5 minute read
FIGHT CANCER WITH YOUR FORK
By Danielle Cook Kawash, MS, RD, NBC-HWC
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE GET CANCER? WHY DO OTHERS AVOID IT? IT’S NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF GENETICS.
It’s estimated that only 20 percent of health outcomes are the result of simple genetics – the hand we’re dealt at birth. The question is... how can we leverage that other 80 percent in order to avoid cancer? We can get savvy and take action in three categories: identification, avoidance and resilience.
IDENTIFICATION includes getting a quality – and I emphasize quality – yearly physical and taking the time to assess honestly how your body is feeling. Firefighters are conditioned to be tough and live with discomfort, but that attitude can lead you to ignore early warning signs of cancer and other health concerns.
AVOIDANCE means limiting your exposure to carcinogens at work and at home. The good news is that your department likely has policies and procedures to help with that when you’re on the job. But there are plenty of toxins outside of work, and you’re continuously exposed to potential carcinogens in food and household products. By avoiding these, you reduce your “total toxic load,” and help your body remove toxins before they can harm you.
The third category is RESILIENCE. Did you know that we all have cancer cells in our in our bodies? The good news is that those cancer cells grow, divide and multiply only if they’re in a friendly environment. So how do you make your body hostile to cancer cells? You already have a powerful weapon in your arsenal that will keep you healthy if you put it to work – your fork. What you eat can either feed cancer cells or help you kill them.
THE HEALTHY FORK
REDUCE ADDED SUGARS
Sugar is fertilizer for cancer cells. It’s the preferred fuel for their growth and a signal to grow and multiply. Sugar weakens your immune system and reduces your body’s ability to kill cancer cells.
REDUCE INDUSTRIAL SEED OILS
These include soy, corn, cottonseed, safflower, and rapeseed (canola) oil. They’re high in Omega 6 fatty acids, which ignite chronic inflammation in your body. New research shows that as many as one in five cancers are caused or stimulated by inflammation.
AVOID TRANS FAT
These man-made fats are listed as hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or shortening in a product’s ingredient list. This type of fat is so inflammatory, it’s recommended that we completely avoid it.
REDUCE PROCESSED FOODS
Highly processed foods are full of the three ingredients above, which you now know fuel the growth of cancer cells.
Cooking food, especially meat, on high heat (grilling or frying) can also increase your cancer risk. High heat produces carcinogens and advanced glycosylated end products (AGES), which increase cancer risk and accelerate the aging process.
REDUCE TOXINS FOUND IN FOODS
These include pesticides on conventionallygrown produce, antibiotics and hormones used in livestock and poultry, heavy metals, and BPA. These toxins damage cells, increase inflammation, disrupt hormones, and weaken your immune system.
LIMIT ALCOHOL
Excessive alcohol consumption increases inflammation, alters your gut microbiota, weakens your immune system, and damages cells. Limit alcohol to a few drinks a week.
ADD CANCERFIGHTING FOODS TO YOUR PLATE
If you’re wondering what’s left that you can safely eat, the good news is that you don’t have to change everything at once. Start by adding cancerfighting foods to your plate and you’ll soon crowd out those foods that feed cancer.
Get started at dinner tonight by filling your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables. Just taking this one step can make a big difference towards creating a healthy new diet.
AVOID OVEREATING
Overeating can lead to weight gain and inflammation – both risk factors for cancer. ADD NUTS AND SEEDS (IN MODERATION)
Nuts are loaded with important cancer-fighting nutrients such as magnesium, polyphenols, and antioxidants. But keep your portions to two small handfuls daily, as most nuts are high in Omega 6 fats.
There are 200+ studies showing that people who eat colorful fruits and veggies are less likely to get cancer. Fruits and veggies contain over 25,000 cancer-fighting nutrients that protect your body by strengthening your immune system, lowering blood sugar, balancing hormones, reducing inflammation, and activating tumorsuppressing genes.
ADD HERBS AND SPICES
Cancer protection starts with your spice rack! For example, turmeric contains curcumin, which is anti-inflammatory and inhibits the growth of cancer cells (it’s more potent eaten with pepper and olive oil). Saffron contains crocins (water-soluble carotenoids) that may inhibit tumor growth, and garlic contains allium, which boosts the immune system and slows cancer cell growth. EAT FISH TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK
Fish is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation and lower stress hormones such as cortisol, which, when elevated, can increase your risk for cancer.
ADD FERMENTED FOODS
Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut are teeming with beneficial bacteria that keep your gut healthy and your immune system strong, while balancing your hormones.
