After breast cancer struck twice, this nutritionist designed her own cutting edge anticancer diet. Now you can follow it too!

My life was in full swing -- I had no time slots in my Franklin Planner for more cancer! But in 1995, at age 45, I received my second diagnosis of very advanced and very aggressive breast cancer, which may have been caused by the radiation treatment that I'd received for a childhood cancer. I was shocked and really angry this time. I couldn't believe it. I never questioned that chemotherapy and surgery would play a role in my treatment. But my risk of a recurrence was so high, I was determined to design a nutrition action plan with the best chance of tipping the scales in my favor. In short, I wanted everything that I put in my mouth to help maximize my potential for long-term survival from cancer.

So What Should I Eat?
The daunting truth was -- and is -- that scientists still have lots of questions about the best anticancer diet. But I didn't have time to wait for years of research. So I scoured libraries, reading nutrition studies in search of foods that offered tantalizing hope -- as opposed to hype or potential harm. I spoke with the researchers to get their thoughts about the diet plan I was developing.

Just as important, I worked hard in my kitchen to see if this ultrahealthy diet was doable. Could this dietitian actually "walk the walk" instead of just "talking the talk?"

Five years later, I have not had a recurrence of cancer. And I have tons of energy -- I never nap! I realize that there are no magic bullets, but I don't think anyone will dispute that diet plays a role. My hope is that my diet can help all women fight breast cancer.

Start by changing just one component of your diet at a time; focus first on what seems easiest to you. Maybe that will be making my Phytochemical Super Shake every day. Don't ever forget that every little change is potentially helpful, and any change is better than none.

My Diet Plan
Here's the healing plan I devised, the one I wish I'd been given by my cancer center after my last diagnosis.

3 to 6 servings a day of whole grain foods
I threw away my white rice and now use a variety of whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, and wheatberries. I buy only whole grain bagels, breads, cereals, crackers, tortillas, and pasta. This maximizes my intake of fiber, which may fight breast cancer by lowering levels of estrogen in the body.

1 or 2 servings a day of beans
I can honestly say that my gastrointestinal tract has adapted, with a minimum of physical and social discomfort, to having beans every day! I put beans in everything from soups to salads to pizza for a huge fiber boost. I always have bean soup on hand, and I eat lots of hummus made from chickpeas. I use a lot of canned beans because they're quick and easy to keep in the pantry.

A handful of nuts several times a week
Nuts are a great source of fiber and another likely breast cancer foe-monounsaturated fats.

9+ servings a day of fruits and vegetables
As a dietitian, I had been eating my "five-a-day" consistently. But I moved up to nine or more a day because research shows that fruits and vegetables are packed with promising cancer-fighting phytochemicals. By eating twice as much produce, I hope to create a biochemical environment in my body that maximizes my ability to resist cancer.

Getting nine servings a day doesn't happen by accident; it takes thought and planning. So I aim for three servings at each meal plus fruit or veggie snacks each day. Once you get the hang of it, it's much easier than you think. Every single day, I try to include something from each of these groups: