We live in an era obsessed with optimization — trackers, injections, powders, and pills — yet we’ve never been more sick, anxious: allow me to help to nourish you.
Dr. Urvi Shah, a physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, studies how diet can prevent and slow cancer. Her research shows that a high-fiber, plant-based diet reduces inflammation and improves overall health—proof that, as she says, “food is medicine.”
Oct 20, 2025
By Candice Kumai | Fiber Veggies More–
We live in an era obsessed with optimization — trackers, injections, powders, and pills — yet we’ve never been sicker, more anxious, or more malnourished.
We’ve lost the ability to nourish ourselves properly. True wellness isn’t built on restriction or technology. It begins with digestion, nourishment, and balance, and it’s sustained through something we’ve forgotten: fiber-rich, real food.
Most of what we need to prevent disease, improve energy, and maintain radiant beauty already exists in nature. It’s grown in the soil — not made in a lab.
It’s time to come back to the table, to the cutting board, to the way of eating well — the way our mothers and grandmothers always knew.
Where Real Health Begins
At The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Cancer & Nutrition: Food for Thought luncheon, hosted by The TODAY Show’s Jenna Bush Hager and sponsored by Prada, Dr. Urvi Shah, a hematologist, oncologist, and physician-scientist, shared her groundbreaking work connecting fiber-rich diets to cancer prevention and survivorship.
Dr. Urvi Shah is redefining modern oncology through her research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her groundbreaking studies reveal how a high-fiber, plant-based diet supports cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship—proving that food is one of our most powerful forms of medicine.
Her research shows that high-fiber, plant-forward diets can lower inflammation, improve gut health, and even slow the progression of certain cancers.
Her message echoed everything I’ve written for over 15 years: food is medicine when we learn how to use it.
Fiber is the backbone of that medicine — the part of plants our bodies can’t digest, yet can’t live without. It feeds the good bacteria in our gut, balances hormones, supports skin clarity, and strengthens immunity.
When we return to real food — fiber, greens, whole grains, and color — our bodies remember how to thrive.
Candice Kumai & Jenna Bush at The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Event Fall, 2025
*Dr. Urvi Shah, hematologist, oncologist, and physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is pioneering research on how nutrition—especially high-fiber, plant-based diets—can transform cancer prevention, treatment, and recovery. Her work shows that the same everyday foods that support healing in patients can also help all of us live longer, healthier lives. By embracing whole ingredients, learning to cook simply, and nourishing ourselves through real food—as chefs and educators like Candice Kumai have long taught—we can each participate in the true science of wellness, one beautiful meal at a time.
The Art of Eating Well
Cooking is the most beautiful act of self-respect.
It’s how we nourish ourselves and the people we love.
It’s the daily ritual that grounds us, heals us, and beautifies us from the inside out.
Here are the ingredients and practices I return to again and again — my foundation for both health and beauty. *Dr. Urvi Shah, hematologist, oncologist, and physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is pioneering research on how nutrition—especially high-fiber, plant-based diets—can transform cancer prevention, treatment, and recovery. – Chefs and educators like myself have long taught—we can each participate in the science of wellness, one beautiful meal at a time.
1. Lentils & Pulses: The Foundation of Nourishment
Lentils are fiber powerhouses that help stabilize blood sugar, balance hormones, and feed the gut. Try my easy, one-pot Lentil Soup or fold them into my Spiced Lentil Veggie Burgers.
Both are deeply satisfying and rich in iron, zinc, and folate — nutrients that support cellular renewal, hair growth, and healthy nails.
2. Dark Leafy Greens: Detoxifiers and Beautifiers
For years, kale was everywhere — then suddenly, it wasn’t. But that doesn’t make it any less extraordinary. In truth, kale remains one of the most nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, and beauty-supportive foods on earth. We just forgot how to prepare it properly.
When handled with care — washed, trimmed, and gently massaged — kale transforms from tough and bitter to soft, silky, and deeply satisfying. I pan-roast or lightly wilt it in sesame oil and garlic, then toss it into my signature kale and whole-grain salads, the kind layered with quinoa or brown rice, roasted cruciferous vegetables, avocado, and miso-tahini dressing.
Kale deserves its comeback not as a fad, but as a foundation. It’s loaded with chlorophyll, which oxygenates the blood; magnesium, which calms the nervous system; and vitamin C, which supports collagen production for luminous skin. The combination of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants makes kale one of the most complete foods for energy, digestion, and radiance.
