Anti Cancer Foods - Say No to Cancer with your Fork!

Everyone knows someone who has had cancer. The odds are likely that you know someone. How many people do you know that have a working knowledge of anti cancer foods?

It is impossible to live in modern times without being connected in some way with someone who has crossed paths with this terrible disease. Personally, my stepmother died of cancer. My grandmother has survived cancer and my siblings and I are all predisposed.

For all the information disseminated about cancer, there has been a serious lack of education on prevention and health foods that can have a lasting impact on combating inflammation in the body and keeping you healthy.

There has never been a better time to empower yourself with the knowledge that could potentially prevent the development of cancer to begin with or to keep it at bay once it has arrived.

There are many different avenues to explore when talking about cancer prevention, but this article is going to focus on the connection between cancer and one of my favorite topics - food!

There was an article written in the New York Times recently about how doctors aren't required to learn nutrition at a satisfactory level, or even at all. This is outrageous. Americans should be angry. I am.

With millions of Americans being diagnosed with cancer and other horrendous diseases, it is completely unacceptable that doctors, those whom we rely on for the latest in health information and recommendations for disease prevention, should be only modestly educated in the subject of nutrition.

Granted, nutrition is a relatively new recognized science but it is the most undervalued. That pyramid with the food groups just doesn't cut it. It does not accommodate the needs of modern Americans living today who have busy schedules, unusual hours, and perhaps not enough time to prepare adequate meals.

Is nutrition taught in schools? This is not the main focus of this article but something to consider nonetheless.

There is a correlation between diet and cancer. Childhood obesity is at an all time high.

Take a moment to think about how much your children are being taught in school about the foods they eat, nevermind what they are learning about anti cancer foods. How are we preparing the next generation to combat a world over-satured with genetically modified organisms and processed foods?

Better yet, ask yourself honestly, how much do you know about the foods you eat? Do you know where your food comes from?

Making the simple decision to read the label and see where and how your food is grown can make the difference between promoting inflammation in your body or keeping it at bay. For more information on getting better nutrition into our schools, check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

Fact: inflammation promotes cancer. Just a thought.

This article will focus on nutrition for cancer prevention or to accompany treatment, but it should be noted that the principle here applies for anyone who is interested in a healthy lifestyle.

The title of this article gives a nod of gratitude to the professor and author Michael Pollan who preaches "Vote with your Fork!" Vote with your fork, indeed! He is, of course, referring more to the social and economic implications and the effects our grocery shopping decisions have on the future of agriculture but he is also referring to health. 

Vote with your fork to support local agriculture but also to stand up for your health! Of course it would be unrealistic to claim that a person would be guaranteed a cancer free life if they made dietary changes but for someone with a history or pre-existing condition, making healthy eating decisions can largely impact the direction your health will take.

So here it is. The choice is yours. Stand up and say no to cancer with your fork.

I am not a doctor, nor would I ever claim to be, so I will share with you the advice and knowledge I have recieved from reading Dr. David Servan-Schreiber's international bestseller "Anti-cancer: A New Way of Life."

This book is a fascinating read if for no other reason then the fact that the author was a very successful physician who, through the discovery of his own cancer, went on to create this medically supported and research based book on natural support for cancer patients or those who are looking for prevention.

I really do think there is something to be said about the idea that a doctor who was strongly grounded in Western medicine, who after being forced to confront his own cancer, chose to explore some alternative and complimentary avenues towards recovery.

If you are interested in the most recent research on cancer all compiled into one well written and easy to read book, pick this one up. I highly recommend it.

Without further adieu...

• Green Tea
• Olives and Olive Oil
• Tumeric and Curry
• Ginger
• Cruciform Vegetables
• Garlic, Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Chives
• Vegetables and Fruits with Carotenoids (bright colored fruits and vegetables!)
• Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce
• Soy (not taken in pill form)
• Mushrooms
• Herbs and Spices
• Seaweed
• Berries
• Stone and Citrus Fruit
• Dark Chocolate
• Omega 3s
• Probiotics

To really grasp the concept behind these cancer combating foods, one needs to understand that a diet that fights cancer is really about finding the right foods to detoxify and combat inflammation in the body.

Cancer does not appreciate foods that are anti-inflammatory. That is why it is recommended to consume Omega 3s. Omega 3s such as those found in fish have shown in studies to reduce the spread of tumors in cancer patients.

The American diet is enormously heavy in Omega 6 (which causes inflammation in the body) and we need to have a proper balance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 (which fight inflammation) in order to keep cancer in check.

Cancer fighting foods are also strong in antioxidants and detoxifiers. Cruciform vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) have an anti cancer superhero called sulforafane which has the significant ability to help remove cancer cells from the body.

Cancer fighting foods are really about supporting your immune system to help your body maintain a healthy balance so that cancer will not manifest in the first place, but also to help your body fight at optimal levels if you are a cancer patient and would like to supplement your traditional cancer treatments with nutritional therapy.

The truth of the matter is that nobody is more responsible for your health than you are. At the end of the day, it is your body and you owe it to yourself to take care of it.

Stand up for your well-being and Say No to Cancer.

Educate yourself! The best way to say no to cancer is to learn, practice, and share the knowledge!

If you enjoyed my writing and share my passion, please leave a comment below! I'd love to hear from you! Also, please take a moment to vote it up and share it with others! I really appreciate it!

Always try to incorporate anti cancer foods into your diet! :)