Juicing & Wheatgrass

Sorry shirls haven't the energy yet and the fact that I've just got my taste back I can't think about it but I haven't started rads and my margins are not clear yet. My leg is killing me

Ah Wicklowlady,
Sorry to hear things are difficult at the moment. That's the thing about this journey that we're on, you simply don't know what's next. I know it's easy for me to say but try not to worry too much about the margins. I think that it shows what excellent people are looking after you, they are not going to let even the slightest sign of bloody cancer remain in your body. When I first got diagnosed and they were discussing the lumpectomy with me they did speak a lot about clear margins and did tell me there was a possiblity that if they were not 100% happy with the pathology report they would go back in again and take a bit more away. Luckily for me they took enough the first time.
You have been so amazing and so supportive to all of us girlies on this site. Keep strong, we all have had days when it's supposed to be almost all over but then we get kicked down again, it's a bump in the road you will get there Wicklowlady
Shirls

[quote="shirls":1qc2p7eg]Hi Girls,
Now that chemo & radiotherapy are over I'm beginning to look at my diet/exercise etc. Have any of you tried juicing and growing wheatgrass ? What diet changes have any of you made? Has anyone attended Bernadette Bohan's 3 day wellness programme in Cork?
Appreciate any advice/tips which you can give.

Shirls[/quote:1qc2p7eg]

Hi,

A friend of mine who recently went through chemo/radiation etc, bought herself a wheatgrass juicer and grew her own for a time. She said it was really expensive, but she looked great while she was on her juicing detox. (She did her full on detox before about a month before she began chemo.) I know she still occaisionally does juicing, but I don't think she is as big into it as she was before. She got the all clear for her breast cancer a couple months ago.

I am a bit advocate of wheatgrass myself, but I've never grown it myself. I buy large bags of good quality organic wheatgrass powder, and make up a drink every morning, sometimes mixed with a small amount of hemp powder if I'm on the go. I started drinking wheatgrass everyday about a year and half ago when I was getting sick with chest infections all the time. It doesn't taste the best, but you get used to it.

If I can keep it up everyday, I feel really good on it. I don't get sick with the little "bugs" the kids bring home from school and it keeps things regular, if you know what I mean. I ran out a little awhile ago, and as soon as I did, I got chest infection about two days later.

[b:1qc2p7eg]EDITED by Webmaster: Please don't post commercial advertising.[/b:1qc2p7eg]

Hi Ruboju,
Thanks for that, I will certainly have a look at that site.

Shirls

Hi Shirls and Wicklow Lady,

Wicklow Lady, sorry you are going through a rough patch. I hope you are back in form soon and sharing some of your lovely Wicklow sunshine with us soon.

Shirls, concerning wheatgrass, juicing and the wellness program, I have not tried them. The big change I have made is to exercise more, about 2 hours of strenuous exercise per week and about 20 km of walking. Apparently exercise can reduce the risk of reccurrence by about 40 per cent. All of my doctors said that this was important. Josephine on this site got the same advice when finishing chemo - exercise and weight control.

I think that investing in good running shoes, or swimming lessons, or a bike or a gym class is much more likely to be truly beneficial for our health than an expensive wheatgrass juicer. But if you can afford it and you feel it is doing you good, why not. For me it is definitely not a priority.

(By the way, I don't there is any real basis for the belief that it prevents or cures cancer, for example, http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/wheat-grass, or http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatme ... wheatgrass )

Kath

Feeling better today although my leg still paining me but I've more reflexology tomorrow. Had a good cry before I got out of bed today. I found I was better after it and cleaned the bathroom and hoovered. I felt better that I'd actually done something constructive. I'm meetin my work colleagues for lunch tomorrow. Just think sometimes I need a distraction. If you think too much it gets scary. Yes when I get my energy back and my legs still paining me I'm going to go swimming or doing something that I don't have to use my leg so much. I need to go back to weight watchers too. I'm not good at eating or drinking things that taste horrible.

Hi Wicklowlady,
Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better today. Nothing like a good cry sometimes. Don't be too hard on yourself about a bit of extra weight, look at what your body has been through. Despite eating very little through chemo I still managed to put on quite a bit but I'm dealing with that now and you will too when treatment and hospital appointments become less frequent.

