Nutritionist to inaugurate 'One Campus, One Book' lecture series

EL CAJON -- Prof. Christine Zoumas, a nutritionist whose research specialty is foods that fight cancer, says your mother was right. Eat your vegetables and get plenty of exercise!

Zoumas will be the inaugural speaker in an interdisciplinary lecture series at Grossmont College this semester to complement the campus-wide reading of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, authored by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Zoumas's 12:30 p.m. lecture, Thursday, Oct. 24, in Griffin Gate will be followed on Nov. 7 by Allison Shearer, who will discuss "The Biology of Cancer and Cancer Research" and on Nov. 21 by Pete Schmidt, who will lecture on "Tobacco Smoking and 20th Century American Visual Culture." Other events including art exhibits, a debate, and documentary film production will be part of Grossmont College's continuing "One Campus, One Book" program.

In an interview, Zoumas said that cancers start from a single cell that undergoes many changes.  Through the process of mutation, some of these changes permanently alter the DNA. "We are lucky that our body has many defense strategies for making sure these cells do not get a chance to reproduce," she says. "The food we eat can play an important part in these defense mechanisms.  Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts, rapini, green and red cabbage, cauliflower and white turnips are helpful not only in preventing the initiation of cancer, but also have properties that may address the cancer growth."

She said that other fruits and vegetables that may help the body to resist the initiation of cancer include apples;  blueberries;  cherries; coffee; cranberries;  flaxseed;  grapefruit; legumes such as dry beans, peas and lentils; soy; squash;  berries; dark green leafy vegetables; garlic;  grapes and grape juice;  green tea; tomatoes and whole grains.

Vegetables and fruits with eye-arresting colors - such as red and yellow peppers, or various colored squashes, orange carrots, red tomatoes  - contain phytochemicals which aid to prevent the initiation of cancers.

In an interview, Zoumas stated that there is overwhelming evidence that maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active and eating smarter can greatly reduce the risk of many cancers.  "Eating smarter includes a diet high in plant-based foods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables and whole grains," Zoumas said.  "Research also indicates that limiting consumption of red meats, alcohol and added sugars and fats can also reduce the risk for cancer."

Zoumas is a professor of nutrition both at Grossmont College and at the UCSD Medical School.   She said she is acutely aware of cancer because her father died of pancreatic cancer when he was 69 and her mother developed breast cancer at 49.   She said she makes it a point to follow a regimen that greatly increases her chances of warding off cancer.

This includes incorporating numerous fruits and vegetables into her diet, even though she is not particularly a fan of fruit and vegetables. Accordingly, she said, she "sneaks them in" to her diet in "fun ways," such as by mixing up shakes and smoothies, or roasting peppers and putting them onto bread.  She loads her spinach salads with walnuts and cranberries and a little bit of blue cheese.

"You have to eat what you like, what you can get, and what you will stick to," she said.

Zoumas also exercises daily, but varies her routine to relieve boredom. On some days she works out on the elliptical machine, usually with a friend besides her, because she is gregarious.  On weekends, she likes to take long hikes in Torrey Pines State Park, and on other days she goes to group classes like Zumba.  "I love doing all these things!" she said.

The nutritionist said that she doesn't diet, but that she is food-conscious, incorporating cancer fighters into her diet whenever she can, and also, to the extent possible, avoiding added fats, sugars and
watching her calories.   She said that maintaining a healthy weight along with exercise and diet could prevent about one-third of most common cancers.

"Cancer does not develop overnight.  Some cancers take a long time to develop and in many instances may take years.  The bottom line is that it is never too late to start making healthy choices that may slow or halt the cancer process and decrease the risk of cancer in one's future," she said.

-DHH-