Nutrition and Cancer Treatment

 

Colin

And welcome to this episode of the sick and good podcast for this episode we have Sherry waits who's a registered dest station during the conversation sherry has more than 20 years of experience working closely with clients in both inpatient and outpatient settings addressing. Medical conditions through nutrition. She's worked with patients and have cancer as well as other disorders such as diabetes Cd disorders and digestive issues. Additionally Sheri is also breast cancer survivors. We wanted to welcome her to our podcast for today.

 

Sheri Weitz

Hi how is everybody today.

 

Colin

Doing well.

 

Sheri Weitz

Awesome.

 

Dustin

I'm doing well as well. That's I form um Sheri Ah, what has been your interest in nutrition.

 

Sheri Weitz

That was from a very young Age. My sisters got me interested in nutrition and I just really wanted to help people in a way that was preventative. Um I always liked the idea of you know food comes from the earth. I Wanted to help people with something natural and um, that was a lot more interesting to me than the traditional medicine route which I did consider medical school considered nursing but I really like preventative nutrition and wellness in general.

 

Dustin

Yeah, it all must also be really rewarding.

 

Sheri Weitz

It is. There's times where I feel like Wow that patient's life was turned around and then there's also times where it can be challenging too. Overall um, it's not always easy. But I feel it's the right path.

 

Colin

I Really like that you spoke to it from a wellness perspective and that's kind of that been your focus. Um I wanted to specifically ask if you had dietary recognitions to prevent cancer.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah, do you want me to tell my story. Um, just to let listeners know what I've gone through in terms of cancer. So because I've been a Dietician nutritionist for decades. Um, when I got breast cancer I was shocked.

 

Colin

Absolutely yeah, absolutely that sounds great.

 

Sheri Weitz

And I thought I did everything right? I was the person that ate kale that did a cleanse every six months. Um, ate organically ah taught dance fitness um, used non aluminum deodorant the list goes on. Um, and people in my support group. Same thing we were a bunch of kale eating joggers and I was really really shocked and um, went through a lot of emotional work when I was diagnosed and um I decided to be the first pace when they offered me the the choice I became the first. Patient in the world actually to get targeted chemotherapy for they call it early stage breast cancer. It wasn't early stage but it was non-metastatic when I was diagnosed. Um I had stage three breast cancer. It had gone to my lymph nodes. There was at least 4 positive lymph nodes. I thought I was going to die. It was extremely scary. Um, so I got into the clinical trial because when they told me I wasn't going to lose my hair I'm vain and I said okay, um, I'm in so I went into the trial to be honest I just went for it I really trusted my oncologist at ucla. I didn't have to have any um, painful bone bone marrow treatments I did not lose my hair I continued to hike and dance during treatment. Although I was definitely more fatigued and um, although the the trial failed um in terms of now becoming. It's no longer. You know it's not becoming the the standard of care. Um I actually was a success quote unquote I had a complete response and um they said I'm 100% cancer free and I had more Ah yeah, more than a year of treatment I had a mastectomy I had radiation I had multiple surgeries and. Chemo was for more than a year so although it was targeted I was queasy and um felt affected by it for more than a year. Um, so I sense have a very healthy life I do have some chronic conditions such as my oldd lymphoedema. And um, as they say about radiation. It's the gift that keeps on giving so I continue to have some some symptoms from radiation. But overall I teach cardio dance and zumba I work I am active and just extremely extremely grateful. Feel so lucky every single day to have survived and to be able to help patients both with and without cancer and just to carpe dim to enjoy life each and every day so I do feel that being a survivor has made me a different person and it's.

 

Sheri Weitz

Ah, part of who I am each and every day.

 

Dustin

Wow! Thank you for sharing that.

 

Colin

Um'm sure you mentioned you mentioned a couple different things as far as the things that you did for your own personal diet and yeah, a kale. Ah Jogger is I think you identified as yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Kayla eating Jogger yes.

 

Colin

Um, and that you done cleanses I was curious if there's other um than preventative measures that you would recommend to make 4 diet.

 

Sheri Weitz

So I really I think if there's one message people can leave here with it's that it's that old adage. Um, the serenity prayer you know God Grant me this serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change at things I can and the wisdom to know the difference so we can.

 

Colin

Yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Do what we can to prevent cancer. But I think there's also anxiety that comes with that that you know if I eat perfectly I'm not going to get cancer and so I need to eat perfectly and then if I do get cancer. What did I do wrong. So I really want to make the point that um I believe a lot of cancer is environmental and not what we eat.

