was... You Are What You Eat - Processed Foods, Now...Healing Grocery

[Guest guest]

FriendsForHealthNaturally , " Cheri Fijolek "

<cherishtoo@h...> wrote:

 

> Charles, I understand your message about what we shouldn't eat,

but could

> you please elaborate more on what we should eat? Do you have

recipes to

> share with us? We have grown dependant on conveinance foods. How

do we keep the flavor, yet eliminate the toxins?

 

> >http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=42

 

Hi Cheri!

 

Here is an article that may help you decide which foods are

healthy and which ones are not worth your investment.

---

 

" The Healing Grocery " -- When Food Is Your BEST Medicine

By Jonathan Kauffman

---

 

Cancer-fighting foods:

 

Let the nutrients in plant-based foods go to battle for your health.

 

Right now, as you read this, your body is warding off cancer.

It is estimated that one out of every million new cells you produce

is a cancer cell that is,

 

a cell with damaged or mutated DNA.

It's up to your own natural defenses to repair the damaged DNA and

to destroy such precancerous cells.

 

One in two men and one in three women in the United States develop

cancer at some point in their lives.

 

But the World Cancer Research Fund now estimates that proper diet

can eliminate 40% of all cancers. And that's a conservative figure.

Other researchers believe that 80% is more accurate.

 

People who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk for

specific kinds of cancer.

 

The evidence is overwhelming, says Gladys Block, professor of

epidemiology and public health nutrition at the University of

California at Berkeley. Much of Block's recent research is on

antioxidants and cancer prevention.

Though we don't have proof yet, she adds, I suspect that diet is

more important than genetics.

 

While single-gene causes of cancer have been identified, they are

infrequent. On the other hand, Gene-nutrient interactions are

probably very important.

If there's a genetic factor that imbues a greater susceptibility to

cancer, that doesn't mean that everyone with the gene will get

cancer.

 

People who have the genetic factor and a poor diet, however, will be

at risk.

 

The average life expectancy in Japan, where a high-fiber diet low in

red meat and saturated fat is the norm, is 80 years (compared to an

average of 70 to 75 in the United States).

 

According to environmental toxicologist J. Robert Hatherill, author

of " Eat to Beat Cancer', the Japanese have some of the lowest lung

cancer rates in the world (as well as low rates of prostate and

colon cancer).

Yet the per capita smoking rate in Japan is among the world's

highest.

 

In The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet, doctor-journalist Bob Arnot

quotes a case-controlled study of Uruguayan women, which found that

high

consumption of red meat was associated with a 230% to 770% increase

in breast cancer.

 

Studies with similar results have been conducted in Japan, Italy and

the United States. Diets high in saturated fat particularly from

animal products are also associated with higher risk for colon,

prostate, ovarian, endometrial and lung cancer.

 

There are several possible explanations for this.

 

As your body metabolizes fat molecules it produces free radicals,

which cause oxidization (a process like rusting) in the cells,

crippling them and altering the DNA within.

 

The digestion of charred, cured and processed meat produces

carcinogenic substances in the colon. And consumption of animal

products affects the hormones, causing men to produce more

testosterone and inhibiting women's ability to dispose of extra

estrogen in the bloodstream linked respectively to prostate cancer

and breast cancer.

 

Phytochemicals:

 

Cancer-preventing diets center around vegetables and fruits.

According to nutritionists Laura Pensiero and Susan Oliveria in The

Strang Cookbook for Cancer Prevention, More than 200 studies have

shown that

people who consume a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduce their

risk for cancer, specifically, cancer of the esophagus, stomach,

mouth, lung, bladder, colon, rectum, larynx and cervix.

 

The evidence is strong.

 

Professor Block notes that there are hundreds of different

components in plants and we evolved on them.

All of our biochemistry is based on a diet that's plant-based.

 

Many of these studies focus on specific phytochemicals (phyto means

plant) found in fruits, vegetables, tea and other plant matter. Some

phytochemicals have been shown to counteract or prevent cell

mutation.

