ONI - MATC ASSESSEMENT QUIZ 

  • Terrain Assessment

    Based on Chapter 2 in the Metabolic Approach to Cancer book

    Practitioners - this quiz is a useful tool to use with your clients/patients to begin using a systems-based approach to the prevention and management of cancer. Whether you aim to prevent cancer, have recently been diagnosed with it, or are in remission, it’s essential to assess various diet and lifestyle elements that may contribute to the cause. By identifying and prioritizing the potential drivers of an individual cancer process, you gain the ability to put the brakes on the runaway truck of this complex disease.

    This questionnaire is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure cancer, rather to simply highlight awareness. To interpret your score, see which of the terrain areas have the highest number of “yes” answers. The top few will be the areas you will want to prioritize focusing on the soonest. Do know that starting to address any one of these ten areas will significantly enhance your body’s response to conventional treatments, reduce side effects, and make you stronger. 

    If you score high in one or more areas, buy the book, The Metabolic Approach to Cancer.

    Click next to begin our 10 part quiz.

  • GENETICS AND EPIGENETICS

  • 1. Have you been told or had an abnormal test for a DNA repair mutation (i.e. BRCA1 BRCA2, ATM, Lynch syndrome, CHEK2, GATA3, TP53)?
  • 2. Do you eat less than three servings of dark leafy green or cruciferous vegetable a day?
  • 3. Do you know if you have a heterozygous or homozygous for an MTHFR mutation?
  • 4. Do you have a history of thyroid disorder, miscarriage, cardiovascular disease, cleft palate, and/or neural tube defects?
  • 5. Do you have a personal or family history of cancer?
  • 6. Were you, your parents, or grandparents affected by a major stressful period, or adverse childhood event?
  • 7. Have you ever experienced X-RAYS, scans (MRI, PET, CT, DEXA), radiation treatment, radon exposure, and/or frequent airplane travel?
  • 8. Did your mother smoke, drink alcohol, or take any types of drugs or medications while she was pregnant with you?
  • 9. Do you eat a vegan, low-fat, or vegetarian diet?
  • 10. Are you currently on, or taken in the past, any prescription, or over the counter medications?

  • Our genes, which make us who we are, are marked by polymorphisms called genetic SNPs. These genetic SNPs get turned on or off by what we consume, the stress in our lives, toxins, inflammation, and more. Genetic SNPs can either support us or make us more susceptible to disease. 

    You may have heard that our genes are not our destiny. Our food and lifestyle choices have the most significant impact on genetic regulation. If you are ready to change the fate of your genes, grab a bowl full of your favorite cruciferous vegetables drizzled with cold-pressed organic olive oil, a dash of sea salt, and olives.

  • BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE

  • 1. Do you have a self-professed sweet tooth?
  • 2. Do you experience mood changes ("hangry") if you skip or delay a meal, find it difficult to fall asleep without an evening or late snack, and/or wake at night hungry?
  • 3. Do you often need to take a nap, grab caffeine, or a sugary boost in the afternoon (aka the 3 pm bonk)?
  • 4. Have you ever been told you have elevated, glucose, insulin or HBA1C levels?
  • 5. Are sugar or processed carbohydrate based foods (candy, cookies, cake, soda, bread, waffles, etc.) what you crave the most, and/or are considered your comfort foods?
  • 6. Do you consume more than 25 grams of added sugar a day (the average Western diet consists of approximately 100 grams of sugar per day)?
  • 7. Do you eat more than one serving a day or grains or legumes?
  • 8. Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25% and/or is your belly wider than your hips?
  • 9. Do you or any family member have a history or diagnosis of hypoglycemia, prediabetes, insulin resistance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), fatty liver, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, Type 1 or 2 diabetes?
  • 10. Do you consume more than three alcoholic beverages or servings of alcohol per week?

  • Did you know that periodic and continuously increased blood sugar and insulin levels are the basis for some progressive and recurrent cancers (Winters & Higgins Kelley, 2017). The amount of sugar present in modern-day diets is at an all-time high and is causing an incredible amount of health problems. One of the first things you can do at home is to start sprinkling some blood sugar supportive cinnamon into your morning coffee or tea.

  • TOXIC BURDEN

  • 1. Do you currently live, work, or were you raised near (within 10 miles) any agriculture, superfund site, educational or medical campus, golf course, factory, military base, industrial sites, or airport areas?
  • 2. Do you have environmental sensitivities, especially to odors like perfume and/or diesel fuel?
  • 3. Are you exposed to screens (laptop, cell phone, TV, video gaming) more than 3 hours a day?
  • 4. Do you use pesticides or herbicides in or around your home or on pets (i.e. Spray Round-up in your garden, or use flea or tick products on pets)?
  • 5. Do you use commercial body care, hair dye, and/or household cleaning products like shampoo and laundry detergent that are non-organic?
  • 6. Do you use Teflon/non-stick cookware, microwave food, or drink beverages from plastic containers?
  • 7. Are you exposed to indoor toxins i.e., cigarette smoke, scented candles, high heat cooking, mold, dryer sheets, or air fresheners?
  • 8. Do you have mercury fillings, work in the dental industry, eat fish more than 3 times a week, and/or been exposed to heavy metals including lead?
  • 9. Do you use tap water for drinking and showering?
  • 10. Do you find it difficult to break a good sweat more than three times a week?

