Studies show that diets high in fiber and low in fat can help prevent cancer. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. It has a higher content of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins compared to tofu. In the past five years tempeh has grown so much in popularity that it is now available in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets. Here is a simple way to prepare tempeh that both kids and adults love.

Vicki's Spicy Tempeh Soft Tacos
Serves 4

1 block tempeh crumbled
1/2 vegetable broth or water
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (can leave out if you don't want spicy)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked black beans or pinto beans drained
1 tomato chopped
handful chopped lettuce
grated hard soy cheese if you want vegan or cheddar if vegetarian
8 whole wheat tortillas

Recipe directions

Saute the tempeh in the olive oil on medium low heat for about 3 minutes. Add red pepper and onion and continue to saute for about 5 minutes more. Add the spices, 1/2 cup broth or water and the beans and cook for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Serve in the tortillas with the chopped lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Tofu is rich in high-quality protein. It is also a good source of B-vitamins and iron. When the curdling agent used to make tofu is calcium salt, the tofu is an excellent source of calcium. While 50% of the calories in tofu come from fat, a 4-ounce serving of tofu contains just 6 grams of fat. It is low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol. Generally, the softer the tofu, the lower the fat. Many women fear soy foods if they have estrogen-receptor positive cancers. There is NO good research showing soy FOODS are bad for you if you have estrogen-receptor positive cancer. Soy FOODS seem to contain things that slow down cancer cells. Soy FOODS may even make cancer cells less aggressive. If you have estrogen-receptor positive cancer, DO NOT USE SOY SUPPLEMENTS.


Vicki's Vegan chocolate cheesecake
1 pound extra firm tofu
1 cup honey
1 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons liquid espresso or strong coffee
1 pre-made pie crust

Blend ingredients until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake
at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Chill for minimum 2 hours before slicing.

A low-protein, low-calorie diet might prevent the development of some cancers, according to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers. Previous research has established that being overweight increases breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer and esophageal cancer risks but this research indicates findings to suggest that a low-protein, low-calorie diet offers protection in addition and independent of a healthy weight.

What you are eating seems to be as important as how much you eat.

A low-protein, low-calorie diet lowers the levels of a plasma growth insulin-like factor called IGF-1 and hormones responsible for increased cancer risks. High levels of IGF-1 is associated with some cancers and cell proliferation.

The participants in the study were divided into three groups: low-protein, low-calorie, raw food vegetarians; endurance runners who ate a diet higher in calories and protein than the vegetarians; and sedentary people who consumed a diet rich in sugars, processed refined grains and animal products.

Not surprisingly, the sedentary group fared the worst in IGF-1 and hormone levels. However, because exercise is known to provide a cancer prevention benefit, it is a little surprising that the endurance runners had higher levels of IGF-1 and hormone levels that increase the risk of cancer. This has led researchers to the conclusion that the amount of protein and calories consumed plays a greater role than exercise alone in offering optimum cancer prevention.

"Many people are eating too many animal products - such as meat, cheese, eggs and butter - as well as refined grains and free sugars," states Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Washington University. "Our intake of vegetables and fruits is low, and beans are vastly underconsumed in the U.S. and Europe these days. We hope to further clarify what happens to cancer risk when we are chronically eating more protein than we need."

Journalist, teacher, mother and eight-year breast cancer survivor Jeanne Sather is a self-described outspoken advocate for the cancer patient's point of view.

A vegetarian since the age of 16 and fairly active, she does not have any of the known risk factors for breast cancer. After an all-clear mammogram at the age of 40, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 43. In an ironic twist of employment fate, the very job she was hired to do in chronicling her life online as a breast cancer patient, may have led to her firing because of the flexible work schedule breast cancer treatment required.

With a sharp clarity and well-earned perspective, Sather is The Assertive Cancer Patient. To our good fortune here at The Cancer Blog, she has agreed to take part in our Survivor Spotlight series featuring interviews with breast cancer survivors.

Isothiocyanates, chemical compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and watercress are able to kill cancer cells that have become resistant to chemotherapy drugs, according to the Free Radical Research Group research team from Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago.

