Fending Off Cancer With Your Fork!

On Tuesday, June 8, the third of our classes in the Cancer Toolbox Series was held at Boulder Community Hospital. The class entitled "Fending Off Cancer with Your Fork", was presented by Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD. As a registered dietician, Suzanne treated thousands of patients at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. And as an epidemiologist, she has combed through the litany of research on cancer and the value of a nutritious diet. She is the author of about.com's colon cancer blog and creator of the award-winning website cancernutritioninfo.com.

Suzanne opened with a thoughtful approach to the question of why to eat healthy. "If you are what you eat, do you want to be made up of Big Macs?" She highlighted the clear picture of how a plant-based diet rich in whole foods can be a powerful tool in both the prevention and treatment of cancer. Her presentation was a concise and intelligent analysis of the research available on cancer and nutrition which points in the direction of using food as medicine along with traditional therapies. This was perhaps the most impactful component of the talk. It seems that for every study that lists the accolades of whole fruits and vegetables, the media presents a contrary study that appears to nullify the former claims. With the keen insight of a dietician and epidemiologist, the real value of the studies was brought to light. Several of the studies that have been sighted by the media that claim that a diet high in fresh fruits and veggies is not cancer protective, did not in fact study a diet as such. When the data was picked apart, it was discovered that they were evaluating a diet that amounted to no more than a few servings a day. This is hardly representative of the nutrition plan that is being highly advocated in progressive cancer care.


Eating no less than five servings of fresh plant foods is the ticket that provides humans with the powerful phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that have been studied extensively for their health protective benefits. Suzanne distinguished the difference between vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals. The former are the key nutrients without which we cannot live. Phytochemicals are the key nutrients that provide the means for us to live with health. They are the lock that fits the key to vibrant functioning of so many of our body systems. For example, lycopene which is found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon has been found in high concentration in the prostate of men whose diet includes a high intake of this phytochemical and has been associated with a decreased risk of this type of cancer. You may gain these benefits and more from eating whole foods, not foods that have been pre-packaged and processed beyond identity. When people consult nutrition professionals they often fret about how to read food labels. If you are eating fresh whole foods, there is no label to read so no confusion about "good" vs. "bad". If you are eating a wide variety of plant-based foods, you will be getting a healthy dose of the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that your body needs to thrive.

So then what do we have to lose by adopting a primarily plant-based whole food diet? Nothing! Few people will be able to maintain a perfect diet, but creating the mindset that you are adding goodness and health rather than living in deprivation will help you to form a symbiotic relationship to what you put in your mouth. As Suzanne summed it up...make small changes everyday with the goal of 3/4 of the diet from plant foods, start whole and make it simple and don't get caught up in the menutia of nutrition specifics.

Want to learn more? Join us at Healthlinks Clinic on June 24th for the first of 4 of our Nutrition and Cooking Classes. Learn the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet and how to prepare satisfying meals! Call 303-443-1937 to sign up.

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Hippocrates, 337 BC