He urges readers to take charge of their risk by changing their lifestyle. That's not too different from what Dixon tells her clients, but she wants to be sure that prevention lectures don't make cancer patients feel as if the disease is their fault. Eat the real thing To get the most protection from nutrition, experts suggest that adding a variety of fruits and vegetables to the menu is more beneficial than running out to buy a new pill every time a hot antioxidant makes news. Five servings a day are the minimum, but more is better. An estimated serving of vegetables is one-half cup cooked or 1 cup raw leafy vegetables.
Fruits range from one medium piece, such as an apple, to one-half cup sliced.
It's easy to increase that to five, Dixon says. At dinner, a salad might contain two servings, while a side vegetable adds another. Glasses of real juice or a quick handful of baby carrots also add up. The real trick is to try new recipes or to pick up an unfamiliar fruit to avoid a food rut. Patients often lose sight of the real food message because they have so many questions about vitamin loading or the use of supplements.