Mike,

Hang in there brotha. Some of the reason you are feeling so bad is because of what you are putting into your system. Ensure is chalked full of soy and basically sugar, both not really fantastic for your just out of treatment body.

We "are" what we eat and that's just the way it is. Soy lecithins manipulate estrogen levels and not in a good way, men shouldn't really consume it yet sadly it's in just about every processed food.

Your system is probably still running really high cortisol levels due to the stress of the cancer experience, cortisol counteracts insulin and due to the high levels typically present in a cancer patient you are basically giving corn syrup to a diabetic chugging Ensure...57% carbohydrates from 22g of simple sugars.

Changing our mindsets from living to eat, to eating to live can be tough, as a former foodie (my wife and I owned an italian restaurant) and still an admirer of food, I live off of a diet that's over 90% liquid.

I tightly control my diet and I track my calories religiously. I have a special relationship with my juicer and blender and I've refined my diet to include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (frozen if I can't because canned are usually packed with syrups or preservatives), blended nuts, berries, farm fresh eggs, whey protein powder to name but a few ingredients. I make sure that I get certain percentages of good fats (poly and monounsaturated fats), proteins and carbs along with my calorie intake every day.

I help train amateur mixed martial arts fighters who do their sport in a cage. I make sure they are properly fueled and in shape to step in a cage and literally do battle. I feel the same preparations should be made for those of us that are literally fighting for our lives.

It takes a bit to adjust to that lifestyle and it really doesn't mean you have to go to the extremes I had to. I would be working with a good Speech/Language Pathologist and a nutritionist with experience with oncology patients to help with eating and nutrition issues, they really are important in the rebuilding process.

Keep heading for the light brotha.

Eric