More of the 'whys' and 'wherefores'

A few people over the last couple of days have asked me about my diet, even though it's not really a diet as much as it's new eating habits and patterns. I'm losing weight, which I need to do, but that is secondary. Even skinny people have heart attacks and get cancer.
I underwent intense chemo treatments for sinus lymphoma late last year and into this year, and still get rituxan every two months. I now eat a lot of foods that can help slow or stop the development of various cancer cells. These include avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, flax, and others.
My total cholesterol was high and heart disease runs in my family. I now eat a lot of foods that help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). This group is for most part the SAME foods that fight cancer cells. Eating foods low on the glycemic index also help to raise good cholesterol, as does exercise. We all know that certain kinds of fish are high in omega-3s. So is flax seed and flax meal, which is why I regularly make bread made with flax mean and almond flour instead of wheat flour.
I eat wheat-free and sugar-free. Modern wheat is not healthy, it's not the same wheat as in Biblical times or even from 60 years ago. Research "Wheat Belly" if interested.
I've read articles giving evidence that inflammation, not just cholesterol, is the major cause of heart attacks, and many foods most people encouraged to eat daily cause inflammation. Here's a paragraph from Dr. Dwight Lundell - "What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods." I have asthma and can't take anti-inflammatories (aspirin, ibuprofen) since they can make my asthma kick in. So I eat foods that are natural anti-inflammatories. And once again, the group is almost identical to the anti-cancer foods that also help cholesterol levels.
We avoid fast food, overly processed food, MSG (destroys the brain), BUT still eat eggs, cheese, and meat. My last cholesterol check showed so far, the system is working for me, as it has for many. In the past week I've switched canola oil for coconut oil for scrambling my eggs since there are a lot of mixed opinions about different types of canola oil.
There's no magic food that can guarantee I won't get bad news on my next PET scan in November that will show if the lymphoma is still in remission, or otherwise, and there's no guarantee I won't drop from a heart attack, but if I can increase my chances of improving my health by skipping McDonald's, other fast foods, overly processed foods like hot dogs that taste great but are filled with preservatives and nitrates, and instead eat healthy foods that aren't filled with empty calories (sugar), it's something I need to do. The way health care costs and insurance premiums are skyrocketing, I think it makes sense.
I can't say I'll never eat another Papa John's pizza and chug a Pepsi to wash it down, or scarf a plate of lasagna, but I'm trying to eat for overall health.
Maybe I'm going overboard, and I don't expect anyone to go to these extremes, but it's what I'm doing, and so far it seems to be working. A cholesterol check at my doctor's office in a couple of weeks will let me know if I need to stay on the present course or modify things.
P.S. - Olive oil is healthy as well. No more fried foods, not even with canola oil as opposed to vegetable oil, even though I love all things fried; no more mac and cheese. Oh well.
P.P.S. - Shredded cheese has potato and/or corn starch added to prevent caking, so we now just buy block cheese and shred it ourselves.