 

Some augment the body's natural defense system. And some attack

tumors, blocking their blood supply or reducing their size.

 

In most cases, trying to isolate the specific phytochemicals in a

vitamin or pill form has not been proven to be as effective as

simply ingesting these potent nutrients in their natural forms:

 

fresh, unprocessed foods.

 

This doesn't mean one should eat nothing but raw vegetables.

Many phytochemicals are not heat-sensitive.

In fact, cooking makes some more readily available to the body. This

is particularly true with the lycopene in tomatoes and the beta-

carotene in carrots.

 

However, you should buy organic produce as often as you can.

If you're trying to clear your system of toxic substances from the

environment, don't reintroduce them by eating plants sprayed with

pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers.

 

Here are some phytochemicals shown to have cancer-preventive

properties.

 

Antioxidants, now a household word, perform a specific, potent

anticancer function in the body: They capture free radicals and

prevent harmful oxidization in the cells.

 

Most of us know that vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants. But

researchers have identified far more powerful antioxidants in many

vegetables and fruits.

 

The allium family of vegetables onions, shallots, leeks and garlic

contain large amounts of the flavonoid quercetin, a powerful

antioxidant, as well as sulfides thought to reduce the risk of

stomach cancer and strengthen the immune system.

 

Garlic in particular has long been considered a potent herb with

antibacterial and blood-cleansing properties. Now studies are under

way to confirm its anti-tumor abilities.

 

Another much-hyped group of antioxidants, catechins, are found in

green tea. Some researchers have speculated that green tea

consumption, along with a non-gmo soy-rich diet, is partially

responsible for the low rates of lung

cancer in Japan. Black tea also contains cancer-fighting

theaflavins.

 

A recent, prominent study conducted by Seattle's Fred Hutchinson

Cancer Research Center reported that fruits showed little effect on

preventing prostate cancer.

However, many fruits are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants,

and can play an important role in clearing the body of

free radicals.

Peppers are among the foods highest in vitamin C.

 

Antioxidant-rich fruits include blueberries, raspberries, plums,

citrus fruits, kiwi, and red and white grapes. And berries contain

large amounts of ellagic acid, a tannin thought to deactivate cancer-

causing chemicals by binding to them.

 

Sulforophane, a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables

(cabbage, kale, broccoli, and their relatives) helps the body

manufacture its own antioxidants.

 

Looking for a potent source?

Eat the sprouts of cruciferous vegetables, which contain 10 times to

100 times the sulforaphane-precursor glucoraphanin of mature plants.

 

Supplements as well as whole foods can provide other antioxidants.

 

Selenium has been shown to help prevent cancers in many parts of the

body. It can be found in nuts (especially Brazil nuts), legumes,

sunflower seeds, and shellfish.

 

Men should consider eating more vitamin E, which can be found in

organic whole grains and green leafy vegetables.

 

A Finnish study showed that vitamin E reduced risk of prostate

cancer by 30% in smokers, no less.

 

Toxicity can be a problem for both these antioxidants, so more is

not necessarily better. Researchers recommend 70 to 200 micrograms

of selenium and 400 IUs of vitamin E a day.

 

The last major group of antioxidants are the carotenoids. Eating

lots of carotenoids has been linked to a decrease in cancer risk.

The most famous carotenoid is beta-carotene, but over 600 others

have been identified.

Carotenoids are found in brightly colored foods, imparting

red and gold colors to fruits and vegetables. But they are also

found in dark green plants, where the chlorophyll covers the

carotenoid's color.

 

To increase your carotenoid intake, look for fruits such as

cantaloupe, mango, papaya and peaches; root vegetables such as beets

and carrots; squashes; and lettuces and greens of all kinds.

