
Healthy Foods
Right now, according to different statistics, the second leading reason of death in the continental United States is cancer. Experts on cancer are expressing belief that as high as 50% of different types of cancer diagnosed annually can be averted with ordinary changes in diet and lifestyle. There are considered to be easy changes that almost all of us can easily follow as far as what we eat as well as food preparation and what we are doing after we eat.
It is very vital that we scrutinize our lifestyle and food intake thoroughly as part and parcel of a general effort towards good health. The payback for health can be enormous not only in preventing the dreaded cancer but also in other health concerns like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and other common diseases. Our philosophy should not just be concentrating on preventing cancer or the prevention of certain diseases but more so on restitution of a quality better life.
There are many risk factors that can never be changed, including genetics, family history and certain environmental factors. There are others that can be changed, and while even the healthiest person can develop cancer, heart disease or any of the other conditions or diseases that can be potentially fatal, the risk is much lower. A healthy, well balanced diet can also reduce the chance of minor illnesses and lessen the severity of them as well.
Preventing cancer with nutrition is as simple as:
1. Changing the way you look at fat
2. Knowing your colors
3. Using the best proteins
4. Being aware of the worst and counterproductive foods
Even if you eat the healthiest diet, it is still imperative to be aware of your risk factors and persist on following the suggested screenings and check-ups with your doctor. Exercise is also essential to your healthy lifestyle. Always talk about your precise nutritional needs with your doctor, who can be more qualified to give you suggestions for the right amount of calories you need to take in as well as how much of each essential nutrient you require.
The Skinny on Fat
Fat is one of the most perplexing of the macronutrients. Though you need fat, you have to be careful because getting the wrong fat means you can put on some weight. On the other hand, if you are not getting sufficient fat, there is a chance that you will likewise put on weight because your body craves any nutrient that it lacks.
There are three main kinds of fats: saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
- The saturated fats are those that are solid when they are at room temperature. These include lard, butter and hydrogenated vegetable oils (the kind that is used in many processed foods).
- Polyunsaturated fats are vegetable oils (corn, safflower, sunflower and soy).
- Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil as well as the fat in avocadoes. These are the oils that are believed to prevent certain cancers from forming. It is these fats that the majority of your fat intake should be made of.
Fat is needed in the diet for a number of functions, including in the digestion. Fat is burned quickly for energy and typically starts the metabolism
Know Your Colors
Fruits and vegetables come in every color of the rainbow as well as in white. Not only should you be aiming for the minimum of vegetables and fruits in your diet, you should try to eat as many colors every day so that you can get all of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that they all offer. Every color offers different nutrients in different concentrations.
- Red, like tomatoes, red peppers and red grapefruits, have lycopene, which has been shown to make people up to 60% less likely to develop cancer of the stomach, the colon or the rectum. (Source: Feinstein, editor. 1996)
- Green, like in broccoli, green peas, celery, kale and spinach have lutein which in addition to cancer prevention may play a role in healthy eye sight as well. Watercress may also play a role in preventing lung cancer through a compound that is called PEITC.
There are compounds in vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower may rev up enzymes that are cancer blockers as well as blocking the estrogen that may stimulate breast cancer.
Know the Best Proteins
Protein can be sourced out from two major food types: animals and plants. In the fight against cancer, the experts are suggesting that the protein that you eat must be coming from plant sources. Go for soy, which is the only plant based protein that is known to be complete. A protein is deemed to be whole if it can provide all of the eight essential amino acids that the body can never manufacture on its own. Whey protein is also advantageous in cancer prevention and has been shown to slow the expansion of tumors in several studies. It is not compulsory to go vegetarian or vegan, however. Strictly limiting red meat consumption and substituting it with turkey, fish or chicken is beneficial, especially in sinking the incidence of colon cancer.
Soy also has a chemical called genistein that may protect against prostate cancer. Soy may also work to prevent breast cancer. There are several ways to get soy protein into your diet including using soy protein powder supplements as well as the other soy products including tofu, soy milk, cheese, miso and tempeh.
Whey protein also comes in a number of different types including protein powders and has been shown to be beneficial in cancer risk reduction.
Protein is vital to every cell and function of the human body including the immune system. A strong immune system may play a role in preventing some of the chemical imbalances that may allow cancer to grow and move from area to area. The right amount of protein is important in the diet, not only for cancer prevention, but to keep the body at the right weight, another risk factor that has been proven to increase the risk of getting certain cancers.
Protein also works to create lean muscle mass which burns fat all hours. The American Heart Association recommends that protein should not constitute above 35% of the daily calories intake in an average diet.
Know the Worst Foods
In addition to the foods you should be eating to lower your cancer risk, there are a number of foods that you should be avoiding as well. Red meats and high fat dairy are out because they are high in calories and saturated fats and may increase the risk of colon cancer as well as pre-cancerous colon polyps.
Foods like lunch meats, hot dogs and other cured meats all have nitrites which our bodies will break down to form nitrosamines. Nitrosamines can cause cancer in different peer-reviewed studies. At the same time, elevated sugar diets are also not working for your health because they are mostly high in fat and depleted in important nutrients and fiber. Excess sugar can harm the liver and stress the pancreas as well as depress the immune system.
Alcohol can effectively enhance your cancer risk two to three times. Drinking alcohol mixed with smoking can cause the risk to be as high as 20% more serious for specific cancers of the mouth and the throat.