Anti Cancer Diet – Saira Gillani ND, CTN, MBA Natural Health Atlanta
Author by Saira Gillani, ND
Whether you have a history of cancer in your family, or are currently battling the disease, lifestyle factors, including your diet, can make an enormous difference in helping you fight off cancer. Some foods actually increase your risk of cancer, while others support your body and strengthen your immune system. By making smart food choices, you can protect your ant-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 more fruits and vegetables you eat, the less risk for all cancers. Eat fruits with high anti-oxidants, including oranges, asparagus, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and papaya for the most benefit. In addition to functioning as anti-oxidants, fruits and vegetables also contain lots of fiber. Fiber binds to estrogen in the digestive tract so that levels in the blood are reduced. Adopting healthier eating habits reduces the risk of cancer by 30-40%.
Exercise Regularly
Research shows that exercise will lower the levels of estrogen produced by the body, thereby reducing the risk of cancer. Use movements that involve the shoulders and build torso and upper arm strength. Studies show women who do aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day have a 20-40% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who are inactive.
Reach and maintain a healthy weight
Studies show that excess weight is a cancer risk factor. Being overweight and obese have a great impact on the hormones that increase post menopausal women’s risk of cancer, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Spirituality
Cole Peterochko from MedPage Today stated that, “Ovarian cancer patients who reported high levels of spirituality pre-surgery had better outcomes for stress and depression, as well as factors known to regulate tumor angiogenesis and inflammation. They also had significantly lower levels of IL-6, both in peripheral blood and in ascites after adjusting for stress and depression.”
Reduce fat
Some research indicates that a low-fat diet helps prevent cancer. Avoid saturated fat found in meat, butter or ghee, foods that contain full-cream milk (whole-milk dairy foods), and fatty acids in margarine. These fats may trigger breast cancer. The type of fat that helps prevent cancer is unsaturated fat found in olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other cold water fish. Also, have a diet high in whole grains founds in daal, seeds, nuts and beans.
If you eat meat, do not over cook meats
The way you cook the meat will affect the risk of cancer. When meats are cooked or baked, they produce carcinogenic compounds. The longer they are cooked, the more the compound is formed. Do not char meats as the compounds become more harmful.
Eliminate or limit alcohol consumption
Studies show people who drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day develop cancer at nearly twice the rate as those who drink no alcohol at all.
Do not smoke or breathe in smoke
If you smoke or are constantly exposed to second-hand smoke, you are 40% more likely to develop cancer. However, quitting rapidly improves your statistics.
Take Anti-oxidant supplements
Use supplements such as vitamins C, E, and B-complex as well as minerals that have been proven effective in the natural prevention of cancer. I would also recommend Chia seeds, which are shown to add Omega 3 and 6 and are a great source in controlling blood sugar levels. Also add herbs such as haldi (turmeric) to purify blood.
Public awareness, healthier life style, diet, exercise, and general awareness using appropriate technology may help in reducing the incidence and occurrence of cancer in our population.
About The Author
Dr. Saira Gillani, ND, CTN, CNW, MBA has been Double Board Certified as a Traditional Naturopath and in Nutritional Wellness from the American Naturopathic Certification Board, and has her Doctorate of Naturopathy from Clayton College of Natural Health, graduating Magna Cum Laude. To learn more about Natural Health Atlanta, visit www.naturalhealthatlanta.com or call (678) 892-6865
