I’m glad you are reading this post. I hope it means that you have decided to begin a ketogenic diet to help heal from uterine cancer. I want to give you some of the do’s and don’ts so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
This is not meant to be medical advice and I am not a nutritionist so please discuss this with your doctor or someone you trust to make sure it is done safely. If you are diabetic or obese with metabolic syndrome or have other health problems, it will be especially important to do this carefully under a doctor’s supervision.
WHAT IS THE KETOGENIC DIET?
- The ketogenic diet, called keto for short, is a high-fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet. It is much healthier than the standard american diet, which is high carbohydrate, high fat and sugar and low to moderate protein.
- The typical ratios of a keto diet are 70% of calories from fat, 25% from protein and 5% from carbohydrates, but this can vary depending on the individual. My diet is currently 120g fat, 65g protein and 30g or less of carbohydrates. As a reference, most Americans consume 200-300 grams of carbs per day!
- By reducing carbohydrates and simple sugars, your body starts to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs. This is what is termed ketosis. This is also what leads to all the benefits of the keto diet.
3 COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE KETO DIET
1. A ketogenic diet is bad for cancer patients.
Ketones do not feed cancer cells. In fact, studies have shown that ketones can make the cancer cells weaker so treatment is more effective. High blood sugar, which comes from carbohydrates can feed cancer cells.
Ketogenic diets selectively starve tumors by providing the fat and protein that otherwise could not be used by glucose-dependent tumor cells. Read More
Due to the Warburg effect, the KD is used as an adjuvant treatment to starve cancer cells, making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiation. Read More
If you know how a PetScan works, they first give you an injection of radioactive glucose (sugar). This glucose is preferentially taken up by cancer cells, which is how they are able to see any areas of cancer “light up.” This is why it is so important to reduce sugar of any kind, even if it’s from fruit. Cancer cells don’t use ketones for fuel, they use glucose.
2. Ketogenic diets increase your risk for heart disease
Studies show the keto diet may actually improve your risk factors for heart disease and that saturated fat is not linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
the ketogenic diet shows advantages over other dietary models in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Read More
3. The keto diet is unhealthy and does not provide essential nutrients and fiber
The keto diet, if done properly, is a very well-balanced, nutritious and healthy way of eating. It can also help with so many things including healing from cancer.
Many of the misconceptions about this diet come from observational studies. This type of research has many inherent problems that I won’t go into here.
In short, the primary issue with drawing conclusions from observational studies is that they’re often wrong. In fact, they may be wrong more often than they’re right. Please read this article for more information on that.
Another issue is what people are eating and calling a keto diet. Many food manufacturers are now trying to jump on the bandwagon of the keto lifestyle. So now we have processed and ultra-processed foods being labeled as keto or keto-friendly or low-carb.
As a result, if people start eating all this processed food they will not have the beneficial effects of following a true keto diet. Steer clear from anything processed! It is not healthy no matter what the label says.
16 PROVEN BENEFITS OF THE KETO DIET FOR WOMEN WITH UTERINE CANCER
- Weight loss without counting calories!
- Reversal of metabolic syndrome
- Reversal of insulin resistance
- Reducing high blood glucose, which feeds the cancer cells
- Reducing high blood pressure, which increases your risk for heart disease and strokes
- More energy
- Better brain health as your brain needs cholesterol and other healthy fats for energy more than any other part of your body!
- Better sleep
- The end of food addictions and overeating
- Improved mental health
- Reversal of autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s disease
- Healing of gut issues
- Starving cancer cells making them more susceptible to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation
- Reducing inflammation
- Improved lipids, especially raising HDL (good cholesterol) and lowering triglycerides
- Can strengthen and support a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for healing from cancer!
WHAT IS ALLOWED IN A HEALTHY KETOGENIC DIET?
MEATS
- Free-range chicken
- Grass-fed and finished beef
- Wild-caught fish
Stick to salmon, sardines, haddock, cod, anchovies. Stay away from the larger fish like tuna, mackerel and swordfish, which can contain more mercury.
- Seafood like shrimp, scallops and lobster
- Wild game meat like bison and venison
- Organ meats like beef liver are very nutritious. If you can tolerate this, eat it in small amounts
Organic meats are best, but if you can’t afford those do your best to get the highest quality of meat you can.
