It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, and as I listen to the statistics of women diagnosed, I ponder the reality that it could happen to me. I can’t help but wonder, what would I do? What power foods would I eat to strengthen my immune system?
What I do know is that we have incredible power over our health. Even if there are genetic factors involved, our lifestyle can have an effect on whether or not those genes are expressed. That being said, cancer is a stinker and can appear in even the healthiest of us. It is important to eat and live in a way that supports our immune system, to arm our body and reduce our risk.
Cancer thrives in an acidic, inflammatory environment, so the first thing I would do is to remove things like sugar, refined carbohydrates, acidic foods and load my body with alkaline, anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory, live plant-based foods.
The great thing is that there are so many delicious “superstar” foods that have a little extra punch when it comes to fighting cancer. These foods include berries, cruciferous vegetables, carotenoid-rich vegetables, beans/lentils and spices like turmeric.
Turmeric is a yellow spice that is a big part of curries and other Indian dishes. The magic lies with curcumin, a component of turmeric that has been shown to help prevent several types of cancer, like colorectal, esophageal, mouth, intestinal, breast, stomach, and skin.
Adding turmeric to warm lemon water is a winning combination: the lemon creates a basic environment, the turmeric has an anti-cancer effect and the ginger is an anti-inflammatory. Get hooked on the benefits of this Tumeric Lemon Elixer!
You’ve got to try my Spicy North-African Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas! This soup is a winner on so many levels.
I always get rave reviews whenever I serve this soup, for its slightly-spicy, unique flavor. It makes me smile inside because I know that it is loaded with 6 of the power foods for breast health. Whoo Hoo!
Let’s take a look at those power ingredients in the soup –
Chickpeas – Legumes are uniquely high in several nutrients important for breast cancer protection, including fiber, folic acid and phytoestrogens called lignans. According to Harvard’s Nurses’ Study, those who consumed beans or lentils at least twice a week were 24% less likely to get breast cancer then those who consumed them less than once a week.
- Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Kale – They get their anti-cancer punch from plant pigments called carotenoids. These carotenoids offer broad-spectrum, natural chemo-prevention. Light cooking actually increases the bioavailability of carotenoids, so enjoy this group of veggies cooked for optimal results.
- Cauliflower – This cruciferous vegetable contains phytochemicals, namely sulforaphane and indoles, which are among the most potent naturally occurring anti-breast cancer agents ever identified.
So whether you have breast cancer or not, eating more plant-based power foods is the best medicine. Try some of my recipes and discover the healing power of good, fresh, real food.
All this month, we will be featuring power foods for Breast Health, so stay tuned and please share this post with someone you love or know who would benefit from this information.