Most of us realize we probably should eat healthier, but we have a tendency to think healthier means cutting out all our favorite foods. But that’s just not the case.

Dixon’s philosophy is balance—keeping the focus on adding in healthy foods versus cutting out favorite foods.

For example, Gary’s favorite food group is chocolate. Rather than cutting chocolate completely out of his diet, we learned that cocoa and dark chocolate with a high cocoa content contain many heart-healthy antioxidants.

The catch is, you have to eat healthy chocolate. Look for high quality chocolates with at least 70% cocoa butter and cocoa solids. And then try the delicious brownies found in the dessert section of this web site for the chocolate-lover in your family!

I learned that I was more likely to experiment with new recipes if I have the ingredients on hand. There are a number of food items we almost always have in stock, which makes it so much easier to plan for a healthy meal or snack.

Here’s a peek into our kitchen shelves and refrigerator/ freezer these days:

FRUITS. Fresh and/or frozen berries; melons, red grapes and pineapple in season; bananas, apples, applesauce, oranges, tomatoes (fresh and canned tomato products), lemons, dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries, canned peaches, canned mandarins, canned pineapple

JUICES. Pomegranate, tomato, apple, orange, cranberry, berry mix, citrus mix (i.e., orange/pineapple), lemon, lime

VEGETABLES. Mostly fresh – broccoli, spinach, romaine, mixed baby greens, red peppers, garlic, a variety of onions, yams, potatoes, celery, zucchini, asparagus, yellow squash, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, frozen corn, canned pumpkin, frozen green peas, canned green beans

SEAFOOD. Salmon, tuna steaks, canned albacore, shrimp, mahi-mahi, canned sardines

POULTRY/WILD GAME. Turkey, chicken breasts, elk, venison, and occasionally buffalo

NUTS/SEEDS. Pecans, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pine nuts, flaxseed

LEGUMES. Pinto beans, Navy beans, kidney beans, split peas, canned black beans, canned red beans

SOY PRODUCTS. Soy milk, baked tofu, soy nuts

HEALTHY OILS. Olive oil, avocados in season, Earth Balance buttery sticks or spread, Earth Balance shortening (for baking), grape seed oil Vegenaise (mayonnaise substitute)

CHOCOLATE. Cocoa (non-alkali processed), grain-sweetened chocolate chips

SWEETENERS. Honey, brown rice syrup, Fruit Sweet, molasses, maple syrup and maple sugar (the real stuff)

WHOLE GRAIN PRODUCTS. Whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, cornmeal, brown and wild rice, wheat bran, oat bran, steel-cut oats, rolled oats, popcorn

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, they say the darker or brighter the color, the more cancer-fighting vitamins and minerals they contain. In addition to all those good nutrients, fruit is an excellent source of fiber.

BERRIES. Cranberries, blueberries and blackberries are ranked high in antioxidants. Berries are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and are rich in the phytochemical ellagic acid. Strawberries and raspberries help detoxify the liver, and the American Dietetic Association reports, "One strawberry has more than 100 nutrients and phytochemicals, which are believed to help prevent heart disease and cancer."

We've found some really tasty berry jam substitutes - referred to as spreadable fruits - on the market.

GRAPES. Grapes also help detoxify the liver. Grapes and grape juice are rich sources of resveratrol, which has been found to possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

CITRUS. In addition to vitamin C, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes can improve the immune system, slow aging, and fight cancer.

TOMATOES and WATERMELON. Lycopene is considered one of the best prostate cancer-fighting elements and is found in watermelons and tomatoes. Interestingly, the cooked tomato products have higher dosages, so I’m constantly looking for recipes that call for tomato paste, tomato sauce, or cooked tomatoes.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, contain many components linked to lowering cancer risk.

GARLIC and ONIONS. Garlic, onions, scallions, leeks and chives all belong to the same family and are packed with phytochemicals that stimulate the immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce blood sugar and improve energy.

I have a tendency to throw in lots of fresh garlic and onion to almost anything these days!

Whole grain refers to all three edible parts of the grain—the inner germ, the middle endosperm and the outer bran covering—which make the grain rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined grains have most of the germ and bran removed during
processing, resulting in a depletion of most of the nutritional value.

The same concept applies to brown rice. A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice that has lost most of its nutrients.

Brown rice packs a double punch by being a concentrated source of fiber and selenium, and it’s reported that the oil in whole brown rice lowers cholesterol.

