Be warned, this is going to be a rant!

In the last three years, since being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, I have had it up to my back teeth with listening to people going on about how certain ‘super foods’ can prevent cancer. Examples include:

• Tomatoes – because they contain lycopene which has been found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.
• Garlic – which contains phytochemicals and has been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach. It can prevent oesophageal cancer. Oh really!
• Beans – A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats. Magic!

Nuts! Yes, even nuts can stop the human race from contracting cancer. The thing is, I’m married to an Italian and I have always eaten mainly home cooked foods and I can assure everyone, most Italian recipes contain tomatoes, garlic and they are full of beans. I have never once in my life eaten from MacDonalds and I have never smoked.

All these middle class busy bodies that spend their day sitting about on their fat acerolas, reading mass produced glossy magazines whilst they cut the crust from their kids sandwitches and believing it will benefit me to hear them imparting their newly found glossy wisdom on me. Often they do it with that condescending voice and their head tilted to one side to display their sympathy for me. Well I don’t need sympathy nor do I need it suggested that had I shoved some more plums into my mouth I would never have gotten cancer in the first place.

Throughout the world, billions of pounds are spent each year on cancer research exploring causes, treatments and cures for cancer and are these magazines, and their daft readers, honestly telling us that this is money down the drain? All we have to do is buy everyone in the world a kumquat. If so, why hasn’t this revelation been picked up on by oncologists, consultants, cancer researchers, university professors and governments paying for health care systems throughout the world? Probably because life (and cancer) is not quite as simple as the people who buy glossy magazines and in the process make a few people very rich. Honestly, do these middle class, condescending idiots believe that the owners of those magazines aren’t eating high fat foods and drinking copious amounts of expensive wine while they absorb UV radiation on the decks of their yachts?

I’m not saying that eating a healthy diet is a waste of time or unnecessary. On the contrary, I do believe we maintain a healthy body by eating properly and home cooking is the best way of knowing that we are eating healthily, but please don’t ever tell me that my four bouts of surgery, my 76 days in hospital, all my scars and my life of constant pain were unnecessary and could have all been prevented if I’d only eaten 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. Don’t tell me that we can eat our way free of cancer. It’s just not that simple. I must be going now and make myself a green smoothie. It’s full of phytonutrients, sulforaphane, it looks odd and it tastes like sick, so it must be good for me.

Is there anyone, who is qualified, that can produce real academic and scientifically tested proof that cancer can be stopped by eating fruit? If so please comment below and email me the evidence and I shall post it here, give you credit and free advertising.

Is it just me, or do you get annoyed at “know it alls” and “do gooders” with their superior ways?

Is it all just marketing and profiteering?

After all this, I’ve just heard that stupid advert that claims a healthy diet causes acid erosion of your teeth. Ah, but do not despair, because you can buy a toothpaste that will stop it. So you can have you your capsicum and eat it. I’m sorry this is such a rant, but I did warn you and I didn’t force you to read it all. I do enjoy a rant.

Please comment below.