease and in the future to lead an active, full-blooded life. And in those cases when it is initially difficult to determine the outcome of the disease, you should know that no doctor can often predict the course of the disease, which means that the patient almost always has a hope of recovery.

Until the appearance of obvious signs of a malignant tumor usually takes a long time, while the body is affected by various factors. Along with genetic and constant endogenous (internal) influence, environmental factors play an important role.

Food is one of the most controversial and most frequently discussed topics. We take food to get vitality. Food brings us pleasure, is part of culture and habits, inseparable from the mental state. For people suffering from cancer, paramount importance is proper nutrition. Inadequate intake of nutrients in the body leads to aggravation of the disease, and a rational food regime contributes to the maintenance of health, largely due to the medicinal properties of the products.

The purpose of this book is to help patients with malignant tumors to switch to therapeutic nutrition, make a diet correctly and use the medicinal properties of the products for their own benefit.

Experience shows that many problems arise in cancer patients requiring clear and understandable explanations. Of course, there is no shortage of information on proper nutrition today. Numerous books, brochures, magazines, newspapers, advertise advertise "useful" and "harmful" products and their components, give advice on catering. However, the diversity of facts and the contradictory nature of the statements of the authors does not inspire confidence in the readers.

Many cancer patients are interested in reasonable recommendations. People are ready to change their eating habits to restore health. It is important for them to know to what extent the intake of food and drinks can promote a speedy recovery. Councils for various diets are usually regarded by them as alternative treatments. Some aspects of this problem require more detailed study.

The system of rational nutrition is an important factor in the development of complex treatment of malignant tumors. One of the main tasks in feeding cancer patients is to prevent weight loss and maintain a normal standard of living.

This book is addressed primarily to people with cancer and their relatives. The information collected on this topic, of course, does not replace the advice and recommendations of the attending physician, since in each individual case it is necessary to develop your own treatment plan. However, additional knowledge will help to understand the treatment offered by the specialist, and will help to take preventive measures that reduce the risk of recurrence of the disease.

The book also lists and analyzes the original ways of cooking, in conclusion recommendations on rational, full and sparing nutrition, suitable not only for cancer patients, but also for people seeking to protect their health are given.

Here you will find answers to many questions that concern you, including whether you can find an alternative "cancer" diet.

The author will be very grateful for your criticisms, advice, recommendations, which can be sent to the e-mail address: dinara354@gmail.com

Chapter 1. Fundamentals of rational nutrition.

Classification of products.

Before a person diagnosed with cancer, a number of serious problems arise, including the organization of nutrition. There is a need for more detailed information about products and the need to make changes in perennial eating habits.

Under the full nutrition appropriate to this situation, we mean food that contains all the nutrients necessary for human life and does not worsen its health status.

Full-value food is not a diet, but a food that allows you to improve your health. Conditionally, all products can be divided into the following groups.

The most useful are non-or low-processed foods (not subjected to heat), for example, muesli, fresh vegetables and fruits, sprouts, nuts, olives, seeds, unrefined vegetable oil, yoghurt, kefir, yogurt, fresh milk, natural mineral water, fresh greens .

Moderately processed with the help of heating products: bread, vermicelli, flakes and confectionery products of wholemeal, buckwheat, millet; Boiled vegetables and fruits, deep-frozen vegetables and fruits without preservatives, boiled potatoes, beans, peas, lentils; Pasteurized milk and dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese), quality oil and margarine in moderate amounts; Fresh meat, fish and eggs; Natural honey, as well as fruit and vegetable teas, diluted vegetable and fruit juices; Products from soy (milk, tofu, etc.).

Significantly processed products: baked goods of high quality flour, white bread, gray bread, white ground rice, vegetable and fruit preserves, jams, fruit nectars, fried nuts, potato chips, refined fats and oils, milk with long shelf life, milk powder, Frozen meat and meat products (sausages, sausages, sausages), canned meat, black tea, cocoa, coffee, beer, wine.

Do not eat foods that have been overprocessed or contain certain chemical additives: sugar, food saturated with starch and ballast substances, canned milk, artificial sugar and other sweets, lemonade, sweet fizzy drinks, instant drinks, spirits and dishes from the entrails Animals, frozen ready-made meals, fats, subjected to strong heating.

