| One of my hospital stays lasted 32 consecutive | | | | having good nutritional eating habits. I knew certain |
| days. During that time I lost 60 pounds. Not the | | | | foods were proven to help protect against cancer. |
| best way to loose weight. Actually, even though I | | | | Could I find a diet that would be healthy and help |
| was overweight, I never tried to diet. I used to | | | | protect me from a recurrence of cancer, and at |
| say, "I could live on steak and potatoes for the | | | | the same time help me loose weight? |
| rest of my life." I also enjoyed a glass of wine | | | | I searched and found one, The Mediterranean |
| with dinner and very rich deserts after dinner. | | | | Diet. One of the things I like about the |
| Most of my regular readers know, that prior to | | | | Mediterranean diet is that it allows you to have a |
| my cancer, I did not pay any attention to health | | | | glass of wine with dinner and I really enjoy my |
| issues. Not only did I have a very unhealthy diet, I | | | | glass of wine with dinner. |
| also smoked 2 packs of non filter cigarettes a | | | | I suspect that many people starting out on a new |
| day for over 50 years. | | | | diet wonder if they made the right choice. I was |
| Even after being declared "Cancer Free" I | | | | thinking about that while watching the evening |
| continued to smoke. I told you I was not too | | | | news. WBZ-TV's Dr. Mallika Marshall was talking |
| bright when it came to my health. The fact that | | | | about the Mediterranean Diet. She confirmed for |
| my primary cancer was in my tonsils, you would | | | | me that I had made the right choice. She directed |
| think I would have associated my cancer with | | | | the viewers to go to WBZ's website for more |
| smoking. I didn't. | | | | information on the Mediterranean Diet; I did and |
| On one of my follow up visits with my Ear, Nose, | | | | fount the following to be very informative videos. |
| and Throat doctor, he said to me. "John, if you | | | | Just what is the Mediterranean Diet? |
| don't quit smoking. The cancer will come back." He | | | | This is from Stanford University |
| added. "I'm not saying it may come back, I'm | | | | The ideal Mediterranean diet is based on the |
| saying it WILL come back." That scared me" I | | | | dietary patterns of the people of Crete in the |
| quit smoking. | | | | early 1950s and late 1960s. The Mediterranean |
| Shortly thereafter I started gaining back the 60 | | | | diet, as the name expresses, is characteristic of |
| pounds I had lost. I decided I would have to go on | | | | the foods that are commonly available in this |
| a diet if I wanted to loose that weight. However, | | | | region. |
| by now I was keenly aware of the importance of | | | | |