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Abbie Jaye, known professionally as Chef AJ, has announced that she has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Taking to her YouTube channel yesterday, the renowned plant-based chef and author said that she was given the diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer on November 5.
In the video, which was live streamed, Jaye was accompanied by her “longtime friend and colleague” Dr Matthew Lederman, who is best known for his work on documentary Forks Over Knives. “He’s here today more as my friend and to support me into revealing to you all my diagnosis of lung cancer,” Jaye said at the start of the video.
She was first made aware of tumors two years ago, but decided not to announce it then as “there really was nothing to report.”
“Some tumors were found incidentally, they’re called incidental pulmonary nodules, a little over two years ago. They were extremely small, too small to biopsy or worry about. It didn’t seem to be a story,” she added.
After receiving the stage 3 diagnosis earlier this month, however, Jaye said that her “emotional health really tanked.”
“I’m doing pretty good right now, I’m not crying, I’m getting through this broadcast,” she said. “The last month has been really, really difficult for me. I guess I have cancer now. I’ve got some and it’s growing. I have to make a decision if I want to do something.”
‘Afraid to tell anyone’
Jaye has followed a plant-based lifestyle for 47 years. She is a well-known advocate for unprocessed, whole foods-based plant-based recipes, and lost a significant amount of weight by following a healthy plant-based diet. Jay has appeared on TV multiple times, and is the author of books including Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight and The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss.
In the video, Jaye admitted that she had been anxious to share her diagnosis as she was worried it could lead to criticism of her plant-based lifestyle, which has been shown by numerous studies to offer many health benefits.
“I have been for two years being afraid to tell anyone,” she said. “How can I be someone promoting health and wellness and diet and then be sick? But you know what? Veganism is 100 percent fatal because being human in 100 percent fatal. We’re all going to die. A lot of doctors believe that it was my healthy lifestyle that has made the cancer grow slowly. It took me two years to say I have cancer. I never said it.”
Jaye then explained that most diseases, including cancer, are “mutifactoral,” and that she has a strong family history of cancer. “I don’t want people to feel that diet is not something they should address because it helps you in other ways. It has kept my immune system so strong I’ve been able to fight what this is. Other than being scared to death and having terrible anxiety, I have no physical symptoms of cancer.”
Chef AJ spoke about her personal experience with cancer in the video, and it is not intended as medical advice. Please visit your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health.
