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Cancer Prevention Diet

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Most people don’t realize that the diet you eat can promote or prevent cancer. There are things in your diet that will cause cancer to grow more aggressively and things you can eat that will slow the progression of cancer or stop it from developing altogether. Watching your diet is especially important if you have a family history of cancer. In such situations, your diet can make the difference between getting cancer and not getting anything at all.

Plant Based Diet

One trick is to focus on plant-based foods as the staple of your diet. Plants are low in fat and have more fiber and antioxidants which get rid of oxidized free radicals that can cause cancer. A plant based diet includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods. Beans are also considered part of a cancer prevention diet. The less processed you can get these foods, the better. For example, fruit and vegetables are best when raw and not stripped of healthy ingredients due to excessive cooking or baking. Try fruits and vegetables that are brightly colored as these have the most vitamins and antioxidants.

Eat a lot of fiber. Plant-based foods have a lot of fiber in them. Fiber is great in a cancer prevention diet. You can prevent colon cancer with a diet high in fiber, which is also called roughage or bulk. Grains also have high fiber properties. Always buy whole grain breads and other grain foods like whole grain pasta and whole grain rice or brown rice. Fiber keeps food moving through the colon so it doesn’t build up and cause toxic elements to promote colon polyps and colon cancer. There isn’t any fiber in meats, sugar, dairy products or “white foods” like white rice, pastries and white bread.

Cut Down on Meat!

Another cancer prevention diet idea is to cut down on meat. Studies show that vegetarians are about 50 percent less likely to develop cancer than those who include meat in their diet. Meat has no fiber in it and doesn’t have the vitamins that protect against cancer. It has a lot of saturated fat so that it promotes cancer. High fat diets are associated with breast, colon and other cancers. Meat can contain carcinogenic compounds, especially if it is charred. It helps to eat lean meat and to eat a small portion at each meal. Do not grill meat to a well done state and eat red meat only occasionally. It will help your cancer prevention diet to eat more chicken and fish and less red meat in beef or pork. Processed meats can contain carcinogens, which you should stay away from.

Choose Low Fat Foods

Keep out unhealthy fat. This means you choose low fat foods and stay away from meats that are high in saturated fats. A high fat diet can mean that you get more breast cancer or colon cancer. Other cancers are promoted by a high fat diet. The worst fats are trans fats and saturated fats. Trans fats are also called partially hydrogenated oils and are put in foods to keep them from spoiling. On the other hand, good fats include omega 3 fatty acids, fats that come from fish products, among other things. Omega three fatty acids are best found in tuna, salmon and flaxseeds. Olive and canola oil are good choices for cooking oils and you should have in your cancer prevention diet, foods low in fat. Stay away from red meat, butter, whole milk and eggs.

Antioxidants

There are cancer-fighting foods you can choose from in your cancer prevention diet. These are foods that boost your immune system and are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are highest in foods like fruits and vegetables. They contain beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin E and selenium—all good antioxidant foods. The brighter the food, the higher the food is in antioxidants. Garlic, curry and ginger boost the immune system and are good foods to add to your cancer prevention diet. Other spices boost the immune system, such as basil, rosemary, turmeric and coriander. Make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out toxins from your system.

Written by Christine Traxler

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