A naturopathic diet promotes healing within the body. Naturopathy relates to treating the whole body, as opposed to the symptoms which have created a particular illness.
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Nutrition which enforces naturopathic standards encourages the consumption of locally produced, organic foods. Nutrition Therapy in conjunction with Naturopathy promotes eating healthy foods which are less harmful to the body.
In Naturopathy, it is believed the foods we feed our bodies should serve as our medicine, promoting wellness and creating healing.
Naturopaths advocate for diets that are rich in whole foods, such as beans, peas, lentils, and whole grains. Meals made with brown rice, carrots, cabbage, beetroot, spinach, lettuce, and tomato are instrumental in fighting diseases such as cancer.
It is believed by researchers, that by taking the right amount of vitamins, minerals, adequate fiber, and water, the disease may be eliminated.
Foods that are filled with sugar, saturated fats, or processed do not provide any nutritional value to the body. In the end, they cause diseases, indigestion, and obesity.
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What is Cancer?
Cancer is nothing more than an infection within the body. Scientists have discovered that certain cancers, like liver, lung, and cervical, are merely advanced infections in the body.
Once a diagnosis of cancer has been made, the patient makes the determination to either work with the body’s healing abilities or to decrease the burden of cancer with conventional therapies such as radiation, surgery, or chemotherapy. Every patient creates his or her own path to healing and recovery.
A naturopathic diet makes sure the proper nutrients and minerals are being supplied to the body, so there aren’t any imbalances or deficiencies.
Many times, the reason why people die or become gravely ill is because of malnutrition. It has been reported in statistics that 40% of cancer patients die from malnutrition. Through the naturopathic diet, the body thrives instead of just merely surviving.
In order to fight cancer effectively via nutrition therapy, we must take advantage of juicing fruits and vegetables for optimal health.
The cancer patient should indulge in a balanced diet that includes; essential fats, fruits, nuts, lean protein, leafy vegetables, and purified water.
Foods such as rice soup, vegetable salads, vegetable soup, roti, vegetable paratha, and fruit salads all help to strengthen the constitution of the patient while beverages made with lime water, carrot juice, and wheatgrass further help to provide vitamins and detox the body.
A naturopathic diet that helps to fight cancer is colorful, cruciferous, and contains bioflavonoids and quercetin. Powerful foods which help to treat cancer are as follows: Garlic, Mushrooms, Honey, and Soybeans.
There are many foods on the pyramid which provide therapeutic value in regard to combating cancer.
Practitioners have also recommended that ancestral diets such as the Paleo Diet be put in place as part of the cancer treatment plan.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, they want to make sure they are eliminating the detrimental foods such as sugar, salt, and caffeine from their diet and incorporating more wholesome and nutritious foods.
Before resorting to aggressive modes of therapy; he or she should consider Natural Therapies as part of the treatment regimen.
The patient usually finds the naturopathic diet plan most effective because it yields positive results pertaining to the quality of life.
Nutrition Therapy reduces the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. It also boosts the immune system. Consuming a balanced diet can reverse the damage created by cancer, and it may generate healthy cells, especially if found in its early stages.
A diagnosis of cancer is just the body’s way of sending us a wake-up call to be more mindful regarding our stress levels and the way we choose to fuel our bodies.
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Table of Contents
Cancer-Fighting Foods & Ingredients
Most people make dietary choices based on the assumption they are eating healthily. Naturally, this often includes eating more fruits and vegetables, and foods that are low in salt and sugars.
Rarely do people make food choices based on their cancer-fighting properties. There are plenty of them – and some might surprise you.
Broccoli/Brassicaceae family
It’s common knowledge that dark green and/or leafy vegetables are powerfully nutritious. This includes broccoli, bok choy, brussels sprouts, garden cress, cabbage, and cauliflower. What isn’t as widely known is that these contain two cancer-fighting chemicals.
- Indole-3-carbinol: induces apoptosis, stimulates p53 (a tumor-suppressor gene), arrests cancer cells in G1, and inhibits mTOR signaling.