Basically, isothiocyanates drive cancer cells, and the protein Bcl-2 that seems to aid cancer cells in surviving, to apoptosis or in more descriptive terms -- a self-destructing suicide. The researchers are hoping this discovery might lead to the development of cancer-fighting drugs derived from isothiocyanates.

In the meantime, as they work on better cancer-fighting drugs based on beneficial chemical compounds found in foods, it won't hurt us to eat more veggies. Okay, except for the current recall of E. coli contaminated spinach. Right now, don't eat your spinach.

While the study suggests that not all cruciferous vegetable are equal in the ability to kill cancer cells, and specifically refers only to broccoli, Brussels sprouts and watercress -- other cruciferous vegetables include arugula, cauliflower, cabbage, Bok Choy, rutabaga, Chinese cabbage, Daikon, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, kale, and turnip, mustard and collard greens.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the world's most comprehensive cancer study being conducted in establishing the link between diet and cancer risk has been going on for over a decade and few people hear about it. Over 80 scientific papers based on the study have been published in journals such as the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the Lancet, the Journal of Nutrition.

The study -- called the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) -- is an enormous undertaking involving 521,483 individuals in 10 different European countries. EPIC is unique because the populations being tracked are so diverse in eating habits. But this is precisely what gives the study the advantage it has in making comparisons and noting trends.

According to EPIC, a few of the emerging results found in the link between diet and cancer are:

• Consumption of meat sharply increased risk of stomach cancer and esophageal cancer. For every 100 grams of meat consumed by subjects, risk for stomach cancer more than tripled. The association between meat intake and stomach cancer was considerably stronger among subjects with populations of H. pylori bacteria in their stomachs.
• Two indicators of abdominal obesity, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, were strongly associated with colon cancer risk in both sexes. Men with the largest waist circumference had 39 percent higher risk of colon cancer than men with the smallest, for example, while women in the study with the largest waist circumference has a 48 percent higher risk than women with the smallest waists.
• Blood samples of women with breast cancer were compared to blood samples of women without breast cancer. Women over 60 whose blood was given under non-fasting conditions, high levels of serum C-peptide, that could reflect insulin resistance -- long suspected of contributing to cancer risk -- was associated with a doubling of breast cancer risk.
• The risk for oral and pharyngeal cancers drop by 9 percent for every 80 grams of fruits and vegetables consumed per day.
  

Researchers are beginning to come to some conclusions involving the data they have to date that clearly shows that globally, diets that are high in fruits, vegetables, fiber and fish are associated with greater cancer prevention -- with obesity and sedentary lifestyles much larger factors in increasing cancer risk.

I can't decide what to do about my port now that my breast cancer treatment is over. It's been an on-going internal battle. I don't know whether I should leave it in place -- tunneled underneath the skin on my collarbone where it is available and accessible should I ever need further infusions of cancer-fighting drugs -- or whether I should have it removed since there is no real purpose for it right now. There is the issue of superstition and safety -- leaving it right where it is allows for easy use if cancer returns and prevents another surgery to implant a new one. But there is also the issue of moving on -- and removing it because I don't need it, because I may never need it. One doctor told me recently that it should come out because if it remains in my body, I risk infection. And anything foreign in my body for an extended period of time is not completely safe. But a cancer survivor told me that she had hers removed immediately after treatment and had to get a new one because her cancer recurred three months later.

I am accustomed to wrestling matches like this one -- like my stand-off between treatment with Taxol or without Taxol, between anti-depressant or no anti-depressant, between vegan diets and traditional diets. Sometimes I can make a good call. Sometimes I just can't decide. Like right now.

When my treatment for breast cancer was just around the corner, I asked a nurse about a dietitian on staff who I might talk to -- or a nutritionist or anyone who could help me wrap my head around eating right and staying healthy and maintaining my weight during treatment. I was told that I didn't need to talk to anyone -- that I would likely not lose any weight and would be fine. I was aware at the time that a referral to a dietitian often occurs with weight loss associated with treatment -- but it seemed that a referral for merely staying on track was just as important. Yet this seemed not to be an issue.  And I never was referred to anyone. So I found someone on my own -- and independent nutritionist who came to my house just after my first dose of chemotherapy, on a day when I felt nauseated and foggy and sick. It was a perfect time to talk to someone about how to eat during this difficult time, and the wisdom that was shared with me is as fresh in my mind today as it was 18 months ago -- when I sat at my dining room table with my mom and a young woman who knew exactly what I wanted to know.

