AntiCancer Foods Part 5 – Blueberries

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anti-cancer foods,anticancer foods,why eat healthyBlueberries are a great source of antioxidants, nutrients that are so important for our health. Blueberries also contain a substance called ellagic acid, according to Dr. Mehmet Oz. Ellagic acid helps prevent carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) from damaging our cells’ DNA. Damaged DNA can cause healthy cells to develop into cancer cells.

Fresh blueberries aren’t available year-round where I live, so I usually buy them frozen.  Get the unsweetened ones – the only item listed on the package Ingredients Label should be blueberries.  I put the amount I’ll use over 3-4 days in a container in the refrigerator so that they’re thawed when I’m ready to use them.  I add them to my morning oatmeal.  They’re also good stirred into plain, low fat yogurt.  If you’re indulging, throw some on your ice cream or frozen yogurt!  Please share your favorite ways to eat blueberries by leaving a Comment below.

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Why Eat Healthy? Part 2 – Dangers of Processed Meats

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Julie Harrison

why eat healthy,why is healthy eating important,processed meat and cancerWhat exactly are “processed meats”?  Are they good or bad for us?  Processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, cold cuts and “deli meat”, sausages including breakfast sausage and other types like kielbasa and bratwurst (“brats”), and cooked ham.  These items are practically a staple in the typical American diet.  They also increase our risk for developing cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.  Why?

These meats almost always include nitrites or nitrates (“nitrosamines“) as a preservative and will appear on the Ingredients Label on the meat package, usually as potassium nitrite or nitrate or as sodium nitrite or nitrate.  According to cancer researcher Dr. William Li and Dr. Mehmet Oz, these nitrosamines are converted into carcinogens by the body and damage our cells’ healthy DNA.  Once that happens, the cells can become cancerous.  One to three slices of processed meat per day will increase our risk for cancer of the colon, pancreas, esophagus, stomach and ovaries.  Nitrosamines also increase our risk for Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Suzanne DeLaMonte.

I decided to search my local grocery stores and see if I could find  any sausage or cold cut brands without these nitrosamines.  I did find one brand of cold cuts and one brand of sausage without them, although there may be others. Continue reading →

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Why Eat Healthy? Part 1 – The Mediterranean Diet

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Julie Harrison

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Why is healthy eating important?  I was listening to John Tesh’s radio program the other day and  he was talking about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.  What is it, and why is it good?

The Mediterranean diet is named after countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy and Turkey.  The people there traditionally eat a lot of vegetables and fruits every day.  The main fat used in cooking is olive oil, which has healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.  Nuts, legumes such as beans and lentils, fish and other seafood are also a big part of the traditional menus around the Mediterranean, as is red wine in moderation.  This style of eating is mainly plant-based.  Red meat, highly processed foods, and added sugar are not consumed in large quantities like they are in the typical American diet.

What are the benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating?  This type of diet reduces the risk factors for heart disease because it lowers high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It helps prevent Type 2 diabetes and decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  People with Type 2 diabetes often see their health improve on this type of diet.  These all sound like good reasons to adopt some eating habits from around the Mediterranean.

How do you include the food traditions from the Mediterranean in your daily life?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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Soy Myths Exposed – The Dangers of Soy

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Julie Harrison

Julie’s Comments: Many people consider soy products a health food.   Here are short videos from two different experts that give reasons why soy products are not good for us, except for fermented ones like miso, tempeh and nato in moderation.  Please share your views by clicking Comments below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 4 – Endive

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,cancer fighting foods

 

Cancer researcher Dr. William Li recently appeared on The Dr. Oz Show to talk about foods that fight cancer.  He said “Mother Nature has laced many fruits, vegetables and spices with the same molecules we are studying in the lab to develop cancer drugs.”  Endive is one vegetable that has been shown to reduce cancer risk.

Endive is a vegetable used primarily in salads, and is part of the chicory family.  It can be easily recognized in the grocery store because it looks like a pale yellow and white tulip that hasn’t yet opened.  A study of 62,000 women in the Netherlands showed that eating endive reduced the risk of ovarian cancer by 75%.  Endive contains a molecule called camphorol, which cuts off blood supply to cancer cells and causes them to die.  How much endive do you need to eat?  Dr. Li recommends 1/2 cup of raw endive twice a week.  It’s important that the endive is raw, because the cancer-protective effects were not seen with cooked endive.

Endive has a very mild flavor and is slightly crunchy.  I like it sliced crosswise and added to salads, or by itself with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. You can use the whole leaves as a base (instead of lettuce) for a scoop of tuna, shrimp or salmon salad. One of my favorite ways to eat whole endive leaves is as a holder for other things like hummus, peanut butter, almond butter or salsa.  Using endive leaves this way is so much more nutritious than using chips!