 

Colin

Mean yeah.

 

Colin

Right.

 

Sheri Weitz

And what we eat has some effect but emotions um, are huge. Environment is huge and eating is a part of that puzzle. It's not the whole thing and um so to prevent cancer I do have some basic recommendations are there guarantees It will prevent cancer.

 

Colin

Certainly yeah.

 

Colin

Um, yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Absolutely not should you still enjoy food. yes yes enjoy food um because there's a benefit I call junk food soul food because it's good for our soul and so when I was first diagnosed a um holistic chiropractor that I was seeing said to me. Don't have 1 bite of sugar. Not even 1 bite and to be honest I stopped speaking with her because that freaked me out I knew I wasn't going to be able to do that. Um, in fact, because of the reconstruction I had where they used my stomach to reconstruct. Um, one of my breasts from mastectomy i.

 

Colin

Wow.

 

Sheri Weitz

My doctor said to me eat more ice cream eat more ice cream. So I definitely had some sugar during eat more ice cream and of course my family made fun of me because the day before my mastectomy I ate ice cream. We went for a ten mile bike ride. They said wait a minute that's the feeding the purpose of the ice cream.

 

Colin

Get a very different recommendation there.

 

Dustin

Ah.

 

Colin

Wow obsess.

 

Sheri Weitz

You're supposed to gain weight for the surgery but boy that bike ridede felt good I knew it was going to be last one for a while. Um, so my point is that yes we can do some basic things to prevent cancer and knowing that there's no guarantee. Why do we do it because. It also makes us feel good. It also reduces inflammation so day to day we're going to feel better if we engage in some basic cancer- reducing dietary practices. 1 of them being you know the Mediterranean Diet those that study Nutrition. No Mediterranean Diet. Always wins every vote and wins every contest and every study comes out saying what's the best diet The Mediterranean Diet Um I Do I'm staring at a copy of the Mediterranean Diet food pyramid which I think is a good thing to share with my patients here. Your um listeners. It's just it's a different take on the old food pyramid and it's just an Anti-inflammatory Diet in general.

 

Colin

I Really like that you and included that caveat that kind of preventative care isn't a guarantee and it's certainly something that ah even with these recommendations can be very different and and individualistic. Um, I would certainly appreciate this short the story that you shared about ah you know this? Ah,, theres different recommendations that you've received from medical providers I think that's ah, another thing to take into account that there are going to be differing opinion. Ah, but with that a mind I was curious if there's a. Ah, recommendation you have to then? ah those are an active treatment and and how that might look different or maybe it's about the same you know about having that diet that's going to be looking at reducing inflammation and um. Yeah I'll just hand that Mike back over to you. So.

 

Sheri Weitz

So you know we talked about what do we need to prevent. Um, we didn't really close that circle but we can come back to that. Maybe um, in terms of people that are in treatment. It really depends. Um, cancer treatment's gotten better because it's extremely specific.

 

Colin

Sure.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know in the breast cancer situation. Is it hormone sensitive so is it erpr positive or is it er pr negative is it her too positive her too negative I personally had yeah erpr negative her 2 positive so that's a different scenario. So are you. Trying to shut down all your hormones in order to stop the cancer that is a different um situation. In that case, you need to get rid of all animal saturated fat pretty much you know, throw that down to a minimum if you're in the middle of cancer treatment if you are going through chemo you know you want to. Be careful of supplements because they can interact with chemotherapy so it really depends on what kind of cancer treatment. The person's going through. Um I did share with Dustin you know there's some great supplements that can help. To prevent neuropathy from chemo and one of them is ill glutamine I do recommend that to my patients and I usually have them take about five grams a day in order to get enough. You need to do the powder and that's about a heaping teaspoon a day and that can prevent neuropathy during treatment.

 

Dustin

I know.

 

Sheri Weitz

And then if you actually get it then you would increase your dosage from there until you get a relief and that's just one of many tools in the toolkit but that can be very effective for neuropathy. Yeah.

 

Dustin

Yeah, that's that stuff is amazing when you told me about a cherry you were like you should try this I'm like I've tried things I think I'm good and I tried it and I'm I've recommended to quite a few people since I'm like this stuff is life Changing. You gotta do it like and I probably sounded. The same as you you signed when you told me about it and they're probably skeptical but I'm like no it works. Yeah.

 

Colin

Just straight pumped.

