Ancient Taoist saying: 

"Food is better than herbs,

Qi is better than food, and

Emptiness is better than Qi." 

Many women with breast cancer search for information regarding special diets and foods that can help them recover. If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer and are looking for hope and help on your healing journey, you’ve come to a special place. 

There are several different ways food can help heal. Understanding the ancient secrets of how foods heal can help you tap into their true healing power. This section of breastcancer.com offers unique information on how and why foods help. We would like to introduce you to the amazing healing aspects of food, so that you can receive their tremendous benefits.

Understanding Foods: Beyond Physical Properties

From the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, the healing properties of foods go beyond the physical properties of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, calories, etc. to their spiritual and energetic aspects. Once you understand this ancient wisdom, we think you will appreciate the incredible potential that foods possess to enhance your healing journey. 

Fundamental TCM Concepts about Food

1. Your relationship with food is an individual one. Whatever reaction you have is only about you; it’s not about the food itself. It’s about your connection to that particular food. When the body-mind-spirit connection is disrupted, allergies, digestive disturbances, large and small, and more are signals of an internal imbalance or organ dysfunction that need your attention.
   
2. If your digestive system is weak, no matter what you put into your Stomach*, you will not receive the maximum benefit from anything you eat. First, the system itself has to be in good working order and then it has to function properly with other organs.
   
   From the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, the Stomach’s main job is to process foods and partner with the Spleen to extract nutritive essence, which is sent to the Lung. The Lung must function well too because its job is to send nutritive essence to other organs to support their functions. Stomach issues likes bloating, constipation, loose stool, loss of appetite, etc. are direct messages that your body is having problems performing this organ’s normal functions. Extracting the benefits of the physical properties of food—vitamins, minerals, calories—requires a healthy Stomach function.
   
3. It is the spirit and essence of the food that heals, not its physical properties.

Unless you support your digestive function, it’s very difficult to process and extract the nutrition for healing. If you have breast cancer, you must work hard to keep your Stomach function healthy. Even before beginning chemotherapy or radiation, many women already exhibit signs of a Stomach dysfunction. These signs are fairly easily identified – bloating after meals, loose stool or constipation, distention, among others. Your Stomach is already letting you know it’s having trouble keeping up with its job! 

At this time, you should minimize processed foods and try to maximize your intake of fresh natural and organic foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. 

No matter how you use food for healing, it can help you go through the cycles of chemotherapy and radiation successfully, but food can never create a miracle. Eating properly is a positive step to creating a sound healing plan. Foods can help your whole body work together, but it’s not the food itself that heals. Without repairing the disruption in the body-mind spirit connection, miracles are almost impossible.

Healing Foods in Healing Recipes

If your practitioner prefers that you do not take herbal treatments during chemotherapy and radiation, we’ve included some healing recipes in this section that use food as medication. These can help you strengthen your Stomach function. If you’re lucky enough to meet a high-level practitioner who practices herbal therapy, he or she may help you significantly with your condition. If you also add self-acupressure and Qigong, you’re already creating a powerful self-healing plan! 

From the TCM perspective, adding herbs and acupuncture —especially during chemotherapy and radiation—can support your all-important digestive system. Chemotherapy and radiation have a severe impact on the digestive function—readily seen in their side effects of nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, lack of appetite, and more.

Support Your Digestive System

Unless you strongly support your digestive system before and during treatments, you will also spend a great deal of Qi or vital energy to regain your digestive function after chemotherapy and radiation. At this time, do everything you can to maximize your energy so you can gain the most nutrition from everything you eat. 

The following analogy from the banking world is one way to understand how your digestive system functions. Your Qi, vital energy, and blood travel together through your body’s invisible energy pathways as inseparable partners. They are supported by the Stomach, which is like a "checking" account. This account is replenished daily by the foods you eat. The daily intake of foods keeps the account solvent, i.e., the whole body operating. If your checking account has little money or becomes overdrawn, you’ll bounce an energy check and the extra Qi or energy will be taken automatically from your “savings” account, which is your Kidney. This is where you have a limited, irreplaceable energy account. Once this account is wiped out, look out! 

In dealing with breast cancer, the big job is to bring life and energy back to your digestive system. If you have had chronic Stomach issues like bloating, loose stool, acid reflux, food allergies before being diagnosed with breast problems, you are facing a serious problem. This dysfunction has taken years to develop. Adding the harsh chemical impact of chemotherapy and radiation will further compromise your digestive system. Your body will face a major struggle to recover. Simply put, the Stomach cannot do its jobs well because there isn’t enough Qi or "juice" to power its operations! 