Keep positive and think of the lovely cruise you will have at the end of this,
Shirls

Thanks Shirls xxxx

I'm not sure about the claims for what wheatgrass can do for you in terms of diesase preventation but it is a good way to get a range of vitamins and minerals if you can get over the taste! I have started juicing, mostly fruit and veg, as a way of boosting the amount of vitamins etc I'm getting.
It's possible to buy fresh wheatgrass if you want to try it before trying to grow it, and you can also buy a hand juicer for it which is cheaper than buying the much more expensive electric masticating juicer. I know there is someone at the Saturday market in Galway that sells both so I'm sure there are people at other places in the country.

[quote="shirls":3ml6xv51]Hi Girls,
Now that chemo & radiotherapy are over I'm beginning to look at my diet/exercise etc. Have any of you tried juicing and growing wheatgrass ? What diet changes have any of you made? Has anyone attended Bernadette Bohan's 3 day wellness programme in Cork?
Appreciate any advice/tips which you can give.

Shirls[/quote:3ml6xv51]

I'm interested to know if you have anyone has any experience with the use of concentrated oxygen or high energy state / singlet oxygen, in the treatment of cancer. Boosting oxygen take up in the cells, boost the metabolic functions of the body, and it particularly helps respiration and sleep. This might be an aid to cancer sufferers perhaps.

Hi guys
I'm new to the website. Finished radiation last week. Really want to start getting more active but find it hard some days as I have pains since taxol and get quiet tired. I'm back at work full time now too. I got a step for aerobics at home on the dark nights and a pedometer but when I try and push myself I'm as stiff as a poker te day after. Hard to keep it up as I get annoyed when I can barely walk. How do the rest of ye manage??

Food wise, I try follow the food pyramid better. Cut down on my red wine and red meat but not cutting them altogether. Eating loads of veg and fresher food

I want to do my best to make sure this does not come back.

Ann

Hi all,

just a little note to ask you to refrain from posting anything that promotes a particular company or any form of advertising.

Also, the Irish Cancer Society asks that you do not make any claims for unproven therapies in the treatment of cancer. Anecdotal discussion of your personal experiences is fine, but we do not allow the advocacy of any treatment to replace conventional medical therapy.

Thanks, Webmaster.

Hi Shirls,
I just wanted to let you know that i did do the Bernadette Bohan wellness programme last October. I really enjoyed it and having done much research before I went I was really happy that I had been researching well. I found it to be really informative so really happy that I did it and I would reccomend anyone even thinking about it to book it. I had already contacted Bernadette after my treatment just for some friendly advise on juicing and helping to detox after the harsh chemical treatments of chemo and rads etc, she was just amazing and I feel very blessed to have had the courage to contact her! She has been a huge influence on my recovery from treatment and to my continious well being since treatment. I do hope you decide to go on one of her courses, I met the most amazing proactive people whose goal in life was to have optimum health and well being. The fact that you are even considering doing something like this show's you are beginning to research yourself and I really think you are on the right track so keep it up!!!! If you want at any stage to pm me for more info I would be very happy to be of any help that I can.
Take care,
x x x x
[quote="webmaster":e6l3qqe8]Hi all,

just a little note to ask you to refrain from posting anything that promotes a particular company or any form of advertising.

Also, the Irish Cancer Society asks that you do not make any claims for unproven therapies in the treatment of cancer. Anecdotal discussion of your personal experiences is fine, but we do not allow the advocacy of any treatment to replace conventional medical therapy.

Thanks, Webmaster.[/quote:e6l3qqe8]

Hi Ann,

First of all, welcome, though I am really sorry that you had to join us at such a young age. Not that there is an age requirement of course in this game - alas

Taxol does leave you with lots of aches and pains and stiffness for sure. You didn't say if the stiffness wears off or stays all day by the way. Mine is just when I go from resting to moving, then it goes away.

Concerning your questions about exercise, here is what I found helpful. If you are not already doing it, you might want to consider doing some warm up exercises (for example, http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Page ... rm-up.aspx) before you start exercising. Also finishing up with some stretches (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Page ... retch.aspx) will help to avoid pains afterwards.

