Fight Cancer with Food

This week, another friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. It is devastating to receive such news. Yet, more than ever, cancer seems to touch most families—boys and girls, men and women.

Though each cancer is different in origin and impact, more and more people are understanding the power they have to fight cancer, if not prevent it, by changing the foods they eat, how they prepare their food, and even how often they eat out.

I know. My husband had cancer. Upon diagnosis, he spent unlimited hours researching how the “right” foods could change the way his body fought cancer. In a nutshell, he began eliminating white sugar and white flour which began the reversal of unhealthy habits and possibly even the retardation of his tumor. He is now "cancer free" after following a very strict nutritional protocol and eventually undergoing a successful robotic surgery.

We attribute a great deal of his positive outcome to his diligent commitment (which soon became an entire family’s commitment) to fighting cancer through nutrition for the 2 years before, then during and continuing after his surgery.

I encourage you to review a very helpful website, Helpguide.org for a very practical presentation on 6 Cancer Prevention Diet Tips:

#1 – Focus on Plant Based Foods: It comes down to this: Plants have less fat, more fiber, and more cancer-fighting nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off cancer.

#2 Bulk up on Fiber: Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber. There is no fiber in meat, dairy, sugar, or “white” foods like white bread, white rice, and pastries.

# 3 Cut Down on Meat: You don’t need to cut out meat completely and become a vegetarian. But most people consume far more meat than is healthy. You can cut down your cancer risk substantially by reducing the amount of animal-based products you eat and by choosing healthier meats.

#4 Choose Fats Wisely: A major benefit of cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is that you will automatically cut out a lot of unhealthy fat. Eating a diet high in fat increases your risk for many types of cancer. But cutting out fat entirely isn’t the answer, either. In fact, some types of fat may actually protect against cancer. The trick is to choose your fats wisely and eat them in moderation.

#5 Choose Cancer-Fighting Foods: Colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals, a potent disease–fighting and immune–boosting nutrient. The greater the variety of colors that you include, the more you will benefit, since different colors are rich in different phytochemicals.

#6 Prepare Your Food in Healthy Ways: Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances found in food. Carcinogens can form during the cooking or preserving process—mostly in relation to meat—and as foods start to spoil. Examples of foods that have carcinogens are cured, dried, and preserved meats (e.g. bacon, sausage, beef jerkey); burned or charred meets; smoked foods; and foods that have become moldy.

Each of the above tips require only little changes in the way you eat, yet from personal experience, I promise that they can have big results!

Be encouraged,

Becky