  • With over 10,000 known toxins in and outside of our homes, it is no wonder many of us have a high toxic burden. What we eat, drink, wear, inhale and sleep on potentially carries an incredible amount of toxins that our bodies need extra support to detoxify. 

    We suggest checking the toxic load in your drinking water by entering your zip code into the Environmental Working Groups water database. 

  • MICROBIOME AND DIGESTIVE FUNCTION

  • 1. Were you born via C-section?
  • 2. Were you fed infant formula before age 1?
  • 3. Have you ever, or do you now, use hand sanitizer and antimicrobial soap?
  • 4. Do you have digestive symptoms including gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, SIBO, colitis, Crohn's, or colon cancer?
  • 5. Have you taken more than one round of antibiotics or the recommended prep for a colonoscopy?
  • 6. Do you eat non-organic meat and dairy products?
  • 7. Have you had chemotherapy?
  • 8. Do you take NSAIDs (i.e. Tylenol, aspirin or ibuprofen) or antacids more than a couple times a year?
  • 9. Do you eat less than 5 servings of vegetables a day?
  • 10. Do you eat processed, non-organic grains including pasta, bread, or cookies more than once a month?

  • Hippocrates stated that all disease begins in the gut. With more than 80% of our immune cells residing in our gut, what we feed them matters! Fiber from vegetables and fruit is critical for the health of your gut, so we challenge you to try one new vegetable a day! The daily recommended fiber intake for adults is approximately 35 grams.  The first step at home is to assess your fiber intake and start eating more artichokes, eggplant, and apples!

  • IMMUNE FUNCTION

  • 1. Are your vitamin D levels below 50 ng/mL?
  • 2. Do you have a personal or family history of autoimmune disease?
  • 3. Do you suppress fevers with over the counter medications?
  • 4. Do you have a history of EBV (mono), HPV, CMV, STDs, COVID-19, shingles, Lyme’s, yeast infections, or parasites?
  • 5. Are you either never sick or catch every cold and flu that comes your way?
  • 6. Do you have seasonal allergies, asthma, hives, and/or IgE food allergies?
  • 7. Have you been diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance?
  • 8. Have you had vaccinations and/or flu shots, i.e., micro RNA injections for COVID, shingles shots, vaccines for travel, or immunotherapies (i.e. Keytruda, Opdivo, or Yervoy)?
  • 9. Have you ever taken steroids (i.e., Prednisone, Dexamethasone) either topical, inhaled or oral?
  • 10. Do you have a child under age 5 living in your house, and/or work in a school, hospital, or medical setting?

  • Our immune system is constantly on high alert, looking for invaders such as viruses and bacteria that can potentially cause ill-health. With modern lifestyles our immune systems have become stressed, overburdened, and unarmed due to poor diet, environmental toxins, nutrient depletion, and medications. If you scored high in this area, we suggest looking at our curated Foundational Nutrient Supplement Baseline List, and enjoy 20% off all your supplement orders.

  • INFLAMMATION

  • 1. Any history of skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, flushing or rashes?
  • 2. Ever been diagnosed with arthritis or any other pain syndrome and/or experience chronic pain?
  • 3. Have you ever been told you have an elevated C-reactive protein level, homocysteine, LDH, or Sed Rate?
  • 4. Do you have food allergies, or experience gastric reflux inflammatory bowel disease (including IBS or ulcerative colitis)?
  • 5. Do you eat and/or cook with vegetable oils i.e. corn, canola, safflower, or soybean?
  • 6. Do you drink less than 30 ounces of water per day?
  • 7. Do you rely on NSAIDs, steriods, or opiates for pain management?
  • 8. Have you ever or do you now experience high amounts of stress?
  • 9. Do you exercise vigorously more than 3 days a week or less than 30 minutes three times a week?
  • 10. Would you consider yourself overweight?

  • There are numerous dietary factors that may contribute to inflammation but the main culprit is an overconsumption of inflammatory omega 6 fats and a low consumption of omega 3 fats. Omega 6 fats are found in processed foods including salad dressing, barbecue sauce, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, microwave meals, breads, chips, pizzas, French fries, cookies, ice cream, pastries, margarine, butter replacers, and fast food. Meanwhile, omega 3 fats are found in foods like cold-water fish (preformed EPA/DHA), flaxseeds, walnuts, and certain dark leafy greens.  