 

Sheri Weitz

Awesome! It looks like cocaine but it's not. It's just powdery supplement.

 

Dustin

Okay, yeah I thought I was supposed to snort it at first but I'm I'm yeah, not.

 

Colin

Not recommended.

 

Sheri Weitz

Don't do that doesn that. Ah, or if you snort it don't come back to me.

 

Dustin

Yeah, so um, what? so you talking about the supplements. What would you say your approach is to treating cancer patients as like a holistic dietician.

 

Sheri Weitz

As a holistic Dietitian I would look at their overall inflammation levels I would give them things to support their energy levels. So you know of course I would want them to eat um less animal products but to be a strict vegan. That's. Pretty extreme for some people. So if you're going to eat some animal protein then go for organic meat. Go for lean meat. Um, if you're basically I always recommend um EVO extra virgin olive oil so you want to. Use it in a raw state. So Add it to your salad. Add it as a finisher to recipes So I'm big into the extra virgin olive oil as a superfood as something that's going to reduce inflammation and always the big C.. What's the big c. You're going to think that's cancer. But I'm talking about cruciferous vegetables so that would be Kale Broccoli Brussels Sprouts um and cauliflower those are the biggies just if you can eat as many as possible every single day then you're getting your big seeing your diet.

 

Dustin

Oh yeah.

 

Dustin

I like that I Really like that the big C I also liked earlier when you said drunk food is good for your soul I was like yes yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

So that prevents cancer and it helps you know Overall decrease inflammation.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah I call it soul food because it's good for your soul. Yeah yeah, definitely That's I mean and that's the thing I think that people get such anxiety and um, people can eat perfectly and still get cancer die from Cancer Survive Cancer. It's it. There's so much. So I Really think it's a blend and that's why I call myself a lifestyle or wellness coach because it's not all about what you eat. Um I attribute my survival partially to guided visualization that I actively participated in um so. Visualization is really important emotional support you know hugs you know exercise is huge exercise has tremendous research in terms of preventing reoccurrence increase in Survival. So Whatever people are able to do gentle movement to.

 

Dustin

No.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know anywhere from gentle movement to extreme exercise. Whatever they're able to do at their level either during or after treatment. Um, or before you get cancer right? God Forbid. It's going to be always always Helpful. Movement is Medicine. So Those are all important and eating. Is a part of that. So Yes I always guide people eat organic whenever possible and um, you know, minimize your meat and go organic and get your big C's your your cruciferous vegetables. Get your extra virgin Olive oil. Um. But being perfect. What do they say perfect is the enemy of good so trying to eat perfectly is anxiety producing and um I don't think it's that productive.

 

Colin

You know and made me wonder Do you have specific recommendations as to how much soul food that a patient because you know we talked about that you know making sure that there's that that balance I suppose you know and and having ah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Who.

 

Dustin

From him.

 

Colin

The good nutrition but also then doing what you can to feed that soul right.

 

Sheri Weitz

That's always you know, big challenge and I deal a lot with eating disorders and compulsive eaters and so it's really again, it's individualized and it can be a tightrope because for some people 1 bite of sugar sends them off the deep end and they're bingeing. So then you know.

 

Colin

Um.

 

Dustin

And.

 

Sheri Weitz

I help them to embrace sugar in a mindful way if you're going to eat sugar. You know, do it without the Tv on. Do it mindfully? Um, really you know have every bite count get the most mileage out of every bite. These are some of my you know pearls from doing this for years. So. How much is too much. You know I don't have the magic answer to that I would say you know typically most attritionists give the 1 21 rule. So we have twenty one meals in a week so they say eat 1 dessert a week for some people that's not enough. Some people need a little dessert every day whether that be some organic dark chocolate or you know a small cinnamon roll or something like that in order to feel satisfied if they're eating really helpfully, that's that little thing that keeps them satisfied that keeps them from bingeing or going off the deep end. Um. And how much is too much I mean a lot of people say you know again 1 bite of sugar will feed cancer. But for some of these cancers. It's the hormonal balance that's important so hormonally rate you know ah beef with added hormones or saturated fat can feed the cancer as much as sugar. And also other people attest to your insulin and your sugar balance. So if you have a little dessert with a meal and your blood sugar is not going up then maybe it doesn't feed the cancer. So if you can keep your blood sugar balanced. That's a whole nother viewpoint then maybe a little bit of. You know sweets and sugar is not going to raise your blood sugar. So if I just have a giant cinnamon roll again for that example and that's my meal I might really drive my blood sugar up. Well that feed cancer. It's possible if I have a little cinnamon roll at the end of a meal or if i. You know, exercise afterwards to lower my blood sugar. Maybe it's not going to have quite the effect.