Such a division of food products according to useful value is conditional. It is known that when processing and preparing dishes, the content of necessary useful substances usually decreases significantly, while energy intensity increases. For example, refined sugar has only an energy reserve, but it lacks vitamins and minerals.

In the formation of the diet should follow a few simple rules.

• Eat baked goods from wholemeal.

• Give preference to vegetable products, some of them eat raw.

• Do not abuse meat, fish, eggs in your diet.

• Limit consumption of processed fats and oils.

• Do not use refined sugar for food.

• Minimize the consumption of alcohol and caffeinated beverages.

• Start a meal with raw food, then go to the boiled. Food should not be hot or cold.

• It is necessary to eat moderately, but variously.

• Eat often, in small portions, by chewing on food. Do not ignore the feeling of hunger.

Caloric content of food.

Proteins.

The basis of the structural elements of the body are proteins, consisting of 20 amino acids. Of these, 8 amino acids are not produced in the body, and we are forced to receive them with food. Specific proteins are hormones, enzymes (substances that break down food in the gastrointestinal tract) and special protective (immune) substances necessary for normal functioning.

The liver is a chemical factory of our body. The life span of its individual enzymes is only 14 hours, and during the metabolism they are constantly updated.

Most of the protein requirement we are accustomed to cover at the expense of meat, fish and eggs. According to most scientists, the role of meat as a source of nutrition is significantly overrated. It can not be denied that meat and fish belong to easily digestible protein carriers. True, many cancer patients in the process of treatment have a feeling of disgust for meat dishes. In addition, the meat contains unwanted fats, cholesterol and purine substances that form uric acid. Especially a lot of fat, salt and various fillers is found in sausages.

On the other hand, when digesting meat foods in the intestine absorbed folic acid, iron, trace elements and vitamin B12, necessary for the construction of hemoglobin in erythrocytes (red blood cells). The body needs iron in 11-22% for meat and only 1-7% for a vegetarian diet. In meat food, more trace elements (magnesium and zinc) than in plant foods. It must be remembered that the prevention of anemia (anemia) is very important for cancer patients, as one can not hope for good results of radiation and chemotherapy against the background of deterioration of the blood.

Potato contains many nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals). From it you can quickly prepare delicious and nutritious dishes, especially in combination with other products.

The most suitable mixed food, for example:

• potatoes, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, milk;

• bread and cereals, meat and sausage products in small quantities, fish, dairy products.

In the daily diet of cancer patients, especially with a significant reduction in weight, eggs must necessarily be present.

Easily digestible proteins are found in milk and dairy products. Consumption of 0.25-0.5 liters of milk covers a significant part of the body's need for vitamins and trace elements. Heating leads to loss of nutrients, which is the case with milk, processed for long-term storage. The same applies to lactic acid foods. <...>.

The difficulty lies in the fact that approximately 10% of healthy adults do not tolerate milk, as their body lacks the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the milk sugar. After consuming milk, they develop fermentation, abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea). In patients with cancer due to disruption of the digestive process, such phenomena occur more often. In these cases, preference should be given to lactic acid products: yogurt, kefir, yogurt, in which milk sugar passes into lactic acid, which does not change the nutritional value of the products. An important source of protein are cottage cheese and cheeses. The variety of their varieties allows you to find a product to your liking.

Fats.

Fats contain twice as many calories as proteins or carbohydrates. Vegetable oils and melted fat consist of fat by 100%, butter - by 83%, margarine - 80%, peanuts - by about 48%. Most quickly absorbed in the intestine oil. Heated fats have the ability to irritate the gastric mucosa.

Fatty pillow of the human body fulfills the role of energy depot. At the same time, it serves as a shock absorber for various body forces, protecting the organs and tissues from trauma. And finally, it retains the necessary fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and fatty acids. In this regard, fats are an essential component of the diet of not only a healthy, but also a sick person.

In cancer patients due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, operations on the stomach, intestines, pancreas and gallbladder, significant digestive disorders are possible, the absorption of fats in the intestine worsens. Perhaps the emergence of debilitating diarrhea leading to dehydration of the body and the loss of a number of nutritional substances. In such cases, along with drug therapy, special dietary products are recommended.