Dr. Heidi Lucas, of the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, recently interviewed on nutrition and cancer treatment, gives these tips on cancer-fighting foods and diet strategies for maintaining health while going through cancer treatment and for cancer prevention.

• Edamame is a great whole food protein. She does not recommend cancer patients with estrogen-positive cancer consume soy powder and soy supplements.
• Green tea is recommended for cancer recovery and cancer prevention. She recommends drinking loose leaf green tea and green tea in supplements to all cancer patients.
• Protein smoothie is recommended as a daily drink. Using whey protein powder, add ice cubes, milk -- soymilk or juice, tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and a handful of frozen or fresh berries. Additional sources of protein include lentils, beans and nuts -- or chicken and fish. Nuts to include in the daily diet are Brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts.
• Choose whole organic fresh food whenever possible.
  

During the interview, Dr. Lucas explained the importance of modifying blood sugar and getting refined carbohydrates out of the diet. "Cancer cells have high metabolic rates and thrive on glucose. Glucose is the favorite food of cancer cells. When someone gets a PET scan, the technicians put a radioactive tracer on glucose cells to see where they go. Where the glucose goes, that's where the cancer is found."

Sound advice. The Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center is the only cancer center in the Northwest where medical oncologists and natural medicine practitioners work as a team. Bob Condor, who conducted the interview, is the editor of Seattle Conscious Choice, which covers health, environment, food, social good, spirituality and personal growth. 

The best cancer prevention begins early. As a parent, you can make cancer prevention choices for your children with the food you bring to the table. When they reach school age, it becomes more of a challenge in assuring that what they are eating is also good for them. Frankly, you appreciate like-minded individuals who care as much as you do about the long-term health of your children.

For the last two years, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM, has hosted the Golden Carrot Awards in recognition of creative school food service professionals who strive to serve school children healthy wholesome food. According to PCRM, they are looking for school food service professionals who serve vegetarian entrees, low-fat meals, fresh fruits and vegetables, and nondairy beverage items and that promote nutrition education.

I've been wondering lately about how I might alter my diet in a post-cancer world. I am a moderate eater -- I eat moderate amounts of meat and fruits and vegetables and grains and dairy. And moderate amounts of fats and sweets too. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing myself a disservice by eating meat and processed foods and refined sugar. I've gathered many opinions that indicate that the further our food comes from the dirt of this Earth, the worse it is for us. That perhaps the increase in cancer cases in the United States is linked to the increase in diets rich in artificial stuff. Part of me resists this speculation -- maybe because I enjoy a variety of foods from the entire food pyramid and I just don't want to give them up.  And part of me believes that if this argument is true, then I am a fool to not jump on board and take control of my future health. So I've taken the first step -- I've done some research and have located a destination where I could explore this route with detail and precision by practicing a whole new way of eating and being.

Hippocrates Health Institute, a leader in the field of natural and complementary health care and education since 1956, teaches a vegan diet with a focus on implementing this lifestyle at home. Food is served in its purest form and is fresh, organic, and enzyme-rich. Food is not the only focus at this institute, however. Whole body healing includes various therapies, exercise, and workshops. While living on the premises of this West Palm Beach, Florida oasis for a minimum of one week and a maximum of three weeks, I could cleanse myself of the toxins and stress and anxiety that have invaded my body as a result of cancer. It's tempting. And maybe when my treatment is complete in August, I will become a student of this philosophy. Just maybe.

On May 24, 2006, The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation will be launching White Lies, a campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of consuming dairy products. Why You Don't Need Dairy, an event to mark the beginning of the campaign, will feature Heather Mills McCartney as a speaker who will call for milk to be dropped from the nation's diet. At the same time, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM, a nonprofit health organization comprised of physicians and nutritionists, will be asking consumers to eliminate dairy from their diet for three weeks to see if they notice an improvement in health.

