I recently had to write a paper for my Pathophysiology
class this past week on cancer prevention. It was a very interesting assignment
to research a little and read that there are natural fresh fruits and vegetables
that help your body prevent cancer cells from growing.
Some
of the best sources to help your immune system and overall heath to help
prevent cancer would be to increase your daily intake of organic or locally
grown fruits and vegetables. There are substances found in them that are known
to protect the body against cancer. Phytochemicals include pigments such as
carotenes, chlorophyll, and flavonoids, dietary fibers, enzymes, vitamin- like
compounds, and other minor dietary constituents. It is important to choose
fruits and vegetables that change with the season help get your bodies organs
ready for that new season. Also, it’s a very good idea to cleanse and detox the
body for spring and fall. Some of the fruits and vegetables that have been
helpful are colors that are green, yellow, and orange. I have listed some of
them that were listed to be helpful:
Green (Dark)
|
Yellow/ Light
Green
|
Orange
|
Artichoke
Asparagus
Green
Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Brussels
sprouts
Chard
Collard
Greens
Cucumber
Green
Beans
Green
Grapes
Honeydew
melon
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
(Dark greens)
Mustard
greens
Peas
Spinach
Turnip
Greens
|
Apples
(green and yellow)
Avocado
Bananas
Yellow
Bell peppers
Bok
choy
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Fennel
Kiwi
Lemons
Light
green lettuce
Limes
Onions
Pears
(green and yellow)
Pineapple
Squash
Zucchini
|
Apricots
Orange
Bell pepper
Butternut
squash
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Mangoes
Oranges
Papaya
Pumpkin
Sweet
potatoes
Yams
|
The information provided
in the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine was very informative for preventing
cancer. There are some helpful ways to help keep optimal health. The optimal
health food diet is based on the following principles:
- Eat an assortment of fruits and vegetables – mainly green, yellow, and orange colors, but the other colors can be good too.
- Reducing your daily exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and food additives. If you can’t afford organic you can peel off the skin or remove the outer layers of the leaves to reduce the pesticide levels.
- Eat to support your blood sugar control. You don’t want to eat more sugar than your body actually needs.
- Consuming high intakes of meats and other animal products put ones self at a higher risk for heart disease and cancer. If you want to eat meats it should be fish, white meat or poultry.
- Eat the right types of fats. Some healthier options are olive oil, coconut oil or macadamia nut oil. Keep salt intake low, potassium intake high. Try to use salt substitution or low-sodium foods. American diets is the reverse of sodium to potassium with a ratio of 1:2. The average health ratio for potassium to sodium is 50:1. The average K: Na ratio for some common fruits and vegetables are carrots 75:1, potatoes 110:1, apples 90:1, bananas 440:1, oranges 260:1.
- Avoid food additives. If you can avoid foods that have artificial food colors, especially those that begin with FD&C. Also, cutting out artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, and Saccarin)
- Take measures to reduce foodborne illness. Washing your fruits and vegetables with spray or some soap and water will help remove and unwanted germs from the outer layer. Keeping the temperature of chicken and other meats used when sitting out. Make sure any canned or boxed foods you purchase don’t have dents or cut open.
- Drink sufficient amounts of water each day. It’s good to drink a minimum of 48oz a day.
- Exercise is an important aspect of removing toxins that build up in our muscles. This is just another way to detox the muscles from unwanted build-up of lactic acid and other things.
Here is a diet below includes
anticancer phytochemicals
Upon Rising
·
8 ounce glass pure
water with fresh juice from half a lemon (carotenes, coumarins, flavonoids and
limonoids)
·
3 egg white omelet
with tomatoes, peppers, celery, and spinach (carotenes, coumarins, flavonoids
and limonoids)
·
Handful of raw natural
almonds (lignans and sterols)
·
Smoothie – scoop of
whey protein powder, flaxseed, kale, ½ avocado, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup
raspberries, ½ cup blackberries, unsweetened green tea (carotenes,
dithiolthiones, glucosinolates, and thiocyanates, flavonoids, lignans, and
polyphenols)
·
1 ounce dark chocolate
(at least 70% cacao)
·
Handful of pumpkin
seeds (lignans and sterols)
·
4 ounces chicken breast
·
Serving of baked sweet
potatoes
·
Serving of brussels
sprouts
·
Bowl of fresh mixed
berries
·
2 cup of green
tea (carotenes, dithiolthiones, glucosinolates, and thiocyanates,
flavonoids, and polyphenols)
The above diet calls for drinking
an adequate amount of fresh water. For
a 150 pound individual this would mean 75 ounces per day. Fiber goal should be 25 grams
daily. Eat more fish and
use turmeric which is a polyphenol for flavoring. Avoid red meat and limit alcohol
consumption, red wine in moderation is a good polyphenol. Do not eat trans fats and limit your
salt intake.
Eating a healthy diet and being
physically active are good for you. That's why the American Cancer Society
developed nutrition and physical activity guidelines. This printable pdf contains
tips to help you make those guidelines a part of your everyday life and to help
you stay well (Living Smart, 2010). Once you learn the food items that
help to prevent cancers you can easily incorporate them into your daily
diet. The diet plan I made
above is very extreme and includes mostly foods that have phytochemicals that
have antioxidants, enhance the immune function, antitumor properties, enhance
antioxidant mechanisms, block cancer-causing compounds from damaging cells,
enhance detoxification, direct antitumor effects, block estrogen receptors,
modulate hormone receptors, block carcinogens, and block carcinogen
formation.
Reference:
Murray, M. T., &
Pizzorno, J. E. (1998). A Health Pomoting Diet. In Encyclopedia of natural
medicine (3rd ed., pp. 48-67). Rocklin, CA: Prima Pub.
How to Avoid Food
Additives & Preservatives. (2013, January 16). Retrieved June 25, 2015,
from http%3A%2F%2Fhealthychild.org%2Feasy-steps%2Favoid-risky-food-additives-preservatives%2F
Living smart: The American Cancer Society’s Guide to Eating
Healthy and Being Active [Consumer
brochure]. (2010). Retrieved from American Cancer Society Inc. website:
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-044197.pdf
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