Diet and Cancer

I have just finished watching a very controversial film, Forks Over Knives. Essentially it deals with the importance of a plant-based diet as opposed to a fat-based animal diet. Exploring the work of Dr. Esselstyn and others, it showed how diet can stop and reverse heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other diseases. It did not go as far as saying it can cure cancer, but it did feature a 70  year old woman who had breast and bone cancer. She switched her diet and recently won a gold medal in her class for a triathlon. Yeah, yeah, you're saying. I've heard about all these miracle cures and how can it help me now. Maybe it can or maybe it can't. But for all of us who have been diagnosed, treated, endured chemicals, and surgery, I do think it's worth taking a look at. We all know how much advertising and lobbyists control what we see, eat, and believe. When political committees are made up of people who have strong connections with dairy, cattle, and other meat, I think we know what they will encourage and endorse. Studies have statistically shown the increase of cancer, including prostate cancer, as communities switch from plant based to meat based diets. Most Americans, including me, were brought up on meat based meals. Most of my family has high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer. But, I am not on a "soap box" or maybe I am, but I am going to look into this. If diet can help prevent obesity and a number of diseases, which are now beginning to show up in our children, I think it's time to examine anything which could prevent a number of diseases and lower our prescription bills. I say, "Eat a tomato. Cook up some brown rice. Cut out desserts (well, I'll have to give some serious thought to the last one.) But, do watch, Forks Over Knives.