4 Ways to Prevent Cancer from the World Cancer Research Fund

Have you ever thought to yourself “jeeze Trisha’s nutrition recommendations seem a little bit extreme.”

I was having tea with a friend who is about to become a doctor.  She asked me “don´t you think a plant-based diet is a bit extreme?” as she washed down a piece of cake with a cup of coffee.

So, am I too "radical" with my diet?  

Well, my colleagues and I… Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard, T Colin Campbell, Dr. Pam Popper, Dr. Joel Fuhrman etc., we´re not the only ones recommending a plant-based diet.

The World Cancer Research Fund (the WCRF), also recommends a plant-based diet for the prevention of cancer.

The World Cancer Research Fund has a "special commitment to the most reliable science-based recommendations.”  They´re also publicly funded and independent of government.

So what does the World Cancer Research Fund recommend for the prevention of cancer?  Here are 4 of their recommendations.

WCRF'S Recommendations for Cancer Prevention

1.  Eat mostly foods of plant origin.

• Plant foods should be the center of every meal
• Whole grains and or legumes should be eaten with every meal

This is how you can ensure the 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables the WCRF recommends, as well as the recommended 25 daily grams of fiber.

2.  Avoid foods that promote weight gain.

• Avoid calorie-dense foods
• Avoid sugary drinks including fruit juices
• Consume fast food sparingly, if at all

Calorie-dense foods that promote weight gain include oils, cheeses, meat, fast food and refined foods.

The report states that “diets with high levels of animal fats are often relatively high in energy, increasing the risk of weight gain.”  

3.  Limit and avoid meat

• Limit beef, pork, lamb, goat and avoid processed meats
• Avoid any meat that has been preserved via smoking, curing, salting or chemical preservation

4.  Be as lean as possible.

• Be as lean as possible while maintaining a health, normal weight

The report states that "maintenance of a healthy weight... may be one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.  This will also protect against a number of other common chronic diseases."

5.  Limit alcoholic drinks.

• Men - no more than two drinks/day if you drink
• Women - no more than one drink/day if you drink

"The evidence on cancer justifies a recommendation not to drink alcoholic drinks.  Based solely on the evidence on cancer, even small amounts of alcoholic drinks should be avoided."

6.  Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone, not supplements.  

"Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention.  The evidence shows that high-dose nutrient supplements can be protective or can cause cancer."

7.  Limit salt.

• "Limit consumption of processed foods with added salt to ensure an intake of less than 6 g (2.4 g sodium) a day."

"The strongest evidence on methods of food preservation, processing, and preparation shows that salt and salt preserved foods are probably a cause of stomach cancer, and that foods contaminated with aflatoxins are a cause of liver cancer."

When you eat a plant-based diet, you drastically reduce the amount of salt you are consuming by eliminating fast foods, refined foods and many animal products from your diet.  When you do this, you can add table salt to your food and still meet this recommendation (plus, you might make your veggie meals taste even better!).  

8.  Make physical activity a part of your daily life.

"Be moderately physically active, equivalent to brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes every day.  As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate, or for 30 minutes or more of vigorous, physical activity every day.  Limit sedentary habits such as watching television." 

A Special Recommendation for Cancer Survivors

• Follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

So there you have it, the World Cancer Research Fund´s recommendations to eat a plant-based.  They state that "people that eat some form of a vegetarian diet are at low risk of some diseases including cancer."

When my doctor friend asked me if I thought a plant-based diet was extreme, my response was I thought getting open heart surgery or extracting cancerous organs from my body from eating a Western diet, was more extreme than eating potatoes and salad every day, and the WCRF agrees.  

Now it´s time for you to put this information to use in your daily life.  To get you started, I want you to answer this Take Control Now question and put your answer in the comments section below this video.

When you're finished, please email/share this video and article to a friend or family member.  Have them sign-up for free email updates and they'll receive a FREE Healthy Diet Resource Guide delivered right away to their inbox.  

Take Control Now

Do you think eating a plant-based diet is too extreme?  What do you think of the WCRF's recommendations to eat a plant-based diet?

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. 2007.  Accessed online April 2014.

Why "Eating Less" is NOT the Answer to Weight Loss

Dr. Doug Lisle explains why "eating less" is not the answer in his one hour lecture titled 'How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind.'  Dr. Lisle is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Research at the True North Health Center in California.  He is also the co-author of the amazing book 'The Pleasure Trap.'  

He explains how skinny people aren't any 'less indulgent' than those with excess weight; how humans are one of the three animals on the planet that can't control their weight and the number one reason you aren't losing weight.  It all boils down to one thing... 

...the natural law of satiety is being broken.  

What's the law of satiety?