- Sulforaphane: inhibits carcinogenesis, and controls cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, or cell cycle. Studies suggest that cruciferous vegetable intake can lower overall cancer risk, including colon and prostate cancers.
Studies suggest that cruciferous vegetable intake can lower overall cancer risk, including colon and prostate cancers.
Tomatoes
Are they a fruit or vegetable? It doesn’t matter. Let’s call them cancer-fighting foods. Tomatoes contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, and E. All of these have antioxidant effects on tumor growth and induction.
Tomatoes contain lycopene. The antioxidant property of lycopene is most likely the basis for its preventative role in cancer. It regulates growth factor signaling, cell cycle arrest, and/or apoptosis induction.
The anti-inflammatory activity of lycopene is considered an important determinant that suppresses the promotion and progression of carcinogenesis.
Our bodies extract the most benefit of lycopene from cooked tomato products, such as cooked organic tomatoes, tomato paste, sauce, and ketchup.
Epidemiologic studies suggest that tomatoes might be preventive against the formation and the development of different types of human cancers including prostate, breast, and lung cancer.
Beta Carotene
Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer properties. It is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as carrots; sweet potatoes; kale and spinach, romaine lettuce; squash; cantaloupe; red and yellow peppers; and apricots.
Vegetables harbor carotenoids and luteolin that, along with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, provide antioxidant, anti-cancer, and immune-enhancing properties.
Luteolin inhibits cancer cell proliferation and suppresses tumor angiogenesis.
Artichokes
Artichokes have been discovered to induce cancer cell death and slow cancer cell growth. Artichokes contain apigenin, which can inhibit cancer growth.
The research found that key antioxidants in artichoke leaf extract helped induce cell death (apoptosis) and slow cancer cell growth. Artichokes have also been known to stop blood flow to tumors.
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Green Tea
Green tea is a drink made from the dried leaves of the Asian plant, Camellia sinensis. It should be noted that rates of many cancers in Asia are much lower than in other parts of the world and it is believed this is because of the high intake of green tea.
The ingredient in green tea that researchers think is most helpful in the cancer fight is called epi-gallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is available as green tea extract which some people take as a supplement in liquid or capsule.
Nuts
Nuts and seeds are incredibly healthy and a great natural source of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, flavonoids, and fiber. Of course, we can’t forget what powerful cancer fighters they are, too.
Almonds have as much calcium as milk and contain magnesium, vitamin E, selenium, and lots of fiber. They can lower cholesterol and help prevent cancer.
Walnuts are extremely good for your heart and brain and contain ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.
Pecans have vitamins and minerals like vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, B vitamins, and zinc. They help lower cholesterol.
Brazil nuts are a good source of protein, niacin, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E, and selenium.
Cedar nuts/pine nuts have vitamins A, B, D, E, P contains 70 percent of your body’s required amino acids.
Coffee
Who’d have thought your need for coffee could actually be good for your body? Turns out, your cup of java can be a cancer fighter.
Coffee is rich in antioxidants — including polyphenols and hydrocinnamic acids — that can improve health and reduce your risk of several diseases.
Hydrocinnamic acids are effective at neutralizing free radicals and preventing oxidative stress.
People tend to get more antioxidants from beverages than foods, and scientific studies demonstrate that coffee is the single biggest dietary source of antioxidants.
It should be noted that coffee does not contain the same antioxidants as whole plant foods like fruits and vegetables.
While coffee might be the biggest dietary source of antioxidants, it should never be your only source.
Dry Beans and Peas (Legumes)
Dry beans and peas are rich in fiber. They generally contain 20 percent of your suggested daily value.
They are a good source of protein, totaling about 10 percent of the daily value. Additionally, they are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin.
Beans and peas also contain other health-promoting substances that can protect against cancer, including lignans and saponins.
Resistant starch, starch that is not digested in the small intestine, is used by healthful bacteria in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids, which seem to protect colon cells.
Soy
Soy foods are good sources of protein, and many contain a good dose of fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese.
Soy is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fat, both the omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (alpha-linolenic) types.
