Hacking Chemo: Using Ketogenic Diet, Therapeutic Fasting and a Kickass Attitude to Power through Cancer Treatment

Hacking Chemo by Martha Tettenborn RDThis book is so full of misinformation that it is truly astounding. Marha’s version of the keto diet is 20 years old. It will help you lose weight, which is why the diet was designed in the first place. But it will not help you fight cancer!!!! The keto diet is made up of the most poisonous foods that we know of. They are the very foods that have given us cancer in the first place. Dairy, milk, eggs, butter, bacon, saturated animal fats, cheese, sour cream etc etc etc. Experts have been telling us to stay away from these foods for years. And for good reason.Every biologist knows that most poisons are stored in fat. Why do you think the experts have been telling us to trim the fat off the meat and fish? To pull the skin off the chicken?There is an incredibly strong association between eating eggs and drinking milk and prostate cancer. Very, very, very strong. In fact, if you eat the equivalent of 3 1/2 eggs a week (half an egg a day) your odds of dying from a fatal form of prostate cancer are raised 70%. Fact. And the experts know this. They just aren’t telling anyone. Dr. Michael McGreger is. All evidence-based information. Google him.I drank milk like a cow. Ate at least one egg every day for the last 20 years. Now I have Stage IVb prostate cancer. That means it has metastasized to my bones. 1-10 years to live.Food does raise our blood cholesterol. Fact. They knew that way back in the 1940’s. It has recently been discovered that eggs may very well cause cancer. That possibility is being heavily researched as we speak. Especially because it may be causing certain kinds of cancer in women.That is why 1.5 million men a year are getting prostate cancer. And why 350, 000 of them are dying a year. Why are 297,790 women a year getting breast cancer? And why are 43,700 of them dying every year? Same reason. Poisoned American food supply. 80% of the food in any grocery store today is 80% GMO. But GMO is safe!!! Yea, right.Some cancer experts are coming to the conclusion that cancer is not genetic at all. Not even 10% as we have been told for the last 75 years. In other words that the cancer is causing the genetic defects!!! Downstream. Totally environmental. Not nucleus based, but cell organelle based. In other words, cancer is happening in the cell cytoplasm!!!The only way to eat a healthy keto diet is to eat completely organic. It can be done, but that will cost an arm and a leg.The best option is to eat an “organically plant-based” keto diet. Yes, you will need to consume some animal meats to get enough protein. But it must be healthy meat. Fish, seafood (not farm raised!), wild game that doesn’t eat anywhere near a farm (venison, turkeys, bears, grouse, deer etc.). Obviously we only have so much control over that. Try to buy fresh salmon from the ocean nowadays. Good luck with that. Salmon is almost exclusively farm raised today. Ask any butcher.Organic plant-based diet. There is such a thing. With the healthiest meat you can find. Boring diet. But the healthiest.If you have cancer you will do it.Martha means well. But she is right. Dietician’s don't know the half of it. Buy the book so that you know what NOT to do. There is some (very little) useful information in the book. There is a lot of info concerning Metabolic Therapy for cancer. Just none in this book. Still in it’s infancy. Lots of questions remain. Not enough answers. But it is a growing movement. And the direction to move in. In my humble opinion.Apparently, many cancer patients are not only controlling their cancer, but in many cases preventing and curing it. How? By starving it to death. Fasting. For 14, 17, even 21 days. And yes. the human body is capable of doing so. No one can fast completely. You must still eat small amounts of food daily to sustain your health. And the water must contain electrolytes. They make your heart beat!!! Gatorade or Pedialyte will do. You can make a cheap and easy homemade version for pennies. Just google or search for “homemade Pedialyte.” Most of the ingredients will already be in your kitchen shelves. Soups, broths, teas, etc. And according to experts and overwhelming evidence, fasting is actually healthy!!! They claim we should all be doing it. There are dozens and dozens of variations.However, experts highly recommend that long term fasting be done in conjunction with the help of a doctor or professional dietician. Good advice.Look up Francoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, Miriam Kalamian, Dr. Thomas Seyfried, Jason Fung, and Dr. Sten Ekberg. That ought to be enough to get you started.

