The Anti-Cancer Diet
The best diet for preventing or fighting
cancer is a predominantly plant-based diet that includes a variety of
vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A plant-based diet means eating mostly
foods that come from plants: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and beans.
The less processed these foods are—the less
they’ve been cooked, peeled, mixed with other ingredients, stripped of their
nutrients, or otherwise altered from the way they came out of the ground—the
better.
There are many ways to add plant-based
foods to your diet. A nice visual reminder is to aim for a plate of food that
is filled at least two-thirds with whole grains, vegetables, beans, or fruit.
Dairy products, fish, and meat should take up no more than a third of the
plate. Keep in mind that you don’t need to go completely vegetarian. Instead,
focus on adding “whole” foods, which are foods close to their original form.
Just as important, try to minimize or reduce the amount of processed foods you
eat. Eat an apple instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, for example. Or
enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with raisins instead of an oatmeal raisin cookie.
Simple tips
for getting more plant-based foods in your diet
·
Breakfast: Add fruit and a few seeds or nuts to your
whole grain breakfast cereal (such as oatmeal).
·
Lunch: Eat a big salad filled with your favorite beans
and peas or other combo of veggies. Always order lettuce and tomato (plus any
other veggies you can) on your sandwiches. Order whole grain bread for your
sandwiches. Have a side of veggies like cut up carrots, sauerkraut, or a piece
of fruit.
·
Snacks: Fresh fruit and vegetables. Grab an apple or
banana on your way out the door. Raw veggies such as carrots, celery,
cucumbers, jicama, 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.
·
Dinner: Add fresh or frozen veggies to your favorite
pasta sauce or rice dish. Top a baked potato with broccoli and yogurt, sautéed
veggies, or with salsa. Replace creamy pasta sauces, with sautéed vegetables or
tomato sauce made with healthy olive oil.
·
Dessert: Choose fruit instead of a richer dessert. Or
a single square of dark chocolate.
Simple ways
to add more fiber to your diet:
·
Use brown rice instead of white rice
·
Substitute whole-grain bread for white bread
·
Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry
·
Snack on popcorn instead of potato chips
·
Eat fresh fruit such as a pear, a banana, or an apple
(with the skin)
·
Have a baked potato, including the skin, instead of
mashed potatoes
·
Enjoy fresh carrots, celery, or bell peppers with a
hummus or salsa, instead of chips and a sour cream dip
·
Use beans instead of ground meat in chili, casseroles,
tacos, and even burgers (bean burgers can taste great)
Why do
fruits, vegetables, and plant foods seem to protect against cancer?
Plant foods probably offer protection in a
number of ways. They provide thousands of phytochemicals, which are natural
plant compounds. Many are antioxidants, which seem to protect and repair our
DNA. Some antioxidants appear to affect cancer cells, controlling how they grow
or spread. The vitamins and minerals in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and
beans also help produce and repair DNA and control cell growth.
Some foods can have a more direct effect on
specific types of cancer. For instance, plant foods contain fiber, which seems
to lower the risk of colon cancer.
There’s also an indirect benefit to eating
whole foods that are low in fat. They tend to be less calorically dense, so we
can fill up on them without getting so many calories
Ref: helpguide
webmd
