Diet - Part 1: Ten things NOT to eat.

It's Tuesday, and I'm feeling very well.

Thought I would share some ideas on a prostate healthy diet. You may think, wait a minute, you have prostate cancer! Who are you to talk about a healthy prostate?

Like most men diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), we devour every word written about how we may have encouraged the cancer to develop in the first place, and what we can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle from here on.

As of this morning, I have lost about 15 pounds in the two months since I was diagnosed with PCa. Those were the "easy pounds". Now I will be pleased to lose a pound every two or three weeks.

Here are some of the things I have done:

1. No red meat. I now eat chicken and fish, but no red meat. Studies indicate red meats with high fat content contribute to the chances a man will develop PCa. I know, it sounds tough for a manly man to cut out steaks, hamburgers, and all that good stuff. But take my word for it, if it significantly reduces your chances of getting this cancer, it's worth it. Besides, I love fish and chicken.

2. No animal fats, including gloppy salad dressings.

3. No sugar. Or very limited sugar, since you cannot escape it altogether. Water is good, and if I order a soda, it's the diet variety. Bye bye, cake, pie, donuts and all those things I once loved.

4. Go light on dairy products. Lower fat milk is good. There is almost no cheese in my diet now. I use a no fat creamer in my coffee (along with artificial sweetener). Sorry, no ice cream either.

5. About eggs: I order egg-beater food if I eat breakfast at a restaurant. Yes, I eat an occasional boiled egg in a salad.

6. No "whites". White bread, white rice, white potatoes. I heard a nutritionist from UCSD say "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead." Wheat bread is best!

7. Small portions. One of my doctors said weight control all comes down to portion size. My Mother told us to eat everything on our plate. But that was when we were growing up. As a middle aged (and older) adult, having a "happy plate" may not be the best plan. Calories do count.

8. No trans-fats. For a Southerner, who eats almost everything fried, this one hurts. But I am laying off all fried foods, or as many as possible. No french fries.

9. Avoid excess preserved, pickled, or salted foods.

10. Go easy on the nuts. Certain nuts have cancer healthy substances, such as selenium in Brazil nuts. But most nuts are loaded with fats and oils.

I know it sounds Spartan, but to be honest, I am not missing all that stuff as much as I imagined. And that is because I have replaced these with some surprisingly tasty PCa friendly foods.

I will share those with you tomorrow.

May God bless you today!