When you learn how to prepare kale well, you realize it was never just a “trend” — it was the best beauty secret in your fridge.
My Kale Caesar Salad – a superstar for beauty
3. Cruciferous Vegetables: Cellular Protectors
Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a natural detox compound that helps the body neutralize toxins and support liver health — essential for clear skin and balanced hormones.
I pan-roast them until golden and toss them in a beauty-forward dressing made from apple cider vinegar, miso paste, sesame oil, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
This is the same dressing I use on everything — it’s cleansing, probiotic-rich, and deeply satisfying.
4. Sweet Potatoes: The Japanese Secret to Longevity
In Japan, roasted sweet potatoes are a daily comfort and a natural beauty food — rich in beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber.
I roast them whole until caramelized and golden, then brush them with a miso-maple glaze. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in the body, supporting cell turnover, smoother skin, and glossy hair. YEP. My Sweet Potato Smoothie
5. Whole Grains & Buckwheat: The Base for Balance
I cook a big pot of brown rice, farro, or buckwheat soba at the start of each week. I fold in roasted cruciferous vegetables, add a side of roasted salmon or tofu, and finish with one of my fiber-rich dressings.
This is the kind of simple, balanced meal that keeps blood sugar steady, promotes healthy digestion, and supports hormone harmony — all pillars of longevity and skin health.
Beauty from Within: Food for Gorgeous Skin, Hair, and Nails
You can’t glow on the outside if you’re starving your body on the inside.
The foods you eat every day are the most powerful beauty treatments you’ll ever find.
Here are the ones that work — beautifully, naturally, and scientifically:
- Fermented Foods (miso, kimchi, sauerkraut): Support gut flora for clear skin and balanced mood.
- Avocados & Flaxseed: Rich in healthy fats and fiber for hydrated skin and shiny hair.
- Dark Leafy Greens: Flood the skin with antioxidants and support collagen formation.
- Sweet Potatoes: Beta-carotene helps smooth texture and support a natural glow.
- Buckwheat & Lentils: Provide B vitamins and plant protein to strengthen hair and nails.
- Green Tea & Matcha: Antioxidant-rich, calming, and protective against oxidative stress.
Candice’s Beauty Trick:
My favorite “beauty dressing” combines apple cider vinegar, miso paste + olive oil + touch of dijon –I pour it over greens, grain bowls, or roasted veggies. It’s bright, gut-healing, and balancing — a daily ritual for digestion and glow.
The Kitchen as Your Wellness Studio
Everything you need to feel beautiful, strong, and alive is already in your kitchen.
When you cook, you reconnect to your instincts. You learn what fuels you, what soothes you, and what brings you joy.
You don’t need to buy more products — you need to follow more authentic, real women who actually cook + share how they live. Women who look the part, who have been doing this for decades.
Cooking is the original self-care, the ritual that keeps us grounded in a world spinning too fast. It is how we create beauty that lasts.
So, open the fridge. Roast the sweet potatoes. Simmer the lentils. Taste the miso.
And remember: the art of eating well is the art of living beautifully.
x Candice
About Candice Kumai
Candice Kumai is a Le Cordon Bleu classically trained chef, bestselling author, and award-winning journalist hailed as “The Golden Girl of Wellness” by ELLE and Forbes. A longtime contributor to NBC’s TODAY Show and Vogue, Candice has spent nearly two decades shaping how America eats and lives well.
She is the person who made matcha, kintsugi, and wabi sabi part of our everyday vocabulary—pioneering authentic Japanese wellness and making it accessible to the Western market. Through her bestselling books (Kintsugi Wellness, Clean Green Eats, Cook Yourself Sexy, and more), her acclaimed Wabi Sabi podcast, and her Matcha Masterclass experiences, Candice continues to bridge cultures, celebrating heritage, sustainability, and mindful living.
Rooted in her Japanese heritage and California upbringing, Candice’s recipes blend nourishment and beauty—whole foods, fermented ingredients, and traditional Japanese techniques reimagined for modern life. She contributes to: Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Well+Good, Cosmopolitan, and Men’s Health, inspiring millions to eat beautifully, live simply, and honor the art of everyday wellness.
Photos: The Society of MSK Fall Lunch Photos – Courtesy of Zach Hilty / BFA & all food images copyright Candice Kumai.