Without an iota of a doubt, cancer is the frightening Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of diseases - constantly shifting forms and hell-bent on terrorizing your body. Blame isn't a one-plate wonder here. You're literally served an assorted platter of risk factors, some tainted by pesky genes and others seasoned by controllable elements like diet and lifestyle. Time for some gastronomical name-dropping!

Jawspan below par with a 16-18% benchmark of all cancers and cancer deaths in the good ole' USA can be attributed to lifestyle offenses like excess body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol over-pouring, and nutrition that ain't up to scratch. Let's clear the air - no single food item is going to sign a "Prevent Cancer Now" or "Congrats, You've Got Cancer" contract with you. But some seemingly innocent edibles on your plate are playing cancer risk-roulette.

Give your food pyramid a face-lift by taking a sledgehammer of healthfulness to vices like processed meats, refined grains, sugary liquid bombs, and alcohol. And remember, moderation is your secret sauce. A diet glowing with all the goodness of fruits, veggies, and whole grains can throw a wrench in cancer's plans.

Processed meats, the deceptive eye candies of the meat world, fall under group 1 carcinogens. In Layman's language, they're sneaky cancer-causers. Saddest news for bacon buffs and sausage samplers - their favorites are strongly implicated in colorectal cancer shenanigans. Raise the red flag on red meat as it's linked to colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and most gastric cancers.

Serial frying sends your food and oils simulating an end-of-year chemistry exam with all sorts of cancer-promoting chemicals. Tread lightly with barbecues: Grilled red meats have been served an implication notice in the court of colorectal cancer. Sweet tooths beware. Excess sugar is bad news for your cancer risk equation. And last but never least - the intoxicating cancer party starter: Alcohol. You booze, your cancer risk potentially increases.

Enough with the bad. Let's talk antidotes. Fruits and vegetables, the nutritional punks with a good-guy image, are crammed with nutrients cocking a snook at cancer. A hearty intake of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds team up to reduce your cancer odds. More so, the power combo of fiber-rich pulses is a thumbs up for your gut microbiome and a thumbs down for cancer.

While more research is ongoing, the general agreement is that a chunky slice of healthfulness, whether in the form of bright fruits and crispy vegetables or hearty whole grains and crunchy nuts, does tip the scales in your favor against cancer. Ultimately, to eat or not to eat isn't the question with cancer. It's about what's on your plate and how it doubles as your secret weapon. So go, keep calm and eat smart.