The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back!
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New Resources for Nutrition Educators BOOK The Cancer Survivor’s Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back! The Cancer Survivor’s Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back! Barnard ND, Reilly JK. 2009, Healthy Living Publications, PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483. Paperback book, 245 pp, $19.95, ISBN: 978-1-57067-225-5. The Cancer Survivor’s Guide will give you important insights into what re- searchers have proven: food choices can help prevent cancer, and when cancer has been diagnosed, nutrition can im- prove survival. These links between diet and cancer are nothing short of dramatic. And now you can learn how certain die- tary patterns help people diagnosed with cancer live longer, more healthful lives. The Cancer Survivor’s Guide provides comprehensive advice you can put to work right now. You will have informa- tion on how simple, everyday choices can improve your health and well-being. The science behind how a plant-based diet provides cancer-fighting compounds and immune-boosting nutrients that cells need to be healthy; more than 130 recipes; and a comprehensive list of refer- ences and resources for further informa- tion on diet and cancer. THE CENTRAL CONCEPT The intent of The Cancer Survivor’s Guide is to convince readers that a vegan diet will improve cancer sur- vival or prevent cancer from develop- ing. The book is divided into 8 chapters. Key concepts include eating food items that are high in fiber and low in fat, and avoiding all meat and milk products. The role of antioxi- dants in plant food items is discussed, along with the importance of main- taining a healthful body weight. There are chapters devoted to the role of diet as it relates to breast cancer and prostate cancer. There is also a chapter on meal planning using the ‘‘New Four Food Groups.’’ Each chapter ends with recommended vegan recipes that can be found in the last chapter. The ‘‘Note to the Reader’’ at the be- ginning of the text warns readers that dietary changes may alter the need for medications and that the book is not meant to replace individual medical care or advice. Providing more than 130 vegan recipes is a boon to those who choose to follow this dietary life- style. There are also some helpful ta- bles that provide information on topics such as how to cook dried beans and grains. Although there are many benefits to consuming a vegan diet, the book does not do an adequate job of informing the reader of the poten- tial pitfalls of such a diet. The authors do mention, multiple times, that vi- tamin B12 will be lacking in a vegan diet, but they do not mention other nutrients that may be insufficient in such a diet (iron, calcium, and zinc, to name a few). They also lead the reader to believe that protein can be easily obtained from a vegan diet, without regard to ensuring that com- plementary proteins are consumed. The suggested diet seems overly re- strictive, given the fact that the American Dietetic Association has stated that although vegetarians of- ten enjoy health benefits, it is not clear that those benefits are linked to diet. The American Cancer Society does not encourage cancer patients to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet. They encourage the incorporation of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with sources of lean protein. Following a vegan diet would likely make it difficult for a cancer patient to consume sufficient protein, since the volume of plant-based food that must be consumed to achieve the Di- etary Reference Intake is significantly greater than the volume required if high-quality protein is consumed. Although there is plenty of valid scientific information provided in this book, the lay reader is unlikely to possess the acumen necessary to distinguish between fact and over- statement. I would recommend this book only for those with sufficient nutrition background to recognize its shortcomings. As a reference for those counseling clients choosing to con- sume a vegan diet, this book would be appropriate. In short, this is a vegan diet book that touts the benefits, but at times stretches the facts, to fit the authors’ agenda. Cynthia Wright, PhD, Southern Utah University, Department of Agriculture and Nutrition Science, 351 W University Blvd, Cedar City, UT 84720 doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2009.10.005 Cite this article as Wright C. The Cancer Survivor’s Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back! [New Resources for Nutrition Educators]. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2010; 42:142.e3. Inclusion of any material in this section does not imply endorsement by the Society for Nutrition Education. Evaluative comments contained in the reviews reflect the views of the authors. Review abstracts are either prepared by the reviewer or extracted from the product literature. Prices quoted are those provided by the publishers at the time materials were submitted. They may not be current when the review is published. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2010;42:142.e3 Ó2010 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION 142.e3 Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Volume 42, Number 2, 2010
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Transcript of The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back!
New Resources for Nutrition Educators
BOOK
The Cancer Survivor’s Guide:Foods that Help You Fight Back!The Cancer Survivor’s Guide: Foods thatHelp You Fight Back! Barnard ND,Reilly JK. 2009, Healthy LivingPublications, PO Box 99, Summertown,TN 38483. Paperback book, 245 pp,$19.95, ISBN: 978-1-57067-225-5.
