The Cancer Project

This past weekend my sister-in-law (Jenni, she posts here also) and I participated in a class put on by The Cancer Project. I heard about this class through a local vegan restaurant and was intrigued. Eating related to cancer? I wanted to know more.

Initially I didn't have high expectations because I assumed they would tell us to eat healthier, with no specific direction on how to achieve that. Boy, was I wrong. From the moment the class started till the very end I was fascinated that people were talking my language. They had similar information to what I had been reading and researching and it was presented by extremely knowledgeable people that weren't throw away doctors.

You see, I've read book after book after book about diet and health in relation to not eating animal products and it's always the same end. Don't eat animal products and you will likely live a longer, healthier life because of it. End of story. But in this class there was talk of actual proof of this fact. It amazes me that 1.) I never related how I eat and what I eat to my health, not really at least and 2.) that people don't talk about this, especially our doctors. We are so quick to put people on medications and be done with it.

I was diagnosed with high cholesterol about two years ago and the only thing my doctor said was to watch my diet and get some exercise. That's it. No mention that if I cut out the cholesterol clogging foods (PRESENT IN ALL ANIMAL PRODUCTS) that my cholesterol would likely go down on it's own. When I left that doctors appointment I'm ashamed to say that I did nothing to change my eating habits or exercising habits (non existent at that point).

High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and other ailments. Why on earth are our doctors not telling us these things? I wondered if it was just my doctor but it turns out it's not. Many doctors don't believe that food and health are related for the most part. It was refreshing to attend a class where they talked about just that.

After I changed my diet and started to exercise my total cholesterol went down 73 points from increased risk of heart disease to normal. I bet if I got it tested again it would be lower. My doctor was shocked when the test results came back. She just was incredulous that a diet change like the one I had done would lower my cholesterol so much. I hope that I taught her something that day, something she might research and pass along to other patients.

This class put on by The Cancer Project is a free class that's available to anyone who wants to better understand how diet can affect your well being, how you can make big changes that don't require big sacrifices and why it's important to make those changes. I highly recommend everyone to attend. Do it for your health, please.

Here are a few recipes that are on the site, ones that they actually made during the class:

Easy Bean Salad (perfect for a potluck and SO SIMPLE to make it's almost criminal)

The simplicity and widespread enjoyment of this salad has made it a Cancer Project classic. Plus, it has tons of fiber to help move carcinogens, excess cholesterol, and hormones out of your body to improve overall health.

Directions
Makes about 10 1-cup servings

1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free Italian salad dressing
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked peas
1 10-ounce package frozen lima beans (preferably fordhook lima beans), thawed completely,
1 1/2 cups cooked lima beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked green soybeans (shelled edamame)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed completely, or cooked fresh corn, chilled
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Toss all ingredients together. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Place leftover bean salad in a covered dish and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/10 of recipe): 183 Calories 3 g Fat 0.5 g Saturated Fat 14.6% Calories From Fat 0 mg Cholesterol 9.9 g Protein 31 g Carbohydrate 2.9 g Sugar 8 g Fiber 539 mg Sodium 43 mg Calcium 2.7 mg Iron 36.7 mg Vitamin C 311 mgc Beta-Carotene 0.8 mg Vitamin E

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Penne with Kale, Tomatoes and Olives (Simple and tasty)

The kale in this flavorful combination provides highly absorbable calcium and isothiocyanates, which have strong anti-cancer effects.

Directions
Makes 4 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 bunch kale, cut or torn into approximately 1” pieces (about 5 cups chopped)
2 14.5-ounce cans chopped, preferably fire-roasted, tomatoes, undrained, or 3 cups of freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces dry whole-wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup dairy-free (vegan) parmesan cheese substitute or nutritional yeast (optional)

Sauté onion with vegetable broth or water over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add kale and tomatoes and their liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add olives and parsley. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Add kale mixture and toss gently. Serve immediately. Sprinkle vegan Parmesan substitute or nutritional yeast over top, if using.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 281 calories 3.3 g fat 0.5 g saturated fat 10.5% calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 12 g protein 57.6 g carbohydrate 8.3 g sugar 8.7 g fiber 497 mg sodium 166 mg calcium 5 mg iron 53.9 mg vitamin C 6796 mcg beta-carotene 2.9 mg vitamin E