Since making changes to my diet and lifestyle, after doing a lot of research ,as well as reading some of the literature from cancer organisations about healthy diets, im very surprised at how cancer charities encourage fundraising events that involve cakes! I was at my cancer centre recently,, and I was surrounded !
This seemed a bit hypocritical to me ,in my opinion
It is a tricky one - I think you can only do what is right for you in the end. Charities need to raise money whichever way they can, especially after the huge dip during the COVID pandemic. I felt the same exasperation as you when I was advised to eat whatever I wanted, just maintain your weight in chemo. I must admit that I completely ignored that advice and ate healthily, even when I couldn't taste things well. I should have cut out dairy sooner (my cancer is oestrogen positive), but its a journey and can only do the best we can with the knowledge we have at any time. There are loads of dairy alternatives like oat milk and soya, so its much easier to change nowadays.
I read a lot about diet and lifestyle too; exercise and healthy diet seem to be very important. I try to eat organic, no dairy along with oily fish and some organic chicken from time to time. I could eat grass fed beef too, but its so expensive. I am also careful to use extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed rather than generic vegetable oil. I eat a lot of pulses, nuts and seeds and always wholemeal or wholegrain. I really enjoy food and feel so much better without refined sugar in my diet. I try to make sure that I have a well balanced diet.
I try to do physical events to raise money for charities in accordance with what I am comfortable with. I think that is all we can do is to be true to ourselves and what we feel is right.
It's so frustrating, I also chair a charity and we need to raise funds, there are others ways to fundraise without cake, fun days, swimming, walking, yard sales, healthy meals and teas, without scones and jam ! I just think it's wrong that leading cancer charities promote sugary things, knowing the long term damage it causes
Healthy diets are a must but I would not cut out dairy. There is no significant evidence to support any involvement of dairy in breast cancer, most studies say there is no evidence of an increase in breast cancer but many reputable studies say it is detrimental to your bones health to cut out dairy. I have osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and have had breast cancer twice so it’s something I’ve researched heavily and taken extensive medical advice over. Our treatment can trash our bones so dairy is important x
also, the sugar ‘thing’ has apparently been started by the fact that PET scans use a radio-opaque ‘sugar’ to see active cancer. It just so happens that cancer is a very active, fast growing and dividing structure that demands a high rate of nutrition. Hence the fast uptake of the said sugar.
ALL cells in the human body need nutrients, and your normal body functions convert what you eat into what it needs; including a form of sugar (converted into a source of energy by the liver)
a sensible healthy diet is what we all should eat, preferably with plenty of vegetables and fruit, and less ready-processed foods.
If any readers have specific worries then I’d advise seeing if you can speak to a dietician or nutritionist within your team.