A lot of controversy is being conducted around cholesterol, a fat-like substance, produced mainly in the human liver in an amount of about 3000 mg per day. The human body uses cholesterol to synthesize various hormones, build cell walls and produce bile acids involved in digestion.

Most cancer patients do not consume eggs, butter, sour cream, so as not to increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Elevated cholesterol is a sign of progressive atherosclerosis and related circulatory disorders, including stroke (cerebral hemorrhage) and myocardial infarction.

It is believed that food affects the cholesterol level by only 5-8%. In addition, there are data on the hereditary factor of this process. Currently, there are medicines that allow you to lower the level of cholesterol to normal levels.

Dairy products are a good source of fat in the body. Usually, milk contains about 3.5% fat. Milk and lactic acid products with reduced fat content are now available. In connection with this, there remain little fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Therefore, these products need to be used not constantly, but in the period of getting rid of excess weight. For most people who are not engaged in manual labor, the habitual consumption of fatty foods results in accumulation of fat in the body, which is harmful to health.

It is believed that 40 g of fat used for cooking and 30-40 g of fats consumed with cheese, milk, meat, nuts, etc. are enough for normal functioning of the organism. <...>

Fats are not only energy carriers, they impart a taste of food, they supply the body with the necessary fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids.

Practically in all recommendations for nutrition, there are indications of the need to include in the diet unrefined vegetable oils and unhydrolyzed margarines. The fact is that during the processing of vegetable oils a high temperature is used and various additives are introduced. In this case, virtually all carotenoids and a significant part of vitamin E are destroyed. As a result, an oil without taste and smell is obtained, but with a long shelf life. When creating light margarines as a result of chemical treatment of raw materials, a number of valuable fatty acids are also lost, so it is preferable to serve butter to the table. It is a source of vitamin A, and high-quality margarine - vitamin E and linoleic acid.

Carbohydrates.

To carry out metabolic processes, the body needs carbohydrates, which are the basis for energy metabolism in tissues and cells. Of particular importance in these processes is glucose (grape sugar). Some cells in the body (blood, kidneys and nerves) can not do without it. Sugar is found in products in various compounds. The most easily digestible in the intestines is ordinary food sugar. Carbohydrates are present in a significant amount in products containing starch (potatoes, rice, vermicelli, corn, bread and other grains).

A healthy person a day needs about 300 grams of carbohydrates. Some authors believe that a patient with cancer should sharply limit the foods containing carbohydrates in the diet. However, without sufficient energy supply, normal metabolic processes are impossible.

Discussions continue on the nutritional value of various types of sugars. Until now, scientists have no common opinion on this issue. Many believe that refined sugars (white, grape, fruity, etc.) are not the products needed by the body. This also applies to sugar syrups that are available in ready-made beverages. There are practically no nutrients involved in the construction of sugar molecules. The organism does not need these "fast" energy carriers. In addition, white sugar does not contain ballast substances, contributes to the appearance of excessive weight (especially in combination with fat) and caries. Reducing the use of sugar is not threatened by a shortage of carbohydrates, which are replenished by bakery and grain products. Yet some scientists believe that it is impossible to exclude white sugar from the diet. One of the popular products is honey, consisting of 80% of sugar.

When using concentrates containing a significant amount of sugar (molasses, maple and other syrups, malt extract, apple and pear juices), it is desirable to dilute them with water. Do not switch to sugar substitutes. Recently, scientists consider them as substances that provoke the development of some forms of cancer.

A large amount of sugar is found in beverages: in lemonade - about 7%, and in cola-containing beverages - 11%. This means that 1 liter of Coca-Cola contains 110 g of sugar, and a lot of it in fruit nectars. For quenching thirst, it is preferable to drink tea and mineral water.

The energy demand of a person and the energy content of food are measured in kilocalories. However, for most people the concept of "calorie" is an abstract one. Calorie is an energy measurement unit, as a meter for length. You can abandon the tedious calorie counting, if you limit the consumption of fat, alcohol and sweets and regularly monitor your weight. It is recommended to build your diet according to the energy needs of your body.

HEALTHY FOOD IN CANCER IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE "CANCER DIET"?