AS a teenager nutritionist Hilda Glickman was fascinated by the benefits dieting could have for her figure.

But she quickly realised there was more to dieting than losing weight: good nutrition can have potentially life-altering health benefits.

Many years later the Harrow author has turned her fascination with food into a book which demonstrates the power of ordinary food to protect people from developing breast cancer.

"I have always been interested in nutrition but decided to write this book because there is so much good information in medical and scientific journals that is not getting to the public," says Hilda, who is a qualified nutritional therapist and lecturer at the Open University.

"I would like to help women everywhere to protect them or to prevent it [the cancer] coming back."

Her début book, titled Take Breast Cancer off your Menu is available to download now and contains the most recent scientific research from numerous medical journals around the subject of breast cancer prevention and diet.

Statistics published by charity Cancer Research UK estimate that more than a million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Closer to home, more than 11,000 people in the UK died from the disease in 2012.

Alarmed at the number of people affected by the cancer, including members of her family and friends, Hilda was moved to explore how nutrition, along with other lifestyle factors, including sleep, can help to combat the causes of the disease and prevent it from returning after treatment.

"There is so much evidence that breast cancer can be prevented nutritionally that it is overwhelming", says Hilda, who is quick to warn that her book is not about curing cancer.

"Foods have amazing properties and can help prevent cancer in different ways as described in the book.

"Research is being carried out to find drugs that can do what food already does.

"I think that nutrition is the key to health because everything we are is made from nutrients. Genes interact with the environment and can be switched on and off."

The author spent around six months compiling the text, in which she explains how 'protector' foods can help lower free radical damage, raise and lower insulin and the importance of eating organically grown vegetables, to avoid ingesting potentially harmful chemicals.

She also provides a range of ideas for preparing meals and says she wants her book to be as upbeat as possible to empower her readers.

“I think empowering people is very important so they do not feel helpless," she says. "It is much better if you can enjoy the food or find a way to enjoy it. It shouldn’t be a punishment."

However the author warns her book is not about curing cancer, but rather presents technical scientific research around the subject of nutrition and cancer prevention in an easy-to-read format.

Growing up on the Hebridean island of Islay, Hilda went on to study at the University of Glasgow, the University of Hull, the Institute for Optimal Nutrition in Putney and the Open University, where she has been a lecturer for 23 years.

A resident of Harrow for 30-years, Hilda says she "loved" writing her début book, and is already working on her next title, due out in Autumn 2016, about how nutrition can help combat irritable bowel syndrome.

“I could talk about nutrition until the cows come home," she chuckles. "I just loved it because it is so fascinating to find out the information. When you read about what is in broccoli and what it does it is just absolutely fascinating and I just love it.”

Take Breast Cancer off your Menu is out on Thursday, October 1 from amazon.co.uk and is available to download from the Amazon Kindle store now.