A CANCER

FIGHTING
DIET
Kelli Dunham, RDN, CD
Clinical Oncology Dietitian
UW Cancer Center at Pro Health Care
Mint Body Nutrition & Wellness
 Objectives

 Review the AICR and WCRF recommendations for

cancer prevention and prevention of recurrence

 To promote knowledge of preventative measures

individuals can take to reduce cancer risk

 To promote knowledge of a cancer fighting diet

 Control the
Controllables!
 American Institute for Cancer Research
(AICR) and
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)
Recommendations:

Cancer Prevention & Prevention

of Recurrence
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Body Weight

Body Weight
Be as lean as possible without being underweight.

Body Weight
Be as lean as possible without being underweight.
Foods and Drinks that Promote
Weight Gain
Limit consumption of energy-dense foods. Avoid sugary drinks.
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Plant Foods
Eat mostly foods of plant origin.
 Animal Foods
Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat.
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Alcoholic Drinks
Limit alcoholic drinks: 1 per day for women, 2 per
day for men.
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Preservation, Processing and

Preparation
Limit consumption of salt.
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Dietary Supplements
Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.
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Breastfeeding
Mothers to breastfeed; children to be breastfed.
 Physical Activity
Be physically active as part of everyday life.
 For Americans who do not use tobacco,
the 3 most important things
you can do to
reduce cancer risk are:

 Maintain a healthy weight

 Eat healthfully

 Be physically active
A Cancer Fighting Diet
 Oncology: Importance of
Nutrition

 Loss of appetite and weight loss prior to Dx

 Malnutrition during Tx
 Increased nutrition demands for healing
process
 Importance of Nutrition (cont.)

 Weight loss as little as 6% predicts a reduced

response in treatment, reduced survival, and
reduced QOL
 Loss of weight and lean body mass may
experience increased toxicity

 Good nutrition = fewer complications, better

QOL, treatment toleration
 Multiple Myeloma:
Importance of Nutrition

 Bone Problems
 Fractures
 Increased blood calcium levels

 Blood Problems
 Decreased RBC, platelets, WBC
 Why should I follow a
Plant Based Diet?
 Researchers have shown that a more plant-based diet may help
prevent, treat, or reverse leading causes of death, including heart
disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.  
 Interventional
studies of plant-based diets have shown, for example, 90
percent reductions in angina attacks within just a few weeks.
 Plant-based diet intervention groups have reported:
 Greater diet satisfaction than control groups
 Improved digestion
 Increased energy
 Better sleep
 Significant improvement in their physical functioning, general health, vitality,
and mental health.
 Studies have shown plant-based eating can improve not only body
weight, blood sugar levels, and ability to control cholesterol, but
also emotional states, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, sense
of well-being, and daily functioning.
 Benefits of A Plant-Based Diet
 Lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar
 Reversal or prevention of heart disease or
diabetes
 Healthier weight
 Lower risk of developing heart disease,
diabetes & some types of cancer
 May slow the progression of some types of
cancer
 What Is A Plant Based Diet?
 A whole-food, plant-based diet is centered on
whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plants.
 It’s a diet based on:
 Fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and
legumes
 It excludes or minimizes:
 Meat (including chicken and fish)
 Dairy products: cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream…
 Eggs
 Highly refined foods like bleached (white) flour,
refined sugar, and oil.
 Phytochemicals
 Stimulate the immune system
 Block what we eat, drink and breathe from
becoming cancer-producing substances
 Reduce inflammation
 Prevent DNA damage
 Help with DNA repair
 Reduce damage to cells
 Trigger damaged cells to die before they can
reproduce
 Slow cancer cell growth rate
 Help regulate hormones
 How to Begin A
Cancer Fighting Diet
 Increase fruits and vegetables in your
diet
 Make your grains whole grains
 Include beans or peas
 Decrease intake of red meat & processed
meat
 Stay hydrated
 How to Begin A
Cancer Fighting Diet

 Change a favorite recipe to be plant

based
 Make burritos or tacos with beans, rice & vegetables
 Prepare chili with beans instead of meat
 Replace burgers with whole grain veggie burgers or
grilled portobello mushrooms
 Make kebabs with vegetables such as onions, bell
peppers, summer squash & mushrooms
 Make lentil or split pea soup without meat
AICR: A Model Plate
 Where Do I Find
Plant Based Recipes:
 Check out your local library!
 Forks Over Knives Cookbook
 China Study Cookbook
 The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook
 How Not to Die Cookbook

 Check out the internet:

 Minimalist Baker: https://minimalistbaker.com/
 Forks Over Knives: www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/
 Oh She Glows: Ohsheglows.com
 Mint Body Nutrition:
https://www.mintbodynutrition.com/blog
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Food Myths
 Food Myths:
Sugar Feeding Cancer

 “Avoid all sugar”

 Without carbohydrates, your body will make
sugar from other sources, including fat and
protein
 Research shows it may be sugar’s relationship
with higher insulin levels and related growth
factors
Food Myths: Alkaline Diet
 Food Myths: Organic Foods
 Not direct studies on humans to show organic
foods can prevent cancer or other diseases
 No evidence that organic food is more
nutritious
 Why would someone choose organic?
 Lower pesticide residues
 Lower amount of synthetic food additives
 Said to be better for environment
 Consideration of human resources

https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/organic-foods/
 “The vast majority of diseases can be
prevented and even cured with excellent
nutrition. Food is the safest, most effective
medicine”.
-Andrea Ferreiro, MD

Questions??
 Sources:
 Esselstyn CB Jr, Gendy G, Doyle J, Golubic
M, Roizen MF. A way to reverse CAD? J Fam Pract. 2014 Jul;63(7):356-364b.
 Hu, F. B. (2003). Plant-based foods and prevention of cardiovascular disease:
an overview. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 78(3), 544S-551S.
 Ornish, D., Weidner, G., Fair, W. R., Marlin, R., Pettengill, E. B., Raisin, C.
J., ... & Aronson, W. J. (2005). Intensive lifestyle changes may affect the
progression of prostate cancer. The Journal of urology, 174(3), 1065-1070.
 Sample, I. (2014). Diets high in meat, eggs and dairy could be as harmful to health a
s smoking. Retrieved August 22, 2016, from https://
www.theguardian.com/science/2014/mar/04/animal-protein-diets-smoking-meat-eg
gs-dairy
 Trapp
CB, Barnard ND. Usefulness of vegetarian and vegan diets for treating type 2 diabe
tes.
Curr Diab Rep. 2010 Apr;10(2):152-8.
 Y Yokoyama, K Nishimura, N D Barnard, M Takegami, M Watanabe, A Sekikawa
, T Okamura, Y Miyamoto. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. J
AMA Intern Med. 2014 Apr;174(4):577-87.
doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.14547.
 Contact Information

Kelli Dunham, RDN, CD

Clinical Oncology Dietitian
 UW Cancer Center by Pro Health Care
 Phone: 262.569.0462
 Email: rdnkellij@mintbodynutrition.com
 Website: www.mintbodynutrition.com