Micro Greens and Sprouts and Oestrogen

Hi pat2

I'm also ER+ and read the many articles for and against - I tried asking my BC nurse about whether it could be controlled by diet and got a "ask the oncologist" and the oncologist just wouldn't answer.

I then went on to do research of what foods would be good for me to eat based on vitamins (as I've not eaten fish or meat for over 40 years). I am just about to have my 3rd annual mammogram and have been choosing foods from this list ever since.  I do drink alcohol at the weekends and before the lockdown we went out once a week for a meal, where I didn't worry about following the list.

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/38/2843.List-of-vitamins-and-foods.xls

Hope this helps 

Hi lesleyhelen just wanted to say thank you very much for posting your recommended list of foods for ER+. I have also been veggie for over 30 years and have recently cut out dairy (after reading about the possible hormone content of milk). Need to avoid nuts and some seeds due to life threatening nut allergy.. so I have been stressing a bit over how to get enough vitamins and minerals without just relying on supplements. Your list will be really useful, thank you. x

Hi PictureThis2

I'm glad you think it might help.  About a year before I was diagnosed with BC, I had a cut on my leg which wasn't healing (old scar tissue) and after confessing to my doctor that I had a rubbish diet, I was sent to a dietitian at the hospital.  I learned quite a lot!  

I never used to eat breakfast ( coffee and a fag!) and had a chocolate bar, banana, apple and orange for lunch and then in the evening it would either be frozen cheese pizza/chips or pot noodle/chips. And had quite a bit over the 21 units of alcohol a week.  Honestly I was that bad!  I was a healthy weight - 5ft 7" 9.5 stone, never tired and had 'no problems' - except for slow healing.  She made me understand about the need for the body to get the correct fuel and when - NHS has a 'eat well' chart on their page - really useful too.  I hadn't realised that I had no protein until about 6.30pm, if at all and was living off of processed food.  I did add nuts for breakfast and add Quorn into my evening meal.  It wasn't until I was diagnosed with cancer that I realised that the processed food was a huge issue!  Hence going through what food does what and from never having used my cooker since the day I moved in at 21 - I was 51 when diagnosed - I now cook every day and I have a plateful of vegetables most evening now.    I now weigh a stone more - I think due to the tablets or maybe eating more because I am hungry (which I never was before - I ate because I had to) who knows?.

I also gave up milk and have oat milk.  Same reason, cows are full of oestrogen to get them producing milk, so I didn't want to be drinking it.  This is all my own preference and not advised by the doctors though. 

Best wishes,

Hi Lesley,

Many thanks for the list. I have increased my veg and fruit intake over the past year. Also tried to remove processed foods as I personally dont want to eat them. Can be difficult as the family here do like their bacon in pasta dishes etc and my husband is a fussy eater. I gave up alcohol a few months before my diagnosis but must admit had a couple of nights where I have had a drink during lockdown. 

Anyway thanks again for the info.

Hope you are keeping well

Stay safe

Pat

Hi lesleyhelen,

I would like to say 'Thank You' for the list.  I have to confess, I am a total junk eater, sadly, always have been. I would love to eat vegetables and fruit - the best I can do is hmmm potato's, carrots - apples and banana's!!!

My problem is the thought of most vegetables makes me want to gag - just can't bare the thought of the texture etc whilst eating them.

The stupid part about all this, is because they are not 'animals' - I should be able to make myself eat them however......

I was diagnosed with Diverticulosis disease 18months or so ago - only through routine screening, I'd had a few upset moments, mainly caused when I'd eaten cashew nuts .... DD might of been the reason, yet I can eat peanuts.

After BC diagnosis I changed from dairy milk to Almond milk, trouble is all my food seems to be processed, you know, I can't think of anything I eat that is not processed  

My question is.... could my body be telling me to avoid vegetables - in case they start off an episode with diverticulosis - or am I just been silly and need to somehow kick myself up the bum and get eating them.  My poor body is living on junk and it really isn't fair, I would love someone to guide me with how to eat vegetables.

I find it so frustrating when I hear people say..... I love salad or just give me salad.  My dear mum loves, loves, loves sprouts!!

pat2 I will take a keen interest and follow this thread - I've not even heard of 'micro greens and sprouting'  hmmmm very interesting. 

Sending love xxx

Hi WhatHappened

I didn't know what micro greens and sprouting was either - good old Google!  Having had my chat with the dietitian before BC, I was surprised my body had coped as well as it had since I'd left home. There is very little goodness in processed foods apparently.

I'd never heard of diverticulosis either... here's what I found "In the past, most experts thought not eating enough fiibre-- which is found in many fruits and vegetables, grains, and beans -- led to diverticulosis. But recent studies haven’t shown a clear link between the condition and eating fibre" So the jury is out on that one, but the BC nurse and Eat Well NHS both strongly recommend fibre.  