AVOID processed meats, deli meats and smoked meats. For instance, stay away from cured bacon, hot dogs, sausages and ham, which contain additives and sugar. Do not eat smoked oysters or imitation crab or tuna out of the can. Try not to char the meat when you cook it.
EGGS
Eggs are a main staple of the keto diet if you can eat them. Make sure to eat the whole egg, not just the whites. Try to buy free range, organic eggs if possible.
They are a super-food!
AVOID anything that is a processed egg substitute.
LOW-CARB VEGETABLES
Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, avocado, leafy greens, spinach, asparagus, kale, green beans, cabbage and brussel sprouts. Try to get multiple servings in per day.
AVOID starchy, high sugar vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, corn and peas to name a few.
FRUIT
Berries are allowed in very small amounts here and there if you do not have high blood sugar, otherwise you should steer clear of fruits as they are high in carbs. Lemons and limes are good.
AVOID high sugar fruits like bananas, pineapple, oranges, apples, watermelon, kiwi, pears, peaches and more.
DAIRY
Dairy is a possibility, but you have to monitor how your body reacts to it. Do not use any dairy if you are lactose intolerant. I would also advise to limit the amount of dairy you use per day.
Make sure to read labels and avoid anything with added sweeteners (especially sugar), fruit, fillers, preservatives, carrageenan, polysorbate 80 and guar gum or other ingredients.
Full-fat dairy is important. Do not buy skim milk. Heavy cream is good, but make sure to check that it only contains milk and cream!
Greek yogurt made with whole milk that is plain without any artificial ingredients or sweeteners is ok.
Almond milk, macadamia nut milk or coconut milks can be used as a milk substitute. Be careful to read the labels or make your own nut milk.
Some cheeses are ok as a flavor enhancer. Cheese can be addictive, inflammatory and lead to weight gain though, so only use in very small amounts. Parmesan, goat cheese and cream cheese are good.
AVOID ice cream, skim milk, non-dairy milks like soy and oat milk.
NUTS AND SEEDS
Some good choices that are low-carb and high fat are pecans, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and macadamia nuts.
AVOID peanuts or peanut butter, which can contain aflatoxins (mold) and cashews, which are a legume not a nut. Avoid other nuts and seeds, which contain more carbs.
HEALTHY FATS
Ghee, organic grass-fed butter, extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil and avocado oil are good choices. Avocados and nuts are another source of healthy fats. Try to get organic cold-pressed oils if you can.
AVOID any seed oils like canola, palm oil, crisco and vegetable oils. Do not use any margarine or other fake butters.
SWEETENERS
I suggest only using Stevia. It seems to be the safest low-carb sweetener, but only use in moderation. Some people use erythritol, but there is some concern about its safety long-term.
AVOID Sugar in all its different forms. Honey, maltodextrin, dextrin, agave, xylitol, pure cane sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, aspartame, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, saccharin and any other version of sugar you can think of besides stevia or possibly erythritol.
CHOCOLATE
Because who can live without chocolate?! Dark chocolate with a cacao content of 70% or higher is better. Do not buy chocolate with sugar or other sweeteners besides stevia or erythritol. Read labels carefully.
BEVERAGES
The best thing to drink on the keto diet is clean, filtered water, but tea and some coffee is ok. In fact, green tea has many health benefits and can help fight cancer. It is great to add fresh lemon or lime into your water or tea. Only drink out of glass or stainless steel containers.
AVOID Juicing of any kind. It raises blood sugar rapidly. Essiac tea with red clover. While this tea has been shown to have many health benefits, some formulations contain red clover, which is not good for uterine cancer as it can mimic estrogen.
Soda or electrolyte drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. Diet drinks of any kind. Anything that is flavored, sweetened or otherwise processed. Protein drinks or shakes. Don’t drink bottled water if you can avoid it. Alcohol. Alcohol is not good for cancer patients. The occasional glass of red wine may be ok, but try to avoid alcohol as much as possible.
*Did you know that if you drank one can of soda for 28 days it equals over 4 pounds of sugar or 455 teaspoons!!!