 

Dustin

Yeah, that makes sense Sherry and ah, you know me being a dietician as Well. Maybe our listeners have never heard of intuitive eating and I'm curious. You said that you have worked with eating disorders. What if ah, somebody who has history of an eating disorder. Is going through cancer treatment. How would they navigate with all this like health food information would you like wreck. Yeah, what would your be recommendation because you know good food, bad food. All fits food like how how.

 

Sheri Weitz

Well yeah, that's a good question and there's a new I know you're familiar with this term orthoexia. Um I believe there's even a newer term beyond orthooxia and I forget the new term. Maybe you can remind me Dustin um.

 

Dustin

Um, yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

People that have developed an eating disorder because they have a fear of not eating perfectly and it's about health food um obsession and 1 bite of a junk food you know piece of junk food sends them into you know, complete panic. So. In fact, one of my most serious. Eating disorder patients had orthorexia she was terrified of eating gluten and in her case she didn't have a problem with gluten she was terrified of eating sugar. She was terrified of being eating something that wasn't perfect and the truth is you can chase perfection but there is no perfection because everyone's different. And you can eat like a saint and still get sick. So. It's really tough to have balance and everyone's balance is different but I really believe um the intuitive eating is important and to have you know, maybe 1 small sweet. Ah day or every other day if you're eating an overall really healthy diet and you're getting some movement in there is reasonable and I'm hoping that some people take comfort in that and if you're going to have it. Um, eat something that you really really are wanting really craving.

 

Dustin

Oh.

 

Sheri Weitz

Have it in a mindful way, try not to eat it in a distracted way. So the Tv's off and you're sitting there with that food saying. Okay I want you and you're you know, taking advantage of each and every bite maybe even closing your eyes and really practicing that intuitive eating and eating what you love. And stopping when you don't love it. Yes.

 

Colin

Really being in that moment you know I wanted to make sure that ah you had the opportunity to to speak to the preventative care and kind of close out loop I Know you said earlier that there's a.

 

Dustin

That's good.

 

Colin

An additional comment that you wanted to make there.

 

Sheri Weitz

So I do believe I addressed a lot of it. But as as prevention, what can we do? there's the there's the environment um so in terms of environment I do recommend an app that people get. It's the Ewg app. It's the environmental working group. They're doing excellent research and they assess anything from a sunscreen that you might put on your body to shampoo toothpaste and they do assess. Um, if there are cancer causing ingredients. So that's something that we can all look at in terms of. Diet you know if you look at the food diet pyramid. You've got sweets at the very top meaning that's something that we want to have in smaller amounts alcohol including red wine in moderation if you go down the pyramid. You've got um the next biggest is potatoes and red meat. So red meat is something we want to have less often potatoes. The food pyramid says 3 servings a week potatoes can raise blood sugar. All those sweet potatoes are healthier but we want to have them. You know in smaller quantities then you go down the pyramid the next largest amount would be white meat fish and shellfish beans and legumes and eggs then you go down further. Herbs and spices so they're saying use herbs and spices liberally then the next most most plentiful is olives, nuts and seeds. So I'm real big on nuts and seeds. They're satisfying. They keep our blood sugar from going up and if you're hungry. Snacking on raw sunflower seeds or almonds or walnuts or cashews if you're not allergic. They're amazing. They really are high in fiber very satisfying and they are anti cancer really then they recommend dairy actually the food. The. Metatrained food diet pyramid has dairy as the second most plentiful so it's right next to the base of the food pyramid and I know dairy is very controversial. A lot of people are taking dairy out of their diet. So that's something that has to be individualized. Um I know for me for instance I digest raw cheese better than regular cheese. Um I don't digest milk. Well so I do almond and then you know I do soy milk I know soy is a little controversial as well and that's something that has to be individualized for somebody.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know before they have lots of tofu. You got to look at that. Um, so dairy is on that second rung of the triangle and and if anybody wants to just Google the food, the pyramid diet food pyramid. It's right there easy to find. Um, so the very bottom your base of your pyramid is vegetables. Fruit olive oil as I mentioned it doesn't say extra virgin but that's what I recommend and whole grains. So again, if you are off gluten whole grains is going to be something that might look a little different and that might mean having um i. Recommend organic corn things like amarants. Um you know millet some of your interesting grains buckwheat quinoa that's a great one um, fruits and veggies. We all know, um, pretty much. More the better I don't recommend fruit juice but eating you know, eating your fruits awesome and vegetable juice is a great way to make up for a loss of vegetables just make sure there's minimal fruit in your vegetable juice and organic whenever possible.

