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8 Great Family-Friendly Foods that Help Fight Cancer
by Sheryl Crow
Being diagnosed with cancer was a life changing experience for me, as it is for anyone. One of the most significant shifts has been in the way I look at my body and what I put in it. When I was undergoing radiation, I began working with Nutritionist Rachel Bellar in order to eat foods that would help boost my immune system.
After working with her, I learned how to eat "defensively." I had never understood before how vital food was for protecting the body from sickness and disease. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, serious diseases that are linked to what we eat are the culprits in three out of four American deaths each year. And, recent research estimates that 35% of cancer deaths could be prevented through improved nutrition.
We truly are what we eat and what we put in our bodies matters to our long-term health. Rachel taught me this and I am so grateful to have worked with her. Her in-depth knowledge of how certain foods and spices are vital to promoting wellness throughout the body has become an integral part of my lifestyle after surviving cancer.
Even more importantly, having cancer made me re-think and re-define family - resulting in my greatest joy, my son Wyatt. As parents often joke, kids don't come with instruction manuals. Parenting is a constant challenge of self-education. One thing I do know, though, is that Wyatt is benefiting from what I learned from Rachel. And, I feel like I am giving my son one of the greatest gifts a mother can - the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Here are some of our favorite foods that pack enormous nutritional value (including anti-cancer benefits), and the ways we make them fun and tasty for both of us. Truly, toddler tested, mother approved.
Related Topics:
After working with her, I learned how to eat "defensively." I had never understood before how vital food was for protecting the body from sickness and disease. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, serious diseases that are linked to what we eat are the culprits in three out of four American deaths each year. And, recent research estimates that 35% of cancer deaths could be prevented through improved nutrition.
We truly are what we eat and what we put in our bodies matters to our long-term health. Rachel taught me this and I am so grateful to have worked with her. Her in-depth knowledge of how certain foods and spices are vital to promoting wellness throughout the body has become an integral part of my lifestyle after surviving cancer.
Even more importantly, having cancer made me re-think and re-define family - resulting in my greatest joy, my son Wyatt. As parents often joke, kids don't come with instruction manuals. Parenting is a constant challenge of self-education. One thing I do know, though, is that Wyatt is benefiting from what I learned from Rachel. And, I feel like I am giving my son one of the greatest gifts a mother can - the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Here are some of our favorite foods that pack enormous nutritional value (including anti-cancer benefits), and the ways we make them fun and tasty for both of us. Truly, toddler tested, mother approved.
- What to look for: whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.
- How to make it: quinoa crusted chicken fingers, whole grain pita personal pizza, steel cut oatmeal cookies, vegetable barley soup
- What to look for: garbanzo, navy bean, kidney beans, lentils, etc.
Photo: pizzodisevo - How to make it: hummus (use whole grain pita or raw veggies for dipping), puree navy beans and add to mashed potatoes, black bean nachos
- What to look for: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
- How to make it: whole grain berry muffins, yogurt berry parfait
- What to look for: tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice (cooking releases the cancer-fighting lycopene)
Photo: The Ewan - How to make it: pasta and pizza sauce, creamy tomato soup
- What to look for: cabbage and members of its family including cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
- How to make it: steam it and serve warm or cold (in funny shapes for tentative toddlers), also good in stir fry, and soups
- What to look for: spinach, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, kale, leaf lettuce
- How to make it: use to wrap favorite cheese or chicken, chiffonade and toss into pasta or pizza sauce, toss into green smoothies
- What to look for: red or purple grapes (the dark colored skin is the main source of nutrition)
Photo: artslyz - How to make it: Enjoy as is, frozen grapes are a great summer treat (but can be a choking hazard for small children)
- What to look for: whole, natural walnuts without additives or preservatives
- How to make it: add walnuts and bananas to oatmeal, crush and toss into pastas and salads, mince and add to muffins and pancakes
Related Topics:
- Nutrition to Help You Fight Cancer
- WebMD Video: Eating the Right Foods After Cancer
- Health eHome
- WebMD Cancer Message Boards
- Get the latest information from our Cancer newsletter
Labels: cancer, children's health, food, nutrition, prevention
22 Comments:
I just love Sheryl Crow. Thanks for sharing the post.
I have a hard time believing that Sheryl wrote the above. It reads like an article written for Sheryl to which she simply allowed her name to be attached. It's probably a staff member at WebMD or Sheryl's assistant. Lame. Just do an interview and call it what it is. Fake user generated content is insulting to me.
I don't care who wrote the article
as long as the content of the article is accurate. Thanks for the advice.
Today June 15 2009 it is my husbands birthday and I had to tell him I was diagnosed with cancer and starting tomorrow I will be shopping for better nutrition for my body so thank you
She is right! I am a 13 year survivor of stg. 4 ovarian cancer and I have followed this way of eating pretty closely. No recurrence to date. Good suggestions. Thanks.
pineapple has lots of anticancer activity. also there is an ingrediant in esparagus that stops cell division. got this from a biochemist. liquify esparagus and take 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons at night. let me know if it helps! donna
MY 23 YO SON WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER. NEED DIET SUDGEESTION FOR AFTER SURGERY. HE MAY NEED CHEMOTHERAPY, WE ARE WAITING ON PATHOLOGY RESULTS. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON CHEMOTHERAPY OR ALTTERNATIVES.
