There is no doubt that what we eat has a direct impact on our health. Our diets have changed dramatically over the years and while advice on what is good and bad may be subtly different from time to time, the fact remains that there are some solid basics that can always be adhered to.

This is one of the hardest disciplines for me. I love my food and drink; my social life relies on it! However, I think this is the most important thing I can do to help myself.

I have gone from super strict to running more of an 80:20 regime as ive come to appreciate that living like a Saint is not very sustainable, and a little miserable. I think that the balance between strict diet, and the release of the “feel good” chemicals that are released in our bodies when feeling “happy” is a good compromise

Within the diet topic I also include supplements, that I have no doubt can make a difference.

Having read extensively on the subject there is no doubt that CANCERactive, www.canceractive.com has had a huge influence on what I put in my body. This is why they are one of my chosen charities, and I urge you to investigate what they do; not only if you have cancer, but also as a preventative means. Two books that I would recommend are Everything You Need to Know to Beat Cancer, and The Rainbow Diet, both written by the founder of the charity, Chris Woollams. I love it that everything he does is based on science, which appeals to my sense of logic.

 

General Diet

 

The main principles for me are; no sugar, no red meat, no wheat, no dairy, nothing processed, no alcohol, filtered or glass bottles water, no caffeine.

 

How bad does that sound! What’s left for pete’s sake!

However, as I said earlier, I follow an 80:20 rule, so in some cases, on some days I replace “no” with “low”!

The Rainbow Diet is by far and away the best to follow for me.

 

A typical day for me would be;

 

Breakfast / morning

Glass of water with lemon

A juice (to take my supplements with) containing apple, carrot, ginger, kale, broccoli, cucumber.

Some berries – usually raspberries

Occasional oats / granola with almond milk

Occasional plain croissant – maybe twice a week

Occasional English breakfast - usually the day after chemo

Decaff soya flat white

 

Lunch / afternoon

Salad with oily fish or

Chicken livers on spinach or

Avocado plain or with prawns or

Occasional sandwich on whole-wheat bread

 

Mixed dried fruit & nuts

Banana

Occasional packet of crisps

 

Dinner / evening

Chicken or fish with some form of whole wheat pasta / noodles / rice

Salad or

Home-made curries and stews – mainly plant based

Home-made fruit smoothie

Occasional home-made spaghetti bolognaise or chilli con carne

Occasional Nando’s – it’s just chicken right!

Occasional curry out or take away – only plain chicken and a dahl

 

General

I drink maybe twice a week, and then it’s mainly red wine, which actually has some anti-cancer benefits due to the resveratrol content

I have a few squares of 85% chocolate most nights as a treat – this also has some anti-cancer properties known as flavanols

I have a roast chicken lunch once a week if I can as a treat – most of its pretty healthy – whole potatoes, lots of veg etc

If I eat out now, I typically have something fishy and healthy

If you want to get a more detailed view, and to understand why these foods work, you should read The Rainbow Diet, as mentioned earlier.

 

I have also discovered some fantastic recipe books and have started cooking from scratch, its actually been really enjoyable, and the results have been “ok” Sadly my 17-year-old son is not particularly impressed – particularly with the many vegan dishes I’ve made!

Special mention and thanks to;

 

Deliciously Ella.                   

Amelia Freer.               

Madelaine Shaw.        

 

Supplements

 

Morning

Vitamin C, Milk Thistle, Fish oil, aspirin, anti-inflammatory, ashwaghanda, probiotic x 2, metformin (GP prescribed to lower blood sugar levels). There is a great deal of evidence that suggests cancer feeds off sugar – particularly in colon cancer. Hence my vigilance on low refined sugar in my diet.

 

Evening

Pancreatic Digestive Enzyme formula, Parasite free, Berberine, Vitamin D, Curcumin (turmeric), Oregano Oil, Lycopene, B Complex.

 

All of these supplements have been carefully selected and have specific benefits in tackling colon cancer. Again, thanks to CANCERactive, www.canceractive.com and Chris Woollams for his guidance

Tough one this, I do prefer to sit on my arse rather than do anything resembling exercise. I’d really like to go down the pub instead of doing any exercise, but my new diet regime won’t allow it!

So, it would seem that doing exercise is generally considered good for you. In the case for it against cancer, there are many studies that show that cancer does not like oxygen. So, the more oxygen you put into your blood, the better. Again – look it up on the CANCERactive website

 

www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3132

 

About 15 years ago I did lots of exercise, including squash. I went from playing zero times a week to three times a week very quickly. After 3 weeks I couldn’t walk. My back was not playing ball – or squash. Anyway, long story short but I discovered I had some sort of degenerative bone thing going on in my lower back. I was advised not to do any impact sports. Just cycling or swimming. So, given I don’t have a swimming pool, I thought cycling would be a far less costly option. And so I got a bike, the lycra, and became a MAMIL. I actually quite enjoyed it.

 

I ended up cycling with the fantastic team at Hotchillee www.hotchillee.com and managed to do the wonderful London to Paris rides – 3 times. This is 110 miles a day, over three consecutive days. While it was a massive test of endurance, cycling in a peloton thorough Paris with a motor bike escort is one of the most satisfying sense of achievement I have known.

 

I get on my bike, at the moment only once or twice a week for a short distance. I mix it up between road and off road – I live near the Thames so like to get on the towpaths.

This is why one of my fundraising challenges is to cycle 1400 miles by Xmas 2019. That’s around 100 miles a month, so im going to have to seriously up my game!

 

https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/Bowel-Bloke

 

 

I walk the dog every other day which is pleasant, and great for the days around chemo – cycling is too much

 

And I play golf. Or try. I’m not sure this is technically exercise. I do end up doing a great deal of walking, often up hills – and always into the woods and the rough.

 

This is another of my fundraising challenges. Trying to live with cancer is quite difficult. Having some goals, that can also service to add oxygen into the blood, and provide natural vitamin D, can only be a good thing. I’m going to try and reduce my handicap before Xmas 2019.

https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/BowelBloke-BowelBloke

The only other thing I would consider to be exercise is my recent attendance at Yoga classes. Hot Yoga.

My wife does yoga. I used to laugh at how lame it looked – how can it possibly be exercise?

I don’t laugh anymore. My God, it’s really hard. Its slow, stretching right? But it hurts. And it’s hot – I literally sweat buckets.

But it’s also really good – I feel better after every session. Body and mind.

Check out where we go, its excellent and caters for all types of levels across different types of yoga and is run by a wonderful man and his wife Zahir and Laura Akram - www.akramyoga.co.uk

This could be an endless list of all the well-known, and some lesser known things you can do to help the healing process – there are literally hundreds of treatments available.

 

I started out trying most, but over time have just tried to distil them down into what works for me, my schedule, my budget. I consider these treatments to be a means to try and create calm and peace, and therefore they could just as easily sit within the Emotional section

 

I am still exploring this since I am really starting to embrace the more Eastern way of healing – managing the energy flow in us, and around us; often known as Chakra’s and Meridians.

 

I’m also looking at other areas, bio resonance being one such treatment. The search for help never ends

 

Yoga – I see this as treatment and exercise

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – continuing the theme of increasing blood oxygen levels

Reflexology – looking to relieve stress throughout the body

Massage – just to relax

Counselling – its good to talk

 

I would welcome any feedback on what has worked for people

 

Special mentions to Walking on Air for their excellent care and appreciation for what I’m going though

www.walkingonairguildford.com

 

Also, to The Mulberry Centre, one of my charities, for providing support across multiple treatments

www.themulberrycentre.co.uk