Does your diet have any relevance when fighting cancer? The answer is a resounding YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chances are extremely high that you will not hear this at your oncologist visit. How many people have heard from their doctor that it doesn’t matter what you eat when fighting cancer, it won’t make a difference? My heart sinks, because this answer couldn’t be further from the truth.
They encourage their patients to eat whatever they want. It’s a sad fact, but nutrition is hardly taught in med school instead they teach that the answer to most health issues is prescribing a drug. Let’s learn how to start fighting cancer with your diet, it really is a game changer!!
You Are What You Eat
You are what you eat. This is not some cliche, this is the God honest truth. Not only can poor nutrition play a huge role in causing cancer but indeed it can play a huge role on whether or not you beat cancer. It has been said that a bad diet can cause cancer and a good diet can stop it. Every food choice you make either promotes cancer or fights it.
Your body needs nutrients from the food you eat to provide the foundation for the function and integrity of every single cell in your body all the way from your skin, muscles, and bones to your immune and digestive systems. Your body is always rebuilding, repairing, and healing.
Your diet will make or break this process.
The human body is always making new cells to replace exhausted cells and the health of those new cells depends on how well your diet is. A whole food diet that is nutrient rich will help to build healthy cells. If you have a high performance car and put cheap gas in it instead of high octane, the motor will start to knock and ping. The performance will be way less than optimal.
I have heard people make remarks such as, ” I have been eating a whole foods diet for a month and my skin is absolutely glowing!” or “After eating clean for a week I have boundless energy!” Those are classic examples of the power of nutrition and it’s impact on your body.
Sugar…. Cancer Culprit
I am absolutely floored when I hear people say that when they go to see their cancer doctor that in the waiting room there are candy dishes and free sodas. Sugar is cancer’s favorite food! Cancer gobbles up sugar, this keeps the cancer cell well fed and alive. Sugar is to cancer what gasoline is to a fire. According to The Credit Suisse Research Institute in their 2013 study , a whopping 40 percent of United States healthcare costs are for diseases related to the over consumption of you guessed it, SUGAR! Why? Because sugar will take down an immune system and whamo, diseases start! Diseases I am talking about are things like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and yes, cancer. Sugar consumption leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) which generate a huge amount of free radicals. These free radicals reap havoc by causing mitochondrial and nuclear damage as well as cell membrane and protein impairment.
A recent study reveals how dietary sugar intake has a huge impact on breast cancer development, an eye opener to be sure. Sugar increases risk for breast cancer tumors and metastasis, see here.
One of the most powerful adjuncts that I know of in treating any kind of cancer is removing sugar from the diet. Simply put, sugar removal starves cancer cells because it deprives them of their food source which is primarily sugar.
Strike one! Cancer cells thrive when you eat sugar, it fertilizes carcinogenic cells!
Strike two! Sugar causes inflammation and inflammation causes cancer, see here for study.
Strike three! Sugar destroys the immune system, not necessarily what you want when fighting cancer! See here.
Some great sugar alternatives you may want to use to replace sugar are stevia and monk fruit sweetener. These have been life savers to many who are having a difficult time ditching the sugar. Check out our recipes on our blog, we include these sweeteners and they taste incredible.
If you decide to follow a natural healing protocol, and there are many that are powerful, don’t even waste your time and money until you decide to make some diet changes. The diet is the foundation of any natural healing protocol for cancer or any health challenge for that matter. There is no need to go further if you don’t decide to eliminate the bad foods and replace them with life giving, nourishing foods that will help to build healthy cells.
Incorporate Functional Foods Into Your Diet
When you are fighting a full on battle with cancer, it’s crucial what you do eat. You want to eat functional food. What is functional food? These are foods that have a positive effect on your health that go beyond basic nutrition. These kinds of foods encourage optimal health and help to fight the risk of disease. I like to look at it this way, certain foods have medicinal value. I think of things like lacto fermented foods and drinks that help build optimal gut flora which in turn will have an impact on your immune system. Other foods that have a positive impact upon your health and are loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals can be nuts and seeds, berries, greens, avocados, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, thyme, lemons.