 

Dustin

Um, okay, wow, yeah, that's that's that's really good. Thank you for sharing all of that. Um, so how would you someone transition into like a Mediterranean diet if they like were eating totally different before.

 

Sheri Weitz

I do recommend working with a registered dietitian someone with a non-d diet approach a gentle approach so be gentle with yourself I would um, start to stock your house with different things because if your house is full of. Sweets and processed foods. You know, crackers chips. Um, that's what you're going to go to so I recommend stocking your house with you know, nuts and seeds and fruits and vegetables and um, you know and frozen is really convenient. Frozen vegetables are awesome for you. And same with frozen fruit and you can look for frozen vegetables that have 0 sodium and in my opinion there should be 1 ingredient if it's frozen broccoli. It should say broccoli. That's the ingredient and those are really very easy to you know to always have there.

 

Dustin

Yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Um, so I recommend stock in your house full of those things if you're not a cook. There is a really inexpensive food delivery that I just discovered called every table and their meals are $6 and they use organic in whole grain and um.

 

Dustin

Ooh yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah, I'm going to be really I'm going to actually experiment with getting their their um foods delivered to me I have a client that's he has an eating disorder and he's transforming his eating because he's just not able to cook right now Just can't quite doesn't have to get up and go to actually help himself. Do it So That's transforming his eating. So that can be helpful maybe to get over the hump is do a healthy food delivery something. That's affordable for you.

 

Dustin

Yeah I actually did every table for a little while myself I was I was I was experimenting with all those sort of ones I tried one of the other ones that was like something Chef or they deliver Every table is really good though I recommend them as well I mean Blue Apron's good if they want to learn how to cook. But.

 

Sheri Weitz

Okay, awesome.

 

Sheri Weitz

Is is.

 

Dustin

Yeah, every table's convenient.

 

Sheri Weitz

And it's affordable. So it's more um and people can donate to them and it allows people on low incomes to have the food delivery so they're trying to deliver healthy food into the food desert areas.

 

Dustin

Oh yeah, that's that's really awesome. Yeah I also tried home Chef I think or hello. Yeah I think it was home Chef Hello Fresh I think it was one I was looking at just like I like to try him out for so that I can recommend them to clients you know.

 

Sheri Weitz

Um, hello fresh.

 

Sheri Weitz

I Must say one of my clients is using Hello fresh and she's learning how to cook So I Say oh you're in cooking school because every night it takes her more than an hour to prepare the meals and she's a working woman and she's doing it and she's learning how to cook and she's sleeping so much better because she's eating a balanced dinner Now. And um, you know it's filled with Kale and all these cruciferous vegetables in almost every recipe that they have but the recipes aren't perfect. They put you know, drizzle it with Honey. You know so things like that that make everything taste good. Um, So I think that their food is satisfying. But I think it's Expensive. So.

 

Dustin

Me.

 

Sheri Weitz

Every table is definitely more affordable.

 

Dustin

Um, yeah.

 

Colin

I'm wondering if ah, those like food services or delivery services are helping with the the kind of care that ah you know a cancer patient might need Um, just.

 

Sheri Weitz

That's a really good point and of course when I went through breast Cancer. There was um I Forget the name of the one that we use. But I think I know that um you guys might be familiar with this where they have. Websites where your loved ones or friends can sign up and then they um you know they bring you food a meal train. Thank you and they bring you food and that's so Helpful. Um, So yeah I think when that sort of dries up right? and you're kind of past that meal train.

 

Colin

Come meal train. Yeah.

 

Colin

It is.

 

Sheri Weitz

Stage but you still maybe don't have the energy to prepare your meals or just maybe not the motivation. Sometimes it's just hard I know for me I'd rather do an art project or something than or dance than be in the kitchen then it's it's nice to have that meal delivery service especially a healthy, affordable 1

 

Colin

Um, yeah.

 

Dustin

I Yeah I definitely can relate to that like feeling like you don't know what to do with food. You're too tired to prepare it. So I'm glad that there is like something available to.

 

Sheri Weitz

A.

