EATTO BEAT ILLNESS
Cancer will affect one in two of us in our lifetimes — and is probably the most widely feared disease of our times.
Yet a wealth of scientific evidence shows that adopting a healthy lifestyle cannot only help to protect you against developing cancer, but also improve your quality of life during any treatment and reduce the risk of it coming back.
We saw in Saturday’s Daily Mail how the food we put on our plates can play a vital role in shielding us from a number of complaints, from mental health to eyesight problems and cancer.
cancer can be broadly defined as a series of cell mutations that cause dysfunction, leading to uncontrollable growth of cells.
There are many different types of cancer which can be caused by a number of factors, such as bacteria, viruses or UV radiation. Some cancers are the result of inherited genes, but most occur as we age and acquire more mutations.
The body’s defence mechanisms, which prevent these mutations from developing into cancer, become less reliable with age, which is why we see most cases of cancer in patients over 50.
It’s important to state clearly that it should never be thought of as anyone’s fault if they develop cancer.
even if you set out to live healthily and avoid known risk factors, you can still suffer a random mutation in some part of your body, leading to a growth. VEGGIES ARE VITAL OUr understanding of the complexities of cancer biology is constantly evolving — and certainly there is a need for much more research into the links between nutrition and oncology.
although there is no such thing as a ‘silver bullet’ for cancer prevention, we do know many foods demonstrate a protective role against various forms of the disease.
Vegetables are key. In fact, america’s national cancer Institute has identified 35 foods that possess cancer-preventive properties, including garlic, ginger, onion, turmeric, tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
The good news is that, put together, they make some of the most delicious meals you are likely to taste — as I’ll show with today’s recipes.
as a nHS doctor who cured his own irregular, fast heartbeat eight years ago using diet and lifestyle changes, I am on a mission to help people understand the latest scientific research and take charge of their own health — starting by cooking from scratch.