Despite the unfounded warnings against soy use, due to the plant estrogens, it contains, the latest studies have shown benefits from the use of soy for those who have cancer. The plant estrogens are so weak in the soy that they act as estrogen blockers.
Soymilk, tofu made with calcium, and soybeans are also good sources of calcium.
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Berries
Berries are especially rich in proanthocyanidin antioxidants, which have been observed to have anti-aging properties.
High amounts of phenols, zeaxanthin, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and polysaccharides are all-natural chemicals found in berries that potentiate their anti-cancer actions.
Raspberries are the lowest in sugar, followed by strawberries and finally blueberries.
Apple (with the peels)
Apple peels contain ursolic acid that is antiproliferative, meaning it does not allow cancer cells to grow.
These studies were in human breast, colorectal, and liver cancer cells. The rest of the apple contains other compounds helpful for cancer, including quercetin.
Lemon and Lime
Citrus fruit has the ability to disrupt the fragile blood vessels that feed tumors. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to your foods to take advantage of their beneficial properties.
Fresh Herbs and Spices
Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin. It is one of the most powerful ingredients in an anti-cancer diet because it’s shown to decrease tumor size and fight colon and breast cancers. Fresh parsley and lavender also have benefits.
Other herbs that act as immune-system boosters include ginger, raw garlic, thyme, cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, and parsley — which can easily be used in many recipes, juices, dressings, and smoothies.
What About Meat?
There are lots of debates about this and some are firm on a particular diet, however, studies show that improvements with cancer are found for both vegan and keto diets. So, how can this be with such different amounts of meat in both?
The key is calorie consumption. The lower the calorie consumption, regardless of the source, the better the cancer cases did.
It ends up being a personal decision if people want to eat meat or not. There is no scientific backing that one choice or the other is the only way to go.
For colorectal cancer patients, it is recommended they stay away from red meat. For other patients that want to eat meat, organic meats without hormones are recommended.
Tuna fish is the only meat that has been found to have an anti-cancer action. Wild-caught salmon also has rich omega-3s, beneficial to keep inflammation levels down that are often high in cancer cases.
Eat to Defeat—Some Tips
Eating to defeat cancer can be accomplished simply by adding a few cancer-fighting foods to your meals each day.
Here are some food facts, supported by scientific research, to help you get the most cancer-fighting benefits from your diet:
1. Be Picky
- Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples have twice as many cancer fighters as Fuji or Golden Delicious apples.
- The San Marzano tomato contains more cancer fighters than any other variety.
- Wine grapes grown in cooler climates have more cancer fighters than grapes grown in warmer climates.
- Apples, tomatoes, and grapes are on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list of produce with the most pesticides, so it’s recommended you choose organic, if possible.
2. Eat Your Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts can contain more cancer-fighting properties than regular broccoli.
3. Dunk Your Tea Bag
Dunking a tea bag up and down releases more cancer-fighting molecules than letting the bag just sit in the cup.
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4. Cook Tomatoes
Raw tomatoes are great but cooking them in olive oil is better. Cooking tomatoes increases the lycopene content and boosts the cancer-fighting power.
Because lycopene is a fat-soluble antioxidant, it’s better absorbed by your body when consumed with some (ideally healthy) fat.
5. Chew Your Greens
Chewing leafy greens helps to release enzymes that activate cancer-fighting molecules embedded deep in the leaves.
6. Go Soy
Fermented soy, like the kind used in miso soup, contains four times more cancer fighters than regular soybeans.
Evidence strongly suggests that not only does soy not promote cancer, but it also reduces cancer risk.
It is important to choose organic soy products to avoid genetically engineered soy. Other fermented soy products include tempeh and natto.
7. Choose One Cancer-Fighting Food for Each Meal
At three meals each day, that adds up to more than 1,000 cancer-fighting food choices each year. By consuming the right foods, cancer cells are more prone to destruction and this increases your chances of success with cancer.
Add this dietary regimen to an active, powerful anti-cancer regimen and studies show it aids in cancer cell die-off, cell proliferation, prevention, and longevity.
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