The most common form of cancer worldwide is stomach cancer. Chinese researchers find that a high intake of garlic and onions cuts the risk for stomach cancer in half.¹⁵ Garlic provides the liver with a certain amount of protection against carcinogenic chemicals. Scientists find that garlic is deadly to invading pathogens or tumor cells, but is harmless to normal healthy body cells; thus offering the hope of the truly selective toxin against cancer that is being sought worldwide.

Carotenoids. Green plants create sugars by capturing the sun's energy in a process called photosynthesis. The electrons that must be corralled in this process can be highly destructive. Hence, nature has evolved an impressive system of free radical protectors, including carotenoids and bioflavonoids, that act like the lead lining in a nuclear reactor to absorb dangerous unpaired electrons. Both of these substances have potential in stimulating the immune system while there is preliminary evidence that carotenoids may be directly toxic to tumor cells.

Carotenoids are found in green and orange fruits and vegetables. Bioflavonoids are found in citrus, whole grains, honey, and other plant foods.

Cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower were involved in the "ground floor" discovery that nutrition is linked to cancer. Lee Wattenberg, PhD of the University of Minnesota found in the 1970s that animals fed cruciferous vegetables had markedly lower cancer rates than matched controls. Since then, the active ingredient "indoles" have been isolated from cruciferous vegetables and found to be very protective against cancer. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that lab animals fed cruciferous vegetables and then exposed to the deadly carcinogen aflatoxin had a 90 percent reduction in their cancer rate.¹⁶

Cruciferous vegetables are able to increase the body's production of glutathione peroxidase, which is one of the more important protective enzyme systems in the body.

Mushrooms. Gourmet chefs have long prized various mushrooms for their subtle and exotic flavors. Now there is an abundance of scientific evidence showing that Rei-shi, Shiitake, and Maitake mushrooms are potent anti-cancer foods.¹⁷ Actually, Maitake literally means "dancing mushroom" since people would dance with joy when finding these delicate mushrooms on a country hillside. Oral extract of Maitake provided complete elimination of tumors in 40% of animals tested, while the remaining 60% of animals had a 90% elimination of tumors. Maitake contains a polysaccharide, called beta-glucan, which stimulates the immune system and even lowers blood pressure.

Legumes. Seed foods (like soybeans) have a substance that can partially protect the seed from digestion, called protease inhibitors (PI). For many years, these substances were thought to be harmful. New evidence finds that PIs may squelch tumor growth.¹⁸ Researchers at the National Cancer Institute find a collection of substances in soybeans, including isoflavones and phytoestrogens, appear to have potent anti-cancer properties.¹⁹ Dr. Ann Kennedy has spent 20 years researching a compound in soybeans that:

• prevents cancer in most animals exposed to a variety of carcinogens
• retards cancer in some studies
• lowers the toxic side effects of chemo and radiation therapy
• reverts a cancer cell back to a normal healthy cell.²⁰

Food treats malnutrition. Food contains known essential nutrients that stimulate the immune system and provide valuable protection against carcinogens. Foods also contain poorly understood factors that may add measurably to the recovery of the cancer patient. Many foods have tremendous therapeutic value in helping the patient to internally fight cancer.

How to Use this Section
This cookbook chapter was written with the cancer patient in mind and can also be helpful to people who want to eat properly but have little time to spend in the kitchen. Remember: the more wellness you have, the less illness you can have. One full week of menus is vegetarian style with no dairy products, but eggs are allowed. Another week's menu includes low fat poultry and fish. This will show you how to prepare meals that can be tasty and nutritious. The recipes are just a guide to show you the possibilities in creative cooking.

There is a section of tips to stimulate the appetite or lose weight rationally. Also included is the concept of bulk cooking, which is a great way to have a freezer full of ready-made meals at 1/4 the cost. "Fast food" at our house usually means microwaving some frozen beans, adding leftover bits of chicken or fish, and rolling this tasty collection into whole wheat tortillas with fresh salsa. The seasonings of Spike and Gayelords powdered vegetable broth may be purchased at your local heath food store.

Realize that there is no one perfect diet. Laying out a weekly menu of "nutritious" food is frought with peril, since another nutritionist could have their own valid criticisms of this program. Life is not perfect, nor are our eating habits. The most nourishing meal in the world is useless unless eaten. This chapter demonstrates healthy eating habits within the context of practical and tasty recipes. There are some noteworthy spartan cancer diets that only an extremely dedicated cancer patient can follow.

Given the choice between an unpalatable and labor-intensive eating program or returning to their old destructive eating habits, many cancer patients chose the later. Gleaning from dozens of good cookbooks and years of experience, the menus provided in this chapter make precious few compromises in nutritional quality while emphasizing taste, cost and practical preparation.

