A sick friend

A good friend of mine beat cancer about 2 years ago.
Doctors have him on many meds. Sice he beat cancer he's been going down hill.

He eats once a day (says he can't keep food down)and is getting skinner every time I see him. He's very unhealthy.
I'm afraid his body is going to shut down.

Would like some input about introducing him to Atkins to better his health and eating habits.

I think that recommending a specific diet to a person with serious illness is not a very good idea. I would leave it to a doctor. On the other hand logging food might do this person good, as this can help track total calories eaten, and encourage this person to eat more, and make better food choices. Cutting down on refined sugars, refined grains and processed food is not a bad idea regardless of underlying health issues. But I would not go any further than recommending these changes.

I would just like to add, that drinking freshly made vegetable juices (not fruit, eat fruit whole), can help with nutrition. It is easier to drink a glass of juice than eat a salad, and it still all the veggies minus fiber. Was juicing for my aunt who was struggling with cancer, and that was practically all she would eat when she lost her appetite. You can also add some protein powder or healthy fats to vegetable juice to turn it into a healthy, easy to eat meal.

He's not sick..was but not now.
He's seen different doctors 3 to 4 times a month and is for the worse.
The way I see it the doctors are killing him.
Let's say he fast tracks through the pahses to the finale phase.
Tracks food, eat 5 times a day and fighures out the right foods to eat instead of what comes in a box or bar/fast food.
Alternative Medicine = Atkins way of life?

If he's not eating much - why restrict his diet with Atkins?? People go on that to lose weight, not to gain weight. He should just eat balanced meals and probably needs to get antioxidants from fruits, unless he is currently undergoing treatment. I would also consider supplements like Boost or Ensure if he can't keep solid food down. Consider asking for a referral to a dietitian, so that he can get disease specific advice.

He needs to get some medicinal marijuana. Seriously! It works wonders for illness induced anorexia, which it sounds like he has.

NCNOLE, you can use Atkins to lose weight or you can use it to gain also!
What I'm saying is to use Atkins way of life to better your eating habits and learn to eat the right foods.

Losin25, he's tried and liked!

Seriously - see a dietician. Nobody here is in a position to give eating advice to anymore based on what you have described. We don't know what the meds are or even what kind of cancer it was.

You say doctors, plural. If he's got several different people prescribing him drugs, he needs to sure they're coordinating. Make sure he carries an accurate list of his medications with him when he sees a doctor (including a nutritionist or any other specialist) and he should also make sure he's using the same pharmacy for all his meds and consulting with a pharmacist regularly, as they can catch things the docs might not.

Agree that he needs some specialized help to get his eating back on track but if nothing else, eating more healthy fats seems like a good place to focus. Lots of calories in a avocado and peanut butter! It's unfortunate to see someone who's managed to overcome one health crisis now generating another of his own making and I hope he can see his recovery for the gift that it is and start doing right by his body.

I think it pretty much depends on what you mean by Atkins. Atkins has evolved a lot over the years and is not healthy or unhealthy by itself. It what you eat doing Atkins, and your body needs is what makes it healthy or unhealthy. If your definition of Atkins means eating healthy non processed foods, and cutting down on refined sugars and grains, I am with you. However the underlying idea of all low carb diets is to stop using carbs as a predominant source of fuel for your body, and start using fat and protein instead or in addition to carbs. So it is not for everybody. Can be very good for people with metabolic disorders and insulin resistance. Can be a very bad idea for anybody who cannot process fats, or has to be on low to no protein diets due to kidney problems. In addition a sudden change in diet habits (even for better) takes it toll even on a healthy person. If the person is not in best shape gradual changes are the best, so induction phase of Atkins would be out of question. Again I am not for or against Atkins, I am for making smart food choices that are not decremental for health of a particular person. I do believe that a body can heal itself if you remove stress factors and leave it alone to do the job. But I do not believe that all illnesses can be cured by a particular way of life or a specific diet. Funny that I am arguing about Atkins now, as I would publish exactly the same answer if anybody would suggest that a strictly vegan low fat diet is a way of life.

I agree with losing25, in case of your friend I would address depression even before I address nutrition.

Also as much as we would like to help our friends, we cannot make them follow our advice. You can help by bringing some healthy foods and making sure your friend eats them, but that is pretty much all you can do.

I wish you both good health, and if you find that Atkins is good for you personally, stick to it for sure.

Thanks all for your help!
I will talk to him about a dietitian.