Anti Cancer Diet & Super Foods
Live to eat well. In 2012 I wrote an article summarizing the anti cancer diet as described by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. We purchased his Eat to Live Well package after a PBS pledge drive weekend. Although our family has not strictly embraced the Fuhrman GOMBS diet over these past years, we have worked much more diligently at adhering to this and follow a similar program that educated upon the same principles.
Below - Dr. Fuhrman's G.O.M.B.S. top 5 anti-cancer food recommendations.
G = Greens. Green vegetables contain many different nutrients and organisms that create a slippery coating on the inside of your blood vessels. Greens activate something called the Nrf2 mechanism that prevents plaque from sticking and speeds up the rate at which fat melts away – all this occurs inside our tiny blood vessels. Basically, think of eating greens as a way of cleaning out your blood vessels and coating them with protection.
O = Onions. When you cut an onion, you cry for good reason. The gas released actually creates disulfides and anti-cancer nutrients that are formed. A large study in Europe revealed that people who ate onions regularly showed a 60% – 70% reduction in all major cancers. Source -The Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Think of preventing ovarian cancer or prostate cancer just by eating more onions… I am so glad we cook with mushrooms constantly, but I do wish they would not make me cry so!
M = Mushrooms. Recently a study published in the International Journal of Cancer showed that women who regularly consumed about 10 grams (that’s a small handful of sliced mushrooms, usually 1) are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. This study went even further to reveal that the group of women who ate this same amount of mushrooms daily along with regular consumption of greens or green tea were 89% less likely to develop breast cancer. This research is more than mind-boggling, it’s significant, remarkable, and extraordinary news that inspires and encourages the need to eat healthier foods – all from about 1 mushroom, wow.
B = Beans and Berries. Beans and berries have highly potent, concentrated levels of anti-cancer antioxidants. They promote healthy brain function as well.
S = Seeds. Raw seeds and nuts contain phytochemicals and good fats that work to reduce cholesterol, help our bodies better absorb important micronutrients, and decrease inflammation. ADD NUTS AND SEEDS whole and raw to your salads - the properties of these good fats allow your body to absorb the micro nutrients of the salad 10X as much than if you ate them as a snack on the side.
Something new I had learned from Furhman was that mushrooms must be cooked! Light cooking of mushrooms dissipates the toxins, and promotes anti oxidant benefits which help fight cancer. Per Fuhrman t is important to know which vegetables should be consumed raw and which should be cooked. Broccoli, for example - I have read is better steamed, whereas cauliflower should be eaten raw, preferably. Garlic - wait 5-10 minutes after chopping garlic to release the medicinal benefits. Also, you can lose micro-nutrients in some vegetables by chopping them after being cooked, therefore it is important to know which vegetables should be cut before being cooked.
That said, it can be overwhelming, right? Suffice it to say, the important aspect of the anti cancer diet to embrace is to do the best you can...he more you follow it, the better chance of restoring your body's proper pH so it can help heal itself.
Here are some tips:
- consume 70-80% raw plant based foods
- juice fresh vegis as much as possible
- eliminate pasteurized milk, peanuts, white flour, sugar, chlorinated water and all processed foods
- restrict protein intake and any meat protein must be organic
- ensure plenty of fiber and pancreatic enzymes
Furhrman does not list grains, however, Dr. William Donald Kelley, who beat his own advanced pancreatic cancer with nutrition and enzyme therapy, is an advocate of whole grains - I want to emphasize ANCIENT grains. We use Teff, Spelt, Sorghum, and Quinoa flours - as some examples. Grains are critical for brain function. With the anti grain revolution brought on by books like "Grain Brain" - it is important to point this out.
LIVE FOOD is important - this would include fresh sprouts and micro-greens, with broccoli sprouts, wheat grass, barley grass and spirulina being highly regarded in the anti cancer diet.
When overwhelmed, supplement with WHOLE FOODs that are COLD processed to maintain integrity of the raw foods, PURE and have a high absorption rate, also referred to as bio-availability. Our personal experience is that juicing wears one out, and a lot of groceries go into the compost. We substitute with a whole food super green powder (contact us about the brand we trust) to provide benefits of juicing when we need an easy button. Another product that we have found helpful in our journey in providing alkaline based, non GMO plant based nutrition is a pure protein powder and fiber supplement that we trust. These shakes are highly absorbable - one of the very best I have found - with 0% trace metals, which is so very important for cancer patients - as toxic load is a huge contributor. Although raw, fresh salads are always best, if a person is in the battle alone, without a spouse, partner, family member to prep food, make juice and clean up after - it requires a lot of strength and determination. The right protein shake can be a game changer. Purely Living Wellness has added a number of brands of protein powders to the bio-resonance program and is able to identify a good source for you.
Not a part of the diet plan, but important - is daily use of coffee enemas to assist the liver with detoxifying. If one has never had a colonic, or colon cleanse, it is important to detox in the right order - beginning with the colon and working up the GI tract.