In our digestive system, we have nutrient and stretch receptors.  Nutrient receptors calculate how much nutrition is in our food.  I.e. calories, fat, protein and carbohydrate.  Stretch receptors decipher how much volume of food has been eaten.  When both the nutrient and stretch receptors become appropritely activated, our digestive system will tell our brain it's time to stop eating.  If we don't, it will become painful.

The receptors have been appropriately activated when 1.  there’s enough food our stomachs (or bulk) and 2. when we’ve eaten enough nutrition -- calories and macronutrients.  

If we don't get enough of one or another, we still won't feel satisfied.  Dr. Lisle uses the example of lettuce.  If you eat one pound of lettuce, you won't feel satisfied and full even though you've eaten a large quantity of food.  This is because the lettuce is so low in calories (around 100 calories/pound) that it's not enough nutrition for the nutrition receptors to be satisfied.  Likewise, if you eat a high calorie food, like chocolate for example, that doesn't have a lot of volume to it, you won't feel full even if you're eating enough calories.  

This is the law of satiety and this natural law is being broken everyday by humans, causing most of us to gain weight.  The hyper-concentrated foods the average American is eating (refined foods and animal products.  Only 6% American's diets come from unrefined plant food) is tricking our nutrient and stretch receptors.  Our bodies think we haven't eaten as many calories as we really have because the volume of these hyper-concentrated foods is small compared to how many calories they contain.  

As an example, Dr. Lisle asks what will fill you up more?  Two cups of ice-cream or, 1/2 gallon of salad, 3 ears of corn, 2 baked potatoes and a pound of cherries?  Same amount of calories, but the latter, is made of whole, plant foods that are naturally low in calories, but large in bulk.  

Skinny people aren't any less indulgent than fat people

There's a false assumption that those with excess weight are what Dr. Lisle calls, "eating into the pain."  They're eating so much until it hurts, everyday.  However, this isn't true!  

According to Dr. Lisle, women in the U.S. gain on average, one pound every year from the age of 20 to 40.  That equals only 10 extra calories per day.  Large people aren't massively overeating and they aren't massively out of control.  Rather, their nutrient and density receptors have been fooled.  

Skinny people have escaped this problem not because of their will-power, or because they are smarter or are in more control than bigger people, but because their genetics have given them more nutrient and stretch receptors.  This allows them to become fuller on less calories making it easier for them to not gain weight.  Unfortunately, skinny people eating the typical American diet, won't escape from other nutritional diseases like heart disease or cancer from eating this way.  

Think you've tried everything and nothing works?

If you think you’ve tried EVERYTHING... you’ve tried every diet there is and nothing works.  Or, you just eat 'healthy' and are still over weight, I want you to answer yes or no to these questions...

Have you ever followed the dietary advice of any of these doctors... Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, T Colin Campbell PhD, Pam Popper PhD, ND,  Dr. John McDougall, Doug Lisle PhD, or Dr. Alan Goldhamer? 

If you answered no, then you haven’t tried what myself and these amazing docs recommend.  If you answered no, then you have not tried everything and you are not doomed to deal with excess weight.  If you answred no, your stomach is being fooled from the foods in your diet and for the average person, it’s going to be difficult to maintain a healthy weight.  

Getting the weight off is easier than you think!  Just swap one hyper-concentrated food, for an unconcentrated one and you'll lose weight.  Want to lose even more?  Swap more foods!  Need help doing this?  That's what I'm here for.  Contact me with any questions and I'll make sure you get results right away.

Take Control Now

Have you ever followed the dietary advice of any of these plant-based docs?  What has your experience been dieting before, on or off a plant-based diet?

Put your answers in the comments section below.  

Do Low-Fat Vegans Lose More Weight in Intervention Study?

Where do I come off telling you to stop eating dairy products and get rid of all the oils?Where do I get this information from anyway?

My information and actions are powered by the "preponderance of evidence," as Dr. Pam Popper, owner of the Wellness Forum, frequently states.  I review scientific articles published in academic journals like the one below.  

Today I will discuss an intervention study that randomized overweight postmenopausal women into a low-fat vegan or National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) group for 14 weeks.  

Which group lost significantly more weight?  Which group reduced their waist circumference while never restricting their portion sizes?

Sources: study 1, study 2, study 3, study 4

Take Control Now!

Did you know plant-based nutrition was evidence-based?  What do you think about this study?

Write your answer in the comments section below.

Food Guidelines: What to Eat, What to Avoid

What exactly do you eat on a whole foods, plant-based diet (WFPBD) (or should I say, living a WFPB lifestyle?).  Getting the diet is right is essential for getting the results you want.  

As Dr. Pam Popper says, seeing results from the diet is like opening a combination lock.  You can't open it with only two of the three numbers.  And you won't get the best results from following the diet 75% of the time.  Especially if you are sick with heart disease or diabetes.  Adherence is the key to success for arrest and reversal therapy, as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn commonly advocates.  

