Cancer Fighting Snacks – Part 1

By now everyone has heard the media repeatedly saying “Stop Smoking“, “Wear Sunscreen“, “Get Exercise“.. and for good reason.  Each of these three tips have proven to help reduce your risk of getting various forms of cancer, and is also very important for patients who already have cancer as well.

What is the media saying now?  There’s a new tip that doctors are trying to get out there.. “eat healthy, cancer fighting foods and snacks.”

What is a “cancer fighting snack?”

Researchers have been suggesting that phytochemicals in various foods can prevent cellular changes and stop the flow of blood to cancerous tumors.  In a nut shell, they can help you fight cancer.

What should you eat?

Doctors and dieticians will tell you that it’s important to aim to eat 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day.  By varying the fruits and vegetables, you’ll get a healthy mix of antioxidants and phytochemicals.

While some will debate the “meat” part, many doctors and scientists insist it’s also important to eat from some of the primary protein sources; mostly fish, poultry, and beans.  It is recommended to use caution with red meat as some studies have shown that consuming more than 18 ounces per week of red mean may increase your risk for colon and pancreatic cancer.

Whole grains are important.  The fiber found in whole grains helps to move potentially dangerous carcinogenic waste through your system quickly, reducing your risk for colorectal cancer.

Drinking some types of tea should also be an important part of your diet.  Some teas contain catechins, which is an antioxidant that may help to reduce your cancer risks.

This covers a number of the foods you should be eating on a daily basis.  But what about snacks?

Get Your Daily Snacks

Many doctors and dietitians say that it’s important to eat 3 or more meals each day, with a healthy snack between each meal.  Through research and studies, we’ve seen that the generation of TV dinners and eating a bag of potato chips while watching TV leads to all sorts of health issues such as obesity, heart disease, etc.  A well-balanced meal and a healthy snack later on not only helps you stay healthy but it helps to give you the energy you need to stay active and get through the rest of your day without the use of high sugar, high caffeine, energy drinks.

This article will be continued in Cancer Fighting Snacks – Part 2.