Week 12 – Diet and good eating

Strange how the human mind works… And interesting how one thing leads to another, sometimes in a serendipitous way. Things seem to come together as though they were planned…

When I started on this interferon kick I was aware that I was a little overweight. I was going to reduce my weight, but of course was too busy to focus on it. BI (Before Interferon) I went to a gym regularly, but somehow the exercise just made me eat more. Then the interferon introduced too much stress, and I decided not to make any other changes.

I have recently been reading some very interesting books, on how life developed, and part of this introduced (reminded) me of proteins, amino acids, etc. I read a few books on diets, herbs, food supplements… And I came to two conclusions: (1) It is fairly complicated, and one has to work hard to build up a detailed understanding, and (2) There are many people out there with strange ideas, some of them really wacko!

So, one thing lead to another, and I went off and consulted a qualified dietician. I’m sure I would not have done this kind of thing previously, but now I have a very serious objective: To do the absolute best I can to ensure that the IF treatment works.

Maryke has a BSc in Dietetics and is very serious about what she does. I told her my objective and we worked through what I eat, how much I exercise, etc., and I gave her as much information as possible about the interferon. Now we are working through some basics, and I’m starting to change my diet. In some cases the changes are things that I know about, but previously ignored: Reduce sugar intake; cut out refined products; eat more fruit & veges; etc. But some of the other principles surprised me. For example, I did not realize how much fat I was absorbing from things like roast chicken, processed meats, cheese. Rhetorical question: Why are all the things we like so bad for us? Fortunately I have always enjoyed fruit, salads and vegetables, so the shift does not seem so difficult.

It is interesting that Maryke has come up with a set of dietary guidelines to reduce or prevent cancer (in general; not specifically melanoma). The basic rules are fairly straightforward:

1. Low fat, avoiding animal products as far as possible
2. Favouring whole grains over refined grain products
3. Include plenty of vegetables and fruits

Many people on IF and other cancer treatments encounter digestive problems, such as nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. The problem here is that these all mess around with normal absorption of foods, and can cause additional problems. I’m very pleased that I have not had these problems – In fact, my problem is that I cannot pass by the fridge without eating something!

So, where am I now? Well, I’m slowly shifting my diet, and I’m pleased that I have already lost about 1 kg. We have been introduced to some new foods, eg; legumes, which previously were not part of our diets. And I have discovered that it is almost impossible to get fast food which fits my requirements!

I asked about food and vitamin supplements. I was hoping that it would be possible to adjust one’s diet to provide all the components that one requires, without any further supplements. But it appears that our rich diet today makes this very difficult. The stores are full of all sorts of supplements, and the labels are complex and difficult to read. The advice I have been given is to take a conservative multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, which provides 80%-160% of the RDA, and to avoid anything with very high amounts, as these could interfere with the IF treatment.