Eating for cancer prevention does not have to be an onerous task. It may sound off coming from a nutritionist but I really do my best to avoid recipes that have a laundry list of ingredients. Whole foods prepared simply is my mantra. And often I feel we miss the boat with our focus. We concern ourselves with the main dish and leave the fixings as an after thought. But here is the thing. The supporting casts in meal preparation can offer some of the greatest health benefits. Case in point. Take a look at this lunch.
Now I love my avocado toast. Avocados offer a host of health benefits such as healthy fats, fiber and potassium. But what I want you to focus on in this exercise are the add ons to the dish and how including such things on your plate really ups the anti cancer properties of a meal.
Fermented carrots and celery
Fermented vegetables are stars for gut health and nutrient absorption, both essential for cancer prevention. These fermented carrots and celery serve as both pre and probiotic foods. By adding fermented foods to your meal you are not only adding gut friendly foods you also are adding foods that actually help with the digestion of the rest of your meal.
Onions are another gut friendly food falling in to the prebiotic category. They are also amazing for liver support. Rich in allicin they aid your liver in its detoxification process.
Ground Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are rich in lignans which are fiber-related polyphenols. They contain Omega 3 fatty acids and they are a great source of antioxidants. Although we do naturally produce some antioxidants, our bodies rely a great deal upon dietary sources and antioxidants are a vital component of cancer prevention.
Himalayan Salt
Himalayan salt offers trace minerals, helps in detoxification and may lower blood pressure. If you are a salt person definitely switching from table salt to this lovely pink gem is important.
So there you have it! In life we try not to sweat the small stuff. But in plating it could make the world of difference.
I am a Holistic Nutritionist, a certified Professional Cancer Coach and I am a breast cancer survivor. In my protocol for treatment I used both the medical path and the alternative path. So going toe to toe with the medical profession is not a road I wish to travel. But every once in a while I read an article that points my inner compass in that direction.
Recently I read an article entitled “Yet another woman with breast cancer lured into quackery by Ty Bollinger and “holistic” medicine advocates” by David Gorski, a surgeon who publishes under the name ORAC. He takes aim at Ty Bollinger and the film series he created called “The Truth About Cancer”. I am not going to speak to this aspect of his prose. Rather my issue is with his broad-brush swipe of alternative therapies painting a negative hue on their validity in cancer care. I cannot vouch for all holistic practitioners, only to those in the circle in which I practice. We look to oncologists as primary care and offer research based adjuvant therapies to support medical treatment such as acupuncture[i][ii] for pain management, supplements to reduce various side effects of medical treatment i.e. glutamine[iii] to reduce the severity and duration of stomatitis, and lifestyle strategies such as meditation[iv] to mitigate the stressors of a cancer diagnosis and to positively influence cortisol and blood pressure levels. Our goal is to work with the medical team to offer the best overall protocol for cancer patients. Gorski offers no place for complementary therapies in cancer care as noted in this excerpt:
“Irritatingly, though, both used the example of… to promote their “integrative oncology” programs—and regular readers know that both Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic are heavily into “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) and “integrative” medicine and that both are very active at “integrating” quackery with conventional medicine”
It is my very strong opinion that to dismiss alternative therapies as a whole in cancer care as “quackery” is an irresponsible swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction of his target Ty Bollinger.
Although not taken on in Gorski’s article, the importance of nutrition within a comprehensive cancer protocol is also undervalued. Working within my own scope of practice, I find it particularly irresponsible when cancer patients are advised that their diet is of little consequence in fighting their disease. I have encountered this in clinic with cancer patients that I have seen. To avoid cachexia, or excessive weight loss, some patients are misguided and misinformed by the notion that any calorie is a good calorie so mowing down on cookies and chocolate bars are within reason. Without going in to the argument of whether or not processed sugar is a fuel source for cancer, let’s just agree shall we that it has minimal if any nutritive value and dare I say may actually be detrimental to overall health.[v][vi][vii] And that processed foods are really not a recognized nutritive food group, offering little to no positive health value during a time when the body needs proper fuel to fight and repair.
So let’s flip the mat then and talk about macronutrients shall we:
Protein is essential for big body issues such as tissue repair, immune function and cell communication. Is it not advisable that someone undergoing treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation should include adequate amounts in their diet? I’m not sure anyone would tell me that these treatments do not garner damage to the body rendering it in need of some degree of repair.
We need good quality fat, not just any fat. Fats provide us with energy. They are integral for proper cell structure. They help absorb fat-soluble vitamins. They manage inflammation and they contain 9 calories per gram as compared to protein and carbohydrates, which contain 4 calories per gram. A rather important nutrient as well.
Carbohydrates, for most of us, are our main energy source. It is important to get our carbs from nutrient dense, fibrous foods to help manage blood sugar. Fiber, also a carbohydrate, is essential for feeding our microbiome. And as an aside, science continues to discover the great importance of a balanced, well-functioning microbiome to our health.
Along with the macronutrients, the well-studied importance of vitamins, minerals, plant polyphenols and the like draw a straight line to the conclusion that yes, diet does matter. Why then would any doctor throw open the doors and say eat anything that makes you feel just fine? As I draw on my personal experience, I surely had a progressive oncologist then who told me to avoid soy products and limit my red meat intake. He saw some validity of dietary influence.