As you are so recently out of treatment, make sure that you build up your exercise levels gradually. Take the time to warm up on the stepper or when you are walking. Only increase the intensity of the effort when you are getting comfortable. You could try fractioning the effort, say walking, or stepping as fast as you can for 1 minute, then taking it easier for 4 minutes, and repeating that rythym. Or 3 easy minutes and 2 intense minutes. I find it very motivating to write down what I manage to achieve and I can certainly see myself making modest but steady progress as the weeks go by. It is a struggle and all easier said than done.

Don't be too hard on yourself or too demanding. You have been through a lot and recovery takes time. But you are certainly on the right track!

Kath

Hi Karen and Shirls,

Concerning juicing, it is great for getting vitamins and minerals when you cannot eat fruit and veg for some reason but with a normal balanced diet you shouldn't need to add extra vitamins and minerals. Juicing is a two-edged sword. By removing the fibre you are leaving the vitamins for sure, but also all of the sugar. Without the fibre the sugar has the same effect as any other sugary drink. That is why it make you feel good. It is actually much better to eat fruit and veg without juicing them if you can.

Spadge, I am glad you found the Bernadette Bohan course useful. Though I must say I am surprised. I was very disappointed when I went to buy one of her books a few week's ago. I couldn't resist taking a quick look before going to the cash desk. So glad I saved my money. I was astounded to find that juicing, wheatgrass, safer cosmetics and filtered water were the 4 steps to a healthier life! Maybe she is assuming that we are doing all the rest right (not smoking, balanced diet, exercise, rest, leisure, fun, easy on the alchohol, managing stress levels ...) but I know for sure it is always a struggle for me to try to make the healthy choices.

I just hope that people are not lured into a false sense of security by some of this kind of advice. All the wheatgrass in the world will not reduce the big health problems in the western world like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity.

If everyone in Ireland adopted Bohan's 4 steps, it would not make a significant impact on our global health. On the other hand, if we ate better, had less sedentary life styles, smoked less and drank less that would make a huge difference.

Kath

Hi kath
Many thanks for your reply. I will definitely give what you say a go. I'm probably hard on myself. I was lucky not to be too sick on treatment so think I probably should be getting back to normal quickly but that is not the case.
The pains come and go. It's my lower back in the morning but when I get out of bed and moving it goes away. Sometimes I get pains in my knees and hips. I do find the knee pain lingers more though.

Thanks again and I hope you are doing well.

Ann

Hi Ann,

Lucky you to not have had too many problems during treatment. I hope your recovery goes well too.

I do a gym and cardio class where many of the people in the class are recovering from some sort of health problem. I tried in my earlier post to summarize the tips that the instructors give us about how to build up our efforts from week to week and to increase the intensity of our efforts. The warm up and stretching exercises I found on the web for you are very typical of how we start and finish each session.

One thing I forgot to say is that you need at least one rest day every week and to listen to what your body is telling you. Just do what you can when you can.

Good luck!

Kath

Hello ladies,

I did a bit more reading about juicing, and juices are neither as healthy nor as harmless as you would think. I'm pretty convinced that we post breast cancer girlies can not afford to drink several high calorie, high sugar drinks throughout the day. It's definitely an area for moderation and care.

Weight gain from all those calories that don't fill you up is a risk we cannot afford - extra kilos means more oestrogen floating around. Nor is a diagnosis of diabetes from frequent peaks in blood sugar levels a good idea. No one wants to return to a long term health problem scenario.

Some food for thought:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/94618 ... s-juicing/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/juic ... d-benefits

http://www.livestrong.com/article/54979 ... much-kale/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/55564 ... ing-beets/

Sorry to be so negative about this and sorry if I have trodden on any toes but I do feel strongly that juicing is risky for for us except in moderation.

All the best

Kath

Thanks for that Kath,

to be informed is half the battle. I think a balanced diet is the key.

Hi,

I found this interesting article on wheatgrass done by the Australian consumer magazine "Choice".

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-te ... juice.aspx

Kath

I started takin wheatgrass when my platelets were low. My friend is a big wheatgrass juicer. So when I told her about my platelets so told me to give it a go..
On the Tuesday my platelets were 79. I started the wheatgrass on the Friday. When I went in for chemo on the Wednesday my platelets were back up at 125...
I now take a shot of it twice a day...

Hi Superwhy,

Did you check with your oncologist or breast care nurse that it is OK to have wheatgrass while you are on chemo?