 

Dustin

Cancer patients I'm I'm just hoping that there are people telling them about these services.

 

Sheri Weitz

Absolutely and I'm going to be contacting every table to find out more about what they do I think it would be really cool to have some of these um maybe give discounts or a certain amount of free meals to cancer patients and. To cater some of their meals to cancer patients. So in terms of having them be maybe easy to digest if that's the challenge or you know for survivors having you know cruciferous vegetables in every meal. So I think that could be a really cool kind of but. Sub-focus for some of these companies.

 

Dustin

Yeah, that would be really cool and actually you you talking about reminding me about how I remember during my treatment that a nuropenic diet was like such a big deal and now and now I hear it's not as as emphasized as it used to be.

 

Sheri Weitz

Oh yes, it completely changed So The neutropenic diet was used in hospitals. Especially when I was back doing clinical um basically a patient couldn't need any raw fruits or vegetables at all. And recently when I was working as a clinical nutrition manager at a hospital I found out that it has changed. So Now you can have them as long as you're not eating the peel of the raw fruit and vegetable. So As long as it's been washed and no peel. Um, it's.

 

Dustin

Um, ah, interesting.

 

Sheri Weitz

It's liberalized a lot So the nuutropenic diet is um is really not that strict compared to how it used to be.

 

Dustin

Wow. Ah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Which is great because um, it was so restrictive for cancer patients at the time I'm sure you went through that.

 

Dustin

Yeah, yeah, it was. You're just really afraid of the bacteria. That's like going to get you sick like you know that was like the main concern and then to hear that they're actually you know encouraging the raw foods because they realize of the health benefit. It's like kind of the opposite.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah, it's definitely um, it keeps changing as with all nutritional recommendations. It constantly changes which can be challenging for us nutritionists. But it's just um, there's always new research for sure.

 

Colin

Right.

 

Colin

You know sure he goes out.

 

Sheri Weitz

I'm actually looking at the nutropenic diet right now from the Memorial Sloan kettering cancer center and you know there are some basic guidelines. Avoid raw undercooked meat of course as well as deli processing cured meats. Avoid smoked meats. Avoid raw fish.

 

Dustin

No.

 

Sheri Weitz

So You wouldn't want to have sushi rotter Undercooked Eggs avoid salad, bars buffets and potlucks avoid unpasteurized products freshened packaged foods that are past their used-by date. Um, avoid consuming Raw sprouts or avoid leftovers more than 48 hours Old so it doesn't say avoid fresh fruits and vegetables anymore. It just says thoroughly rinse them and peel them.

 

Dustin

Wow Has huge change.

 

Sheri Weitz

Is is.

 

Colin

As was I was listening to the recommendations and that idea to then contact. Ah oh shoot I'm going to forget the name of the that every plate or every table every table.

 

Sheri Weitz

Every table.

 

Colin

I Maybe think of like those who are restricted to a liquid diet you know and and how that would then look for those who have difficulties swallowing or these other than impairments to than being able to have a regular diet with.

 

Sheri Weitz

And. Ah.

 

Colin

Ah, you know food that it would be consumed perhaps regularly.

 

Dustin

I actually have seen some of those services Colin but they're always super expensive. Yeah for like seniors who need like something that's more puree like and they deliver. It's usually pretty expensive I don't know have you seen any of those services cherry.

 

Colin

Um, yeah, um.

 

Sheri Weitz

For delivered pureed foods I have not I think those are new services and that might be part of the expense too Is there New startups.

 

Dustin

It's super expensive like is um.

 

Dustin

Yeah I mean our old hospital that I worked at we had somebody another company come in and brought their pures for the hospital to try and I was like Wow I Want to be a patient here if they have pure a like this and but the hospital couldn't afford it. It was just too much money.

 

Sheri Weitz

Um, Wow, That's sad because um, the puree diets in hospitals that are typically used are filled with a lot of sugar and a lot of. Interesting ingredients and it's like you're eating chicken but it tastes like sugar chicken. So It's yeah I mean it's um, we have a long way to go for pureade food and I know I get patients asking me about drinks and a lot of them are drinking these really.

 

Colin

2

 

Dustin

Yeah, yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know, like ensure we know is you know the first ingredient sugar. Um so I do recommend healthier liquid protein drinks something like or gain is a good one and I really like um Vega protein where it's pea protein and a lot of.

 

Dustin

M.

 

Dustin

Oh yeah, that one.

