About the Author: David Ricketts

Food Writer and Editor
In addition to being a prostate cancer survivor for seven years, I have written about food for more than twenty years: first, as a staff editor for Food & Wine magazine; then, as a contributing food editor to Family Circle magazine, and a writer for a variety of magazines including Cooking Light, Shape, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit. I’ve written and co-authored a dozen cookbooks, the most recent being Home Cooking Around the World, and enjoyed exciting and zany cookbook collaborations with Babe the Pig, country western singer Naomi Judd, and America’s fitness guru, Richard Simmons.

Prostate Cancer Survivor
In April of 2001, an elevated PSA, followed by a prostate biopsy, revealed that at age fifty-five, I had prostate cancer—and it probably had been percolating for two or three years by then. In August of 2001, I underwent a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, followed by a seven-and-a-half week course of external beam radiation beginning in January, 2002. I’ve had no other therapy since, except for checkups with a medical oncologist every three months. I remain healthy and active, although my PSA has been very slowly increasing over the last four years. It is now hovering around 1.0.
I have made one change—I eat differently now.

Taking Control Through Diet
After my diagnosis (and when I became a little less hysterical), a medical oncologist asked me about my diet. It was okay, I thought. I ate 2 or 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I was not a big red meat eater, although I did appreciate an occasional cheddar-bacon burger and aged prime steak, and chicken, pork, and lamb were my favorites. As a special treat, I would often order a plate of fried onion rings. I also loved to cook, and true, heavy cream, butter, and hunks of cheese were always on the top shelf in my refrigerator.

After listening to me, the doctor suggested it was time for some fine-tuning—fewer calories, less saturated fat, more fiber, and more antioxidants. This translated into more fruits and vegetables. Okay, that was easy. Then, no dairy, since there is some evidence that dairy products may spur prostate cancer cell growth. That meant no cheese, no butter, no milk, no sour cream, no heavy cream, no milk. That was a toughie, but once I discovered soy alternatives to dairy products, I comfortably made the transition—and soy is thought to slow the growth of prostate cancer. Egg whites were okay, but no egg yolks. Meat—beef, poultry, pork, or lamb—was not a good idea, but fish-eating was encouraged, especially cold water varieties. And, of course, legumes and unrefined grains were important.

Within the first three months of this diet makeover, I lost about 6 pounds (my weight was okay to begin with), my cholesterol dropped twenty points, and my levels of energy noticeably increased. And my doctors would like to think that the very slow rise in my PSA, rather than a rapid increase, is attributable to my diet.