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.