Cancer Fighting Foods

“Certain foods supply chemical compounds that can work against cancer, using the same mechanisms as pharmaceutical drugs”, says David Servan-Schreiber, MD PhD, author of Anti-Cancer, A New Way of Life (Viking 2008).

So what should you do to increase your chances of NOT getting cancer?

Experts will agree…

Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. I know. I sound like a broken record. Check out what’s in a serving on the link on the right hand side of this blog. The phytochemicals in fruit and veggies pack a serious punch against cancer.

Eat plenty of cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, with their sulfur-containing compounds known as glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, and indole-3-carbino – they can be serious anti-cancer compounds. Promising studies have been done.

Eat plenty of stinky veggies from the allium family such as onions, garlic, chives, shallots, leeks. The sulfur compounds in these veggies reduce the carcinogenic effect of overcooked meats and kills cancer cells.

Some research shows that eating berries may slow the growth of blood vessels feeding a tumor. Add berries to spinach salad, add them to yogurt, put ‘em in your whole grain pancakes for a super sweet treat.

Switch to whole grains. Just do it.

Many studies show the benefits of whole-grains and cancer prevention. The phytoestrogens may protect against hormone-related cancers and oligosaccharides protect against colon cancer by lowering ph levels in the colon therefore not allowing for bad bacteria growth. Whole grains also don’t spike blood sugar levels which is associated with certain types of cancer. It also helps speed the elimination process – vital to colon cancer prevention.

Choose “whole” grain bread. Read the labels. It must list the word “whole” as the first ingredients.

Buy brown rice – practice, you can make it just as fluffy as white rice. Or, get a fool-proof rice cooker.

Use “whole” grain pasta. Keep trying until you find a brand you like. I like 365 Brand at Whole Foods – it’s cheap and it’s good. The secret is to keep it slightly “al dente”. Do not overcook pasta – you’ll increase your glycemic load and it doesn’t taste very good.

Experiment with different grains. Try quinoa, barley, oats, wild rice etc. Get yourself a recipe online and play around with it. My fave is http://www.foodtv.com/ or http://www.eatingwell.com/

Eat three – four servings per day of whole grains.


Eat fish high in Omega 3 – Salmon, sardines (yuk), mackerel (double yuck)…OK so eat Salmon at least twice a week. You’ll find many recipes online or try my salmon recipe for a full proof delicious salmon dinner in the archive file of this blog. Use left-over salmon for a cold salmon salad. Break apart salmon, add green onion, ginger, garlic for an Asian touch OR red onion, jalapeno, garlic, and red bell pepper for a Mexican touch OR celery, pickles, sweet onion (Mayan Sweet), garlic for a good ‘ol American touch. Mix chopped ingredients together with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Make a sandwich or serve on top of lettuce and little vinaigrette.
Omega-3s have been found to reduce certain cancer cells and cancer risks in both laboratory studies and human studies.

Drink two to four cups of green tea every day. Heard that before? Studies have shown that the antioxidant in tea has significant tumor reduction capabilities. You can steep tea and pour over ice for a delicious home made iced tea. Don’t buy the instant powder mix or prepared tea at the store – too much sugar and who knows what else. You can add a little agave nectar or honey to sweeten your homemade tea.

Avoid Overeating

Here are some quick steps to help you avoid overeating:

1 Eat high fiber fruits and vegetables. Fibrous foods will help you feel fuller without added saturated fat.

2 Try not to eat out of a box or package or while you are preoccupied with something else. Serve yourself a specific portion and eat slowly - start off by having a thankful mindset - I say grace - give yourself a relaxed time and enjoy your food. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to signal that the brain is full.

3. Don't skip meals. Skipping meals makes sets you up for a starvation mode and you'll end up eating more than what you should at one sitting.

4. When you are done, you're done. Don't eat your child's leftovers just to "finish" and not "waste food".

5. Walking outdoors after a meal is a great way to digest and set a mindset of satisfaction for the rest of the day.

Alternative Sweeteners

Alternative sweeteners

If I haven’t convinced you already, over-consumption of white, refined sugar is a real problem today. It lowers the immune system, adds to glycemic overload in the bloodstream, and it makes people put on way too many pounds – just to name a few. There are several sweet alternatives that are better for you. This does not give you the green light to overindulge, however - everything in moderation.

Agave Nectar is a sweetener obtained from the agave cactus (and you thought the only good thing that came from a cactus was Tequila). It is sweeter than sugar so don’t overdo it. It is low on the glycemic index and is found in liquid form. It is a better alternative for diabetics than white refined sugar because it doesn’t spike your blood sugar as table sugar. I love to use it to sweeten homemade vinaigrette, and I found vanilla agave nectar to use in my favorite weekend treat – vanilla, soy latte.

Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol extracted from birch trees, raspberries, plums, and corn. It has the same sweet taste and texture as sugar – I really don’t notice an aftertaste at all. Xylitol has shown in studies that it may even prevent tooth decay. Xylitol also does not cause blood sugar spikes. Consumers beware; it could act as a laxative when consumed in large quantities. It is a bit expensive though. Our bodies naturally produce small amounts of Xylitol every day. Practice moderation here. I use it in baking.

Bees make this delicious thick, syrupy goodness called honey. Honey comes in different flavors depending on the flower the nectar comes from. Honey contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Honey should not be fed to children under 1 because it may contain very small amounts of bacteria, which others should have no problem consuming. One of my faves is toast w/ peanut butter and honey.