Saturday, July 2, 2011

Cancer fighting diets


Fight Cancer and Eat Better Than Ever
Fighting cancer can be as easy as making healthy food choices. The beauty is, you can improve your overall health plus prevent cancer by consuming a diet anti-cancer enriched with plenty of fruits, vegetables and plant proteins.

Cancer Prevention Nutrition Tips and Cancer-Fighting Foods

The foods you choose to eat will not cure an existing case of cancer, but eating a diet anti-cancerdirected will build better overall health, strengthen your body and help to build up your immunities. It is never too late to eat this kind of health-smart diet because even if you currently have cancer, once you are in remission you will be helping your body to fight off a recurrence.
Have you heard the expression, "You are what you eat?"  If you eat a lot of salad, you will not literally turn into a head of lettuce, but your body will literally identify with the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in the foods associated with cancer prevention. According to current research reports, a large majority of deaths from cancer are directly linked to an unhealthy diet. Although regular exercise, not smoking and minimal amounts of alcohol consumption will help you maintain a high standard of healthy living, it is the foods you consume that make the biggest difference in preventing cancer. The most important part of understanding a cancer prevention diet is knowing what foods will actually feed the disease. The foods that fight cancer are powerful foods high in anti-oxidents.

Foods that Feed Cancer 

  • Foods cooked on the grill: barbecued pork, salmon grilled with the skin still, chicken breast, steaks and hamburgers grilled to well done.
  • Red meat that is high in saturated fat.
  • Processed meats like salami, deli meats, sausage, and hot dogs.
  • Harmful fats, such as saturated and trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils, increase the risk of cancer and feed it if it already exists.

Foods that Fight Cancer

  • Anti-Cancer fruits like blueberries, oranges and strawberries
  • Anti-cancer vegetables like tomatoes, spinach, red cabbage and garlic
  • Foods high in antioxidants  
  • High fiber foods 
  • Plant-based proteins like soy, beans, nuts and quinoa
  • Unsaturated fats (especially organic virgin coconut oil)
  • Whole grains and nuts.

Why the Diet Anti-Cancer Approach Works

Cancer cells invade the system of your body, and by consuming anti-cancer foods you will help your body fight off these unwanted destructive cells. The biggest help you can give your body is the consumption of foods that increase the strength of your immune system. There is no single food that will provide the support your body's system needs. You need to consume a combination of foods enriched with vitamins like vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium and beta-carotene that are found in vegetables and fruits.
The darker the color of the vegetables and fruits you ea,t the more they are enriched with phytochemicals which are powerful immune building, cancer fighting nutrients. The greater the variety of these foods you consume each day the greater the benefits to your body.
Spices and foods that add a lot of flavor to your recipes are also important cancer-fighting ingredients. Things like curry powder, ginger, basil, coriander, turmeric, rosemary and garlic all add important nutrients plus lots of flavor to recipes like casseroles, soups, salads and more.
Water is a source of a stimulant that increases the effectiveness of all the healthy food choices by stimulating the immune system, moving the nutrients to your organs, and eliminating toxins and wastes from your body. Add lemon juice to make the water more alkaline and you will get even better results.
Finally, use organically grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible. If you do consume meat, choose as many organically raised animals as possible. Commercially grown foods will contain trace amounts of pesticides and carcinogens. Avoid consuming products that are loaded with preserving chemicals, especially aspartame. Keep high fat and high sugar foods to a minimum. These contain no nutritional value and are very difficult for the body to digest properly. Concentrate on eating these cancer-fighting foods and give your body a fighting chance at overall health.