A kale smoothie may not be the first thing you grab to quench your thirst. But what it drinking it could prevent cancer? Evelisse Cape is a Doctor of Pharmacy and an instructor for a unique cooking class sponsored by Lee Memorial Health System. She says, “We are teaching the cancer project’s program Food for Life. The class helps the community find healthier ways to cook for their family to help prevent and survive cancer.” It’s been proven that certain foods are made up of cancer fighting substances. Classes, like the one currently being held at Cape Coral Hospital, focus on cooking those kinds of foods in creative ways. “Fruits and vegetables are very healthy and sometimes we don’t experiment with all the grains and legumes and things in the plant world so hopefully this class will help show people how they can help integrate these things into their diet and help their immune system get stronger,” says Evelisse. The menu for the class is vegan based which means it is made up of fruits, grains, and vegetables and does not include meat or any other animal products. “Showing them that it’s not hard that it’s easy and once they taste the meals and like them they’re favorable to try new meals and recipes. A low fat vegan diet it’s really the prescription for better health,” says Evelisse. The World Health Organization determined dietary factors account for at least 30 percent of all cancers in Western countries. To learn more about your diet and cancer risks you can log onto www.cancerproject.org. Research shows that people who eat a diet free of animal products, high in plant foods, and low in fat have a much lower risk of developing cancer.