My onetime patient and student, Nicole Larizza, earned her MS degree in nutrition studying the effects of nutrition in childhood on breast cancer risk in adulthood. I found the information Nicole shared with me important and provocative -- and felt it deserved to be shared.

I can't say enough about the miraculous nature of nonstarchy vegetables. They contain micronutrients that work with macronutrients to rebuild and repair your body on a cellular level. The problem is cooking and then all the chewing involved in eating the ideal 12 servings a day.

Health experts are unanimous about the effect our diet as a whole has on health, and on cancer risk. The World Health Organization estimates that 25 percent of death burden in developed countries is due to lifestyle -- completely up to us -- risk factors.

Although more research is needed, there is no doubt that diet plays a role in cancer prevention. Without scientific support for which individual nutrients are most effective, people should adopt a whole-foods approach to ensure a balanced intake of protective phytonutrients.

Although modern medicine continues to take leaps and strides in significant areas of disease and illness, there are many simple remedies we can implement into our lifestyle that may help ward off future diseases.

At the recent American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, new evidence highlighted the importance of cruciferous vegetables for breast cancer protection.

Would you be willing to smell a little worse to feel a little better? Of course, for fans of these vegetables, the answer is a resounding "yes."

Healing requires a multi-pronged approach. When Scott Gill learned he had stage four cancer he decided to forgo chemo and simply live a healthier more balanced lifestyle. He is now cancer-free.