The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.
—Barbara Kingsolver
Cheese Omelet with Veggies and Greens
One of the best things you can do for yourself during cancer treatment and for prevention is to eat a nutritious breakfast within a couple of hours of waking. Here’s why: While we sleep our bodies depend on energy stores, primarily in the liver, to keep blood glucose levels balanced. By the time we wake, the liver is nearly depleted and depends on external sources of food to maintain proper blood sugar.
In addition to maintaining proper blood sugar levels, eating a nutritious breakfast can jump-start your immune system, assist in hydration, and help maintain good moods and stable weight. The brain is also highly dependent on glucose for cognitive functioning.
During radiation and chemotherapy, the repair and restoration of cells and tissue increase our need for protein. These therapies cause increased turnover and elimination of protein that will need to be replaced through the diet.
Chemotherapy, and the steroids given in conjunction, often lead to disruptions in metabolism that affect glucose balance and certainly affect thought processes and memory. To combat these disruptions we need to eat a breakfast with adequate amounts of long-term energy fuels, namely protein and fats, at the center.
Chemotherapy depresses the immune system. This vital system needs to actively survey the body for tumor cells, even during treatment. For the immune system to work properly we need to provide these cells with nutrients and amino acids from protein.
Taking pills to decrease pain after surgery or relieve acid reflux can lead to digestive problems such as nausea and constipation. A good breakfast can help to kick-start bowel regularities and optimize nutrient absorption.
Hot flashes and muscle aches are the most common associated side effects of hormone therapy. Controlling blood sugar and optimizing protein intake first thing in the morning can be extremely helpful in alleviating these side effects.
During conventional therapy we want weight to remain stable. But with the disruptions in fat metabolism associated with steroid use, there is a tendency to gain weight. And sometimes, particularly with gastrointestinal cancer surgeries and treatments, the concern is weight loss. Eating complementary breakfasts containing macronutrients is key in stabilizing weight.
By eating a balanced breakfast, fatigue can be better managed, and when the body does not have to rely on muscle for its protein, you won’t lose the muscle mass that helps to maintain stamina.
We invite you to enjoy these delicious and highly nutritious recipes.
I have become so much more aware of the food I eat. Before diagnosis I didn’t worry too much about processed foods and artificial sweeteners and junk food. Once chemo was over I started eating a healthier diet, paying more attention to the ingredients in my food. When one day I stopped at a local burger place because I was in a hurry, not only did it not taste as good as I remembered, my stomach was upset all night. Now I try to eat as organic as I can. (OK, I confess, I still have the occasional sugar binge; and yes, I feel terrible after!)
—Cherie Enholm