Sample Excerpts

Below are a few sample chapter excerpts from the Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer Cookbook.

1. Chapter 1: Prostate-Healthy Eating
2. Chapter 3: Sandwiches

Chapter 1: Prostate-Healthy Eating

My Diagnosis and Diet
Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer is a collection of prostate-healthy recipes that I have been developing with friends, coworkers, and health professionals during the past several years. The food reflects the way I’ve been eating since I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2001 at age fifty-five.Very early in my treatment, one of my doctors strongly suggested that I tackle a low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber, no-red-meat diet, with fish two or three times a week, grains and beans, lots of fruits and vegetables, and soy products. Since I’ve been a cookbook author and food writer for many years, eating good food was, and still is, high on my list of priorities. I accepted the doctor’s suggestion as a culinary challenge. What did I have to lose—it was my life.

Initially, a PSA of 32 prompted me to have a prostate biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis, with a Gleason Score of 6. (Until recently a PSA of 4.0 or less was thought to be “normal”—many doctors now suggest lowering that standard to 1.5.) In August 2001, I had a radical prostatectomy, my Gleason was upgraded to 7, and in January 2002, because my PSA never became undetectable, I began a seven-and-a-half-week course of external beam radiation. As I was working with my doctors to make these initial treatment decisions, it became clear to me that my diet was the one thing I could control on my own, and it was an area where I had enough expertise and experience to take a creative but sensible approach. And there was some scientific evidence that diet could make a difference. While revamping my meal planning, I began to think about developing recipes for a cookbook.As I complete this manuscript, my PSA hovers around 1, I’m healthy and active, and I’ve been on no other therapy since 2002, except a prostate-healthy diet.

Prior to my diagnosis, I was enjoying a reasonably healthy diet, emphasizing fruits and vegetables—but I must admit, there were the more-than-occasional cheddar-bacon burger, aged prime steak, and French-fried onion rings. And butter and cream could always be spotted on the top shelf in my refrigerator. I’ve changed all that now. I decided to follow the doctor’s orders, and I even went one step further. I’ve given up all red meat, pork, and poultry —and as a result, I’ve eliminated practically all saturated fat and reduced my overall caloric intake. I stopped eating dairy products, since there is some evidence supporting the relationship between dairy products and increased prostate cell growth—no cheese, no milk, no sour cream, no heavy cream, and so on. Egg whites are okay, but no egg yolks. I increased the amount of fiber and antioxidants in my diet by using more vegetables and fruit, as well
as beans and grains, in my meal planning. And I routinely incorporate tofu and other soy products into my cooking as sources of isoflavones and nonanimal protein. My eating plan may be a little vigorous for some, but for me, it has worked on several different levels.

Within the first three months of this diet changeover, I lost about six pounds, my cholesterol dropped twenty points, and my energy levels noticeably increased. As it turns out, medical research indicates that the eating style I’ve adopted is not only helping to keep my cancer at bay, but it is also heart-healthy, reducing my risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.This means the recipes in Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer are not just for the prostate-health-attuned man, but they also offer other nutritional and health benefits for your family and friends who share your meals.

I’ve come to prefer my new way of eating and rarely miss the food I’ve given up. On occasion, I do have a chicken Caesar salad or a turkey salad sandwich, and if I’m eating in a restaurant with a friend who orders a T-bone, I’ll sneak a taste. Otherwise, I stick very closely to my diet, and I haven’t found it difficult at all. In fact, I ran into only one negative side effect, and that was increased intestinal gas and flatulence early on. This was only because my digestive system wasn’t used to the amount of high-fiber and soy foods I was eating. It all settled down once my body made the adjustment—but be forewarned!