I strengthened my body prior to treatment using many “complementary” therapies including diet modification, yoga, meditation, supplementation and exercise. I maintained most of my routine during treatment and with the consent of my oncologist. And I continue to incorporate complementary therapies along with my medical therapies today as my prevention path.
Please do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Build a team of responsible practitioners who understand the importance of working together and with you to build the best possible protocol for your disease. Complementary therapies do have a valid, important place in cancer care.
Making a commitment to eating a rainbow of colours when it comes to fruits and vegetables is important not only for your palate but also for your gut. Your gut houses the majority of your microbiome, your community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms, and eating your fruits and veggies helps to maintain a healthy balance of these organisms. Fruits and vegetables also offer vast health benefits from a variety of over 6000 flavonoids, a class of phytonutrients, that provide pigment to plants and are commonly noted for their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. But as research is uncovering, many flavonoids possess other health benefits including anti-cancer properties. And it is here that we come full circle. We need a healthy gut microbiome to convert flavonoids to their health promoting metabolites.
Apigenin is a type of flavonoid that has been studied extensively for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Apigenin has been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic properties on a variety of cancers including pancreatic, colorectal and breast cancer and is also being examined for its effects when combined with chemotherapy agents.
Apigenin is found in a variety of foods and herbs such as apples, broccoli, basil, onions, artichoke, oregano, chamomile and cilantro. But it is most prominently concentrated in parsley and celery, two of the most commonly used staples in our kitchen.
Celery is labeled as the go to for making soups and broths and as the key to a successful calorie restriction plan as it is full of water (95% of it is in fact H2O) and fiber, the perfect combination for the war against weight. Now you can add celery’s cancer fighting properties to its list of healthy benefits. And Mother Nature has made it so convenient to consume and the perfect vehicle for dips and nut butters.
Parsley is the most widely used herb in kitchens. And for good reason:
It comes in many varieties.
It’s available all year round.
It’s easy to grow.
It freshens your breath.
It has a very pleasant taste in a wide variety of dishes.
As well as the noted Apigenin flavonoid, parsley is high in Vitamin K and Vitamin C and is a good source of Vitamin A.
Chemoprotective foods such as celery and parsley can be easily incorporated in to our daily diet and they are just two examples of how nature provides us with powerful weapons in our cancer prevention and cancer fighting arsenals.
The coming of spring brings new flowers, bright colours, warmer weather and for many people the aggravation of seasonal allergies.
Allergies are an over reaction by our immune system to an otherwise harmless substance called an allergen. In the case of spring time allergies, the allergen is pollen. Pollen initiates an immune response causing the release of chemicals in our body such as histamine and resulting in various symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes and post nasal drip. This can surely take the joy out of spring.
So let’s take a look at some things that we can do to survive the Spring season.
First and foremost we must pay heed to our gut as the bulk of our immune system resides there and its tolerance is strongly influenced by our gut bacteria and intestinal function. So we must:
Eat a whole foods diet
Get adequate fibre
Eat fermented foods
Avoid sugar and processed foods
Chew our food well
When it comes to diet:
Increase consumption of foods such as garlic, parsley, apples, broccoli and green & black tea. These are all high in the bioflavonoid quercetin. Quercetin can help prevent the release of histamine
Increase foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids. They can help quell the inflammation caused by allergic reactions. Such foods include wild caught salmon, ground flax seeds & chia seeds
Increase intake of foods high in Vitamin C such as red peppers, kiwi, broccoli, green leafy vegetable and strawberries. Vitamin C can help to reduce histamine release
Have a cup of Nettle tea. It is a natural antihistamine
Eat foods high in antioxidants such as blueberries, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables as they can help to modulate the body’s inflammatory response
Keep hydrated to help the body flush toxins
Supplements to consider in support of the diet recommendations include:
Probiotics
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
On the lifestyle front:
Stay indoors first thing in the morning and on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a rain
Stay away from cut grass and hand over the gardening chores for the spring
Get at least 7-8 hours of good quality sleep
Use a Neti Pot for nasal irrigation
Try acupuncture to relieve your respiratory distress
Take the time now to prepare your body for the spring time so that you too can enjoy the riches of the season!
Recipes certainly have a place in the kitchen both as a source of inspiration and as a guideline for preparation. But if there is one thing that I would truly love to get across to you is to have the confidence to go off the grid and experiment with new ingredients either in a whole new creation or by incorporating them in to family favourites. There will be successes and there will be failures. But it’s all a process.
Variety is not only the spice of life but it is also key to getting the wide array of important nutrients in to your diet that your body needs to function at its best and fight off disease.
So take an old favourite and enhance it by adding a superfood like hemp hearts. Or replace some of the usual ingredients with something new and see how it flies.
This easy recipe is a twist on the conventional Greek Salad. The addition of the black rice to the quinoa makes the salad a bit chewy adding a nice texture to it. I added hemp hearts to pump it up.
This recipe does not have any greens in it. But here is your chance to be creative. If the mood hits you try adding some spinach or arugula.
Grainy Greek Salad
Ingredients
2/3 cup quinoa
1/3 cup Black rice
2 cups water, salted
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. Hemp Hearts
1/2 cup Greek Feta Cheese
Dressing
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1/8 tsp. Honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredient together well.
Directions
Bring water to boil and add salt
Add quinoa and rice. Cook until tender and let cool
Place rest of ingredients in bowl. Add cooled quinoa and rice