  • BLOOD CIRCULATION AND ANGIOGENESIS

  • 1. Do you bruise easily?
  • 2. Have you ever been diagnosed with a clotting disorder?
  • 3. Have you ever been diagnosed with hemochromatosis or elevated ferritin (high iron storage)?
  • 4. Do you have a history of deep vein thrombosis?
  • 5. Do you have a history of pulmonary embolism?
  • 6. Do you have high or low blood pressure?
  • 7. Have you ever had abnormal levels of D-Dimer, fibrinogen activity, VEGF, and/or ceruloplasmin?
  • 8. Do you take pharmaceutical blood thinners like Coumadin, Pradaxa, Xarelto, or Lovenox?
  • 9. Are you on blood pressure medication (i.e. a statin drug, ACE inhibitor, or beta-blocker) or take a daily aspirin?
  • 10. Do you snore and/or been diagnosed with sleep apnea?

  • There is an Eastern quote that says “A man will live 100 years if he takes 100 steps after every meal” and we believe it. Sedentary lifestyles increase both cancer risk and risk of cardiovascular disease. Americans are sitting an average of thirteen hours a day and sleeping an average of eight hours resulting in a sedentary lifestyle of around twenty-one hours a day. Sitting is considered the new smoking! Do get your blood moving, start by taking a 30 minute walk outside every day. You will find energy AND mood improves!

  • HORMONE BALANCE

  • 1. Do you have a history of birth control pill, bio-identical or standard Hormone Replacement Therapy, steroid use, fertility treatments, and/or hormone blockade therapies?
  • 2. For women, do you have a history of PMS, irregular cycles, fibrous breast, and/or menopausal symptoms?
  • 3. For men, have you had a change in sexual function and/or been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction?
  • 4. Do you have a low libido (sex drive)?
  • 5. Do you have a history of fertility issues including miscarriage?
  • 6. Have you ever been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder?
  • 7. Have you ever been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and/or low cortisol?
  • 8. Would you consider yourself overweight?
  • 9. Do you eat cow dairy products (cow milk, cheese, cream, yogurt) on a daily basis?
  • 10. Do you now, or have you ever followed a low-fat diet?

  • There is a large body of evidence coming from epidemiologic studies showing people who consume high amounts of phytoestrogens in their diets have lower rates of several cancers including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. Get started by sprinkling some sesame seeds onto your next salad!

    It is important to work with a certified Oncology Nutrition Consultant (ONC) to best understand the many factors at play when it comes to hormones, from genetics, to liver function, to GI health, and more. Whether or not to eat soy products depends on several individual variables. 

  • STRESS AND BIORHYTHMS

  • 1. Did any of your symptoms, labs, or diagnosis change or appear after a stressful period?
  • 2. Are you a night owl and/or did you ever have a nightshift job or a childbearing job where you were up many nights?
  • 3. Do you travel through many times zones often?
  • 4. Do you have streetlights and/or the TV on during the night?
  • 5. Are you easily fatigued?
  • 6. Do you crave salt?
  • 7. Do you sleep less than eight hours a night and/or go to bed after 11 pm?
  • 8. Do you have screen time after 5 pm?
  • 9. Do you spend less than 30 minutes outdoors everyday?
  • 10. Do you feel that you experience high levels of stress every day?

  • “The Environment, through light, food, and stress flips the switches on genes to produce hormones, which in turn flip other genes – from growth, death or repair – on and off.”

    --TS Wiley, Lights Out

    Cancer risk increases in those who don’t sleep, is especially higher in shift workers and also in those who often cross time zones during air travel. In 2007, the IRAC concluded that shift work is probably carcinogenic to humans. When we sleep—adults need at least 8 hours and kids at least 12—hormones are released, tissue growth and repair occurs, neurological pathways are regenerated, detoxification occurs, and the immune system is replenished. And, you probably guessed it, sleep affects the body’s reaction to insulin. Just two nights of poor sleep can increase levels of IGF-1. Sleep deprivation also causes a decrease in leptin, known as the satiety hormone, and an increase in ghrelin, or “the hunger hormone”. Make sleep a priorty by avoiding screens after dark.


  • MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

  • 1. Do you experience irritably, mood swings and/or unstable emotions?
  • 2. Have you been diagnosed with a mental disorder, i.e. bipolar, depression and/or anxiety?
  • 3. Are you easily offended?
  • 4. Are you sensitive to other people’s energy and reactions?
  • 5. Do you experience racing, repetitive thoughts?
  • 6. Do you find it difficult to speak your truth in certain situations?
  • 7. Have you ever self medicated with drugs, sex, alcohol, shopping, TV, gambling, gaming, or time on the internet?
  • 8. Do you feel that you do not have a good support system (i.e.spouse, friends, and/or spiritual community?)
  • 9. Do you feel you lack purpose?
  • 10. Do you find it difficult to feel gratitude and joy?

  • Having some kind of emotional support and encouragment is extremely important when it comes to good health outcomes. 

  • RESULTS

    To learn more on what you can do from home, buy the book,
    The Metabolic Approach to Cancer and focus particularly on the Chapters that you score high in. Take 20% off all supplement orders and view curated protocols here.

  • NEXT STEPS

    If you'd like to learn more about how to integrate this assessment tool into your practice, or about our 250 Hour Oncology Nutrition Consulting certification program. Please submit your form or send us an email at info@oncologynutritioninstitute.com. Eat well!

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