Miriam Kalamian

Cancer thrives on fermentable foods. Study after study has confirmed this. A well-planned ketogenic diet restricts cancer’s access to its preferred fuel sources, glucose and to a lesser degree glutamine, while providing abundant energy to healthy cells.

Simply put, healthy, well-functioning mitochondria are essential to maintaining a person’s health throughout the lifespan.

‘What should I eat?’ I can’t begin to tell you how often I’ve been asked this question! The answer is really much simpler than you might think: Eat low-carbohydrate whole foods, just enough protein to fill your needs, and lots of healthy fats and oils.

Keto diets include a large proportion of fat, so quality, composition, and balance are extremely important. The best practice is to use a combination of the following: animal fats; coconut oil; MCT oil or caprylic acid (C8); monounsaturated oils (olive, avocado); omega-3 oils (from ground flaxseed, chia, hemp hearts, fatty fish, fish oil); and omega-6s (limited amounts, preferably from nuts and seeds, not oils).

Unfortunately, mTOR is overactive in most cancers, where instead of stimulating the synthesis of muscle it stimulates the rapid growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Reining in protein intake slows activity in this pathway. Downregulating mTOR by restricting protein has been identified as a nutritional strategy in managing cancer.

It is increasingly clear, that diets high in carbohydrates drive up blood glucose and insulin levels. Cancer cells thrive on this bounty and in turn reprogram built-in mechanisms that would normally filter out and destroy defective, damaged, or cancerous cells. The research is compelling, and I am convinced that those among us who are sounding the alarm are on the right side of history.

The switch to burning fat as your main fuel is associated with lower levels of inflammation, less insulin resistance, and other benefits, such as improved mitochondrial health.

Keep your eye on the prize: low and steady glucose combined with high ketone levels and a much improved quality of life.

Please understand that while this nutritional strategy is an extremely powerful tool, changing your diet is not going to cure your cancer. In fact, let’s not talk cure; let’s focus on long-term management with the added benefit of other improvements in health.