Without additional healing support from herbs or acupuncture to improve Stomach function, many patients are incapable of continuing chemotherapy or radiation. They have to wait until their immune system rebounds. If the patient has good insurance, special booster injections can be given to help stimulate the immune system. Their purpose though is to prepare the patient for the next round of toxic chemicals. And so it goes. How many times can the body take this kind of punishment without support? If you are lucky enough to get through chemotherapy and radiation, there are other issues to be aware of—the most important thing is to understand who you are, where you are and how you are. You are unique. You can only do what’s best for you. The state of your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being is what’s most important. 

We hope this special perspective on the digestive system and food will help you achieve the best benefits for your individual situation.

healing recipes

Here are several effective healing recipes for your breast cancer prevention or recovery plan. Some of the signs of future problems often appear in menstrual cycle problems, digestive issues, headaches and lack of energy. 

pms tea

Alleviate menstrual problems with the following healing remedies.

• 4 pieces of ginger
• 3 whole scallions
• Peel from 1 orange

• 1 handful of dried rose petals
  (buy yourself a dozen roses and dry the blooms!)

• 1 pinch of rosemary
• 1 pinch of cinnamon

directions:

Place all ingredients in a pot of water (about 2 quarts) and let the tea steep; drink hot, two times per day while symptoms are present. 

pms compress

Make a mixture of equal amounts of fennel, cayenne pepper, and grated fresh ginger to equal 1/2 lb. (8 oz.); steam or bake in the oven until very warm; place mixture in a clean cotton cloth and apply to painful area on abdomen until the warmth dissipates. 

NOTE: Fresh ginger is particularly good for the Lung; for sport injuries, rub fresh ginger over the affected area (peel off the skin first). 

relieve lower stomach pain, difficulty urinating, and pms

• 1-2 scallions, chopped or smashed
• 2-3 tablespoons of wine or vinegar

directions:

Put ingredients in a wok and heat; put mixture in cheesecloth or

toweling and apply to lower stomach as a compress. 

take care of colds with headache, runny nose, and chills

• 5-10 scallions, the white part only
• 2 pieces of ginger

directions:

Add ingredients to water in a pot and bring to a boil; add brown sugar and drink hot. 

soothe skin rashes, itching, and infection

Use the white part only of 5-10 scallions; smash, add honey to make a paste, and apply to the skin; this mixture helps relieve itching and infection. 

relieve lung heat, especially during radiation and chemotherapy traditional cooked pears:

• 6 pears, chopped
• 1/3 cup rock sugar candy (available at Chinese food stores)
• 1/4 cup water

directions:

Place all ingredients in a 2-quart covered pot and double boil on low to medium heat for approximately 40 minutes (for those not familiar with the method of double boiling, place the covered pot containing the pears in another pot with several inches of water in it; the larger outside pot is the one that comes into contact with the heat source). Notes:

Freshly squeezed pear juice also helps support the Lung. Drink often.

NB: American Pears can be used in the same recipe above for Chinese Pears. 

relieve internal and external heat with watermelon

Chinese medicine has prescribed watermelon for a variety of purposes for many centuries. It is recognized as one of the Nature’s versatile healing agents. It is particularly good for removing toxins, healing the Heart, reducing high blood pressure. Don’t discard the watermelon’s rind, its most valuable healing part.

cooked watermelon rinds:

Chinese medicine has prescribed watermelon for a variety of purposes for many centuries. It is recognized as one of the Nature’s versatile healing agents. It is particularly good for removing toxins, healing the Heart, reducing high blood pressure.

• 2 cups of watermelon rind cut into 1" cubes (cut off green
  skin but leave a little red on rind for color)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sliced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 or 4 chopped scallions (separate white and green parts)
• 2 teaspoons corn oil
• Pinch of salt

directions:

Preheat wok on medium-high heat and add corn oil; add white part of scallions and cook for a few minutes, adding the pinch of salt; add watermelon cubes and sliced ginger and stir-fry until a little water comes out of the watermelon; add soy sauce, sugar, and green part of scallions, stir well. 

NOTES:

Watermelon is also excellent for overexposure to the sun. Make a juice from the whole watermelon and wash it over the skin. This will help to cool the skin down and promote healing.

strengthen and increase qi with this simple, delicious recipe
walnuts and black sesame seeds

• 1/2 lb. walnuts
• 1/2 lb. Black sesame seeds
• 3 to 4 ounces honey

directions:

Grind ingredients together in a blender. Cook in a double boiler or steam for one hour. After cooking, refrigerate. Eat two tablespoons in the morning and two in the evening. 

