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Not Sure Program is Right for Me


Allya

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I have never posted (or even been on) a forum (I'm a dinosaur when it comes to electronic media). So if I am doing this incorrectly or am breaking some rule in my posting, please forgive. 

With that said, I am wondering if Whole20 would be the right program for me at this time. I dealt with breast cancer a few years back leading to an intensive regiment of chemotherapy. Now I am dealing with the effects of the chemo on my body. I take a lot of drugs (both for the cancer and for the negative effects of the chemo) and a number of vitamins too. So my first query is whether this would be a good time to start this program given the cancer and the pills. My second concern is that I don't cook. I purchased the Whole30 Cookbook and am worried that the recipes require more time and skill then I have.

I'd appreciate any input. Thank you.

 

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It's not going to hurt you to eat lots of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats, and could make you healthier. There's no reason to think it would interfere with the pills you're taking, although if any of your meds have side effects like nausea or vomiting or if they cause things to taste weird, those can certainly make it harder to do this.

As far as the cooking, you don't have to follow a bunch of recipes all the time. I grill or bake chicken, usually with a little oil of some kind on it and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, brown ground beef with similar seasonings, sometimes adding chili powder and cumin for a more Mexican flavor, or sometimes I brown it and then let it simmer in a store bought marinara sauce. I open a can of tuna and mix it with tomatoes, pickles and homemade mayonnaise (I like this recipe -- do check with your doctor about this since it uses raw egg, since some cancer treatments do weaken the immune system. You might need to look for pasteurized eggs (not all eggs are), or google ways to pasteurize them yourself, or look for egg-free mayo recipes) for a tuna salad.  I roast vegetables or saute them. None of these things are complicated. Every now and then I like to try new recipes, but the reality is, I don't like spending huge amounts of time cooking things, so I keep it simple most of the time.  I try to do a weekly cookup of enough food to get me through most of the week, kind of like what is described here. And there's several ideas here for putting together some basic things you can keep on hand that might help you think of things you could do too -- you don't have to follow her suggestions exactly, but just the basic idea of how she does it (although most of her recipes I've ever tried, I've liked, so you probably can't go wrong if any of them sound good to you).

If you're not really sure whether you want to commit to a Whole30 right now, you could start cooking most of your meals following Whole30 guidelines, start replacing things like mayonnaise or salad dressings or ketchup that you probably have on hand in your pantry or fridge with compliant versions as they run out, and see how that goes. If you decide it doesn't seem too stressful, then you can commit to starting a Whole30, or if it still seems like too much stress, try to figure out what exactly is making it stressful and come back here and post in the forum, and maybe someone will have suggestions to make it less stressful.

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Hi Allya,

I'm in a situation similar to yours.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of 2013, and went through surgeries and treatments (chemo and radiation) for most of 2014.  Around the time I was diagnosed, and after, I gained 40 lbs.  I also have had about 15 different health conditions since then, most that I believe are due to the cancer treatments and now being overweight.  To name just a few:  type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and a very underactive thyroid.   I also have to continue to pills to prevent cancer for the next couple of years.   I believe you should talk with your doctor first before starting Whole30, if for no other reason, that some of your prescription dosages may need to be adjusted (especially when taking high doses that lower your blood sugar, like for diabetes, because the Whole 30 will naturally do that).  

With that being said, I'm only on day 5, and I'm feeling really good, better than I have in a long time!   I believe that if I finish at least a Whole30 and continue on this lifestyle, that several of my health conditions will completely go away, and the others will improve.   I agree with Shannon, don't think you have to be much of a cook to do well on this program, there are many things you can put together that don't require 'recipes', although using them on occasion increases the variety you have so you don't get bored!  There are some who do this program that don't even use the recipes much.

I hope my feedback helps, since my situation is similar.   I recommend reading the Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom (if you haven't already read that book) which really explains the program and also includes a lot of simple recipes.  Then, please talk with your doctor about it, and how some medications may need to be adjusted.   I highly recommend it!   It's only 30 days, right?   I don't think you have anything to lose by trying Whole30, but a lot of good things to gain!   Good luck to you, and please check in again if you have questions or need help.  The people on these forums seem to be very supportive!

 

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