Healing in Style

My sister Jackie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. Thankfully, she responded well to treatment. Today she’s healthy and hasn’t had a recurrence. She never told us how advanced her cancer was. Looking back, I realize that was her way of not creating more concern than the family already felt. It would only serve to label her and worry us more.

I felt completely unprepared and scared to deal with anyone who had cancer, much less my big sister. I was the little sister who became completely incompetent when faced with the big C. I wasn’t the only one. We hadn’t yet faced anything like this as a family, and it was hard for everyone—except, apparently, Jackie. We took turns going along with her to her chemotherapy sessions. When my turn came, I was nervous about it, sure that it was a horrible and scary process. Jackie was a bit surprised that we all wanted to go along. She said, “Well, come if you want, but it’s not a big deal. Why does everyone want to take me to chemo?”
What else could we possibly do?

At her chemo session, I was invisible, despite all my effort and concern. Jackie chatted with strangers and patients. She talked to everyone there that day. She asked the other women how they felt, shared where she bought her latest wig and was supportive to everyone receiving treatment. I wondered when my oldest sister had become Florence Nightingale and why she had never gone into nursing.
My sister had told me about the lump in her breast earlier that year, during a visit she and her husband made to our farm. She said she had a tiny lump, which she had found herself, and that it hadn’t shown up when she went for a mammogram. Her doctor told her not to worry—just recheck it in a few months. I was concerned and suggested that she shouldn’t wait. She ended up having surgery just a couple of weeks later.

Because of her cancer was estrogen-sensitive, Jackie realized that she now needed to avoid soy foods, which can mimic estrogen in the body. She immediately went through her pantry. She threw out boxes of her favorite breakfast cereal, the one she’s been eating almost every day for years because it contained highly processed soy. She had chosen the brand because the box proclaimed it was a healthy choice. She tore through her cupboards and got rid of all the processed and refined foods. Fortunately, she and her husband are both great cooks, so the decision to switch to a diet of whole foods prepared at home wasn’t hard, at least on the cooking end. The buying end was more difficult. She would call me from the supermarket to say that everything she was looking at had processed soy, added sugar, or both. She described the grocery store as a carnival, with prepared food packages screaming, “Buy me! Buy me!”

When I became a health coach, Jackie was my first client. I was skeptical that this new relationship would work. After all, in my training, I’d been cautioned not to collaborate with family members because they often don’t listen to those closest to them. But she proved to be a star client. She embraced her new foods, fitness, and overall healthy lifestyle with grace and enthusiasm. In fact, she became as passionate as I was about her personal health.

Then, just a few years ago, my sister Lea was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although she had smoked for part of her adult life, her cancer was found to be from environmental causes, not tobacco. If there’s a good kind of lung cancer to have, this was it. Her prognosis was, and is, excellent. In fact, after surgery, she didn’t need any further treatment. Lea also changed her approach to her diet after her cancer, switching to more organic foods and eating in an overall healthier way. Yes, she bought a juicer immediately, but she also tweaked her overall diet and lifestyle. She and her husband removed all harmful chemicals from their environment. They began using safer cleaning products, soaps, and skin care products. They even started using organic pest removal (see Lea’s solution for ants in her home on page 123). When I visited their home in Florida, I was surprised and so happy to find my lovely sister thriving, and with a new awareness of environmental toxins.

It often takes something scary, a life-or-death scenario, to make people go for serious changes in their diet and lifestyle. Cancer does it for many people. Most people go through life hoping for the best and thinking that their bodies will be able to handle the toxic chemicals that they come into contact with each day. They roll the dice on their health, even when they know they’re intolerant to gluten, or dairy, or sugar. When a health crisis does happen, they don’t want to make the conscious leap from their diet and lifestyle to their disease. They don’t understand that eating whatever it is will create inflammation, and that year after year of chronic inflammation can cause a broad range of health problems. And yes, maybe even the big C.
 
In 2011, I met a prominent oncology surgeon at a hunt breakfast in Middleburg, Virginia. Dr. Eleni Tousimis was living and practicing in New York City at the time. We connected quickly on many things, but especially on the importance of food in healing. When Dr. Tousimis took a new job in Washington, D.C., as director of the breast health program at Georgetown University Hospital, she called me. She asked if she could refer recently diagnosed breast cancer patients to me for help with their food and nutrition. She wanted me to do something special for these women—most of them were still reeling from the news of a cancer diagnosis. Thinking of my sisters, I responded, “Of course.” Then I asked if there was anything specific she wanted me to tell them. Her response was, “Just teach them how to eat well. Most of them don’t really know what healthy eating is. They only think they do. They could use some help.” OK, I thought, this will be a real challenge. Before I felt ready to begin, I did a lot of background research into the science supporting a connection between a good diet and cancer prevention, especially the prevention of breast cancer recurrences

Just teach them how to eat well. Most of them don’t know what healthy eating is.

My first client, Heather, was a successful art dealer who traveled a lot on business; she was married and had two children. To her, breast cancer was just an inconvenient addition to her busy life. She was sure that her diet was already healthy enough. After all, she told me, she ate a salad each day at lunch. She was shaken by her cancer diagnosis, though, and with her husband sitting by her side, we had our first conversation. She wanted to do everything possible to help her heal from surgery, support her body through chemo, and allow her to live a healthy life. She wanted to see her children grow up.