The Cancer Survivor’s Guide willgive you important insights into what re-searchers have proven: food choices canhelp prevent cancer, and when cancerhas been diagnosed, nutrition can im-prove survival. These links between dietand cancer are nothing short of dramatic.And now you can learn how certain die-tary patterns help people diagnosed withcancer live longer, more healthful lives.The Cancer Survivor’s Guide providescomprehensive advice you can put towork right now. You will have informa-tion on how simple, everyday choicescan improve your health and well-being.The science behind how a plant-baseddiet provides cancer-fighting compoundsand immune-boosting nutrients that cellsneed to be healthy; more than 130recipes; and a comprehensive list of refer-ences and resources for further informa-tion on diet and cancer.
THE CENTRAL CONCEPT
The intent of The Cancer Survivor’sGuide is to convince readers thata vegan diet will improve cancer sur-vival or prevent cancer from develop-ing. The book is divided into 8chapters. Key concepts include eatingfood items that are high in fiber andlow in fat, and avoiding all meat andmilk products. The role of antioxi-dants in plant food items is discussed,along with the importance of main-taining a healthful body weight.There are chapters devoted to therole of diet as it relates to breast cancer
Inclusion of any material in this section does noNutrition Education. Evaluative comments conauthors. Review abstracts are either prepared byliterature. Prices quoted are those provided bysubmitted. They may not be current when theJ Nutr Educ Behav. 2010;42:142.e3�2010 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUC
142.e3
and prostate cancer. There is alsoa chapter on meal planning usingthe ‘‘New Four Food Groups.’’ Eachchapter ends with recommendedvegan recipes that can be found inthe last chapter.
The ‘‘Note to the Reader’’ at the be-ginning of the text warns readers thatdietary changes may alter the need formedications and that the book is notmeant to replace individual medicalcare or advice. Providing more than130 vegan recipes is a boon to thosewho choose to follow this dietary life-style. There are also some helpful ta-bles that provide information ontopics such as how to cook driedbeans and grains.
Although there are many benefitsto consuming a vegan diet, thebook does not do an adequate jobof informing the reader of the poten-tial pitfalls of such a diet. The authorsdo mention, multiple times, that vi-tamin B12 will be lacking in a vegandiet, but they do not mention othernutrients that may be insufficient insuch a diet (iron, calcium, and zinc,to name a few). They also lead thereader to believe that protein can be
t imply endorsement by the Society fortained in the reviews reflect the views of thethe reviewer or extracted from the productthe publishers at the time materials werereview is published.
ATION
Journal of Nutrition Education and Beh
easily obtained from a vegan diet,without regard to ensuring that com-plementary proteins are consumed.The suggested diet seems overly re-strictive, given the fact that theAmerican Dietetic Association hasstated that although vegetarians of-ten enjoy health benefits, it is notclear that those benefits are linkedto diet.
The American Cancer Society doesnot encourage cancer patients toadopt a vegetarian or vegan diet.They encourage the incorporation offruits, vegetables, and whole grains,along with sources of lean protein.Following a vegan diet would likelymake it difficult for a cancer patientto consume sufficient protein, sincethe volume of plant-based food thatmust be consumed to achieve the Di-etary Reference Intake is significantlygreater than the volume required ifhigh-quality protein is consumed.
Although there is plenty of validscientific information provided inthis book, the lay reader is unlikelyto possess the acumen necessary todistinguish between fact and over-statement. I would recommend thisbook only for those with sufficientnutrition background to recognize itsshortcomings. As a reference for thosecounseling clients choosing to con-sume a vegan diet, this book wouldbe appropriate. In short, this is a vegandiet book that touts the benefits, butat times stretches the facts, to fit theauthors’ agenda.
Cynthia Wright, PhD, Southern UtahUniversity, Department of Agricultureand Nutrition Science, 351 W UniversityBlvd, Cedar City, UT 84720
doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2009.10.005
Cite this article as Wright C. TheCancer Survivor’s Guide: Foodsthat Help You Fight Back! [NewResources for Nutrition Educators].J Nutr Educ Behav. 2010;42:142.e3.
avior � Volume 42, Number 2, 2010
