Anticancer Foods

Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor. I was always very interested in reading about nutrition and health even if I didn't follow all the rules. I even majored in biology in college. But with the help of an intense and dreadful chemistry class, I later decided I wanted to be a journalist more than I wanted to go to med school. Now, though, I have an excuse to really study up on nutrition. Even though I already have cancer, there are so many kinds of fruits and vegetables I should eat more of to boost the efficacy of my treatments and to keep the cancer cells at bay once I get better. Last week, I received a book called Cancer-Fighting Kitchen. It's got me amped up about eating more oatmeal and vegetables and fresh guacamole and bean soups. I'm also ready to experiment with more herbs and spices. Based on what I've read so far, here are some foods I'm going to try to eat more of (in addition to drinking tons and tons of water to flush out the chemo toxins from my body):

Fruit: Apples, Strawberries, Bananas, Blueberries, Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Cranberries, Cherries, Limes, Oranges, Papaya, Pineapple, Raisins, Coconut Milk, Mango

Beans, Chickpeas, Brown rice

Nuts and Oils: Walnuts, Almonds, Olive Oil

Dairy: Plain yogurt

Veggies: Celery, Carrots, Onion, Potatoes, Asparagus, Broccoli, Corn, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Spinach, Bell Pepper

Herbs and Spices: Basil, Bay Leaf, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cayenne, Chili flakes, Cilantro, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic, Mint, Nutmeg, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Lemongrass, Sage, Thyme, Tumeric, Sea Salt (more minerals than regular salt.)

Sweets: Chocolate, agave nectar, honey, Maple Syrup Grade B

Fish: Halibut, Salmon

Meanwhile, I just read the introduction to another book called Anticancer. It's already reminding me to back off the white flour and white sugar. It points out that a recent study by the World Cancer Research Fund found that at least 40% of cancers can be prevented by simple changes in nutrition and physical activity. I've tried to eat pretty healthy over the years and I don't think my bone disease has that much to do with nutrition. But as a southern girl, I do occasionally enjoy fried chicken and macaroni and cheese and cakes and pies. And here's some southern honesty: I'm not planning to completely cut those out of my diet. What I will do, though, is hold on to those things in moderation while working to make sure the majority of the food I eat is healthy food. I was already trying to work on that and now I have a really good excuse to stay on that path.