When you’re reading labels for ingredients, make sure "whole wheat" or "whole grain" is listed.

In addition to all that good fiber, beans and peas have active ingredients that seem to have a role in cancer prevention.

Nuts of almost any variety are a good source of fiber and healthy oils, but walnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts are reported to be among the best. Nuts help curb your appetite by satisfying your body’s natural desire for fat.

We’ve added more fish to our diet—particularly salmon, albacore, shrimp, mahi-mahi and sardines. Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for the whole body. I’ve read that canned red or pink salmon has as much omega-3 as fresh.

We use ground turkey, elk or venison in place of ground beef. In my opinion, a turkey burger is tastier than an all-beef patty!

There’s an interesting study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that indicates dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of nutrients from fruits and vegetables. In the study, people who consumed salads with fat-free dressing absorbed far less of the helpful phytonutrients and vitamins from spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots than those who consumed their salads with a dressing containing fat.

The key, of course, is in choosing the right kind of fats and making sure you don't overdo.

SATURATED FATS. As much as possible, avoid animal fats and high-fat dairy products, such as whole milk, butter, ice cream and cheese. Also, you definitely want to stay away from any kind of hydrogenated fats (trans fats).

POLY-UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS can be divided into two groups—Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats. Try to eat less of the Omega-6 fats (corn and soy oils, and processed foods such as crackers and chips) and add in more Omega-3 fats—flaxseed, canola oil, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, salmon, sardines, herring, halibut and tuna/albacore.

	We bake with Earth Balance Natural Shortening and use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread on the table. Both are made from expeller-pressed, non-hydrogenated oils.
MONO-UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS are your best bet. This list includes avocados, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower oil and grape seed oil. Nuts and seeds are also an excellent source of good oils. Ironically, these healthy oils do much more than just fight cancer—they also improve cardiovascular health and fight weight gain and obesity (imagine that!).

Isoflavones present in soybeans and other soy foods help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer by protecting cells from the harmful effects of estrogen. There are, however, some precautions to consider when adding soy to your diet. I’ve read that eating up to 4 or 5 ounces of tofu or other soy a day is probably OK, but research is being done to see if loading up on soy could cause hormone imbalances that stimulate cancer growth.

TOFU. Soy Deli puts out a really tasty tofu that’s marinated and baked. It’s easy to dice and add to chicken soft tacos or a vegetable stir-fry dish or pizza.

SOY MILK, CHEESE and FROZEN DESSERT. Vanilla-flavored soy milk is our favorite flavor. We use it in cereals, fruit smoothies and baking. Soy cheese doesn’t melt as well as regular cheese, but it still works on tacos and pizza. Like soy milk, the soy frozen dessert (substitute for ice cream) is best when eaten with a warm fruit cobbler or mixed in a fruit smoothie.

SOY BEANS. These chewy beans make a great snack.

When it comes to spices, the brighter the color, the higher in antioxidants—so cook with lots of chili powder, dried red chili peppers, cinnamon, curry, ground cloves, and oregano.

Although I’m a self-admitted salt-aholic, we've substituted sea salt for iodinized salt and try to use it sparingly in our cooking and baking.

We had heard that sugars feed cancer, so in a Q&A session with nutritionist Suzanne Dixon I had the opportunity to ask about sugars. Dixon reassured us that sugar does not feed cancer cells any more than it feeds any other type of cell in the body. "In fact," says Dixon, "your body needs glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar."

Insulin is the problem, says Dixon, and not the sugar. If you eat a lot of processed white sugar, it produces a lot of insulin and insulin is a pro-growth hormone.

Dixon explained that eating small amounts of sugar as part of the whole diet would make no difference in insulin levels. From my notes: "There are three things that slow down how sugar produces insulin in your body—protein, fat and fiber. If sugars are eaten in moderation and balanced with protein, fat and fiber, there is no insulin spike."

Consequently, I bake sweet treats for Gary but I keep them in the freezer and they are consumed in moderation (I have become a cookie-counter!).

Most of us would rather keep eating the way we do and simply take a pill to supplement in the good and remove all the bad stuff we put into our bodies. But there is no such pill, and although vitamins and supplements are important because they partner with the natural goodness in foods, they are not intended to replace the real thing.

A Brazil nut, for example, contains 80 micrograms of selenium, which is important for prostate cancer fighters. A nutritionist friend of ours told us that a Brazil nut eaten daily is the best way to get all the selenium we need. Consequently Gary quit taking the selenium supplement and eats a Brazil nut a day.