Cancer is a complex disease that results when cells develop genetic mutations, which cause them to grow unusually fast and develop the ability to invade other tissues. The foods you eat can affect the internal chemistry of your body, which can in turn affect how cancer develops. Some people utilize macrobiotic diets as part of their cancer-treating regimen, though the American Cancer Society notes that there is not enough evidence to support any claims that a macrobiotic diet is useful in treating cancer.
Step 1
Check with your doctor to determine if a macrobiotic diet is appropriate for your health and cancer therapy. One of the difficulties of following a macrobiotic diet, is that the diet is very restrictive, which means that it can be difficult to get all the vitamins, minerals and calories you need to stay healthy. Because patients being treated for cancer may have increased nutritional needs, they should talk with a physician to determine if a macrobiotic diet can interfere with their cancer treatment due to malnutrition.
Step 2
Consume food according to the basic macrobiotic diet plan. Fifty to 60 percent of a macrobiotic diet should come from whole grains, notes Commonweal, a nonprofit health and environmental research institute in Bolinas, California. These whole grains can include short or medium grain brown rice, barley and millet. Twenty to 30 percent of the diet should come from vegetables and 5 to 10 percent should come in the form of soup such as miso soup. Five percent of the calories in the basic diet should come from beans, such as lentils, and the rest of the calories should come from sea vegetables.
Step 3
Prepare your food according to the principles of the macrobiotic diet. For example, cooking methods that involve electricity, such as microwaving, are not permitted. Pots and utensils should be made from certain materials such as glass, stainless steel, wood and ceramics. Finally, you should cook and eat food in a relaxed setting and chew until liquid.
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