Try our #1 Rated MEAL PLANNER for FREE! Get amazing recipes, meal prep tips, & more

Lyn cancer diagnosis plant-based diet

After a Cancer Diagnosis, I Went Plant-Based and Transformed My Health

By Lyn Adeline,

Print/save
  • 92

Before beginning this journey, I’d tried every dieting fad under the sun: Paleo, protein shakes… the list is endless. Nothing was helpful or sustainable. I always returned to my appalling diet, which included mayonnaise-and-tomato sandwiches on buttered white bread; candy; and lots of chicken (which I ate because I’d heard a “high-protein diet” was the best way to lose weight). If I ever ate salads, they had to be soaked with dressing. 

Shocking News

By 2015, I was around 200 pounds (which, at 5 feet 6 inches, classified me as obese). I suffered from acid reflux. I snored heavily and had asthma and back pain so bad that walking at even a small incline was almost impossible. I could never wear the gorgeous summer dresses that I longed to wear because my legs chafed. 

That August, I decided to see my general practitioner. After some tests, I found out that I had sky-high cholesterol; prediabetes; and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). I was also diagnosed with breast cancer. What an awful shock at just 49 years old!

Changing My Diet and My Life Virtually Overnight

I underwent extensive surgery and some chemotherapy for breast cancer. After that, I knew I absolutely had to get my body as healthy as possible. A friend suggested I watch Forks Over Knives, and I heard Ruth Heidrich's story. I read work from John McDougall, MD, and Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. I was so inspired that I became 100-percent plant-based overnight! 

Over the next 18 months, I dropped 42 pounds. My cholesterol fell to within the healthy range. My symptoms of GORD and acid reflux disappeared. I stopped snoring. My skin gained a nice, healthy glow, whereas it previously looked sallow. I found myself able to walk up stairs with ease, no back pain. I started walking 30 minutes each day. 

A Spring in My Step

The cancer has been in remission for over four years. I feel amazing. I remain 100 percent plant-based, with zero oil or highly processed foods. 

I bought an air fryer and love to spice potatoes and air-fry them to make oil-free French fries. I serve them with a nice tomato-based sauce I found in Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook. I eat very simply: For breakfast I often have oats, blueberries, and cinnamon, with a tablespoon of flaxseed. For lunch and dinner I like to have a homemade veggie burger patty or beans, brown rice, and baked carrots. I also enjoy hummus and avocado with a nice green salad. I no longer have a sweet tooth like I used to, but when I do crave something sweet, I have a piece of fruit. 

I still walk 30 minutes every day. I do yoga every morning at home. I also started swimming a bit, to mix things up. I feel energetic and light. I used to feel sluggish, like I was dragging my body around, but now my body carries me with ease, like there’s a spring in my step! It’s a brilliant feeling.

I changed jobs and stress less, and although cancer is always in the background, my whole focus is to be as healthy and as strong as I can be, so if it does reappear, I know that my immune system is at its best. 

My life now is so different now compared with five years ago. With God’s grace and plants, I look forward to being a grandmother one day. It feels so good to feel so strong and healthy!

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

Has a whole-food, plant-based diet impacted your life?

We would love to hear about it!

SHARE YOUR STORY

Free Download

Free 5-day meal plan!

Get a taste for healthy, fuss-free meal planning with this free five-day meal plan from Forks Meal Planner!

By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

Placeholder image

Join our mailing list

Get free recipes and the latest info on living a happy, healthy plant-based lifestyle.

By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.