Only one third of adults in the United States maintain a “normal” weight. This is an amazing and distressing fact. Essentially, people in the normal range of weight are now a minority in this country. The remainder of the adult population is overweight or obese, leading to a wide range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The relationship between our weight and the foods we eat is obvious but also complex. For Americans who do not smoke, weight control, food choices, and physical activity are the most important modifiable determinants of cancer risk. Food choices are important for two reasons. Many foods contribute directly to better health, such as fruits and vegetables and whole grains, while many others contribute directly to poorer health, such as trans-fatty acids and saturated fats. It is critical to know which foods to seek out and which to limit based on these direct effects. In addition, our food choices also determine our total caloric intake, which greatly influences body weight. Eating foods that are bulky, satisfying, and not high in calories and limiting foods that are high-calorie with little nutritive value is essential to maintaining healthy weight.
With The Anti-Cancer Cookbook, Dr. Julia Greer has given us an excellent cookbook to help us make better food choices and to explain how these choices can reduce our risk of cancer. She provides an informative and easy-to-read explanation of how cancer develops and how foods can play a role in the cancer process. The first section of the book gives an excellent foundation for healthier eating and guides the reader toward those foods that contribute to healthy eating and away from those foods that contribute empty or unhealthy calories. Dr. Greer also gives informed advice on healthy cooking methods and how to make the best choices when eating out.
Many poor food choices are made out of habit, perceived convenience, and a lack of understanding about the importance of different foods on our overall health and wellbeing. One need not be a scientist or understand all of the scientific studies (although many may find this information fascinating!) to appreciate the basic consensus that has been reached regarding healthy food choices: Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight; eat a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and eat a variety of these plant foods; choose whole-grain rice, bread, pasta, and cereals and limit your intake of simple carbohydrates and sugar; when you eat meat, choose lean cuts and try to substitute fish, poultry, and beans for red and processed meats whenever possible
This book is not designed to be a diet book. The recipes included here taste great, are loaded with healthy ingredients, and tend to be low in saturated fat and sugar. The recipe portions are healthy, but not enormous, and are designed to suit an intelligently sized meal. Each recipe also includes comprehensive nutritional information (calories, grams of fat, protein, etc.) so that you can choose dishes that fit your energy needs and lifestyle. Enjoy!
— Eugenia E. Calle, PhD, American Cancer Society