There are two potential points of concern. One is that wheatgrass may be considered as a supplement and generally oncologists do not like us taking supplements with chemo. The reason is that they just don't know if the supplements could interfere with the chemo. There are far too many supplements out there to measure the effect of each of them on chemo regimes.

The other point is that wheatgrass is generally not recommended for pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems because it is eaten raw.

See "side effects" in:
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplemen ... WHEATGRASS

Depending on what your doctor says, check also how long after your last dose of chemo you should wait before starting back on wheatgrass.

All the best

Kathleen

My onglogist is great and didnt have a huge proble with me takin it but felt I was wasting my money.. Did tell her I was taking them as I had read it was good for my platelets. Thankfully she is very good with compliment treatments..

have to say whichever way I look at it Im happy Ive bought my new juicer. Didnt go crazy on price but got a really good deal on one by shopping around......was €100 got for €65 So lots of oranges, pineapple, apples, melon, lemons etc. and tasting so so good. I've put a lot of crap into my body with medications and chemo and this just feels right and good. I'm not a health freak or anything but just like this taste.

Carrot and apple are a favourite here. I like this one but kids not so much. Celery. Carrot. Apple and beetroot . I add a bit of ginger to it..

Hello ladies,

A little word of caution on juicing. Most of the people advocating juicing are not doctors. Certainly the people suggesting that we juice several times per day are probably not aware of the risks of juicing fruit.

During chemo, I noticed my blood sugar levels were higher than usual, borderline pre-diabetic in fact. It went back to normal afterwards but I was told that after chemo we have a life-long increased risk for developing diabetes.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/hea ... le6265926/

If you are juicing, stick mostly to vegetables.

Fruit juices, even home made juices made from organic fruit contain a lot of sugar. By juicing you are taking away the fibre and creating a very sugary drink. Carrots and apples contain a lot of sugar. When they are digested with their fibre the sugar enters the blood very slowly and doesn't create peaks. Juiced fruit (or juiced beet or carrot or parsnip) is a high calorie, high sugar drink.

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/stud ... -risk/2452

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453647/

Kath

Hi,

Another article on the risks of juicing vs eating whole fruit and veg - apparently we consume more calories after juicing!

The more I read the more I am convinced that juicing falls into the treat category

http://www.thinkingnutrition.com.au/eat ... -drinking/

Kath

[color=#BF0040:9rcmihww]I posted a while back excited to be starting juicing. Time has passed and it's now all boxed away,gathering dust. I was putting on more weight and juicing wasn't helping. As someone posted you are left with a lot of sugars and you've broken down the fruit already so your body doesn't have to do the work. I now have joined a well known slimming group and find my diet has improved so much......down to eating so much more fruit/veg and not using jars/packet sauces etc when cooking. Back to good old fashioned eating. I've lost nearly 2 stone, and I'm on tamoxifen and other pain medications for peripheral neuropathy. I eat lots of fruit and veg but in their natural state......not juiced.i thought I was doing good but my weight gain was not good when juicing. I'm now very happy with my food choices and most importantly enjoying my food as well. I wasn't sure if I could loose weight but I can and I find walking easier as the weight goes back down. [/color:9rcmihww]

[color=#BF0040:3nzbibau]I posted a while back excited to be starting juicing. Time has passed and it's now all boxed away,gathering dust. I was putting on more weight and juicing wasn't helping. As someone posted you are left with a lot of sugars and you've broken down the fruit already so your body doesn't have to do the work. I now have joined a well known slimming group and find my diet has improved so much......down to eating so much more fruit/veg and not using jars/packet sauces etc when cooking. Back to good old fashioned eating. I've lost nearly 2 stone, and I'm on tamoxifen and other pain medications for peripheral neuropathy. I eat lots of fruit and veg but in their natural state......not juiced.i thought I was doing good but my weight gain was not good when juicing. I'm now very happy with my food choices and most importantly enjoying my food as well. I wasn't sure if I could loose weight but I can and I find walking easier as the weight goes back down. [/color:3nzbibau]

Hi Sunshine,

Just saw your post and wanted to say thank you and of course well done.

Delighted things are going well for you. This is very encouraging to those of us on Tamoxifen like myself.

All the best

Kath