 

Sheri Weitz

Cruciferous vegetables hidden in there and yeah, it's It's really good because of covid. It's hard to get the um ones at come already. You know like made in the ready to drink in the plastic bottle. Um, which can be helpful to have that if you're weak and everything and you don't.

 

Dustin

Whoa.

 

Dustin

Aha.

 

Sheri Weitz

Want to have to put it in a blender um used to be around like a dollar something a bottle and now it's like $5 a bottle or some crazy I mean they haven't even at Target the the vegan yeah vegan one.

 

Dustin

Where where do you get those? Okay yeah vga one yeah have you have you heard or tried pre premieer protein.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah I really don't like that one at all because it's got um sucrulose which is Splenda which is an artificial sweetener which you know some research shows it can damage our gut microbiome so I don't recommend that 1 and actually it's very low in calories. So it's kind of.

 

Dustin

Here.

 

Dustin

Me.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know people use it for weight loss and if you've got cancer. Don't think you want to lose weight. So for several reasons I don't recommend premieer protein.

 

Dustin

Um, okay, okay, yeah I thought I saw that one and I was like oh it's got pretty good amount of protein I tried it. It tasted better than insure and if you have stomach issues a lot of times insure makes it worse.

 

Sheri Weitz

It can. Yeah I like the orgaine they have both vegan and non-vegan orgain. Um and I like the vega one which is the vegan one because they add a lot of vegetables in there and you can't really taste them. You have to shake it well.

 

Dustin

A.

 

Sheri Weitz

But if you shake it Well you can't taste the vegetables and it really does sneak some broccoli and other cruciferous ones in there.

 

Colin

Um, Sheri was so hoping you could speak to maybe some Gi supplements or other probiotics.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah I mean probiotics is becoming. Um, it's this huge area of research and people do react differently. So it's important to know that you might try a probiotic and it might give you diarrhea for instance or. You know it just might not agree with you. So it's important to you know, save your receipt if you buy a probiotic and return in it but doesn't agree with you in general I recommend something that's thirty billion or more that's three zero billion be like boy not million. And something that has around 10 different strains so different. Um strains meaning you know, different bifidobacterium different lacttobacillus for instance, so the lactto and the bifido have different effects on the body. And it's a very complex subject just since I started recommending probiotics for instance, um, fifteen years ago when I was working clinical I would recommend probiotics and the doctors would see what are you talking about? What's a probiotic so I guess I was a little ahead of my time on that and. Then they finally started prescribing them in the hospital and they were 2000000's a lot different than 50000000000 so and even now I get patients that say how's this one and they show me the label and it's got maybe 1.

 

Dustin

Um, only.

 

Sheri Weitz

Billion or 1 or 500000000 and it's got one strain and those are the ones that doctors checker tend to recommend because the drug reps will say look this is the one that we've researched so there's research on more than one strain. Um, you know the one of the ones I use. Um, from my wellness pharmacy is called probiome when it's got 10 strains and it's got 50000000000 and they're all very well research strains. Um, so I do recommend probiotics as something that can help with digestive issues the immune system in terms of. Colds and flus and perhaps cancer which I had not delved into that research deeply but you have to just make sure that you tolerate it and maybe start with a 30000000000 and increase from there.

 

Dustin

I Think that was a very interesting point that you made about how well you react to it ah because very often clients in the past will just keep taking it even if their body is like saying like no stop. This doesn't feel good, but no, it's healthy.

 

Sheri Weitz

Is.

 

Dustin

This health person told me that it's really good for you.

 

Sheri Weitz

Um, yes, and it's just one size does not fit all.

 

Dustin

Okay, so we have about 5 minutes left of sherry's time and we have a couple questions left I just want to respect your time sherry and we'll edit out what I'm saying right now too.

 

Sheri Weitz

Ah, sure.

 

Colin

Well I wanted to ask if you have any recommendations for websites for recipes that would be of use for those that are in cancer treatment or cancer survivors.

 

Sheri Weitz

Um I wish I could say I did I don't to be honest, same I Want to edit that out. Um, yeah, as far as a website for cancer recipes. That's a really good question.

 

Dustin

Um, all right. We'll add it out to what we're saying is wow.

 

Colin

We will edit that out.

 

Dustin

Maybe we can just like list it in the details below this episode if you're interested in cancer recipes like read below that can be good. Yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

And I don't.

 

Sheri Weitz

That would be good. That's a yeah, love.