Then there are healthy beverages that are healing such as kefir, kombucha, green tea, golden milk, green drinks, and smoothies. My favorite is the cancer fighting smoothie which is loaded to the brim with every ingredient packing a powerful punch in the fight against cancer. This smoothie is loaded with functional foods and is an excellent adjunct in any cancer fighting protocol. It has ingredients that detoxify, alkalize, and attack cancer cells head on.
Cancer Fighting Foods For Your Diet
- carotenoids- Carrots, greens, apricots, squash, and peppers contain carotenoids that are are very antagonistic to cancer.
- mushrooms- Shiitake, Maiitake, cordyceps all give a boost to the immune system.
- ginger- This is one powerhouse herb that is an awesome anti inflammatory agent that fights cancer cells.
- seeds- Seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower are very high in anti oxidants and much needed vitamins and minerals that help to inhibit cancer cell growth. Seeds also fight inflammation which fuels the growth of cancer.
- greens- These work to alkalize, detox, and cleanse your body. Spinach, kale, and chard, among other greens, they are also rich in chloropyhll,
- cruciferous vegetables- Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are rich in sulforaphane, ( especially broccoli ) a cancer fighting agent which boost the body’s protective enzymes. Broccoli is also rich in Indole3carbinol which helps in fighting estrogen driven cancers.
- garlic- Garlic’s allicin content seems to stop the spread of cancer by stopping blood supply formation for tumors. Garlic also attacks microbes and yeast.
- berries- Berries are full of anthocyanides, ellagic acid, resveratrol, and phytochemicals, known cancer fighters.
- citrus- Citrus fruits are packed full of powerful flavonoids that inhibit the growth and spread of tumors.
The Role Of Foods
There are numerous foods that are antagonistic to cancer in one way or another. Super foods are called super foods for a reason.
Many are known to help build healthy cells, detox, fight inflammation, and cause apoptosis (cancer cell death).
Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries– contain a powerful phyto chemical called ellagic acid which slows growth of cancer cells and hinders them from spreading. They are also known to cause apoptosis. See this study.
Tomatoes– contain the antioxidant called lycopene that hinders blood flow to cancer cells which in turn starves the cells. See this study.
Cruciferous vegetables– These veggies are high in sulforaphane, a potent cancer fighter that expels carcinogens from the body and that causes apoptosis. See this study.
Green tea– This powerful tea leaf is a terror to cancer cells. This tea is super rich in polyphenols and catechins that are known to cause tumor cell death. See study, study, study, study.
And then you have foods that are very good inflammation fighters. Inflammation fuels cancer cells.
Wild caught salmon
Walnuts
Coconut oil (unrefined)
Ginger
Berries
Broccoli
Avocados
Another thing to consider is incorporating a trusted brand of essential oils into your daily routine.
I can’t say enough good about them when it comes to helping in your fight against cancer or any disease.
For example Frankincense and Copaiba are just a few powerful anti-inflammatory oils which can greatly help
in any healing protocol along with a clean diet. There are so many other wonderful oils out there too.
See why we are sold on and choose Plant Therapy oils above all others here.
Last but certainly not least , good,clean filtered drinking water is of utmost importance !!
Research a good high quality drinking water filtration system that has lots of good reviews and ratings.
The one I use is this one here. I’ve had it for years and love mine!!
The Bottom Line
If you are serious about treating your cancer, you will want to incorporate a game plan on what your diet should look like. Stay away from sugar and processed foods. Other foods I would stay away from are : deep fried, and grilled foods, processed foods, read meat, processed meats, soy, sugar, gluten, gmo , microwaved, and canned foods, and hydrogenated oils. When you go shopping, look for whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, and preferably organic foods to avoid those nasty pesticides.
If you can’t get organic take a look at the “Clean Fifteen” list and go from there.
If you haven’t already done so, read Lana’s Wake Up Call And Personal Healing Journey to see how she implemented healthy foods into her fight for better health.
Drop us a comment and let us know your favorite cancer fighting foods and feel free to include a recipe too!
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Full Disclaimer
All the information on wellnesstwins.com is intended to help readers learn more about health and nutrition. It is our strong recommendation that you consult with your physician before making any health changes and continue under your physicians guidance and supervision . We are not doctors. No information on this website should replace your physicians care. No information on this website is to be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any sickness. Any statements about possible health benefits by foods or supplements mentioned on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA.
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