'I'm a cancer dietician and there are 10 foods I would never eat'

A cancer dietician has revealed the 10 foods and drinks she avoids at all costs – and advises other people to follow suit for the sake of their health. Nichole Andrews, a registered dietician and nutritionist specialising in oncology, took to TikTok to detail the items on her list – and they are common.

The 38-year-old went viral with the post, which garnered 2.9 million views. “I know how amazing and powerful nutrition can be to help survivors have better treatment outcomes and reduce risk of recurrence,” Nichole said.

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“Sadly there is so much misinformation out there, that people cannot eat well – so I am so happy to clear up that confusion and help people eat with confidence.”

In the video, she says she doesn’t consume any of the items on her list as it “does not help with a cancer prevention lifestyle” and explains why. She started off with an unsurprising suspect: alcohol.

Nichole said: “I do not consume any alcohol. All types of alcohol – including red wine – is going to increase your risk of six different cancers. It’s the ethanol within the alcohol. Really any consumption of alcohol – any – is just immediately starting to increase your risk of cancer.”

The second item on the list was pepperoni and processed meats. The dietician continued: “Processed meats increase colorectal cancer risk at any consumption. So whether that’s pepperoni… or pre-cooked meats – any consumption of that is going to be increasing your risk of cancer.”

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In a similar vein, Nichole continues by saying number three is cold meats, which she also avoids. Number four is another common suspect: empty calories from drinks. Nichole who has been working in the field for 15 years and goes by the moniker The Oncology Dietician, said: “I do not order sugary beverages when I go out to eat.

“Making sure to keep your body fat tissue down is going to be balancing a healthy level of calories. I don’t want my calories to be coming from sodas. You go for a meal out and have a large soda, and it’s going to have a tonne of extra calories.

“When I go out to eat I’ll have water or an unsweetened iced tea, or [you could have] a diet soda.”

Excess body fat tissue can increase the risk of 13 different cancers, according to the expert. Next, she says she avoids hot dogs, and will instead use raw sausage meat to make her own healthier version of the popular snack with a wholegrain bun.

Number six is not adding sugar to things – and instead opting for artificial sweeteners, which she claims do not increase cancer risks. Continuing the list, number seven is avoiding too much red meat. Nichole explained: “Red meat is not going to increase the risk of cancer at consumption, like alcohol and processed meats do, however, they will increase risks of colorectal cancer after 18 ounces a week.

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“I usually keep to one serving of red meat a week, or I just don’t have any at all. So when I’m going out to eat or cooking at home, I’ll build my meals around chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, or different types of plant proteins like soy.”

Being mindful of your coffee order is equally important, according to the dietician. She said: “I love coffee, and coffee does not increase your cancer risk, it’s a safe choice. I do like a cold or blended coffee in the summer, but those can get so high in calories so fast.

“What I do is either get a kid’s size, and I order it half sweet, so half the serving of whatever sugars are added to it. It’s just bringing down the calories because [those drinks] can easily get to 800 calories.”

For number nine, Nichole says she never opts for white grains. She explained: “I’m a wholegrain girl through and through. Wholegrains are going to help you reduce risks of colon and breast cancer, and they’ll give you more fibre and more nutrients as well because it’s less processed down.

“More fibre will help you reduce cancer risks and have better digestion. I do brown rice, wholegrain pasta, brown bread, wholegrain tortillas – I always choose wholegrain. The white breads are not increasing your risk of cancer, and they’re not a terrible choice, but I don’t choose them […] because they have more fibre which will help with cancer prevention.”

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Finally, Nichole says she won’t opt for plant-based milk. She said: “I always go for cow milk, I always choose dairy – dairy is so nutrient-packed. The substitutes are awesome if you have a dairy allergy.

“But I don’t do the plant milks because they are so low on protein. All of them are safe choices and if you like them, I want you to continue to enjoy them, but I don’t choose them because of the low protein content. Because of the amazing calcium in there, cow milk also reduces the risk of colorectal cancer.

“Any consumption of dairy that you have – [particularly] lean dairy – will reduce your risk of colon cancer.”