The anti-cancer cookbook : how to cut your risk with the most powerful, cancer-fighting foods

401 Pages·2008·2.15 MB·English

by  Greer

The
Anti-Cancer
Cookbook
How to Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful,
Cancer-Fighting Foods
JULIA B. GREER, MD, MPH
copyright © 2008 by Julia B. Greer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author. The information
in this work is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. However, all information is
presented without any guarantee on the part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any
liability incurred in connection with the use of the information. The author and the publisher
also shall not be liable for any damages allegedly arising from the information in this book.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Greer, Julia B., 1970-
The anti-cancer cookbook : how to cut your risk with the most powerful, cancer-fighting foods
/ Julia B. Greer.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-9624814-9-9
1. Cancer--Nutritional aspects. 2. Cancer--Prevention. 3. Cancer--Diet therapy--Recipes. I. Title.
RC268.45.G745 2008
641.5’631--dc22
ISBN-13 978-0-9624814-9-9
SRP149
39966 Grand Avenue
North Branch, MN 55056 USA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Dedication
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Introduction
PART I:
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NUTRITION AND CANCER
What is Cancer?
How We Study Cancer
Challenges in Cancer Studies
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AS YOU DESIGN YOUR DIET
Saturated and Unsaturated Fats
Eat These Powerful “Anti-Cancer” Foods
Limit Your Red-Meat Intake
Grill Meats Wisely to Avoid Carcinogens
Be Cautious About What Supplements You Take
Buying Organic: More Important For Some Foods Than Others
Tips for Making Healthy Choices When Eating Out
PART II:
RECIPES
Introduction to the Recipes
Breads and Breakfast Foods
Sauces, Dips, and Dressings
Sides and Veggies
Soups and Salads
Casual Dining: Sandwiches, Burritos, Pizza, and More
Main Courses
Beverages
Smoothies
Desserts
Recipes Suitable for Individuals Who are Receiving Cancer
Treatment
References
Resources
Index
Front Cover Photo:
Grilled Vegetable Pizza
see recipe on page 128
Foreword
Only one third of adults in the United States maintain a “normal”
weight. This is an amazing and distressing fact. Essentially, people in the
normal range of weight are now a minority in this country. The
remainder of the adult population is overweight or obese, leading to a
wide range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and
cancer.
The relationship between our weight and the foods we eat is obvious
but also complex. For Americans who do not smoke, weight control,
food choices, and physical activity are the most important modifiable
determinants of cancer risk. Food choices are important for two reasons.
Many foods contribute directly to better health, such as fruits and
vegetables and whole grains, while many others contribute directly to
poorer health, such as trans-fatty acids and saturated fats. It is critical to
know which foods to seek out and which to limit based on these direct
effects. In addition, our food choices also determine our total caloric
intake, which greatly influences body weight. Eating foods that are
bulky, satisfying, and not high in calories and limiting foods that are
high-calorie with little nutritive value is essential to maintaining healthy
weight.
With The Anti-Cancer Cookbook, Dr. Julia Greer has given us an
excellent cookbook to help us make better food choices and to explain
how these choices can reduce our risk of cancer. She provides an
informative and easy-to-read explanation of how cancer develops and
how foods can play a role in the cancer process. The first section of the
book gives an excellent foundation for healthier eating and guides the
reader toward those foods that contribute to healthy eating and away
from those foods that contribute empty or unhealthy calories. Dr. Greer
also gives informed advice on healthy cooking methods and how to
make the best choices when eating out.
Many poor food choices are made out of habit, perceived convenience,
and a lack of understanding about the importance of different foods on
our overall health and wellbeing. One need not be a scientist or
understand all of the scientific studies (although many may find this
information fascinating!) to appreciate the basic consensus that has been
reached regarding healthy food choices: Choose foods and beverages in
amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight; eat a diet that
is rich in fruits and vegetables and eat a variety of these plant foods;
choose whole-grain rice, bread, pasta, and cereals and limit your intake
of simple carbohydrates and sugar; when you eat meat, choose lean cuts
and try to substitute fish, poultry, and beans for red and processed meats
whenever possible
This book is not designed to be a diet book. The recipes included here
taste great, are loaded with healthy ingredients, and tend to be low in
saturated fat and sugar. The recipe portions are healthy, but not
enormous, and are designed to suit an intelligently sized meal. Each
recipe also includes comprehensive nutritional information (calories,
grams of fat, protein, etc.) so that you can choose dishes that fit your
energy needs and lifestyle. Enjoy!
— Eugenia E. Calle, PhD, American Cancer Society
Dedication
This book is dedicated to every individual whose life has been touched
by cancer and the people working in the field to make a difference.
– Julia B. Greer, MD, MPH
About the Author
Julia B. Greer, MD, MPH, is an epidemiologist whose work focuses on
pancreatic, ovarian, and breast cancers. She was born in Chicago,
Illinois, and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was educated at
Phillips Exeter Academy, Princeton University, Mount Sinai Medical
School, Georgetown University Hospital, and the Graduate School of
Public Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In addition to being a physician and an accomplished writer, some of
her past jobs include aerobics instructor, short-order cook, research
assistant, and translator of foreign documents. Her early cancer research
concentrated on nutrition, body mass index, and hormonal exposures
and ovarian cancer risk. Her more current work is focused in high-risk
populations and the genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer,
particularly in relation to mutations in the breast and ovarian cancer
genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Greer has written numerous articles on pancreatic and ovarian cancer,
speaks to local corporations about nutrition and disease, conducts peer
review for a variety of medical journals, and is a member of the editorial
board of the World Journal of Gastroenterology. She is presently a faculty
member of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Division of
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and is also a member of
the American Medical Writer’s Association and Mensa International. And
she is one darned good cook.