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How I cured cancer with my diet May 11, 2004 12:00 AM A A Rebecca Wood — — Fifteen years ago, I reversed advanced cervical cancer — with a healing diet. I'm still enjoying the same delicious diet and I — remain cancer free. And, I've helped many other people recover their health — by following this common sense, healthy diet. — Here's the five-step diet, followed by a recipe that uses — five foods specifically healing to cancer. — 1. Mental preparation and tracking — Aspire to feel better. Free up enough time to educate — yourself and to implement some new routines. Soon healthier habits will — become rote and then maintenance is a matter of course. As you proceed, — track how you feel - mentally, emotionally and physically - when you eat — well and when you don't. When you eat imbalanced meals or shoddy, stale — foods, you'll feel imbalanced, shoddy and stale. Continue to be aware — of the direct correlation between feeling good and eating well. — 2. Fill your kitchen with quality foods — Real food tastes better and is more satisfying. Quality — means whole, vital and organic rather than refined, processed and adulterated. — Thus, favor brown rice over a brown rice cracker or white rice. Use extra — virgin olive oil and avoid any flavorless (and therefore refined) vegetable — oil. Because their vitality is compromised, bypass canned, frozen or packaged — foods. — 3. Prepare balanced meals — When your diet is balanced, you're nourished and satisfied. — For most people, an ideal meal will consist of one-third protein, one-third — non-starchy vegetables and one-third complex carbohydrates plus one to — two tablespoons of quality fat or oil. You'll find that when you get enough — of everything else, you don't crave carbohydrates. — 4. Favor freshly prepared meals — Food prepared today and eaten today gives maximum energy, — satisfaction and healing. Yesterday's food is never as fulfilling. And — if you're not satisfied, then you tend to nibble on something else. This — is especially true for grains and vegetables, as your own taste buds can — confirm. Imagine two still-warm slices of toast or steamed broccoli spears. — Next, imagine eating one right now and the other tomorrow. — 5. Choose easily digested foods — The best food in the world is bad for you if it stresses — your gut. Soft-cooked foods are easier to digest than fried foods, baked — goods or raw foods. Warm or room temperature foods and beverages are easier — to assimilate than cold or hot ones. It is critical to chew well. Older — people and anyone with compromised health generally needs digestive supplements. — When convalescing, favor soups, stews and soft foods. — Five superior cancer-combating foods are miso, mushrooms, — seaweed and vegetables from the onion and cabbage families. This comforting — soup uses all of these foods. — Miso soup with broccoli — and wakame — Serves 4 — — 2 broccoli spears, stems peeled and both stems and tops — chopped — 1 small onion, diced — 2 fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced — — 1 tablespoon wakame seaweed flakes (or one 6-inch strip — wakame*) — 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger — 3 tablespoons light-colored miso or to taste — 1 scallion, thinly sliced — — Place the broccoli, onion, mushrooms and wakame along — with 4 cups water in a 2-quart saucepan and place over high heat. Bring — to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the — vegetables are tender. — Meanwhile, press the grated ginger between your fingertips — to extract — teaspoon of ginger juice and add it to the soup. Remove 1/4 — cup stock from the pot and place in a small bowl. Add the miso and, using — a fork, dissolve the miso. Add the miso to the soup. Simmer for — minute. — Garnish with the scallion and serve. — * If using a wakame strip, soak it in water for a few — minutes until it softens. Cut out and discard the tough, fibrous central — stipe (stem). Slice the remaining frond into thin ribbons. — — Local resident Rebecca Wood is a personal chef, food coach — and author. Her book, "The Splendid Grain," won both the James Beard and — the Julia Child Cookbook Awards. She may be reached, or her articles and — recipes may be accessed, at www.rwood.com.