Craig's Diet

Craig has mentioned his diet often enough that people are asking me to post some particulars!

We began with a diet from the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care up in Evanston (Chicago), Illinois, where we visited in September. Some of their advice has become part of our routine, and some of it we have set aside or supplemented/adjusted in consultation with the dietician at University Hospital. Please keep in mind that diet is often very individual – people have illnesses, allergies, and tastes that vary, so please don’t just adopt our diet, particularly if you have cancer, without consulting with a certified dietician or other professional. Note: For the most part, I’m eating exactly what Craig is…and it’s helping me stay healthy as his caregiver!

It is also important to note that Craig’s ability to follow this diet has been significantly linked to his ability to avoid being nauseous during the chemotherapy and radiation. He was on pills, not IV chemo and was allowed to take it two hours after eating. Not taking it on a totally empty stomach helped. Visualization and prayer were also key assistants.

Major parts of the diet we are following:

* Choosing organic food whenever possible, especially fruits and vegetables

* Using whole grains and whole grain products (oats, rice, wheat, quinoa, millet, barley, flax)

* Increased intake of vegetables, including onion and garlic (we have recently cut back on garlic due to Craig’s bloodtests – it is an anti-coagulant); tomatoes daily

* 4 to 5 servings of fruits per day

* Approx. 100 grams of protein daily, particularly plant-based sources (lentils, beans, seitan, whey, soy (limited), white chicken, some fish, tree nuts—cashews, pecans, walnuts, pine—and seeds (sunflower, pepitas/pumpkin seeds), organic eggs (no peanuts or peanut butter or red meats); we do a protein shake for breakfast most mornings along with our food

* Sprouted/whole grain bread

* Limited fat intake; no margarine, very little butter; little olive oil

* Limited fruit juice

* Very limited dairy products; using rice, soy, almond, and oat milk substitutes

* Green tea (recommended to drink 2-3 cups daily; Craig is only drinking 1 and I’m drinking none)

* Very limited sugar intake; using Agave and Stevia or nothing; little honey

Parts we are not following:

* Wild/freshwater/coldwater fish (has been very difficult to obtain)

* Sea vegetables (we tried them but really don’t like the taste!)

When we realized that Craig’s red blood cell/hemoglobin/hematocrit counts were low, the nutritionist at University Hospital helped us to figure out what counted as iron-rich foods. She told us that for the iron to absorb, we needed to then accompany the food with something containing Vitamin C. So, the iron-rich foods that we increased were:

* eggs, pumpkin seeds, lentils, walnuts, parsley, spinach, sweet potatoes, raisins, oranges, and blackstrap molasses

For the Vitamin C, we include citrus fruit, tomatoes, peppers, berries, cantaloupe, or leafy greens.

When Craig’s platelet count dropped, I began to get a bit frustrated…there does not appear to be any nutritional recommendations to increase platelet count. Platelets are formed in the bone marrow and stored in the spleen. Those are both kept healthy by exactly the foods already in Craig’s diet! Weight-bearing exercise also helps the bones/marrow stay healthy, so we are walking. And, I’m doing an energy flow on Craig (Jin Shin Jytusu) that could help the spleen release more platelets. This challenge is more up to prayer and Craig’s visualization though. The decrease in his chemo amount and the chemo ending on Nov. 12^th will help too.

Susanne