This recipe is especially good for longevity and maintaining healthy skin and hair. It can also help older people who suffer from constipation and cough.

strengthen kidney function and regulate menstrual cycle
black bean soup

Black beans are excellent as a soup. Soak 2 cups overnight, combine with about 4 cups water, salt and pepper to taste, and a large handful of cilantro (also called "coriander" or "Chinese parsley"). 

directions:

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook on low to medium heat for several hours until beans are soft.

help fight infections, relieve swelling with aduki beans

Aduki beans can be cooked and eaten as a main or side dish: rinse beans and combine 1 cup of beans and 2--3 cups of water in a pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 1 hour or until soft; season with salt, pepper, and other herbs, such as parsley. 

dosage:

Aduki beans can also be used as an "herb." Take 10 - 30 grams, decocted (extracting the essence by boiling) in water for an oral dose. 

external use:

You can use aduki beans as an external paste applied to skin infections. Smash cooked beans and mix with honey, a small amount of vinegar (or use an egg white as a binding agent), and apply to skin.

relieve toxins and infections with dandelion greens

Dandelion greens are nontoxic and larger doses than the one below are possible; however, eating too much dandelion greens can cause loose stool (conversely, they can help constipation). Dandelion greens can also be sautéed, and used in soups. Eat more dandelion greens when you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. 

dosage:

10-30 grams of dry powder taken in capsule or tea form for an oral dose 

external use: 

These versatile greens can also be applied to skin sores and infections: wash the greens; smash the greens to a pulp and apply to the affected area (e.g., to an infected or sore breast).

aid digestion and help diabetes
corn silk tea

Save the silk from ears of corn and dry it. Take a handful of corn silk (about 20 grams) and boil in 3 cups of water until liquid has been reduced by half. Drink tea while hot. Drink twice a day.

boost thyroid function; destroy masses and tumors
Marinated Seaweed

• 2 pieces of thick dried seaweed
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar
• pinch of salt and pepper
• pinch of sugar

directions:

Rinse seaweed; soak in water for about ten to fifteen minutes. Wash the seaweed and slice very finely. Boil a large pot of water. Add one teaspoon of salt. Bring to boil; add sliced seaweed. Bring to a second boil. Strain the water and rinse seaweed with cold water; strain again. Mince garlic and ginger together. Then put seaweed back in the pot, combine all ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate. Eat cold or at room temperature. Adjust to your taste with salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. 

There are many seaweed varieties: agar agar (Kanten), arame, dulse, hijiki, Irish moss, kombu, and wakame. Add seaweed to soups and vegetable dishes often. You can buy the seaweed used to make Japanese sushi, which is also available as a snack. Eat anytime. 

The Chinese use a seaweed, called zi cai that is thicker than that used for sushi. It must be cooked. You can cook zi cai with tomato and egg to create a delicious soup. There is an even thicker and wider seaweed, called hai dai. It can be bought dry and must be soaked before using. Sauté hai dai; marinate it or make a soup with it.

help relieve coughs with tangerine peel tea

dosage:

3 - 10 grams, decocted (cooked in water to release its essence) for an oral dose. 

Save tangerine rinds, let dry, and store for later use; you can grind the rinds to a powder to use; mix with honey and take as needed; the following recipe is very useful for coughs, excess mucous in the lungs, or sinus headache:

Tangerine Peel Tea

• 2 tangerine rinds
• 4 scallions (each cut into 3 or 4 pieces)
• 1 chunk ginger (leave skin on, smash whole)
• A few almonds

directions:

Put ingredients in water and bring to a boil; let mixture boil for only 2 to 4 minutes. Add brown sugar or honey and drink. For a cold, take a hot bath, drink this mixture, and go to bed, wrapping yourself up and sweat the cold out. For a scratchy throat, add a little peppermint to the mixture.

help relieve edema or swelling with chinese barley
sweet barley and red date soup

This recipe can help anyone strengthen their digestive system. It is a particularly good dish to eat during chemotherapy since it can help relieve some of its side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, as well as lack of appetite. 

Use one cup of Chinese barley with a half cup of lotus seed and a half cup each of red beans and Chinese red dates. Put all ingredients in one pot, cover with about 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil; cook down by simmering for about an hour until the beans and barley open. Add honey or sugar and cinnamon to taste. Eat hot for breakfast or at the end of a meal. 

NOTE:

Chinese barley is similar to American barley but has more healing properties. Cook it for breakfast with water like porridge. It can be bought at Chinese food stores.

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