The cancer killing superfoods…
What amazes me is how selfish & simple my plan became for losing weight & living a healthier lifestyle — after 10, yes TEN, years of trying everything, I essentially gave up and said:
“I’m going to try to stick to foods we (humans) haven’t screwed with”
Fortunately for me, I already really liked most of those types of foods, such as:
- Carrots,
- Blueberries,
- Strawberries,
- Whole Grain Breads,
- Nuts, and
- Edamame.
As any who knows me really well will tell you — I forced myself to like raw tomatoes — simply for their beneficial value (lycopene among others). Now I love them!
Just recently I’ve been reading articles & web sites about the anti-cancer, or cancer killing superfoods, and they basically take these forms:
- Vegetables,
- Omega-3 acids,
- Citrus Fruit,
- Dark Chocolate,
- Vitamin D,
- Green Tea,
- Mushrooms,
- Herbs & Spices,
- Berries, and
- Soy.
Their benefits to our bodies are amazing, for example:
Broccoli & Cauliflower contain molecules that can help stop cancer causing cells develop into malignant tumors.
Brightly colored fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, yams and apricots, contain Vitamin A and Lycopene which can inhibit growth of several cancer types, a process initiated by the immune system as a response to an injury or an infection. This reduces cancel cell growth in tumors of the lung, breast, kidney and colon.
Citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges and tangerines have been shown to penetrate brain cancer cells & lower their potential for invading nearby tissues.
Dark chocolate (who would have thought!) contains a cocktail of anti-oxidants that inhibit growth of cancer cells and limit blood vessel formation around tumors. Go for 70% or higher cocoa & 20g a day!
Carnosol, found in Rosemary, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
The antioxidant, ellagic acid, found in strawberries, blueberries and raspberries stimulates the elimination of cancerous substances — they also reduce the development of new blood vessels that supply tumors.
Soy, found in edamame & soy milk, reduces the effect of testosterone & estrogen in stimulating cancer cells.
Amazing stuff in simple, healthy foods, isn’t there?
I continually feel as though the more we screw with food, the more damage we do to ourselves.
