Core Eating Plan – 8 Basic Recommendations to Fight & Prevent Cancer
To stay alive, humans need a diet that contains three core macro nutrients - carbohydrates, protein and fats. Too many fad diets emphasize one of these macronutrients while vilifying another. For example, keto diets are mostly fat and severely limit carbohydrates. These are unbalanced, unhealthy and generally unsustainable. However, not all fats are equal, nor are proteins or carbohydrates. If you have cancer or are trying to prevent cancer, the correct composition of your diet can be key. What follows are my basic recommendations for a core eating plan.
Recommendation #1 - Cancer fighting phytochemicals
Eat a Rainbow of vegetables, emphasizing brightly colored ones, such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, bok choi, kale and others as noted on our website), onions and garlic. The pigments in brightly colored vegetables contain cancer phytochemicals. Try to get a mix of root vegetables, leafy green vegetables and sea vegetables. Fruits are okay but should generally be limited to no more than 2 or 3 servings per day. Choose organic when possible (see the lists of the dirty dozen & clean 15).
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/2018/1/1/the-dirty-dozen-plus
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/2018/1/1/the-clean-15
Recommendation #2 - Energy boosting foods
Carbohydrates are our key energy source, but not all carbohydrates are created equal. Eat plenty of whole grains, a rich source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. These provide a slow, sustained supply of fuel for your daily activities while reducing fuel for your cancer. Choose unrefined and minimally processed foods. Carbohydrates should be in each of your main 2-3 meals per day.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/the-carbohydrate-conundrum
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/2018/1/1/foods-to-help-boost-your-metabolism
Recommendation #3 - Cancer fighting proteins
Avoid or limit red meat, other land animal meat and processed meats as much as possible. Focus on eating plenty of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), soy foods, fish and omega-3 fatty acid enhanced eggs. These choices have cancer fighting properties and contain the essential amino acids found in meat. Plant sources of protein are also excellent carbohydrates and insoluble fiber that help regulate and control blood sugar. Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and are protective against cancer. Choose whole-soy foods over fractionated foods like isolated soy-protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate.
If you do eat red meat or other land animal meat, reduce the exposure of these to high heat and dry cooking methods. If grilling or roasting, marinate the meat in garlic, red wine, lemon juice or olive oil and use herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and other spices which have high antioxidant capacity. This can reduce cancer-causing advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) by up to 50%
We have many recipes on the website you can explore that are plant-forward and high in cancer fighting proteins.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/foods-cooked-at-high-temperatures-can-be-unhealthy
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/complete-proteins-that-arent-meat
https://www.drfabio.com/kitchenparmblog/2018/1/10/edamame-soy-beans
Recommendation #4 - Reduced dairy products
Replaced cow’s milk with rice, soy, oat or nut beverages. For cheese, substitute cheese made with soy, rice, hazelnuts or almonds. Try soy or rice ice cream.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/cows-milk-why-you-might-want-a-substitute
Recommendation #5 – Select healthy essential fats
Limit your total fat intake, particularly saturated fat. Shift to foods high in omega-3’s and omega-9s - these are found in high quantity in salmon, trout, herring, tuna, mackerel, olives, avocados, nuts, flax seeds and nuts (particularly walnuts). Foods to avoid with high saturated fat include coconut, palm oil (found in many packaged foods as emulsifier), butter and beef/chicken/pork fats.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/2018/1/11/pkj50ky57ea5cbqn8d246t54jsa97n
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/omega-3s-and-omega-6s
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/flaxseed-cancer-risk
Recommendation #6 - adequate intake of healthy liquids
Drink plenty of water, 3-5 cups daily of green tea, and herbal teas. Green tea is even better for rehydrating than water. It contains many antioxidant anticancer fighting chemicals. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is an antioxidant that is abundant in green tea and has numerous healing properties. EGCG can be useful in treating breast, lung, and prostate cancer. It can also inhibit the conversion of glucose (blood sugar) into fat and decrease appetite. In addition, evidence suggests that green tea prevents cholesterol plaques from forming on blood vessel walls, and a clinical study found that people who consumed green tea daily decreased their risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure by up to 65 percent. The caffeine level in tea is not high enough to hinder rehydration and is much more slowly absorbed/processed compared to coffee, so caffeine highs and lows are less common.
Recommendation #7 – Use healthy herbs and spices
Use herbs and spices generously to season foods. Turmeric, curry powder (which contains turmeric), ginger and garlic (dried and fresh), chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme are powerful natural anti-inflammatory agents.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/is-all-the-hype-about-turmeric-curcumin-really-true
https://www.drfabio.com/kitchenparmblog/2018/1/10/ginger
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/garlic-101
Recommendation #8 – Introduce intermittent fasting
By restricting the amount you eat on certain days (a “fast”), you reduce the number of calories you consume per week. Coupling intermittent fasting with time-restricted feeding has been shown to lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity which are important concepts for cancer control. This can be beneficial whether or not you need to lose weight. Restrict meals to an 8-10 hour window, with no sweets, refined grains or snacking between meals or at nighttime before bed. For more information refer to our articles on intermittent fasting.
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/fasting
https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/when-we-eat-and-dont-eat-may-be-important-for-our-health