I don't often write reviews, but felt compelled due to how well I am faring with my cancer due to this book. Martha should be given a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer for a Non-Fiction work. I was given a Dx of Diffuse Large B cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in early May 2021. I immediately dug into research and got this book among others. I am trained in Neuropsychology, but knew basically nothing about cancer or chemo. I am getting a type of Chemo called R-CHOP (acronym for the chemo drugs). I have followed Martha's advise and I am thriving. Matha's book has become my Bible of sorts, and I will be eternally grateful. Other than my Cancer Dx, I am healthier than I have ever been; and I will get thru this thanks to Martha I am sure. I am a 53 y/o female who served 30 years in the Air Force and I am by far healthier thanks to Martha and her knowledge of nutrition and telling the truth! Cancer has a metabolic component! When I told my Oncologist not long after my Dx that I was cutting out all sugars, other than from natural sources, she said, "well, you don't have to cut out all sugars". I didn't even bother to tell her anything else. When I meet with the Nutritionist prior to starting Chemo, I just sat and laughed to myself at the things being recommended. I knew I would take the Chemo from my Cancer treatment Center and that would be about it. Martha gave me the tools and confidence to take charge of how I would successfully Hack Chemo. I sit in the chemo room and cringe when I hear the nurses telling Pt's what to eat and drink. I want to shout out across the room and tell them don't do that, do this instead. I do the fast and I have never had one adverse side effect from the chemo. And believe me, my cancer is aggressive type and R-CHOP is a hard hitting chemo. My last post chemo check-up, my Oncologist was amazed at how well I was doing and feeling. She actually ordered testing that was supposed to take place about the mid point in my Tx much, much earlier. I'm following Martha's dietary and lifestyle advise from the book and again, I am thriving! I will be over this hurdle in no time, thanks to her knowledge and personal experience; I have no doubt. Please, if you read anything if you or someone you know is facing this, it's not the end. You will get through this and please, get this book and follow the advice.

I came across this book accidentally and has been the best purchase of real value. I read it all (a rarity for me), underlined, bookmarked and checked the science with papers published on PubMed. Martha's way of explaining was easy to understand and humorous at times. Right on target and works!!! I went through 6 treatments of chemo (6 hours each) and with 2 of them concurrently with radiation. I intermittent fasted (which I have long been a proponent of). But did long fasts leading up to treatment day and following, totalling 65 hours. And followed ketogenic diet all the while during eating window. Did not have ANY nausea, vomiting, constipation or feeling sick. Had some neuropathy and was tired. But never so tired I had to stay in bed. And never any pain with neuropathy. Did lose all my hair but even that was an adventure in head wraps. No wigs for me. Drove myself to every treatment about an hour away, enjoying the solitude and music. Last chemo was end of October 2021 but I am still doing IF and Keto. Probably also helped that I was in good health until diagnosis of endometrial cancer. But still, it is a fantastic read.

I found Hacking Chemo invaluable in making the cancer experience understandable and manageable, certainly less scary! The book is practical. It is heartfelt. It comes from personal experience of cancer. I love its short chapters, anecdotes, honesty, and simplification of complex information.The sections called The Chemo Experience and Counting Cycles were particularly helpful. Author Martha Tettenborn was really observant when going through the chemo process, so she could detail her observations and feelings with great candor, which gave me insight into an unknown world.Martha got her head around cancer and her book will help others do the same. She committed to her treatment path, she gave herself credit for doing great work in caring for herself, and no pity was needed or wanted, thank you very much! She also learned how to embrace her body, cancer and all, and how to live with the idea of chronic cancer. Although I’m not qualified to review the science, if I were to be get cancer, I can see that this book would change the way I’d relate to my body, from diagnosis through to when treatments were long since over. Good stuff.

Loved reading this book! Martha has a special way of combining logic and intellect with raw emotions and real life experience. Her energy and positivity are inspiring. The book is written in a way that appeals to a vast audience- whether you have cancer, know someone with cancer, just want to learn or are a healthcare professional- you will be able to relate to the author and learn from her advice and experience. A must read! Her blog posts are also fantastic, I'm a big fan.Note: I purchased this book on my own and this review is voluntary.

Clearly written with a personable tone, the author describes her cancer journey and fasting regimen without overburdening the reader with unpronounceable medical terms. Resources, recipes, and research make it easy to expand knowledge in this area. A comfortable read for those who need quality information.

I loved this book. Besides all the enlightening information, I found the book offered hope. When facing a disease, there’s so much you can’t control. This book described what you can control and that makes it powerful. I also liked the easy reading, entertaining style of writing, by the author.