This is not meant to deter anyone from slowly transitioning into a WFPBD, but to be honest and give you a heads up.  If you only do the diet 50% of the time and you don't experience any results after three weeks, you can't say the diet didn't work.  

Plus, when you completely go for it, you're cholesterol levels can drop within one week for example.  Experiencing fast results while never having to restrict calories, are HUGE motivating factors to sticking with the diet.  

What are whole, plant foods?

A whole foods, plant-based diet is made up of well, whole, plant foods.  

Whole plant foods are those that can be picked and eaten directly from the garden.  'Whole' plants are eaten in their original form and contain all of their original nutrients.  

What does a WFPBD include?

Yup, it's that simple.  Whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes (beans, peas and lentils).  And there is such a variety within each food group.  Your palate will no-doubtedly expand diving into this culinary world.  

Two - three ounces of organic animal meat (not dairy) is permitted per week.  That's the size of your palm.  

Not only do we have to ensure we are eating a diversity of the four food groups each day, it's crucial we get certain food groups out of the diet as well.  

What not to eat.  Food to avoid.

Yup, that's right.  No animal products of any kind.  No dairy, no meat (including fish) and no refined foods.  

Here is the exception: if you are healthy, have no major diseases, you can eat 2-3 OUNCES (the size of the palm of my hand) of ORGANIC meat (not dairy) once per week AS LONG AS the you are eating whole, plant-based foods the rest of the week.  Don't bend this rule!

But don't worry, eating without the above foods is AWESOME.  And your body will thank you for it... and quickly, again, when you do it right.  Getting the refined foods out of the diet is essential for success.  

What are refined foods?

Refined foods are not whole foods.  They don't contain all of their original nutrients.  They've been stripped of their original nutrients and are empty calories.  Refined foods contribute to weight gain, diabetes and a slew of health problems.  

Refined grain products don't contain all of their original nutrients.  The fiber and many vitamins have been removed in this process.  Most breads, crackers and flour used in U.S. food products are refined.  Avoid them.  

Oils are also refined foods.  When we eat olive oil for example, we aren't eating the 'whole' olive.  We aren't eating the fiber and accompanying vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  We're just adding nothing but liquid fat and extra calories (that Americans don't need).  Eat the 'whole' food instead--the corn vs. the corn oil.  Use water or veggie broth to sauté instead of oil.  

Sugar is also void of any vitamins and minerals.  It's empty calories, containing nothing but carbohydrate (which isn't any worse than oil.  Carbohydrates at least give our bodies fuel--they're our preferred energy sources).  

So, that's a WFPBD on the most basic level.

Avoid all animal and all refined foods products.

Eat unlimited amounts of whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Feel full and satisfied at every meal.

This is hands down my favorite part of eating a WFPBD.  I LOVE to eat.  I come from a long line of big eaters (and big bellies) but when you eat whole, plant-based foods (especially starchy ones) you feel full and satisfied so you stop eating for hours afterwards.

The fiber, water and bulk found in whole, plant foods all contribute to that feeling of satisfaction.  But your greatest ally is starch.  Whole foods high in starch are essential when eating a WFPBD.  

For one, WHOLE starchy foods such as 100% whole-grain pasta, winter squash, potatoes, corn, rice and beans are incredibly filling (and highly nutritious).  Secondly, whole, starchy foods are much lower in calories compared to animal foods.  So, you get to eat up, but eat less calories!  Make whole starchy foods the staples in all of your meals.  

Top your starchy whole foods with a variety of fruits and vegetables to get the additional benefits of these nutrient powerhouses.  

If you stick to these guidelines, eating a WFPBD 90-95% of the time you can expect amazing results.

What the hell am I going to eat?

Making meals out of the four food groups is easier and more delicious than you'd assume.  Most of your typical meals can be substituted with whole plant-foods.  

For breakfast you could have oatmeal or 100% whole-grain cereal with fresh fruit, or scrambled tofu instead of eggs.  Whole-grain pancakes can easily be made with a nut milk and without oil.

Lunch is as simple as baked sweet potatoes with salsa and salad or corn on the cob (use a lime wedge and chipotle powder instead of butter) with black bean soup.  

Dinner is pasta, pizza or burgers.  Wait what!?  Sure.  Veggies instead of meat on our pasta, skip the cheese on the pizza and instead, over load it with veggies (even corn, beans and salsa are awesome on pizza).  Our burger is a veggie burger with no-oil sweet potato fries.

For a Free Resource Guide that has a list of my favorite recipe websites, make sure you're signed up to website and it will be sent right to your inbox (sign-up at the box at the bottom of this page).

Take Control Now!

Commit to eating one whole food, plant-based meal by next Tuesday.  Will you prepare something or buy it?  Turn an old favorite into a new plant-based dish or try a new recipe.  

What will you do?  Comment with your thoughts below.