Cancer-Fighting Superfoods

Hi ladies!  In honor of the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to share with you some information I read recently in the October issue of Shape Magazine.  The headline reads, The New Cancer-Fighting Superfoods, and lists some cancer fighting fruits and vegetables along with helpful recipes to increase your protection against breast cancer.  I wanted to go ahead and list these superfoods and their benefits so you can be motivated to not only stay young and healthy, but to live cancer free as well.  Because as the editors of Shape Magazine have quoted, “If we all got our daily dose, there could be 200,000 fewer deaths from cancer every year.”

• Artichokes- A study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that artichokes had the highest antioxidant capacity of 40 vegetables and herbs tested.  “Like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, artichokes are rich in flavinoids, which help slow the growth of breast and other types of cancer cells in lab studies,” says Dong Moon Shin, M.D., a professor and Frances Kelly Blomeyer chair in cancer research at the Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta.
• Pomegranates- High in polyphenols and vitamin C (both antioxidants), this fruit helps fight breast cancer.  “Dozens of lab and animal studies show that pomegranates may halt the spread and recurrence of the disease.” Says Lynne Eldridge, M.D., co-author of Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time.
• Bok Choy- This type of Chinese cabbage is milder than green cabbage or kale, but like those veggies, it’s packed with isothiocyanates.  “These sulfur compounds help your body convert some of the estrogen it makes into a weaker form, which helps protect your breasts,” says Karen Collins, R.D., a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research.  Don’t overcook bok choy: that reduces its anticancer properties.
• Tomatoes- Lycopene, a strong antioxidant, is what gives tomatoes their red color.  “It plays a major role in helping cells communicate, mainly by rallying healthy ones to band together and kills a ‘sick’ cell that could become cancerous,” says Steven Pratt, M.D., the author of SuperHealth.  But keep in mind that your body better absorbs lycopene from foods when they’re cooked and served with a little bit of oil or fat.
• Swiss Chard- “Swap Swiss chard for spinach and you’ll get similar amounts of important antioxidants- like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and lutein- which fight cell damage and strengthen your immune system,” says Shin.  But this dark, leafy green is less bland, so you get a flavor boost when you add it to pasta dishes, soups, and stir-fries.
• Purple Grapes- “Resveratrol, which is found in red and purple grape skins, is a plant estrogen, and getting enough of it can lower your breast cancer risk because it blocks the effects of the stronger estrogen your body makes,” says Pratt.  It also boosts immunity and fights cell-damaging free radicals.

Be sure to go to your local magazine stand and pick up this October issue of Shape Magazine to try out some great recipes that incorporate these potentially life saving fruits and vegetables.  And don’t forget to Shop For A Cure and support some amazing beauty brands making donations to help find a cure for breast cancer as well.

Until next time ladies…  xoxo