Do you include endive in your eating plans?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 3 – Cruciferous Vegetables

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Julie Harrison

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There’s probably something you can find that you’ll like on this list of cancer fighting cruciferous vegetables:  Arugula, Bok Choy, Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard Greens, Radish, Rutabaga and Turnip.  Watercress (see AntiCancer Foods Part 1) is also on this list.  Dr. Nicholas Perricone, world  renowned healthy-aging expert, explains why these vegetables are so beneficial:

“Sulforaphane, discovered by accident in 1995 by a group of scientists researching the anticancer compounds in broccoli, is a phytochemical compound that can be obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, watercress, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, radish and rutabaga.  Sulforaphane is particularly abundant in watercress and broccoli sprouts. Continue reading →

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AntiCancer Foods Part 2 – Onions

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,cancer fighting foods

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, onions are a superfood that can help fight cancer. Eating half an onion a day can help decrease many cancers including breast and colon cancer.  To save yourself money he says there’s no need to buy them organic, because growers don’t spray onions like they do a lot of other fruits and vegetables.

I use onions nearly every day.  They are so versatile.  You can add them to soups and stews, saute and add them to scrambled eggs or an omelet, and use them raw on sandwiches and salads.  Different types of onions have different flavors.  If you don’t like the sharp taste of a white or yellow onion, buy onions labeled “sweet”.  Sweet onions have the mildest flavor of all the onion varieties.  Examples of these are the famous Vidalia onions from Georgia and Texas Sweets.  My mother-in-law, a native of Georgia, loves Vidalia onion sandwiches!  Red onions have a milder flavor than the white and yellow ones and add beautiful color to a dish.  There’s an onion for just about every taste.  You can try different ones and see what you like best.

How do you include onions in your eating plans?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 1 – Watercress

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Julie Harrison

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Watercress is probably best known as an ingredient in the little sandwiches served at teas or cocktail parties.  According to Nicholas Perricone, M.D., board certified dermatologist and world renowned healthy-aging expert, watercress has important nutrients that help fight cancer.  Here are his reasons for adding this antioxidant superfood to your diet.

“Daily consumption of watercress results in a significant decrease in lymphocyte (white blood cell) DNA damage; DNA damage is an important event in cancer development.

Watercress is a cruciferous vegetable, and population studies associate an increased intake of cruciferous vegetables with reduced risk of cancers at several sites, including the breast and prostate.

Watercress is a rich source of the glucosinolate derivatives phenethyl isothiocyamate (PEITC) and methylsulphinylakyl isothiocyanates (MEITCs), which have a range of anticancer activities.

Beneficial effects against the three key stages of carcinogenesis (initiation, proliferation, and metastasis) were observed in a study involving watercress extract and colon cancer cells.”

I add watercress to salads, and put it on my sandwiches along with some lettuce.  I include other cruciferous vegetables in my eating plans as well, such as broccoli  and cauliflower.  How do you include watercress in your diet?  Please click Comments below.

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How Do You Wean Yourself Off Of Sodas?

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Julie Harrison

 

Julie’s Comments:  Soda does nothing good for you, except that people like the taste.  Here are some great tips if you want to change your soda habit.

Okay, so you may not be able to weigh what you did at 16, maybe you were actually starving your body then. The bad fingernails were a sign. When your colon is corroded with junk, the good stuff cannot get in. This causes a feeling of being hungry all the time and wanting more. I just incorporated some of a good doctor’s advice. Week 1. Change from sugar soda to diet soda, and add L-Glutamine, found in fish, beans and eggs. This will help cut the cravings. week 2. Add Spinach and Whole grain foods. week 3. Reduce the amount of intake by half. For the extra fizz, use Seltzer water. week 4. If you have sugar cravings, chew gum. Right after a meal is preferable, because, your digestive amylase, is already working, and you are not shocking your teeth or your system with unnecessary sugar at inopportune times. Soda is one of the man-made substances that creates too acid of a system causing inflammation, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Nutrition Facts – Quickly Find Calories, Etc. for Any Food

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Julie Harrison

 

If you want to find out the nutritional information for any food item, whether or not it has a “Nutrition Facts” label, here’s the free government database that has the calories, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals and so on…have fun!

Click here for the link to the USDA National Nutrient Database, enter your food item in the Keyword box and click “submit”.  Please let me know what you think about the database by clicking comments below. I hope you find it useful.  Thanks! Julie

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