To Gain Weight
Don't drink fluids or have soup or salad before the meal. It will fill you up on foods that are low in calorie density.

Eat on a large plate, thus avoiding food portions that appear overwhelming. Have small portions, knowing you can always have more.

People eat more when dining in groups than by themselves. Go to buffets. Eat with friends or other patients if possible. At our hospital, we were constantly battling the problem of patients not wanting to eat, no matter how appetizing the food looked and smelled. One Fourth of July, we set up a family picnic, with broiled chicken, baked beans, watermelon, corn on the cob and more. People who had not eaten well all week suddenly developed a ferocious appetite. We have been serving buffet family style meals ever since.

Distract your mind. Rent a good video and have your meal in front of the TV. Have you ever sat down with a bowl of popcorn and realized you had eaten the whole batch and didn't even realize it?

To Lose Weight
Eat 6 times a day. That doesn't mean 6 Big Macs. It means a light breakfast upon rising; a piece of fruit later in the midmorning; a salad and half a sandwich at lunch; and the other 1/2 of the sandwich at mid-afternoon. Even if you over-indulge at one meal, make sure you eat on schedule. This concept, called periodicity, trains the mind and body that food is constantly coming into the system and there is no need to overindulge or become exceedingly efficient at storing calories.

Have warm fluids, like tea or soup, about 20 minutes before mealtime.

Use a smaller plate. It gives the illusion that you're eating more.

Drink plenty of purified water. It's good for both weight loss, constipation and wrinkles.

Adjust your bathroom scale to the exact weight you want to be. As you lose weight, you can readjust it closer to the zero, but always see your weight as you want it to be. This way when you think about having that huge piece of cake, you will think to yourself, "A person of my weight won't eat that."

Exercise within your own ability. Make sure you enjoy it.

Eat more high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole-grain cereals.

Plan your meals and snacks instead of waiting until you are hungry.

Dining Tips For The Cancer Patient
You eat with your eyes first, so make sure that your plate looks appetizing. Have different colors. No matter how tasty the food might be, if it is all the same color (i.e. turkey, mash potatoes, and cauliflower), then you won't enjoy the meal as much.

Crock pot cooking is a great idea. It is a relatively inexpensive kitchen tool which cures the 5 o'clock dilemma of haphazard meal preparation. There are many advantages to making your dinner in the morning. You prepare the food early which means that the kitchen will be clean and the urge to order out at 5 pm has been eliminated. Also, the aromas of cooking food wafting throughout the house can help stimulate a sagging appetite.

Cook up more food than is needed. Freeze leftovers in baggies in individual servings. This way you will have a freezer full of ready-to-eat nutritious meals.

Pressure cooking is wonderful. Your cooking time for whole grains and beans will be cut by 75%.

Instead of soda pop, try diluted apple juice or ginger tea with 1/4 tsp of vitamin C per cup.

Ginger helps to relieve nausea. You can take tablets, or drink ginger tea cold or hot.

Acupressure wrist bands, available at your pharmacy or health food store, also help to relieve nausea.

Avoid frying foods. Make sure that you have foods like carrot sticks or baked whole wheat tortilla chips to satisfy that need for crunchy food.

Eating Out
Iceberg lettuce is the most common salad bar offering, but is "junk food" relative to most other vegetables. Skip the iceberg lettuce and enjoy the healthier fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods from the salad bar. A good rule of thumb: the deeper the color of the vegetable, the more nourishing it is. Dark greens are better than pale greens, dark orange squash is better than pale squash, and so on. In nature, cauliflower is a dark green vegetable, until human intervention ties the leaves around the developing flower to deprive it of sunlight.

Many restaurants offer low-calorie or light meals with gourmet versions.

Instead of accepting that "fried" meal from a restaurant menu, most places will steam or broil your food.

Airlines can be very accommodating in having a special meal ready for you. Give them at least 1 week advance notice.

Ask for the salad dressing to be served on the side.

Have the rich sauces or gravies left out.

Avoid sauteed and deep-fried food.

Foods to Highlight in Your Diet
Yogurt
Sprouts
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower
Carrots
Coybeans, garbanzo beans and other legumes
Rice, barley and other whole grains
Sea vegetables, a.k.a. seaweed
Dark green and dark orange fruits & vegetables
Apples, berries
Eggs
Figs
Fish
Honey

Beverages to Highlight
Purified water
Cafix
Roma
Herb tea
Vitamin C powder & honey in hot water
Ginger tea
Hot natural apple juice with vitamin C
Fresh orange juice
Postum
Chickory
Japanese Green tea
Roasted rice or barley tea
Vinegar, honey & water