Foods that fight cancer
Our bodies are incredible machines that have the capability to digest foods, to fight off disease, and to detoxify on its own. However, lifestyle factors including lack of sleep, poor nutrition, low activity, and exposure to environmental toxins can put a toll on the body’s ability to function optimally.
Cancer is the number one cause of death in majority of industrialized countries, and affects not only the individual with cancer but has a tremendous ripple effect. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in Canada for men and the third leading cause for women. The risk of developing this cancer increases when you turn 50 years old, but it can happen at any age. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, adopting a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, being physically active and eating healthy can significantly reduce your risk of developing this highly preventable disease. This means that we as individuals have the power to make changes to our lifestyle to reduce our risk of developing cancer in our lifetime.
The following are four dietary recommendations to help reduce your risk starting today.
1 - Eat a diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. As the saying goes, “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour!” No one food contains all the anti-cancer molecules that can prevent cancer, so it is important to incorporate a wide range of nutrient-dense foods into our daily diet to increase the protective effect. Strive to create a rainbow effect on your dinner plate.
2 - Reduce your consumption of red meat and processed meat. To simplify things, try focusing on more plantbased protein sources at each meal, and make animal protein more of a “garnish” or flavour enhancer. For example, in a stir-fry combine your sirloin beef strips with extra-firm tofu, or in spaghetti sauce reduce the minced meat in half and replace with a mixture of finely diced cremini mushrooms and canned lentils.
3 - Limit your consumption of alcohol and sugar sweetened drinks. Make water – still or bubbly - your drink of choice.
4 - Eat fewer highly processed food products. A good way to achieve this is cooking at home more. No need to get complicated here; let the ingredients speak for themselves.
We only have one body, and it is up to us to take charge of our health because no one else we do that for us. For more delicious recipes and information about cancer prevention, visit www.foodsthatfightcancer.ca. This initiative by Colorectal Cancer Canada aims to empower Canadians to adopt healthy eating habits today in order to reduce the incidence of cancer in the future.