Cancer Prevention

Whether you have a history of cancer in your family, are cancer-free or currently battling the disease, dietary behaviors can make a huge difference in helping you fight off cancer. Some foods actually increase the risks of cancer, while others promote health, and boost your immunity to fight off many diseases including cancer.

Not all health problems are avoidable, but you have more control over your health than you may think.You may be eating or cooking many foods that fuel cancer, while neglecting the powerful nutrients that can protect you.

#1: Focus on Cancer-Fighting Fruits and Vegetables
While there’s no single food you can eat to prevent or fight cancer on its own, a balanced diet filled with a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, beans and green tea can help lower your risk for many types of cancer.

• Breakfast: Add fruit and a few seeds or nuts to your whole grain breakfast cereal .
• Lunch-Dinner: Eat a salad filled with your favorite  combo of veggies or beans. Try to add them in your sandwich.
• Snacks: Fresh fruit and vegetables. Grab a piece of fruit on your way out the door. Raw veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers, etc. are great with a low-fat dip such as hummus. Keep trail mix made with nuts, seeds, and a little dried fruit on hand.
• Dessert: Go for a dessert with a fruit instead of a heavy saturated one. Aim for dark chocolate in moderation.

#2: Fight Cancer with Fiber
Eating a diet high in fiber may help prevent colorectal cancer and other common digestive system cancers.
In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber. There is no fiber in meat, dairy, or “white” foods like white bread, white rice, and pastries.

High-fiber, Cancer-Fighting Foods:

• Whole grains: whole-wheat pasta, raisin bran, barley, oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole-grain or whole-wheat bread.
• Fruit: raspberries, apples, pears, strawberries, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, mango, apricots, citrus fruits, dried fruit, prunes, and raisins.
• Legumes: lentils, black beans, split peas, lima beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pinto, chick peas, black-eyed peas.
• Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, dark green leafy vegetables, peas, artichokes, corn, carrots, tomatoes...

#3: Cut Down on Meat
So what’s the link between meat and cancer risk? First, meat lacks fiber and other nutrients that have been shown to have cancer-protective properties. What it does have in abundance, however, is saturated fat which has been linked to higher rates of colorectal cancer. You don’t need to cut out meat completely and become a vegetarian.

• Choose leaner meats, such as fish, chicken, or turkey.
• Avoid processed meats such as hotdogs, sausage, deli meats, and salami.
• Eat red meat only occasionally. 
• Add beans and other plant-based protein sources to your meals.

#4: Choose Your Fats Wisely
Eating more omega 3 (foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, certain algae) may potentially reduce risk of colon and prostate cancers.Fats that increase cancer risk are saturated fats and trans fats mainly found in animal products such as red meat, butter, creams, salad dressings, hydrogenated oils and packaged products like chips and biscuits.

Tips for Choosing Cancer-Fighting Fats and Avoiding the Bad Ones:

• Check food labels and avoid anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
• Trim the fat off of meat.
• Choose nonfat dairy products and eggs fortified with omega-3. 
• Add walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts to your diet.
• Limit fast food, fried foods, and packaged foods.
• Eat fish more often.

What you eat—and don’t eat—has a powerful effect on your health, including your risk of cancer. Nutrition can modify the carcinogenic process at any stage.