If you would like a personal consultation to learn more about foods that help build the immune system, which is an important partner for any kind of treatment program, you may contact me for an hour session..
Below - Dr. Fuhrman's G.O.M.B.S. top 5 anti-cancer food recommendations.
G = Greens. Green vegetables contain many different nutrients and organisms that create a slippery coating on the inside of your blood vessels. Greens activate something called the Nrf2 mechanism that prevents plaque from sticking and speeds up the rate at which fat melts away – all this occurs inside our tiny blood vessels. Basically, think of eating greens as a way of cleaning out your blood vessels and coating them with protection.
O = Onions. When you cut an onion, you cry for good reason. The gas released actually creates disulfides and anti-cancer nutrients that are formed. A large study in Europe revealed that people who ate onions regularly showed a 60% – 70% reduction in all major cancers. Source -The Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Think of preventing ovarian cancer or prostate cancer just by eating more onions… I am so glad we cook with mushrooms constantly, but I do wish they would not make me cry so!
M = Mushrooms. Recently a study published in the International Journal of Cancer showed that women who regularly consumed about 10 grams (that’s a small handful of sliced mushrooms, usually 1) are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. This study went even further to reveal that the group of women who ate this same amount of mushrooms daily along with regular consumption of greens or green tea were 89% less likely to develop breast cancer. This research is more than mind-boggling, it’s significant, remarkable, and extraordinary news that inspires and encourages the need to eat healthier foods – all from about 1 mushroom, wow.
B = Beans and Berries. Beans and berries have highly potent, concentrated levels of anti-cancer antioxidants. They promote healthy brain function as well.
S = Seeds. Raw seeds and nuts contain phytochemicals and good fats that work to reduce cholesterol, help our bodies better absorb important micronutrients, and decrease inflammation. ADD NUTS AND SEEDS whole and raw to your salads - the properties of these good fats allow your body to absorb the micro nutrients of the salad 10X as much than if you ate them as a snack on the side.
Something new I had learned from Furhman was that mushrooms must be cooked! Light cooking of mushrooms dissipates the toxins, and promotes anti oxidant benefits which help fight cancer. Per Fuhrman t is important to know which vegetables should be consumed raw and which should be cooked. Broccoli, for example - I have read is better steamed, whereas cauliflower should be eaten raw, preferably. Garlic - wait 5-10 minutes after chopping garlic to release the medicinal benefits. Also, you can lose micro-nutrients in some vegetables by chopping them after being cooked, therefore it is important to know which vegetables should be cut before being cooked.
That said, it can be overwhelming, right? Suffice it to say, the important aspect of the anti cancer diet to embrace is to do the best you can...he more you follow it, the better chance of restoring your body's proper pH so it can help heal itself.
Here are some tips:
- consume 70-80% raw plant based foods
- juice fresh vegis as much as possible
- eliminate pasteurized milk, peanuts, white flour, sugar, chlorinated water and all processed foods
- restrict protein intake and any meat protein must be organic
- ensure plenty of fiber and pancreatic enzymes
Furhrman does not list grains, however, Dr. William Donald Kelley, who beat his own advanced pancreatic cancer with nutrition and enzyme therapy, is an advocate of whole grains - I want to emphasize ANCIENT grains. We use Teff, Spelt, Sorghum, and Quinoa flours - as some examples. Grains are critical for brain function. With the anti grain revolution brought on by books like "Grain Brain" - it is important to point this out.
LIVE FOOD is important - this would include fresh sprouts and micro-greens, with broccoli sprouts, wheat grass, barley grass and spirulina being highly regarded in the anti cancer diet.
When overwhelmed, supplement with WHOLE FOODs that are COLD processed to maintain integrity of the raw foods, PURE and have a high absorption rate, also referred to as bio-availability. Our personal experience is that juicing wears one out, and a lot of groceries go into the compost. We substitute with a whole food super green powder (contact us about the brand we trust) to provide benefits of juicing when we need an easy button. Another product that we have found helpful in our journey in providing alkaline based, non GMO plant based nutrition is a pure protein powder and fiber supplement that we trust. These shakes are highly absorbable - one of the very best I have found - with 0% trace metals, which is so very important for cancer patients - as toxic load is a huge contributor. Although raw, fresh salads are always best, if a person is in the battle alone, without a spouse, partner, family member to prep food, make juice and clean up after - it requires a lot of strength and determination. The right protein shake can be a game changer. Purely Living Wellness has added a number of brands of protein powders to the bio-resonance program and is able to identify a good source for you.
Not a part of the diet plan, but important - is daily use of coffee enemas to assist the liver with detoxifying. If one has never had a colonic, or colon cleanse, it is important to detox in the right order - beginning with the colon and working up the GI tract.
If you would like a personal consultation to learn more about foods that help build the immune system, which is an important partner for any kind of treatment program, you may contact me for an hour session..