BECOMING AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT EATING CLEAN

BECOMING AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT EATING CLEAN

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to visit a dietitian
in person so that he or she can assist you with a specialised eating plan that
works for you and your type of cancer. The focus, however, should be on
variety and balance, and choosing nutrient-rich foods.

With little localised information in South Africa, you may also want to
speak to someone who has been through a similar process within the local
context for practical tips and advice. People Living With Cancer (PLWC),
founded by Carl Liebenberg and Linda Greeff, both of whom are cancer
survivors, has branches across South Africa. It is a volunteer counselling
organisation that offers a free buddy support network (Cancer Buddies),
where cancer patients can interact with and receive practical advice and
support from cancer survivors with a similar profile, disease and treatment
protocol. Patients are supplied with the Buddy Booklet, which provides them
with relevant information about cancer and available support systems. Greeff
explains: ‘When you get diagnosed, and I’m a cancer survivor myself, you
always think cancer is a death sentence. So when you are able to talk to
someone who has come through that diagnosis, it gives you hope. It makes
you feel that you can also achieve that. Buddies can also give practical tips on
how to deal with chemotherapy or radiation and the side effects of treatment.’

Greeff explains the benefit of PLWC in terms of knowing what route to go
when it comes to nutrition, as patients sometimes find it difficult to obtain
relevant information from doctors or local resources. What can be confusing,
she says, is the number of fad diets available that claim to cure cancer. ‘There
is no diet that is going to cure cancer. We need a balanced diet that is also
quite high in protein, because the body needs protein to help cells recover.

People think protein is only red meat, but you can eat legumes, which are also
proteins.’

Another factor that makes organisations like PLWC relevant is that while
there are general guidelines for healthy diets, like a balanced intake of fruit
and vegetables, Greeff points out that someone suffering from throat cancer,
for example, may not be able to eat such things. It is because of this that
understanding your particular cancer and how to get the best nutrition
possible for you is so important. PLWC has noted that one of the most
devastating effects of cancer is the different losses a patient is exposed to
during their journey with cancer, from loss of hair to loss of control. To
address this, PLWC adopts a patient-active approach, encouraging patients
to become active participants in their treatment and helping them regain
some control. This means engaging right from the start with their oncologists
and making treatment decisions, as well as planning all aspects of their
recovery, including diet, spirituality, emotion, family and support.31