FOOD IS MEDICINE
Author Liana Werner-Gray delves into what we should and should not eat in her new book Cancer-Free with Food
A new book, Cancer-Free with Food, spotlights what you should and shouldn’t eat to ward off cancer, and which lifestyle changes can help decrease your risk.
In recent years, scientists have come to realize that it’s not just our genes that decide whether we get cancer. From the emerging science of epigenetics, we know that we can influence the way our genes express themselves through the lifestyles we lead—and the foods we choose to eat.
Describing a study conducted by the acclaimed cardiologist Dean Ornish, Mark Hyman, M.D., writes: “After just three months on an intensive lifestyle program including a whole-foods, plant-based diet, over 500 genes that regulate cancer were beneficially affected, either turning off the cancer-causing genes or turning on the cancer-protective genes. No medication can do that.”
Through lifestyle modification alone, we can literally rewrite our genetic code. Just because your parents, grandparents or siblings had cancer doesn’t mean you have to! My first touch of cancer was seeing both my grandfathers die from the disease. Unfortunately, their diets were not ideal.
Food is medicine. By now, this important message has made its way from holistic circles to the mainstream. To ward off cancer and decrease its risk, meals specially formulated to nourish, soothe and fortify can be an important part of treatment.
But what foods work best? That remains frustratingly elusive and time-consuming to research. I was more than happy to do the research and was incredibly curious to learn about and gather the best foods for various types of cancer.
I include 195 simple and tested recipes—created to boost your immune system and promote healing—in my new book,
Cancer-Free with Food. The recipes are designed to work on their own or in conjunction with other therapies.
Good nutrition is the foundation of good health. Science is constantly revealing incredible insights on this. I give a breakdown of the science behind my recommendations for the
To ward off cancer and decrease its risk, meals specially formulated to nourish, soothe and fortify can be an important part of treatment.
most healing ingredients—everything from broccoli sprouts and turmeric to blueberries, cacao and flaxseed.
One of the things you’ll hear me repeat time and again is that you want to make your body inhospitable to cancer. These foods will help with that.
From all the research I did, I discovered that broccoli sprouts are the number one cancer-killing vegetable we can eat. Broccoli sprouts are potent with sulforaphane, which is a compound also found in broccoli, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
When sulforaphane was injected into tumors in research studies, all tumors were reduced. If I were diagnosed with cancer today, I would start drinking broccoli sprout juice and upping my intake of it.
Fortunately, now I have a cancer-free body and I intend to keep it that way. Ten years ago, I was in the hospital, getting a biopsy to reveal I had a 3.7-centimeter tumor in my lymphatic system. I had a feeling it was because of my diet, which had been horrific during the five years prior.
This major wake-up call forced me to start seeking ways to obtain high amounts of nutrition into my body—and quickly. So I started drinking vegetable juices, six servings a day. And I created recipes to replace all my cravings, including chocolate, cookies, chicken nuggets and burgers. My exact healing protocol, as well as the recipes and foods I used, are all in my book.
The statistics on cancer are alarming. That’s another reason my heart ached to write this book. We have an opportunity to change that.
In the foreword in my book, Dr. Hyman writes that during his oncology rotation in medical school, he asked his professor what percentage of cancer was related to diet. Expecting a gracious but insignificant nod to the role of diet as a cause of cancer, Dr. Hyman was surprised when his professor said 70 percent of all cancers are related to diet.
Given this, in my book I answer this incredibly important question: If I’ve got or want to avoid cancer, what should I eat? That’s why I list the 15 most toxic foods on earth, including white sugar, corn syrup, fillers, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers (basically processed foods that are genetically engineered, made in factories and wrapped in plastic) and microwaved food.
Most people who improve their dietary habits by flooding their bodies with nutrients begin to feel better almost immediately. These nutrients will come mainly from plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, leaves, roots, nuts and seeds. In addition, there is lean protein sourced exclusively from beans (if you’re vegetarian) and from eggs, fish, poultry and modest amounts of red meat (if you’re a meat eater).
Similarly, when people stop eating the wrong foods—those that are toxic to their bodies, such as refined sugar (you’ll notice I repeat this a lot)—most feel better almost immediately. If you reduce your levels of stress, spend time with friends and family, increase the hours you sleep, avoid exposure to pollution, and nourish yourself emotionally and spiritually, healing is promoted. For more information about the author and Cancer-Free with
Food, visit lianawernergray.com.
Most people who improve their dietary habits by flooding their bodies with nutrients begin to feel better almost immediately.