Dear Friend
If you are drawn to it, Eating Well sends your body a signal that you’re doing this to heal, that you are willing to do something for yourself because you matter, that you are dedicating yourself to healing with this cancer. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to you, your cancer, and your choices.
Dear Friend
“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food,” Hypocrates said.
Eating Well sends your body a signal that you are willing to do something for yourself because you matter. You are dedicating yourself to healing with this cancer.
But what does Eating Well mean? The answer goes back to the most important question: “What matters now for you?”
In this section, we go into much more detail on what a really healthy anticancer diet looks like. There are a lot of debates about choices like the vegan diet, Mediterranean diet, Paleo diet and more. Trust us, one size does not fit all.
There are radical anti-cancer diets that are often difficult to follow and may cause excessive weight loss, strength loss, or other negative effects that really should only be followed with the guidance of balanced practitioners. There are also tasty, balanced anti-cancer diets. Our colleague Rebecca Katz has written some of the best anti-cancer cookbooks. You can also link to her course free of charge when you join CancerChoices.
For one person, Eating Well may mean enjoying the foods you love, even if they aren’t deemed “healthy.” For others, this may mean restructuring your diet to include low-fat, plant-based foods in place of burgers and ice cream. For others, it may look entirely different. Ultimately, Eating Well means going back to what matters now for you and what you believe in. No matter what you choose, we’re completely with you.
At the end of the day, Eating Well as part of your approach to cancer care comes down to what matters to you, what you believe in, what feels nourishing, and what you can sustain.
Wishing you well,
Michael
Michael Lerner
Michael Lerner is co-founder of Commonweal and co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, The New School at Commonweal, and CancerChoices. He has led more than 200 Commonweal Cancer Help Program retreats to date. His book Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer was the first book on integrative cancer care to be well received by prominent medical journals as well as by the patient and integrative cancer care community.
Michael Lerner
Michael Lerner is co-founder of Commonweal and co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, The New School at Commonweal, and CancerChoices. He has led more than 200 Commonweal Cancer Help Program retreats to date. His book Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer was the first book on integrative cancer care to be well received by prominent medical journals as well as by the patient and integrative cancer care community.
Eating Well at a glance
Eating Well is one of our top-rated practices for improving cancer outcomes. Both conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and integrativein cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care, and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan oncology professionals recommend Eating Well as part of cancer control. Some common elements in many or most prescribed diets:
- Plant-based, whole-foods diets:
- An emphasis on eating mostly food from plants, either with or without small portions of quality animal protein, especially from fish
- Limiting processed and refined foods in favor of whole foods such as vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fruits
- Limiting red meat and favoring grass-fed animal sources
Eating Well may improve your response to cancer treatment and survival. Some large studies show 40% or more lower mortality among those following professional guidelines. What you eat can reduce inflammation—making your body (your terrainthe internal conditions of your body, including nutritional status, fitness, blood sugar balance, hormone balance, inflammation and more) less supportive of cancer growth—and reduce your risk of recurrence.
A full description of evidence is in How can Eating Well help me? What the research says ›
Your diet may also affect your quality of life and some side effects, such as these:
- Dehydration
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting
- Hot flashes
- Sleep disturbance
In general, these are good foods and beverages to include in your diet regularly, but check with your doctor, registered dietician or nutritionist for restrictions:
- Vegetables, and especially broccoli and related (cruciferous) vegetables, plus carrots, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes—which contain carotenoids—and also chili peppers
- Blueberries and other berries, pomegranate, and other deeply colored fruits, such as mango and cantaloupe
- Alliums—garlic, onions, shallots, scallions and leeks
- Plant proteins from beans, nuts, seeds and grains
- Whole grains
- Healthy monounsaturated fats, such as omega-3s fatty acids found in walnuts and wild-caught salmon and sardines
- Edible mushrooms
- Naturally fermented and cultured foods, such as kefir, tempeh, kombucha, sauerkraut, plain yogurt, and kimchi
- Green tea
Avoid red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, highly refined grains, and alcohol.
Helpful resources
These resources provide on-the-ground advice and support for improving your diet.
Cancer diets
Find information about specific diets and their impact on cancer, such as these:
- Alkaline diet
- Macrobiotic diet
- Paleolithic (Paleo) diet
- Vegan diet
We also offer full reviews of these diets:
We emphasize that Eating Well by itself will not likely prevent, cure, or control cancer. Like every other therapy or approach included on this website, Eating Well is one component of an individualized integrative plan rather than a stand-alone therapy.