The Cancer Project

Anna Maria, Island, Florida- The Cancer Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing cancer prevention through education and research is offering a free, eight-session cooking course designed to help Anna Maria Island residents prevent and survive cancer through proper diet and nutrition.

"The single easiest and best thing most of us can do to prevent cancer or its recurrence is to eat right, " says Jennifer Reilly, R.D., a senior nutritionist for the Cancer Project. "More than a third of all cancer deaths in this country are due to poor diet."

The Rx for better health? It's a low-fat vegetarian diet. Load up on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, Reilly says; they're naturally low in fat, chock-full of fiber, and filled with cancer-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals. Cut down on fatty foods and added fats and oils, particularly saturated fats, which have been linked to an increased risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Likewise, look for healthy substitutes for diary products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, which have been implicated in the occurrence of breast and colorectal cancers.

On Tampa Bay's 10 News This Morning, Ten News Reporter Sherry Ray spoke with Ellen Jaffe Jones about the cooking classes while Ellen prepared cancer fighting foods and talked about the survival cooking course being held at the Anna Maria Island Community Center.