 

Lycopene, an increasingly prominent carotenoid, is found in tomatoes

and is being investigated for its ability to prevent prostate

cancer. A study conducted at Harvard and published in the Journal of

the National Cancer Institute in 1993 with a follow-up in 1999 sent

waves throughout

the research community. Edward Giovannucci and colleagues found that

men

who ate 10 or more servings a week of tomatoes and tomato products

(tomato juice, tomato sauce) had a 35% lower risk of

prostate cancer than men who ate one-fifth that amount.

 

However, it is advisable to eat only organic tomatoes as the

majority of tomatoes on the market have undergone genetic

engineering, a process by which foreign genes are inserted into the

fruit or vegetables.

 

non-gmo Soy: super cancer fighter:

 

Why is everyone talking about soy? In preventing cancer, soy seems

to be a major player. First, non-gmo soy foods of all kinds from

soybeans and soy

flour to tofu and miso can be an important source of protein,

without the saturated fat of animal products.

By cutting down on meat, not only can you reduce your saturated fat

intake, but you can also avoid

ingesting the antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals that most

commercially raised livestock are given.

 

Second, organic soy foods are the preeminent source for isoflavones,

a type of phytoestrogen. Women who consume large amounts of

phytoestrogens

significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer. Why?

 

Because plant-based estrogens " mimic " human estrogens in the body,

causing it to produce less.

 

Lower estrogen levels are strongly associated with lower incidence

of breast cancer in women. In men, phytoestrogens may lower

the amount of testosterone the body produces, reducing the risk for

prostate cancer.

 

(non-gmo Soy has its detractors, though. Some researchers argue that

unfermented soy products block mineral absorption and that the

phytoestrogens in soy protein do not lower estrogen levels in humans

but in fact increase them.

 

So far, the latter claim is supported by 'isolated'

studies but not by population-based research and does not take into

consideration the fact that soy based products in the U.S. are

genetically modified. For this reason it is important to obtain only

non-gmo soy and to opt for organic soy and tempeh, a form of

fermented soy, or miso, the fermented soybean paste used in soups

and sauces.)

 

Third, non-gmo soy products (along with other beans and seeds)

contain protease

inhibitors the same type of chemicals being used to lower viral load

in HIV-positive people.

 

Protease inhibitors slow cell division in cancerous cells and block

the spread of tumors.

And fourth, plant sterols, phytochemicals found in non-gmo soy as

well as in other legumes, beans, seeds and nuts, also 'inhibit'

estrogen promotion (Estrogen Dominance) and suppress the growth of

tumors, particularly colon and prostate tumors.

 

Fiber:

 

Fiber has been linked to decreased risk of breast, colon and

pancreatic

cancer. It is not completely clear whether high fiber intake is the

cause or simply indicates that a person eats a healthful diet filled

with cancer-preventing fruits and vegetables.

 

However, researchers hypothesize that insoluble fiber speeds waste

through the digestive system, removing carcinogens, heavy metals and

estrogen before they can be absorbed into the walls of the

intestines.

Beans, whole grains, berries and cruciferous vegetables all contain

high amounts of insoluble fiber.

 

A word to the wise--

 

No single phytochemical can be isolated and turned into the miracle

cancer cure. The best defense against cancer is to eat a wide

variety of

organic fruits and vegetables and to adopt a cancer-preventive diet,

such as the ones outlined in any of the books mentioned above. The

major side effects?

 

Weight loss, energy gain and reduced risk for heart

disease.

 

Eating plant-based foods also shifts the body's acid-alkaline

balance.

 

An alkaline environment is the bio-terrain in which cancerous cells

are less likely to thrive.

 

Once again, that means upping your intake of fruits and vegetables

and reducing consumption of such acid-forming foods as red meat,

alcohol, refined sugar and refined flour.

 

Your body fights cancer every day. Feed it right, and it will have

the weapons and the power to be successful for the rest of your

life.

 

Jonathan Kauffman is a food writer and freelance editor based in the

San Francisco Bay Area. He has been a restaurant critic for the East

Bay Express for the past three years. Jonathan likes his fruits and

vegetables prepared by Chez Panisse as often as possible.

 

 

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