In the Kitchen with the Caregiver

September 14, 2017

I confess. Meal planning and preparation has been one of the most difficult undertakings for me as a caregiver. I find the planning anxiety-provoking and the preparation time-consuming. I wish it were a simple matter of following an anti-cancer diet—if there is such a thing. But, even if there were, maintaining any sort of diet is difficult during chemo and radiation. In the midst of chemo (four times in fifteen years), when Jim's appetite decreased and everything tasted like metal, he wasn't about to gulp down a green smoothie or a glass of carrot-beet juice. If he wanted mac-n-cheese or buttermilk blueberry pancakes, that is exactly what he got.

In November of last year, when Jim came home after eight weeks in the hospital, having lost thirty pounds, he was to consume 3500-4000 calories per day and 120 grams of protein to aid in wound-healing. It was nearly impossible, not only for me to fix it, but for him to eat it! He would barely finish a 900 calorie breakfast, when it was time for a calorie laden snack. I was in the kitchen all day even with the help provided by our friends through takethemameal.com 

If only cancer could be prevented or cured by eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, the world would be a better place. Alas! I don't believe it can be cured with that formula, and I'm not even sure it can be prevented—though many will disagree with me.

My mother ate white bread and butter, no fruit, no vegetables except potatoes, and no fish or chicken. She loved chocolate, black licorice, potato chips, and Coca-cola—which she frequently drank with her breakfast of bacon and eggs. She took no vitamins or supplements and seldom exercised, but miraculously reached her ninetieth birthday with no health problems. I am not advocating that regimen or rather, lack of regimen, but it does give me cause to ponder. 

Unlike my mother, I have always been concerned about what my family eats; we gave up Wonder Bread and Twinkies long before "clean eating" came into vogue. When our sons-in-law joined the family, they chided me about my emphasis on healthy eating and joked about eating tofu instead of turkey at Thanksgiving—an exaggeration to be sure. 

When Jim was diagnosed, I paid even more attention to what he ate. At various times, we tried juicing, protein shakes, smoothies, multiple daily servings of pureed asparagus, organic produce, and eliminating sugar and white flour. (See last week's post on The Sugar Monster.) Some of those additions  have  stuck, but many have fallen by the wayside. While I know fellow cancer caregivers who have consistently managed to keep their families on an exemplary anti-cancer diet, I've become more lax, doing well for several weeks, then falling off the wagon or, rather, food truck. I admire co-survivors like Melissa Ellefson whose husband Matt is an eight year survivor. I don't know how she manages, but she shares valuable information and tips on her website.

After much research and experimentation, I have decided that the best diet for a cancer patient—or anyone else—is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables,with minimal amounts of red meat and few empty calories—in other words, a simple diet of wholesome foods just like Mother said (your  mother, not mine). Perhaps it is rationalization that has led me to this conclusion, but it is supported by many cancer nutritionists and physicians. I love the advice of  Julie Lanford cancerdietician.com :
 "Don’t fill your plate with a side dish of fear. Eat your veggies, move your body and enjoy each day you are given!"

Today's recipe is easy to prepare, tasty, and nutritious—three qualifications that I look for.

Coconut Shrimp and Rice

Shrimp (fresh or frozen)                                                ginger root

1 large onion, thinly sliced                                             curry powder

8 oz mushrooms, sliced                                                 salt and pepper

can of coconut milk                                                     brown rice (I prefer short grain)                                                      

Add a little oil to a large pan. I prefer coconut oil for this recipe. Lightly brown onion and garlic. Add mushrooms and cook 'til tender. Remove veggie mixture and set aside. Add shrimp. Cook only for a minute or two. Reduce heat; pour in stirred coconut milk. Grate a small amount of ginger. Add cooked vegetables back to the mix and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt pepper and curry to taste at the end. Serve over brown rice.