Years after prostate surgery: Is it okay to eat steak once a month?

@copyman I too often wonder at that - especially with my Italian heritage. But think back…
We ONLY had prosciutto and mozzarella ONCE a year on New Year’s eve; today, people eat it multiple times per week - and they’re not even Italian! Lasagna and manicotti - holidays only.
Also, our grandparents/parents ate a LOT if vegetables: escarole and beans, lentils and spinach, broccoli de rabe, cabbage and beans, lots of fresh tomatoes, chickory, walnuts and fruit after the meal…
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
And yes, the wine flowed and the DiNobilis perfumed the air…and most of those relatives lived to be very old.
But our generation became more ‘americanized’ and we ate more processed foods just as a matter of course - many a baloney and American cheese sandwich was eaten by yours truly as a teen; more candy and sugary cereals were the norm since they were heavily advertised on Kids daytime TV…
So you and I are a long way from how are grandparents lived - especially with all the toxins, pollutants and carcinogens prevalent during our lives that our forbears never came across, right?
So YES, there are a variety of factors that influence the initiation and growth of any kind of cancer and I think it will get worse, unfortunately.
Look at the booming rise in colon cancer in the 40 year olds; and now look at the junk they put in their mouths! I mean, you can assemble a 5 course meal at the check out line in 7/11 and never have to use to stove!!
Call THAT eating??
Best,
Phil

Nothing wrong in my humble non medical opinion about having a steak a couple times a month. Me and my wife enjoy a steak every now and then 11 yrs. after my Prostate removal.

Dave 3+4

@heavyphil But let’s not forget also that these same sturdy people could have been quickly cut down by stepping on a rusty nail!
And there was diphtheria, cholera, strep and a smorgasbord of other ailments that could kill you in your 20’s!
So we ARE living longer for sure, but that gift comes with mutations (cancer) along the way and other diseases to make our lives miserable.
Phil

@jim18
My wife Makes me broccoli for at least three days most weeks. She includes Roasted tomatoes in a bottle she gets from Trader Joe’s. Never liked broccoli all that much but it tastes really good with the tomatoes in every bite. She bakes it in the oven. Some get a little brown on the edges, but it taste good. She makes it in a big 8 x 12 glass dish and I’ll have it for three or four days in a row as I eat about a quarter of it at a time.

She used to buy the pre-bagged broccoli tips, But now gets the big huge stalk of it, and cuts off the pieces at the top.

I eat a big salad for lunch every other day. I use half Romain lettuce and half kale. The kale (Trader Joe’s) is bagged and cut into not too large pieces. Taste just fine with oil and vinegar dressing. I add tomatoes, green onions, Half a can of anchovies Artichoke hearts and either chicken or little Bay shrimp. Fill a 10 inch bowl to the top.

Just a couple things you can do to follow a healthy diet.

Here’s what I had (and will have) to eat/drink today:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup Total cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk, TB raisins

Lunch - 1 slice whole grain bread, 2TB peanut butter (the natural, 100% peanuts stuff), a banana, carrot sticks

Supper - bean burrito made with mostly-homemade refried beans (so I can control the added fat and salt), a whole grain tortilla, lettuce, onion, tomato, 2 TB low-fat sour cream, and 2 TB low-fat cheese, and one ear of corn-on-the-cob, treated liberally with real butter and salt

2 cups of decaf breakfast tea with a splash of milk, 6 oz apple cider, 4 8 oz glasses of water, 1 cup chamomile tea with 1/2 tsp sugar

I had a single square of English toffee for a treat midday, and 2 squares of dark chocolate in the evening, and I’ve been snacking on fresh watermelon all day

As you can see, a mix of very good choices, some ok choices, and a couple of bad choices - no one says it has to be one extreme or the other.

I also walked 2 brisk miles on the treadmill.

Good or bad, I had heart stint at 55 (95% blockage) went to veggie diet, but found
1. Not really full to point of feeling heavy, after big meals!
2. Found veggie alternatives ( smoked & dried tofu, (to me) a great inexpensive alt to bacon!
3. Usually never monitor the amount I eat, just exercise walk 1 or more hours / 4 times a week!
Still 1 or 2 times a month I slip in salmon or smoked turkey, @ 80 I'm still here! FOR INFO ONLY, as were only human & were created different ! Good luck to everyone on their journey thru life!