When I was diagnosed (having had a bad road accident in 1983 and a leg which is now just scar tissue) I had an MRSA infection in my leg.  Due to having 2 years on antibiotics when I had the accident, not many antibiotics work - so I'd been on IV antibiotics and then 3rd line oral antibiotics for well over 6 months.  These cause upset stomachs...  So, even after I'd stopped the antibiotics, when I switched to more fibre in my diet, I found my stomach didn't react very well.  However, I've persevered and have a high fibre diet now and my stomach is ok.  I think the change of diet can play havok for a bit, but the longer term benefit is worth it.

My mantra had always been "if it takes longer to cook than to eat, I don't see the point" - microwaved processed food all the way for me! I never used to like vegetables much either - I can remember my boss at work when he realised I didn't eat meat or fish and didn't like vegetables saying "What the hell do you live on?"  "Pot noodles, chips and pizza" was my reply. I am sure my dislike of vegetables came from sitting at the dinner table for 3 hours as a child being told I couldn't leave the table until I had finished the sprout that was still glaring at me on my plate!!!

Do you like rice? brown rice is good for you - put some lentils in with the rice for protein balance. 
Heinz ketchup if you want to something on your food has the least amount of additives than any other red sauce.
As you like potatoes, have you tried sweet potatoes?  These are better than ordinary ones for fibre. Chips aren't that good for you, but sweet potato fries are at least a bit better than normal chips.
Can you disguise your vegetables?  Do you like curries? A shop bought sauce on top of wok fried vegetables (olive oil) could be a good compromise? Or boil them and then put a curry sauce on them.Or if you DO cook, create your own sauce.
Soups?  Vegetables in a blender,  black pepper can help flavour too.  
Brown bread (bakery at the local store, rather than sliced).
Do you bake? Could you bake cakes with currents/sultanas in? I can't stand sultanas, but can cope with currents, so I do get it - it's a nightmare when you don't like 'normal' food. 
Eggs? very good for you - poached.  (I still can't be bothered to cook those, so mine go in the microwave for 60 seconds, ha, ha)
Avocados?  Didn't think I'd like them - but actually  they are quite nice.
Try almonds or walnuts to see how you react to them as these are on my list of ER reducing and are better than peanuts.  

One of things I got told by the dietitian was "different colours on your plate" So, carrots (red) sweetcorn (yellow) and greens is a good mixture. 

All the best,

Hello lesleyhelen 

This is such an interesting topic: chocolate reference ha ha   :-) 

Seriously, my mum had a conversion to health foods during the mid 1970’s and so from white “ soft “ bread we changed to the heaviest of stone ground whole meals ( Mrs Horsfield’s) made at a local bakery.

I grew up initially on fried foods ( my dad’s favourite), and quite often had bilious attacks, as my mum would say. My dad also had stomach problems and took loads of Rennies etc. Mum changed what we ate to more vegetables and fruit. And much less fried stuff and my dad’s indigestion improved as a consequence. 
Now I try to eat what I enjoy and does not cause me stomach issues eg heartburn / acid reflux which can be an issue on long term chemotherapy!

I don’t eat meat through choice ( ok a school domestic science lesson at 14yrs covering battery farming also put  me off). I don’t like the idea or taste of meat. The smell of bacon

I started eating fish again in the early 1980’s but TBH not a big fish eater ( maybe Seabass or Haddock) or eggs either ...

I do like the following Avocados eat everyday. Salad (not cucumber  smell alone yeuch), tomatoes rocket, chicory.

After years of eating garlic and onions I get heartburn when eating them. 
I enjoy fine milled oatcakes and thin Orkney oatcakes with unsalted butter and nut spread eg cashew nut, walnut, almond. Not keen on peanut butter. 
Try to eat berry fruits ( less sugar) eg strawberries blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Love full fat Greek Yoghurt! Also Creme Fraiche ;-) Not keen on fresh cream !

I enjoy Broccoli carrots ( microwave I’m afraid) organic for carrots, seen too many bugs for organic broccoli

Don’t like potatoes ( or sweet) nor rice. Don’t like cooking either ... Do like some dark 80 % or higher chocolate.

Don’t like bread ( yes I’m a fussy eater ), like cheese and milk and buy organic and whole milk. I have tried Oat milk and it’s fine! Almond milk not particularly good for environment and may cause issues for bees abroad.

I have a weakness for Lavender shortbread from Waitrose but feel that’s quite a small one in the overall scheme of things. Not an alcohol drinker any more ( never was) as it gives me indigestion on chemo.

Don’t like fizzy drinks either. Do like dilutes Cranberry juice though. Also tea and coffee. Won a Nesspresso machine on a scratch card for a cats’ charity

Judith xx

Hi WhatHappened 

I do sympathise with you. I ate little or no veg until I was in my 30's . I started having bowel problems and they found In had diverticula, sacks in the bowl usually seen in older people. The doctor told me to eat more veg and fruit and wholemeal fibre etc. It was hard to start with and I tried to add to my curry etc. Now I am able to eat veg. I just got used to it. I would even say I quite like some veg now. If you are struggling with texture might be worth trying to make some soups.  I want to increase the amount of veg I eat as I believe it will benefit my health. I like mixed roast veg gives a nice flavour and makes a change.  I have also started growing Radish, Cress etc and adding to my sandwiches. 

Do you think you might be able to eat veg if in a soup? 

xx