I met a woman the other day while waiting to get my annual mammogram. She had a suspicious something she was waiting to have examined and during our discussion about her concerns, I told her about my history with breast cancer. At some point during our chat, she shared that she wasn't so sure diet plays any real role in preventing cancer. Maybe no one can be entirely sure but it does seem a worthy endeavor to clean up your diet just in case. If it turns out diet and cancer have no link -- most evidence, however, supports that fact that they do -- then at the very minimum, you've stepped up your health a bit. There's no harm in that.

Back to the cancer connection, and the evidence that says meals really do matter.

What you eat counts, say the American Cancer Society experts. Food choices not only provide vital nutrients that can help prevent cancer, but they also help people maintain healthy weights. Research suggests that one-third of U.S. cancer deaths each year can be attributed to poor diets and inactivity. Another third is due to tobacco use. The last third: genetic variations and environmental factors.

If you buy into this food theory, like I do, here's what you should do.

• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Limit consumption of processed and red meats.

• Adhere to a mostly plant-based diet.

• Eat smaller portions.

• Eat fewer high-calorie and fewer high-fat foods.

• Avoid calorie-dense foods, like French fries, pizza, cheeseburgers, and doughnuts.

• Limit alcohol (no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women).

• Up your intake of antioxidants, found in orange, red, and green leafy veggies, nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry, and fish.

• Use vitamin or mineral supplements with caution – while a multivitamin and calcium, for example, appear to be helpful, large doses of some supplements can be harmful

Whew. That's a lot. And there's more. Check out this article for opinions on aspartame, beta-carotene, coffee, and more.