I have also refined my already healthy Mediterranean diet in hopes of reducing the risk of my high-risk prostate cancer recurring—or at least delaying it long enough that I die of something else. 😊

My diet is primarily plant-forward and anti-inflammatory, emphasizing colorful vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, berries, green tea, and omega-3-rich fatty fish. As I have for decades, I strictly avoid fast food and processed meats, and I greatly limit alcohol, red meat, and eggs.

After reviewing the available medical literature, I created the attached spreadsheet ranking my Top 20 anti-cancer food groups, with examples of each and the level of scientific evidence supporting them.

I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions for improving the spreadsheet. If I've overlooked any foods or misjudged the strength of the evidence, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I took a picture of the spreasheet and was able to post it in editing mode.

Our typical daily menu :

Brunch - one cup steal cut oats with half cup soy milk (I make mine with goat milk ) and half cup water . Added spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg). Added fruits fresh or dried (my favorite freeze dried strawberries; my husband's favorite fresh cut apples). Added nuts or seeds for omega - I like hemp seeds my husband likes flax. Added teaspoon coconut oil to balance out carbs and adding extra nice aroma and smoothness. I LOVE mine so much that I call it a "dessert" lol

Dinner - lettuce mix with cut up cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, edamame beans , pumpkin seeds tossed with olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar. On top is either salmon, crab cake or cubed chicken breast.

Some days it is roasted sweet potatoes, roasted or steamed broccoli, or roasted brussel sprouts, roasted carrots etc etc in different combinations - always roasted with olive oil and spices (Italian mix and garlic etc.) and some protein on a side - roasted chicken or baked salmon.

Some days it is vegetable stew with cabbage, carrots, potato, parsnip, and tiny amount of lean pork that was used as a base - organic pork cubes total that can fit in my hand (like one pork chop lol) and that in a 2 gallon pot - so you get the idea lol - it is just for added aroma . Cubes braised with one big chopped up onion, added pepper and some hot peppers, than added full bottle of organic tomato bottled juice and added all veggies and water to the rim and that simmered for 2 hours - OMG I am getting hungry - it is divine stew and that lasts for 3 days (at least).

Than all kind of risottos with brown rice all kind of veggies , some with shrimp and white wine and fennel bulbs (omg my mouth is watering) - some baked in big pan and that also can last for days.

Now that my husband will start RT I will be preparing chicken bone soup as general tonic to be eaten before dinner or as a lunch.

We eat different kinds of fruit through a day (when we need a snack). We drink coffee and tea galore. Red wine with dinner on some occasions (only 2-3 oz).

Sinful things : Chocolate, occasional plain cookie like petite b, or tiny scone and real cake for special occasions; rarely coconut milk based ice-cream (So Delicious company) I want to say that I prefer that ice-cream to any other not because it is dairy free but because I truly love it and am eating it for 20 years as my first choice - it is light and refreshing and it is obvious by now that I LOVE coconut aroma in most things lol.

Totally excluded from my husband's diet - eggs, bovine milk, processed meats, cheese, red meat (except in that stew recipe I mentioned above and that is made perhaps once in 2 months lol. ) None of that feels like "deprivation" to him at all. He preferred fish to any other meat anyways, eggs we did not consume as a food but as addition in some sauce or cake ingredient or in mayo, so no loss there either. Cheese is missed as well as prosciutto etc., but not to the point of "sadness" lol .

@soli
I like your list Soli 👍😃 !
Keep up good work : )))) and may you never have BCR 🍀 !!!

I can't stand broccoli, cauliflower or brussels sprouts. I did eat a chicken sandwich today, but it was fried. Then enchiladas tonight and there wasn't any turkey or chicken in them. It amazing my lipids panels are so good. Did do a 2.08 mile walk today, so that was one thing good, no weights waiting on what doctor says about swollen area. I do like salads and even spinach, but most likely put on too much dressing? Had fish last night, but again it was fried.