Sheryl Crow is the voice of a generation. Whether she uses that celebrity to sell albums (great ones I might add) or sell good health, people pay attention when she speaks. Bravo for her courage and example!
I am also a colon cancer surviver. I was 38 years old when I was diagnosed. I changed my diet by eating 30g of fiber a day. I always buy a cereal that has 12 - 13 grams of fiber per serving. Wild rice, beans, kasha and whole grain bread are also good sources of fiber. I did chemo for 6 months as a preventative to reduce my risk slightly, of it returning. I suggest drinking hot water with ginger to reduce the nausea from the chemo if you decide to go ahead with it.
I know this kind of diet isn't for everyone, but many people have also found some miraculous self-healing benefits (e.g. cancer patients, diabetics, etc.) from transitioning to a mostly or totally raw food diet (70%-100% consisting of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, sprouted grains and seeds/beans, and also fresh juices from fruits, veggies, and sprouts). It's yet another type of lifestyle that you might want to investigate--there are many websites on the raw foods (a.k.a. "live" or "living" foods) diet. Just eating mostly whole foods in general, be they cooked or raw, is such a great step in the right direction for total health, though!
Former Surgeon General stated "68% of all disease-related deaths are DIET related". You really are what you eat. My mother died from brain cancer when I was 14 and my father survived colon cancer. It is true our bodies are bombarded with everything imaginable and we need to fight back. Eating right and exercise will make a HUGE differeence. Just look at what happens when you are diagnosed with cancer...the Dr. says you need to "start eating better and exercising". I say OPEN YOUR EYES, START RIGHT NOW! By the way, I have found out that our FRUITS and VEGETABLES are no where near as nutritious as they once were because of the use of chemicals so buy organic as often as possible.
I had breast cancer in 2003, changed my diet completely and started many supplements - after a biopsy and two lumpectomies that showed cancer remaining, when I had my mastectomy there was no cancer present (after two months of diet & supplements). I did NO chemo or radiation, and nave had NO recurrence. My advice: follow the diet plan, and add 15 - 18 IP6 capsules and 450mg of CoQ10.
The recommendations are good except for the references to animal products
What references to animal products?
My partner was dx w/ BC last Dec. Luckily we like eating whole foods & veggies so making our diet healthier hasn't been too much of a stretch. We've just upped our healthy choices. What we try to do is eat 8 fruits and veggies/day(kind of random #--I picked it because it is a stretch but not impossible). I'm a believer in "all things in moderation" and rebel against lots of food "rules". I don't believe that's a sustainable nor enjoyable approach. This list is helpful for people who want to know what the healthy options are.
I am so thankful for this type of information. My breast cancer has mets so anything I can do to extend my life is welcome information. Thank you Sheryl for sharing what you have leaned. Keep it coming. I plan on beating the 10 stats, and need this type of information to help do it.
Warm Wishes
I was diagnosis with invasive breast cancer in 2006 and cancer in my lymph nodes in May 2009. Since my last surgery, I have been juicing 3 times a day and on a raw food diet. It's also important to look up foods that are alkaline, because cancer cells like an acid system. No chemo or radiation! I feel fantastic and my pet scan and MRI on the brain were normal with no signs of any cancer. Through prayer and God's great food, I am healed! Thank you for your great advise to help others get on a new path to improve their health.
Some suggestions:
Juicing: (3-4 carrots), add beets, cantaloupe, watermelon, cabbage, parsley, apples, celery, cucumbers, or asparagus
In addition to walnuts, eat 3 tablespoons or raw sunflower seeds daily and some almonds.
Use lemon in your pure drinking water to improve an acid system.
(elimate all refined sugars and sweetners, cancer cells just eat it up)
We can defeat this giant called cancer, who has destroyed so many lives, with one small stone and the help of God.
Just because someone is a singer, activist and, if you prefer, "celebrity," doesn't mean they can't write a decent article on nutrition. I sensed absolutely nothing false in Ms. Crow's article and found it very helpful!
I have been feeling my lymph nodes for about 7 months now. I just went to the doctor and was referred to a cancer specialist for tests. I am very concerned. I feel swollen lymph nodes in my neck, pecs, underneath my arms and groin area. My primary physician doesn't feel that it is anything to concern myself with but as a precaution I should get it checked out. I eat pretty much of a healthy diet already including juicing fresh vegetables and fruits, drink white tea before bedtime, whole grains and etc. I am a 38 year old male and have a physical exam yearly with good results. Within days now I will go for this test and wait for the new. Its wonderful that Sheryl Crow is giving advice but lets not forget about Susanne Summers also. She beat her cancer apparently just by changing her diet and with supplements. Good luck everyone and please wish me luck. Will keep in touch.
Suzanne Sommers did not beat cancer with diet and supplements. She first had radiation treatment. I have nothing against her but please don't perpetuate false information.
Clay11, I am praying for you.
After diagnosis of invasive carcinoma ductal and lobular features, I went completely vegetarian. The hardest part was eliminating all dairies including yogurt and cheese. The positive outcome is that I lost seven pounds in one week. My arthritic pain on my knee and hip joint totally disappeared. My blood pressured normalized. I'm hoping the best for myself next week when I go to my team meeting where treatment options will be discussed. I'm a step ahead as I have radically changed my diet and feel great.
check out the OTY smoothie at IlikeOTY.com
it has helped numerous friends suffering from nausea due to chemotherapy, illness and pregnancy.
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