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After breast-cancer diagnosis, Rep. Davis took her diet all-organic

Date published: 6/25/2006

By JONATHAN HUNLEY

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, Rep. Jo Ann Davis decided she needed to make some lifestyle changes.

Davis, a Republican who represents much of the Fredericksburg area, didn't drink alcohol, and she didn't smoke. She exercised regularly, too.

But her eating habits? They weren't so good.

Before she entered politics, she was a real estate agent, and she was used to eating on the run. A common meal for her could be Gummi Bears.

The day after receiving the cancer diagnosis, though, she decided to use only organic and natural products. Organic products are not treated with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and are not bioengineered. Natural foods do not contain preservatives.

Now she's an outspoken proponent of this eating trend.

On the Saturday after her cancer diagnosis, Davis went through her cupboard. She filled up eight or nine grocery bags. Everything had to go.

She cleaned out her cabinets, refrigerator and freezer. Frozen foods, meats, vegetables, spices--even her cleaning supplies and shampoo.

Then she had to figure out where she was going to find the natural products she was looking for.

She found what she was looking for at Ellwood Thompson's Natural Market in Richmond: organic produce and meats, foods produced without pesticides or growth hormones. She also shops at the Ukrop's in Williamsburg and sometimes the store in Spotsylvania County when she's passing through. Whatever she can't find in stores, she orders online.

The change has nearly doubled Davis' expenditures on food, but she said it's worth it.

"Now I look at it as, I'm not putting poisons in my body," Davis said.

Knowing chemotherapy would wreak havoc with their boss's immune system, Davis' staffers made sure to steer clear of her when they had colds this past winter. But while they were sniffling, Davis was fine.

"I didn't get sick at all," she said. She attributes it to her new eating plan.

Whitney Combs, a dietitian at Mary Washington Hospital, said eating healthy foods can be a great way to prevent breast cancer or to ward off its recurrence.

Moving to an all-organic diet, though, is costly, as Davis noted. That makes it impractical for many people. It's also hard to find all-natural foods at restaurants.

"I think it's very hard for people to do," Combs said.

Making wise choices about food is the main idea, Combs said--for example, by including whole grains in a diet. A person doesn't have to go all-organic to eat better.

"I think variety is the most important thing," she said.

When Davis made her switch to an all-organic diet, she also bought a juicer, and she's come to crave vegetable juice mixes. If she doesn't think she'll have time in the morning to cut up the veggies, such as kale, spinach and broccoli, she'll do the slicing and dicing the night before.

Despite having cancer, she hasn't slowed her work schedule. She said changing her diet has helped her get through chemo and has given her more energy.

"And I have people tell me, 'You don't look like you're going through chemo,'" Davis said.

She feels her husband's health has improved, too, as the home cooking has changed.

Jenn Rowell contributed to this story

To reach JONATHAN HUNLEY: 540/368-5004
Email: jhunley@freelancestar.com

Date published: 6/25/2006