 

Colin

And you know I I brought up one that I had as part of like that workshop for the integrative Oncology scholarship that I'm part of and I could not remember if I could and if I can get that I'll send it to you? Yeah, but ah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Please do I would love that. Yeah yeah.

 

Colin

Dustin did you want to just ask that final question and then we can cut cherry loose.

 

Dustin

All right final question so shery. Ah yeah, and and then I have to pause right? after I say final questions so we can edit out all of this to like the perfect spot. So I'm gonna pause I'm gonna pause for a second.

 

Sheri Weitz

Sounds like Jeopardy but.

 

Dustin

So it sounds natural.

 

Dustin

So Sherry have you received any odd nutrition recommendations that are considered natural and are able to cure cancer.

 

Sheri Weitz

I would say the one that says not even 1 bite of sugar was to me anxiety producing and I don't know that it's odd. Um, but it definitely. Made me feel very anxious. There are some other ones that I've heard about where you um, eat you know the seeds of this plant and will cure cancer.

 

Dustin

Um, yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

And I'm trying to remember the name of the plant and I can't remember the name of the plant I'll be honest, There's some interesting ones out there. There's yeah.

 

Dustin

That's really fine I mean did you hear about like goji berries was like the cure. All you need to have a bunch of goji berries every day and then you'll be cured. Did you ever hear anything like that. Okay, okay.

 

Sheri Weitz

Oh wait minute it wait a minute I've I've got my answer I've got my answer because I just had a session with a patient who has stage four breast cancer so we had a session two weeks ago and she was told that raw carrot juice in giant quantities would cure her cancer.

 

Dustin

Um.

 

Dustin

Ah, wow.

 

Sheri Weitz

So specifically Raw Carrot juice yeah Yeah Carrot juice and and you know god forbid you put some really good cruciferous green vegetables in with the carrots. It was.

 

Colin

Very specific.

 

Dustin

But but not Carrots Carrots that's like I'm sorry, not good enough.

 

Colin

Um, it's got to be juiced.

 

Sheri Weitz

Just Carrot juice even though that's your highest sugar vegetable and then when you you know juice a lot of it. You're actually going to get a fair amount of sugar then at that point. Yeah, it was just Carrot juice. So um, that's what this you know cancer patient is doing now. Um, so.

 

Colin

He.

 

Sheri Weitz

I gave her my opinion about it. But um that I thought that was interesting. 1

 

Dustin

Yeah,, there's always a new one and I agree with you a lot of times. The dietary recommendations can create more anxiety for the client like you have to cut out all these foods which kind of puts them worse off because they get into like. Restricting bin cycles like oh I can't eat any of these foods. So then they become like the Forbidden fruit. But then yeah, so and that could be a whole nother podcast I feel like just that alone.

 

Sheri Weitz

Absolutely.

 

Colin

You know when I was going to share was that I had heard ah that once I was diagnosed I needed to have a shark fin soup.

 

Sheri Weitz

Ah, that's right Shark Fin soup

 

Colin

I'm like sure I'll just go down to my local grocery store and.

 

Sheri Weitz

Ah I think I saw this place Shark Fin soup are us I think I just saw that down the street.

 

Colin

Yeah, totally easily accessible and and and something that is part of my stable dial I don't know about you guys. But.

 

Sheri Weitz

Well I do snake Eyeballs Snake eyeballs you know, let's I put that on my up every day.

 

Dustin

Yeah I mean another? yeah.

 

Colin

Um, so turn in it to Indiana Jones here and you know um, was.

 

Dustin

Yeah.

 

Dustin

Wow. Well think. Ah.

 

Sheri Weitz

Yeah, there's always something out there. So I think moderation Common sense listen to your body visualization exercise hugs and also eat. Well.

 

Colin

Sherry. Thank you so much for speaking with us on diet and and just ah, bringing your expertise to the conversation so we wanted to just thank you for for that.

 

Sheri Weitz

It's been my pleasure and I wish everybody awesome health and you can have cancer and still be a healthy person and um I like the name of your podcast and um yeah I think that um.

 

Colin

Um, thank you.

 

Sheri Weitz

You know what do they say one out of 2 people are going to get cancer so it can happen to the healthiest person and you can continue to be healthy during and after treatment and so I wish all your listeners and everybody um wellness and.

 

Dustin

Thank you Sherry we really enjoyed all of our conversations on health and nutrition today. So ah yeah.

 

Sheri Weitz

There you have it.

 

Sheri Weitz

Thank you Dustin! Thank you Colin and have a great day.