You are What You Eat
Food has a very powerful effect in your body. Diet and nutrition alter your internal terrain and influences genes1-3. The nutrition in foods affects cancer both directly and indirectly. Some foods kill cancer cells and others promote cancer cell growth. Learning differences between what to eat and what not to eat is essential.
Nutrition and cancer is one of the most important areas in an integrative cancer care plan. Educate yourself about foods and cancer as a priority. Eating cancer fighting foods can strongly influence your health and healing. Create a cancer diet for your own life to support your optimal wellness.
Nutrition and Cancer Top Tips
- Dietary and nutritional changes can be very challenging and are well worth the effort. Due to the amount of time people spend eating, as well as their emotional connections with food, adhering to ongoing dietary guidelines might be perceived as difficult. Ride the tide. Make changes step by step. We predict that after some clearing out of the old, and building of the new, that you will feel invigorated by a healthier diet. If you feel overwhelmed, know the severity of the challenge in eating healthier is consistent with the reward. Once you start feeling the benefits of new food habits, we predict that you will never look back. Think outside your box. Be curious. We dare you into new delights.
- There is not a one size fits all cancer diet. A lot of people say a lot of things about the relationship between diet and cancer with cancer fighting foods. The reality is that each person is unique and therefore variability exists between optimal diets. Focus on identifying a person-centered diet tailored to you as an individual and designed for your unique constitution.
- Do not expect your conventional cancer care team to educate you about foods and cancer. Conventional cancer care providers may have some knowledge in this area and understand the powerful relationship between foods and cancer. Or they might refer you to a nutrition expert. However, mainstream medical training provides very little education if any about the relationship between foods and health and certainly foods and cancer. Most likely, you need to seek information about diet and cancer from other sources.
- Consult with an expert. Consider consulting with an oncologist, medical doctor, naturopath, nutritionist, or other trained health care professional with expertise in the relationship between foods and cancer. An expert can guide you about specific cancer fighting foods, general nutritional information, and quantities depending upon your condition. Some cancer patients need help in adding or losing weight due to situations such as cancer cachexia, being overweight, or obese. Many cancer patients need help in strictly avoiding certain foods that contribute to cancer progression while emphasizing the addition of healthy foods and nutrients. An expert can help inform your individualized cancer diet.
- Read books about diet, foods, nutrition and cancer. You can learn a lot through reading. Also know that you will inevitably encounter some contradictory recommendations about diets, including cancer fighting foods. Educate yourself with several quality books listed in Top Foods to Eat, consider consulting with a trained professional about a cancer diet with cancer fighting foods, and tune into your body to what feels right.
- Foods impact your entire body and not just one part. Louis Pasteur said on his deathbed, "The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything." The terrain refers to the internal environment influencing health. His statement represents a significant change in thinking for the father of the theory that germs (small organisms in the body) cause disease. Foods greatly impact your terrain in your entire body. Food is medicine when you know what to eat and what not to eat.
- Eat foods that promote wellness and anti-cancer activity. Many studies indicate that cancer fighting foods support survival and quality of life. Since most people eat at least three times daily, food choices have a strong and constant impact on the body. Proper nutrition can also increase the efficacy and diminish the toxicity of conventional treatments.
- Avoid specific foods and ingredients associated with cancer. Many foods and ingredients are harmful to health and contribute to cancer risk, cancer development, and cancer growth. Learn about top foods and ingredients to avoid in support of your health.
- Eat organic as much as possible. Many foods today are burdened with pesticides and other chemicals. Some of these chemicals have been associated with cancer. Pay now or pay more later. Choosing organic foods is a worthwhile investment in your life and especially for the top foods with pesticides.
- Learn about pH and the acid-alkaline balance. Acid-alkaline balance refers to the internal chemistry of your body's tissues and fluids as measured through pH. Health requires acid-alkaline balance. Research shows that the majority of people with health challenges are overly acidic. Diet is a primary factor creating acidity and the right diet can strongly support an alkaline environment.
Nutrition and Cancer Educational Information
Top Foods to Eat
Food is medicine when you know what to eat and what not to eat. Learn top food choices.
Top Foods and Ingredients to Avoid
Some foods and ingredients contribute to cancer risk and development. Read this must know information.
Types of Diets
Move beyond some of the confusing buzz about anti-cancer diets and educate yourself with reliable information about dietary philosophies and programs.
Why Organic
Did you know that pesticides used on foods present a significant health risk? Learn why and how organic foods are cleaner for your body. Explore other options such as avoiding the non-organic top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Juicing
Do you need more juice? Learn about the health benefits of juicing and how healthy organic fresh juices support your health.
Clean Water
The human body requires water for health and life. Clean water supports all of your inner workings. Learn about dirty water and the importance of filters.
Our most popular resources about the body and cancer
 Inflammation and Cancer
Turn down the heat and extinguish the fire. Inflammation is associated with cancer. Empower yourself with this must know information to reduce cancer risk, improve quality of life, and in some cases cancer survival.
 Antioxidants and Cancer
Foods and supplements with antioxidants provide important health benefits, including against cancer. Also learn about potential risks and benefits when combining antioxidants with radiation and chemotherapy.
 Conventional Cancer Treatments
Read information about conventional cancer treatments. Learn about the benefits of using conventional cancer treatments in an integrative model. Explore our resources for quality cancer care.
Our other most popular resources
 Cancer Resources
Knowledge is power. Reliable resources are empowering. We provide clear information, explanations, and maps to educate and empower. Explore our integrative cancer care resources for navigation tools and support.
 Mind-Body Strategies
The mental and emotional inner life impacts health and healing through the mind-body connection. Learn about empowering mind-body practices supporting mind, body, and spirit for cancer patients and caregivers.
 Spiritual Support
The spiritual dimensions of life often become more prominent in the midst of cancer for cancer patients and their loved ones. Explore our empowering information about spirituality for support and strategies.
References
- Dean Ornish, MD of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and colleagues have published scientific studies evaluating people with heart disease and cancer. Results suggest that lifestyle changes down-regulate disease-promoting genes and up-regulate protective, disease-preventing genes.
- Ornish D, Lin J, Daubenmier J, Weidner G, Epel E, Kemp C, Magbanua MJ, Marlin R, Yglecias L, Carroll PR, Blackburn EH. Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2008 Sep 15. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 18799354
- Ornish D, Magbanua MJ, Weidner G, Weinberg V, Kemp C, Green C, Mattie MD, Marlin R, Simko J, Shinohara K, Haqq CM, Carroll PR. Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jun 17;105(24):8369-74. Epub 2008 Jun 16. PMID: 18559852
|