We worked through her diet together and found that she needed more calories, particularly calories from protein. Then we started to add in healthy foods—superfoods, smoothies, pressed juices, and salads with lots of dark green leafy veggies, not the plain romaine lettuce she used to eat. Heather ordered a Vitamix and a home juicer. More important, she made time in her busy life for self-care, starting with taking the time to eat a more varied diet and to choose better foods. We made shopping lists and menu plans. We took a walk around the neighborhood of her art gallery. We found all the local shops and cafes that offered quality food she could grab for a quick lunch.

Because she was a popular social figure, her friends and colleagues all wanted to help. How do we help? With food, of course. People were constantly stopping by her gallery or home, bearing cheesy casseroles, lasagna, and cookies. We created a “foods allowed” list for Heather, and we asked all of her well-meaning circle of friends to comply. We posted a superfoods list on her personal website so that those who wanted to help could contribute edibles she needed to eat. We didn’t compromise just to be polite, which was difficult for Heather at first. As it turned out, yes, a few people were offended; everyone else went along, with minimal grumbling.

Heather decided she wanted to give up animal protein. I worked with her to ensure that her diet would be a healthy vegan diet, with enough protein for healing. Even vegans can end up eating manufactured foods laced with chemicals, though, so I also taught Heather how to read food labels and choose unprocessed, whole foods whenever possible.

She dove into this new way of eating like a champion, embracing it enthusiastically and with a smile. Our next step was to remove all processed foods. Eventually, we worked up to removing gluten, sugar, and dairy, foods that can create an inflammatory reaction. She didn’t falter. We worked together over five months, continuously tweaking her diet. Just as important, I supported Heather in her choice to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Change is hard—we all need help.

Change is hard—we all need help.

Heather had a long road ahead of her, but she got through it without any serious difficulty. She was able to eat well even when she was nauseous and fatigued from chemotherapy. She’s still in treatment, but she feels good, and her outlook has remained positive. Most of all, she has the energy she wants and needs. She told me that her doctors were thrilled with her progress and that she has never felt better. Looking back, Heather gives a great deal of credit to her healthy eating.

Since then I’ve worked with many women to help them move beyond their cancer diagnosis, get through treatment, and come out the other side. I love these women. They’re optimistic, determined, and happy in their lives. Their diagnosis doesn’t define them. They just want to get better and never have to deal with this again. They know in their hearts that there’s a connection between what we put in our mouths and our health. When faced with cancer, they want to make big changes, now.

We go for it. I work with them by phone (easiest for everyone, especially these successful DC and NYC women) or in person. They’re ready for change, and they are the best clients, ever.
We start by dissecting their diet. Everyone has something to tweak, and these women are motivated beyond anyone else. We work through their day, meal by meal. While I usually begin with adding in more healthy foods, with cancer patients we speak simultaneously about what to remove as well.
We add a rainbow of colorful vegetables full of phytonutrients. I encourage them to eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and turnips. These foods contain, among many other beneficial compounds, something called glucosinolates, which may have valuable anticancer effects in humans. Ditto for leafy greens, such as kale, arugula, mustard greens, and collards. I help them select a juicer and teach them how to use it; I send them to their local organic juice bar. I encourage them to eat seasonally and locally, if possible.

    I recommend superfoods like chia seeds and hemp seeds for their morning smoothie. These seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to our health and maintaining a good balance of anti-inflammatory hormones. We add more cancer-fighting phytonutrients from green leafy veggies to the smoothie to start their day in a balanced and supportive way. I give them recipes and ideas for smoothies that will suit them and their taste buds, and we make sure that it all tastes delicious. Sometimes cancer treatment can mess with the sense of taste. Some patients find that food they usually love don’t feel excellent anymore. Because it’s important to get enough calories even when your food tastes lousy, I work with them to find the foods they can still enjoy. One of my clients craved oranges; there was something about the fresh sweetness that tasted incredibly delicious to her after chemo treatment. Others crave salty foods—everyone is different. During this difficult time, I tell my clients that if they hate the way something tastes, even if it’s right for them, why to eat it? Go instead for something that you love and that still feels good—just try to stay within the overall boundaries.

And then we remove things, like processed and refined foods stripped of their natural nutrients and filled with chemicals and additives. We take away inflammatory foods. I often start my clients off with a gentle cleanse, using whole foods, to help them tune into their bodies and discover if they do, indeed, have any food intolerances. Particularly at a time when your body is under a lot of stress, it’s important to learn about and avoid any prejudices.

I also ask my clients to limit alcohol or avoid it altogether. Any benefits of drinking red wine, for instance, are outweighed by the high sugar content and the inflammatory response that alcohol can create. Alcohol can remove inhibitions, and for many, this can create cravings and cause overeating. Best to stay away, with just the occasional glass of wine.

Along with dietary changes, I insist that my clients move. It’s non-negotiable. Many, many scientific studies show the positive effect of exercise in general for cancer prevention. Many scientific studies also confirm that regular exercise can help prevent recurrence in breast cancer patients. I ask my clients to invest in a new pair of kicks or yoga socks, please. A healthy weight after breast cancer is another key factor in preventing recurrence, according to numerous studies. For my clients, that’s a great incentive for weight loss, and their new lifestyle helps them along.

When you remove the junk, add in the good stuff and begin to exercise, the effects are physical, as well as mental and passionate also. Improved clarity of thought, less fatigue, and better moods are common side effects. And if you’re in a happier place, with a brighter outlook, that helps your overall health by strengthening your immunity. A stronger, healthier immunity means—you got it—more power to fight off a recurrence and disease of any kind.

When you remove the junk, add in the good stuff and begin to exercise.

Don’t wait for the cancer diagnosis. Don’t roll those dice. Take control of your health now by following the steps outlined in this book. Move toward a simple, sound approach that works.