The connection between a nutritious diet and cancer prevention has been the focus of research for decades. While researchers continue to learn more, there are agreed-upon recommendations that can be implemented now.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, your dietary choices can create multiple health problems that make you susceptible to cancer in different parts of your body. Taking care of your digestive system not only helps you live longer, it also makes you feel better every day.
“The evidence base is stronger than ever before linking the total diet – its dietary patterns, nutrient density and overall quality – to health promotion and disease prevention across the human lifespan,” writes Dr. Barbara Millen, chair of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The National Cancer Institute has found that understanding the connection between cancer and nutrition requires a more holistic approach. Per the institute, nutrients alone do not make you more or less susceptible to cancer, but keeping your diet natural and varied is a great preventative measure.
Though it’s easy to understand that healthful eating choices can change your life, it may be difficult to know where to start.
Luckily, both in and around Columbus, there are plenty of accessible and affordable opportunities to learn how to make nutritious meals.
Cancer Support Community Central Ohio hosts food preparation courses in partnership with Giant Eagle Market District to help promote cancer-preventative dietary habits.
Cancer Support’s Cooking for Wellness program offers events providing step-by-step instructions for a wide variety of meals. From hearty salmon steaks that cook in an air fryer in
under 15 minutes to delicate vegetarian spring rolls that keep in the fridge, there are offerings for every skill level and appetite.
These recipes focus on delivering healthful ingredients in ways that mix and match different nutrients and fit easily into a person’s lifestyle. The cooking classes provide options, whether you’re looking for warm comfort food or fresh snacks you can easily pull out of the fridge.
Cancer Support also has a program asking for submissions of favorite homestyle recipes. The group then chooses favorites to transform into healthier options that taste just as good.
“Attending the Cooking for Wellness classes has improved my nutrition and given me confidence to try new recipes,” says Portia, who started taking the cooking classes after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2019, in an article on Cancer Support’s website. “The health benefits of eating properly and learning from the dietitian about the contents of food – like the fat, sodium and sugar – have been so helpful.”
Cancer Support is not the only healthy eating option in central Ohio. Healthy New Albany offers the Nourish cooking program, in which participants learn to cook meals that are both healthful and satisfying.
Those classes cover cuisine from around the world. Class themes have included sushi, pizza, Ukrainian cuisine and Filipino family favorites.
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.
