Our diet is critical in health and healing.

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has identified several “phytochemicals” (plant chemicals) that have the potential to:

• Stimulate the immune system
• Block carcinogens
• Reduce inflammation
• Prevent DNA damage
• Reduce oxidative damage
• Slow the growth of cancer cells
• Trigger damaged cells death
• Regulate hormones

It recommends that we eat a varied diet of brightly colored or strongly flavored vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.  See the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine’s 21 day Kickstart Program meal plan for an easy way to learn how to adopt a vegan lifestyle and find delicious recipes.

According to Dr. Pam Popper of the Wellness Forum, author of Food Over Medicine, it is also important to reduce fats and oils and processed foods, plus limit all animal products to at most 2-3 servings of wild caught fish or organic non-processed meat.

In his book, Life Over Cancer, Dr. Keith Block, an integrative oncologist who has practiced medicine for over 30 years at the Block Center in Skokie, IL just north of Chicago, outlines a comprehensive anti-cancer diet.

Dr. William Li, President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation is doing research on preventing cancer by destroying the blood vessels that cancer cells need to invade. He has found several foods that seem to have this property.  Check out his TED talk on this topic.

Another study conducted by Louisiana State University published in a 2013 Journal of Cancer article indicates a super combination of phytochemicals found in turmeric, genistein in soybeans, indol-3-carbinol from cruciferous vegetables, blue green algae Spirulina platensis extract, resveratrol from grape seed extract (or red wine), and quercetin from fruits, vegetables and tea could induce 100% killing of breast cancer cells without toxic effects on normal cells. The study found that: “The compounds were ineffective individually. In combination, they significantly suppressed BC cell proliferation (>80%), inhibited migration and invasion, caused cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis resulting in 100% cell death.”

Watch the Hungry For Change trailer and learn why Kris Carr, New York Times best-selling author, wellness activist and cancer thriver, is a huge fan of a cleansing, alkaline diet.  In her top 15 Crazy Sexy Diet Tips, her second most important tip is to: “Learn about pH, the acid/alkaline balance, and say goodbye to the acidic standard American diet (SAD), in favor of alkaline foods.” Here is a good chart to learn more about acid vs. alkaline foods. 

Want to know what happens in your body when you switch from eating conventional food to organic? Watch this powerful 90 second video.

Read 5 EASY STEPS TO CLEAN UP YOUR DIET and be sure to scroll down to watch Kris’s short video explaining the benefits of eating an alkaline diet. Here’s what’s in Kris’s pantry!

MUST READS are Chris Wark’s posts: The Top 10 Anti-Cancer Vegetables and The Top Four Cancer Fighting Spices.

20 New Anticancer Rules, by David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D., author of Anticancer, A New Way of Life is another great list of best things to eat and do to avoid cancer.

UCSF Medical Center offers well researched guidelines for lifestyle and nutrition for breast cancer prevention here.

UCSD Moores Cancer Center states on their website under the title Nutrition and Cancer Prevention: Numerous studies have linked nutritional factors with a risk for developing several types of cancer, and as a risk for recurrence and likelihood of survival when someone has developed cancer. The cancers most strongly associated with nutritional factors include cancer of the breast, prostate, colon and rectum, oral cavity, lung, endometrium, and cervix.

And for more inspiration and an example of a healthy eating plan, check out Donna’s Health Tips and Donna’s Daily Rx.