Last week I had my one year follow-up colonoscopy after discovering there was a cancerous polyp in my colon. They snipped it out but that was followed by a couple of exploratory procedures and a sigmoid colectomy (that’s when they excise about a foot of your colon). In my case the surgery was a preventative measure. Thankfully, we caught it early. There was nothing in my lymph glands or bloodstream.

On Thursday (last week), however, as standard procedure, I had a one year follow-up colonoscopy. Nobody enjoys this process but it’s really the colon prep that causes most people to postpone or avoid. I’m happy to report they found nothing concerning. There were two polyps they missed the first go-round but they were flat and now they’re gone.

I did have a moment to ask my doctor what I might do to help my body be healthier. He said, quite simply, “ Eat the rainbow.” By that, he explained, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid red, barbecued and sausage/luncheon meats. So much for converting to Paleo. I wasn’t really doing that anyway. Not in a meaningful way.

So today I found a recipe that looks to fulfill the rainbow method. Most recipes of this type are labeled Mediterranean Salads but this one is simpler and doesn’t contain Italian herbs. It’s a base of cooked quinoa, chickpeas, shredded carrots, finely chopped red cabbage, chopped cucumber, frozen or fresh corn and anything else you like.

So it’s basically a Mediterranean salad with an apple cider Dijon dressing. The diced red bell pepper takes the place of tomatoes. Fresh chopped parsley also takes the place of oregano. Feta cheese and animal protein may be added or served alongside but, for me, those portions are lean and limited. This can be made ahead. Bon Appetit!

My gastroenterologist also gave me these two cheat sheets to get me started on my predominately vegetarian diet. Be careful what you ask for! No, seriously I’m grateful for this entire experience. My next post is all about behavior modification by the amazing Dr. Joe Dispenza.