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The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Eating Right for Cancer Survival
Each year 1.3 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), explains how nutrition can play a key role in overcoming cancer. Readers learn how foods influence 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, and simple, practical steps to take to increase their consumption. Also included are recipes for delicious meals that let you know you do not have to sacrifice good flavor to become healthy.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2009
About the author
Neal D. Barnard
72 books407 followersNeal Barnard, MD, FACC, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 26, 2010
I picked this book up at the natural foods store just as my grandfather was starting to deal with colon cancer. I'd read the China Study so it's not news to me that a plant-based diet is a cancer-fighting one, but I really enjoyed the readability and accessibility of this book (the china study is great but not really all that gripping--a bit dry). There are practical tips and the book is really quite short. I've tried a few of the recipes, with modifications, and so far, so good.
October 27, 2010
I picked this up since my father is recovering from throat cancer. He has a somewhat-limited (but getting better daily) diet since his throat closed a great deal during the chemo treatments. Unfortunately for us, this book is too healthy. He's trying to gain weight since he lost so much on the liquid diet. But the recipes are very, very healthy and I'd eat them.
February 13, 2020
Very good, easy to understand nutrition and diet information, both for the cancer survivor and anyone trying to eat healthier. Good sampling of recipes are included to provide examples of how to incorporate all the info into your diet.
March 1, 2020
Dr. Barnard is one of the top experts in plant based nutrition. A must read for those wanting to take control of their health. Tasty recipes included.
June 14, 2025
Love the recipes!
January 24, 2021
Excellent guide to using food as medicine in preventing & reversing various cancers in the body. Good scientific background information. Tasty, easy recipes.
April 9, 2010
I don’t have cancer, but I have a very high risk of getting it, and I know the “cancer diet” is also good for just about everything, so this book intrigued me.
I’m someone who believes genetics and environmental damage often trump diet and exercise when it comes to cancer prevention, although I do think diet can make a huge difference. I’m less optimistic about diet helping to cure or slow down cancer that is already present in the body.
But, this book is worth having for its cookbook component! The recipes are fabulous and healthy and they look delicious. I didn’t even write down the ones I most wanted to eat; there were too many. When I got to the back of the book and saw the Recipe Contributors section, and saw that Jennifer Raymond contributed more recipes than anybody else, the terrific recipes made perfect sense. I love her cookbooks.
Each recipe has nutritional stats for: calories, fat grams, saturated fat grams, calories from fat, cholesterol (because all these recipes are vegan, none have any cholesterol at all), protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, sodium, calcium, iron, vitamin C, beta carotene, and vitamin E.
I also appreciated all the lists of foods and the various nutrients they contain, and I liked the instructions on how to substitute healthful plant foods for unhealthful or less healthful foods in conventional recipes.
The information is probably as up to date as what’s now known and it’s mostly common sense. Eat plant food, not animal foods. Eat low fat, high fiber, not too many calories in order to maintain a healthy body weight. Etc. However, there are a lot of fascinating (to me) details given throughout the book, and I appreciate that there’s no hyperbole about miracle cancer cures and other such claims.
The back of the book lists additional resources (nutritional information, cookbooks, DVDs and videotapes, newsletters, e-news, and web sites) that will be very helpful as research results are constantly changing.
There’s a lot of interesting information for the layperson in this book and the recipes alone make it worth having.
I’m someone who believes genetics and environmental damage often trump diet and exercise when it comes to cancer prevention, although I do think diet can make a huge difference. I’m less optimistic about diet helping to cure or slow down cancer that is already present in the body.
But, this book is worth having for its cookbook component! The recipes are fabulous and healthy and they look delicious. I didn’t even write down the ones I most wanted to eat; there were too many. When I got to the back of the book and saw the Recipe Contributors section, and saw that Jennifer Raymond contributed more recipes than anybody else, the terrific recipes made perfect sense. I love her cookbooks.
Each recipe has nutritional stats for: calories, fat grams, saturated fat grams, calories from fat, cholesterol (because all these recipes are vegan, none have any cholesterol at all), protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, sodium, calcium, iron, vitamin C, beta carotene, and vitamin E.
I also appreciated all the lists of foods and the various nutrients they contain, and I liked the instructions on how to substitute healthful plant foods for unhealthful or less healthful foods in conventional recipes.
The information is probably as up to date as what’s now known and it’s mostly common sense. Eat plant food, not animal foods. Eat low fat, high fiber, not too many calories in order to maintain a healthy body weight. Etc. However, there are a lot of fascinating (to me) details given throughout the book, and I appreciate that there’s no hyperbole about miracle cancer cures and other such claims.
The back of the book lists additional resources (nutritional information, cookbooks, DVDs and videotapes, newsletters, e-news, and web sites) that will be very helpful as research results are constantly changing.
There’s a lot of interesting information for the layperson in this book and the recipes alone make it worth having.
April 19, 2016
Great resource text for beginners on the road to lifestyle changes to lower the risk of cancer.
I read this book in conjunction with a class offered through Sharp Healthcare in San Diego: Food for life. Solid recipes to get into the Vegan eating style with research on dietary needs, cancer issues and food, and suggestions for implementing a plant-based diet.
I read this book in conjunction with a class offered through Sharp Healthcare in San Diego: Food for life. Solid recipes to get into the Vegan eating style with research on dietary needs, cancer issues and food, and suggestions for implementing a plant-based diet.
August 14, 2015
Nutrition is such an important part in the fight against cancer, so books like this are so valuable.
I can also recommend a free book called Food To Fight Cancer, which you can read on www.foodtofightcancer.com
I can also recommend a free book called Food To Fight Cancer, which you can read on www.foodtofightcancer.com
June 10, 2015
Excellent book, with the science to explain why this lifestyle works. Good, easily prepared, delicious recipes included.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews