Cancer Prevention Diet

Organic Vegetables

Cancer Prevention Diet

It's serious

Cancer in all its forms has been named by the National Center for Health Statistics as the number two leading cause of death in the U.S., second only to heart disease. Although there are many things still unknown about the causes and cures for this dreaded disease, most health experts agree that there is a correlation between what you eat and your chances of having cancer end your life prematurely.

Healthy eating is really based on two main factors--what you eat and what you don't eat. That is, you can help your body prevent disease by eating foods that promote good health, while at the same time avoiding foods that hinder it. In addition, the quality of the foods you choose and the way you prepare them, can affect their ability to keep you healthy.

Here is a list of some things you can do with your diet to help prevent cancer.

Click here for a printable copy of this list.

Cancer Prevention Diet

-Eat colorful foods--red, orange, yellow, green, purple--for their phytonutrients.

-Wash vegetables and fruits with a food-grade veggie wash to remove pesticides.

-Reduce intake of animal fats such as found in meats and dairy products.

-Drink 6-8 glasses of filtered water each day and avoid soft drinks of all kinds.

-Lightly cook vegetables or eat them raw to maintain nutritional value.

-Include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy and other cruciferous vegetables, since these vegetables contain a substance that appears to fight cancer cells.

-Eat berries such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries on a regular basis.

-Emphasize a variety of whole grains for fiber.

-Increase your Omega-3 consumption with cold-water fish, fish oil, walnuts and flax seed.

-Limit or avoid refined carbohydrates such as white flour products and sugar.

-Add some turmeric (the spice that makes mustard and curry powder yellow) to your diet.

-Avoid trans-fats that are in many processed foods.

-Limit or eliminate grilled, smoked and fried foods.

-Eat organic, when possible, especially meats and dairy products.

-Avoid overeating and taxing your system which weakens it.

-Enjoy your meals in a relaxing environment whenever possible.



Concern about pesticides

Many health experts are concerned about the amount of pesticides that we are consuming and the possible link with disease. Here is a list of things you can do to reduce the amount of pesticides you are consuming in your diet.

Here is a list of ways that you can minimize the amount of pesticide residue in the foods you and your family eat.

-Buy foods that are certified organic, especially apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach and strawberries.

-Start an organic garden, even a pot garden on your patio will help, and grow your own pesticide-free foods. (There are ways to control pests that don’t require chemicals.)

-Buy produce at a local farmers’ market where you can inquire about pesticide use.

-When you buy produce in the grocery store, select a variety and avoid fruits and vegetables with cuts or holes.

-Wash fruits and vegetables with a food-grade veggie wash, scrubbing less tender varieties with a vegetable brush. Even if you are going to peel it, wash it first to avoid contamination of the inner flesh.

-Peel fruits and vegetables when possible, but peel or scrape as thinly as possible to maintain the maximum nutrition you can. The downside of peeling foods with edible skins is that you lose nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals.

-Discard the outer leaves of lettuce and other leafy vegetables where most of the residue would be found.

-Trim all of the visible fat from meats, since the residue will be concentrated in the fat of the animal.

-Avoid or limit consumption of liver, which, although high in nutrients, is also the chemical plant of the body where toxins are stored.

-Buy organic dairy products, or choose low-fat or fat free dairy products, since the fat is where the chemical residue is mostly found.


PAGE SUMMARY for Cancer Prevention Diet

Lifestyle choices, especially diet, can affect your risk.

Healthy eating is really based on two main factors--what you eat and what you don't eat.

Eat colorful foods that are lightly cooked, with emphasis on the cabbage family and berries, since these foods seem to have protective factors.

Eat healthy fats, like Omega-3's while limiting trans-fats and too much animal fat.

Drink plenty of filtered water and avoid overeating.

Limit or eliminate smoked, grilled and fried foods.

Eat a cancer prevention diet with family and friend in as stress-free an environment as you can manage.


Click here to go from Cancer Prevention Diet page to Healthy Menu Plan page.