In three short weeks, PCRM is confident those who take the dairy-free challenge will notice immediate benefit in better digestion, easier breathing, better sleep, a lessening of headaches and for sufferers of acne or dermatitis -- clear skin. Health benefits that are not immediately noticeable but of significant value is a reduction in the risk of prostate and ovarian cancer. Research had proven the link between dairy and these two cancers. Because dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt all contain high levels of fat, it is reasonable to assume there might be a dairy link to other cancers as well.

The Nutrition Resource Centre of the Ontario Public Health Association, has published Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium, available as a PDF document online, with food suggestions that offer plenty of calcium.

Because cancer can take years to develop -- and because certain dietary habits have been linked to an increased risk of cancer -- and because helping children adopt informed healthy habits of eating during the early years seems a practical strategy to a lifetime of cancer prevention -- this headline Parents health food fads make children ill, grabbed my attention. According to eating disorder expert Dr. Steve Bratman, parents who encourage their children to choose healthy foods are dangerous role models. It seems that limiting the amount of sugar, fat, salt and artificial additives are putting children at risk of serious damage to their health, and in some cases, death by starvation. With great pain, Dr. Bratman shares that he is deeply disturbed to be receiving an ever-increasing amount of email from children interested in healthy eating habits.

Because no term exists in medical tomes to describe this condition, Dr. Bratman made one up. He calls the condition of junk food aversion and deprivation -- orthorexia. Dr. Bratman has written a book and developed a website devoted to this new life-threatening eating disorder where growing numbers of children, influenced by their parents, are taking an interest in eating healthy. To use the closing remark often used by John Stossel of ABC News 20/20 to a news story that defies sanity and common sense -- give me a break!

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer deaths could be cut by 50 percent if we all lived by lifestyle guidelines guaranteed to eliminate many cancers. None of this is new news, but it comes as a new study. In the annual Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Facts & Figures 2006, the advice remains the same, and we all know it by rote. Stop smoking, exercise, lose weight, eat nutritional food, protect yourself from the sun and go in for early diagnostic cancer screenings. We have been told, we understand -- we get it already. Enough.

Tell us something we do not know that can help us. Tell us about the causes of cancer we cannot be blamed for -- that we did not bring upon ourselves in our errant lifestyle choices -- because the underlying message in how to cut cancer deaths in half, is one of blame. Tell us what causes the other 50 percent of cancer deaths. Tell us what you are doing with the millions in dollars publicly and privately raised, that is new news. You might start with the toxic chemicals saturating our environment; the carcinogens allowed in the products sold; or in the modified enhanced foods that come to market. We are not quibbling with you about the known lifestyle choices that can lead to a dramatic 50 percent reduction in cancer deaths -- we agree -- but we want to know more about what we do not know. Information that is new news and not simply a nag-fest in recycling the obvious, because that's too easy, and it's lazy. Too many of us are out here living by the rules set to prevent cancer and are dying of cancer anyway, and we want to know why.

Jane Plant, one of Britain's leading scientists, a bestselling author, and five-time breast cancer survivor speaks out against the cancer risks of dairy products, and in favor of a cancer prevention plant-based diet. Professor Jane Plant claims that milk contains growth factors and hormones that can promote cancer. Her controversial message that breast cancer can be treated, and even prevented, effectively by simple changes in diet has been met with huge acclaim from hundreds of thousands of sufferers of breast cancer around the world. She has written four books, Your Life In Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing And Overcoming Breast Cancer; Eating for Better Health: The Plant Programme; Understanding, Preventing And Overcoming Osteoporosis and Prostate Cancer - Understand, Prevent And Overcome.

According to Dr. Plant, a plant-based diet and lack of dairy is the norm in Far Eastern countries and the incidence of being diagnosed with breast cancer are half that of western nations. As an example, when Chinese and Japanese women move to Europe or the United States and adopt the western diet, they begin to experience a dramatic increase in breast cancer rates. As a breast cancer survivor, and cancer-free for eleven years, Dr. Plant will take part of The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation White Lies campaign launch as a featured speaker, along with Heather Mills McCartney and Dr. Campbell of The China Study.