The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods That Help You Fight Back [Paperback]

Neal Barnard (Author), Jennifer K. Reilly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2009

The Cancer Survivor's Guide explains how foods influence the hormones that fuel cancer and how a dietary change to a low-fat, plant-based diet can be beneficial to anyone diagnosed with cancer. Each section describes specific nutrients and how they work in your body, which foods are the best sources, recommended recipes, and offers simple, practical steps you can take during the week to increase consumption of these foods. Includes over 60 pages of recipes for satisfying and flavorful meals to help implement the recommendations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neal Barnard is the founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and the author of over nine books including Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight, which sold over 2 million copies. He is an advocate of nutrition's role in healing disease and believes a plant-based diet is of up most importance in maintaining health.

Jennifer K. Reilly, R.D. is a nutrition consultant for The Cancer Project, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing new approaches to cancer prevention and survival through nutrition, education and research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Book Publishing Company; 1 edition (January 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570672253
• ISBN-13: 978-1570672255
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Cancer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Put this book in your arsenal to fight for a healthy lifestyle, June 3, 2009

By 

M. Reilly (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods That Help You Fight Back (Paperback)

I recently purchased "The Cancer Survivor's Guide" for a course I was taking at Whole Foods Market in Sacramento, CA. I do not have cancer. I do not plan to get cancer. But then again, nobody does. My beloved, healthy, sister Debora died in 2007 from virulent cancer. I don't wish it on anyone.
While I was a patient of John McDougall in Santa Rosa undergoing his ten day program,my sister Debora was eating the "Atkins Diet." Five years later, I am alive and thriving and Debora is buried in a cemetery nearby.
Don't let this happen to you or your loved one.

I now have a weekly share of a vegetable crop in a C.S.A. farm nearby. I loved the Cancer Project Class. The recipes in this book are great. We got a chance to make several of them during the four week class. The Mashed Grains and Cauliflower on (p168) tasted great with mushroom gravy on top. I enjoyed the Black Bean Chili on (p121). I went into ecstasy over the Raspberry Salad Dressing on (p151) used on our green salad. The Sweet and Sour Stirfry on (p200) was an excellent dish and I learned to cook my root vegetables such as carrots and celery first as they take longer.
I toasted my brown rice prior to cooking it and there is a recipe for that in this book.
Enjoy the Gingered Melon(so easy to make) on (p218) as a wonderful dessert. Of course the Chocolate Mousse on (p215) is a tempting treat as well.
Whether you are looking to revise conventional recipes(p67), plan healthy cancer fighting meals that will slow down the course of cancer in your body, or if you just enjoy the taste of a good Roasted Red Pepper Hummus(p113)this book has an approach to healthy eating that we all can live with and enjoy.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Science, Good Recipes, November 28, 2009

By 

P. Motes "reader, writer, collector of ecclec... (Northeast, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods That Help You Fight Back (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I do believe that food is a factor in cancer prevention and treatment. The scientific evidence in this book is compelling, although I did not need to be convinced. For those who are not sure about how food affects health, this is a five-star book. For anyone who wants some recipes to put the concepts into practice, this book is only three-star or four-stars. While there is some variety in the book, some of the recipes just didn't tantalize my taste buds. Making the change from meat as a main dish can be a challenge, so I wanted some recipes to make the family crave more plant based foods, and this one misses that mark. A good vegetarian book would be a better choice for recipes, but if readers who want both an explanation of why to make the change and suggestions on what to eat instead of meat will find this book most helpful.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some aspects bother me.., June 6, 2010

By 

Jams (Arlington, Va) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods That Help You Fight Back (Paperback)

I actually haven't finished this book yet, and I do think there is some great info so far. No doubt, a diet focused on fruits, veggies and whole grains is what we should all strive for....however, there are a few points that bother me so far:

1 - It's stated that one of the reasons to avoid both chicken and fish is due to the "saturated fat content". Heh?? Skinless chicken breast has .4 grams of saturated fat. And fish has always been considered low in saturated fat, even fatty fish like salmon is low in saturated fat. So I don't understand their claim on this.

2 - I bought this book thinking it was both for cancer prevention and also cancer survival (for those diagnosed and, as the title states, "...fighting back"). But then on page 83 in the Q and A section, it states that this book is only intended for cancer prevention and for those who are FINISHED with treatment. (?) So I'm very confused on who the audience is...because many parts of the book make it seem it's for people currently fighting the disease.

3 - One big side effect of cancer in the abdominal/lung areas is ascites. And diet very much affects that, yet I didn't see ascites mentioned anywere. Ascites is massive fluid build-up around the abdominal cavity and lung area that is a side effect of cancer in that region. It's usually one of the initial signs alerting people to a cancer diagnosis. It swells the abdomen very uncomfortably and can cause labored breathing when it interferes with lungs. My mother is currently battling stage IV ovarian cancer, and suffered with ascites. A diet rich in solid protein sources is very important in treating this. Her doctors, as well as a nutritionist, instructed her to focus on proteins like chicken and fish every day. As far as soy protein goes, they say to avoid it for those fighting breast and ovarian cancers due to the estrogen. (Though there are conflicting reports.)

4 - The recipes are very low-fat...only 10-20% fat, which seems very low. They suggest giving up ALL meat/poultry/fish sources, no eggs, no dairy...plus limiting fat to such a low amount...which all in all, I think is a bit extreme. (For some of the recipes, I would probably add a little more avocado or nuts, just for satiety.) While it may be ideal nutrition, I think it will be tough to stick to.

Other than that, it is very informative about nutrition and cancer, and at the very least...it can help you increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, which is always a good thing. So take it with a grain of salt. (Or salt substitute.)