There are numerous cookbooks out there, but please review them first. Make sure it is a keto diet geared for people with chronic disease like cancer, not just for weight loss.
THE “KETO FLU” AND HOW TO AVOID IT
When you start transitioning to a keto diet you may experience some uncomfortable side effects, especially if you are used to a typical high carb diet.
These side effects can include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Feeling weak
- Cravings
- Brain fog
- Cramping
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Depression
Some people start to have these side effects and give up thinking it is too hard or not good for them. I encourage you to stay the course as it does get better! I absolutely hated the keto diet when I first started and I experienced many of these side effects. It took me quite awhile to adjust, but now I love it.
It is sometimes better to ease into the diet rather than go cold turkey like I did. You do this by gradually decreasing your carbohydrates and monitoring your symptoms over a 2-4 week period.
The goal is to get your body to transition to burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
HOW TO MONITOR YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS AND KETOSIS LEVEL
KETOMOJO
I highly recommend you invest in a device called KetoMojo . This handy test kit allows you to test your blood ketones and blood glucose on a regular basis with a simple finger stick. It also calculates a value called GKI or glucose to ketone index, which is very important.
Ideally you want to be in a therapeutic level of ketosis to kill cancer cells, boost your immune system and make treatments more effective among all the other benefits of the keto diet. The ketomojo should show high ketones (1-4), low blood glucose (70-90) and a low GKI between 1-3.
You should start by testing 2 times per day. Usually first thing in the morning after your overnight fast and late in the day right before dinner. You should not test within 2 hours after eating. Usually your ketones will be highest late in the day if you have been keeping your carbs low and fat high in your meals.
Some people prefer to use a continuous glucose monitor to see what their blood sugar does before and after meals. I personally did not find the CGM to be accurate so I went back to KetoMojo. I like to know where my ketones are at, which you can’t get with a CGM. However, with a CGM, you don’t have to do finger sticks and you can get readings of your glucose throughout the day to see what happens as you eat meals.
CRONOMETER
You will want to start tracking your macros (fat, protein and carbs), daily. This will help you to know if you are reaching your goal of <50g of carbs per day and getting enough fat and protein.
To track macros, I use a free site called Cronometer. You can use it on your mobile device or desktop. It is very simple to set up and start tracking as it does most of the work for you. I would also advise investing in a simple food scale so you can weigh your foods instead of guessing.
Many times people think they are eating low carb and high fat, but when they test their numbers it still shows high glucose, low ketones, and high GKI. This could be from too many carbs or even too much protein. Too much protein can lead to elevated blood glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. This happened to me.
There are other food tracking apps like Carb Tracker so find what works best for you.
KEY POINTS ABOUT TRACKING
- I know this sounds tedious and overwhelming, but trust me, it is important and it gets easier. Once you get the hang of it and make it a habit like brushing your teeth, you won’t even have to think about and it becomes part of your daily routine.
- By doing these things it also allows you to figure out what foods work best for you. For instance, I have irritable bowel syndrome and had a very unhealthy gut. It took me months to learn what I could and could not eat, but it made me very aware of my body for the first time in my life.
- You do not need to count calories when you are eating this way. Of course try to avoid gorging and over eating, but don’t worry about the calories.
- I wish I had started all of this from the beginning instead of wasting valuable time and making myself sicker with the wrong diet.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO TODAY ON YOUR HEALING JOURNEY
Today I want to encourage you to set up a CRONOMETER account or use another tracking app that works best for you like Carb Manager. Sometimes you just have to take that first step.
Start to play around with it and enter your foods for a day and see what it shows. I know I was initially shocked when I saw how many carbs I was actually eating when I thought I was low-carb.
Invest in the KetoMojo and a food scale to take more control of your diet and really measure and monitor. This will speed up the process for you.
Please do not beat yourself up if you struggle with all of this and have bad days. Just take it one day at a time, breathe and get back on track the next day. Every day we have we can be grateful for and it will get better, don’t forget that!
Diet is such an important part of healing our bodies and freeing us from this disease. Although it is a major lifestyle change and often hard to do, I know you can do it because I did it and I was a carb-junkie!
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” – Marilyn Monroe