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recipe ideas? (cooking for my dad)

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Posted 1/18/2011 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
hi everyone, just joined today after spending the last 3 weeks frantically searching books, stores, and the internet for ways to help my dad. So many sleepless nights worrying and trying to find out what best to do to pump him up and sigh feeling helpless...

Anyhow, he is a real meat and potatoes guy, and we are trying to modify, but I am suspicious of some of the recipe books, so many recipes with processed food and I thought it had to be avoided?

but the stuff my mom and I have tried making has been pretty bland, and he hates it....maybe the cooking needs help? :)

found some recipes online using turmeric....any advice? any good recipes to share?
Posted 1/18/2011 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Mark Bitman (or is it Bittman???), a food writer for the NY Times, has a vegetarian cookbook I use and it is excellent.

Big green book, available thru, amongst others, Amazon.
Posted 1/18/2011 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
This is one of my cookbooks: "The Anti-Cancer Cookbook".

The Univ of California at San Francisco UCSF is one of the leading prostate cancer treatment centers. A dietician at UCSF worked collaboratively with urologists specializing in prostate cancer to develop this guidebook titled "Nutrition & Prostate Cancer."
Posted 1/18/2011 9:54 PM (GMT 0)
sweet! thanks to you both, will order those asap :)

incidentally I just found out caviar is recommended to patients recovering from surgery and chemotherapy as it is an excellent source of hemoglobin content- cuz it has potassium and magnesium good amount of vitamin D and A and fatty acid, only drawback I guess is sodium, but still a tasty treat in moderation, served up on cucumber slices ....

sending out some happy eating vibes!!!
Posted 1/18/2011 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
When I was first diagnosed with having PC, a "Complementary Medicine" Doctor, advised us of what to do for best effect. He naturally prefaced all by saying 'No Red Meats'.

He then went through the usual vitamins, and said that fresh foods were best. He spoke of the 'Power' of certain foods, without going into what that 'power' really was.

Now - I know that he was talking about the Anti-Oxidant value of those vegetables and fruits etc.. because his preferred foods were those having high ORAC value and high Omega 3 etc.. We ended up eating fish 5 days a week, with chicken and pork for comic relief.

In another thread there is reference to an ARS web site for foods that are high in Anti-Oxidants.. It would be good for anyone interested in the BEST foods, to glance over that list and look for foods that you could buy locally, and use those that have the higher values. We ended up eating fish 5 days a week.
Posted 1/18/2011 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
WE (my wife and I) decided that we weren't going to try to imitate our pre-PC diet. That is, no imitation steak made out of soy. We have switched to unfamiliar foods -- Indian, Chinese, Thai, Middle Eastern. These are foods that are heavy on spices (for example curry) Did you know that curry doesn't have to be hot? Cumin, coriander, turmeric are the base. Heavy on vegetables, chicken or soy products to make it seem like a meal.

My one word of warning is that many prepared condiments (especially Chinese) can be very heavy on salt.

Out local health food store carries tempeh -- a fermented soy product related to tofu but firmer. Don't be intimidated by the websites that tell you to boil it -- we just fry it in olive oil. There is even a tempeh that is made to taste like bacon -- Wow, BLT sandwiches but no animal fat.
Posted 1/19/2011 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks BuiDoi, I downloaded the doc from ARS web site, going through it to highlight the high ORAC foods!

Thanks geezer99, I don't know much about Indian, Chinese, Thai, or Middle Eastern food at all, but I did just read (after seeing your post) that soy (not genetically modified) is really really good in prevention and possible treatment of prostate cancer (yay!!)

Right now we have zero soy in the diet, so maybe it would be a good complement...

I am interested in trying the tempeh, my only concern is about hormones....since my dad is on HT, I wonder about the phytoestrogens in soy foods or "anti-estrogens"... might it interfere?

On the bright side I read that soy prevents hot flashes....
Posted 1/19/2011 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
I had difficulty giving up red meat, and particularly processed meat. Being Italian, I liked nothing better than a salami sub, also big favorites were hot dogs in the summer and various sausages. As difficult as it was to give up these things and red meat. I find that I am very happy eating fish, chicken and turkey (only white meat). I go for wild caught and organic/free range whenever possible. I make a killer meat loaf and chili with ground chicken/turkey. Turkey Italian sausage and meatballs are just fine, and you would believe the different ways that you can prepare salmon.
Posted 1/19/2011 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
omgosh BB Fan, we are ARGENTINE! our diet essential equals red meat, let me tell ya, the change has been dramatic, and we have largely floundered but I am glad to have so many options to go on, and to see that others are making the change and still having a satisfying and tasty diet, so thanks!
Posted 1/19/2011 11:52 PM (GMT 0)

tryin2helpmydad said... I don't know much about Indian, Chinese, Thai, or Middle Eastern food at all, but I did just read (after seeing your post) that soy (not genetically modified) is really really good in prevention and possible treatment of prostate cancer (yay!!)

Right now we have zero soy in the diet, so maybe it would be a good complement...

There are those in the advising field who scream No Soy or Corn, especially in the US, where such a large amount is GM.  No sugar and no nothing containing Corn-Syrup, which is used so much as a sweetener.  The fermented soy is said to be fantastic, but I admit that I am uncertain about the estrogens..

 

I too found it VERY hard with red meat.   I would grab a steak and eat it alone - I LOVE my red meat..  I crave for a plate of succulent LAMB chops..  A side benefit in having had the wicked cut (RP), is that I now declare myself cured, and so allow a few portions of RED meat a week.

You mentioned the ASIAN foods, and I make note that many are characterised by their spices.  Checking with the ARS list, you will see that most of these spices are REALLY good in the ORAC areas, hence a good stir-fry chicken with spices like Tumeric (127,000) and rosemary.(165,000). 
Grilled Atlantic Salmon encrusted with a paste of Pecan Nuts, Rosemary and genuine Maple-Syrup, or just marinade the fish in  Maple-Syrup !  If you have never tried Maple-Syrup on Atlantic Salmon - TRY it !
Especially look at the Spices listings of the ORAC listing...
As you will have seen, the ORAC goodness varies wildly.  The luscious Water-Melon is a waste of space at 142, whilst humble  RoseHip is 96,000, so RoseHip added to a natural Yoghurt, makes a VERY healthy sweet.. make it a Pro-Biotic Yoghurt and you will be assisting with gut bacteria for digestion.
Send me an email (if you like) and I'll send some of the stuff that I have gleaned from health sites !
..
PS - Do be most careful - There are just so many books written by "Cancer Survivors"..  I suspect that most are just lucky and think that they discovered the magic elixir.    By far the greater majority of folk never get to write a book !

Post Edited (BuiDoi) : 1/19/2011 5:03:07 PM (GMT-7)

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