Thursday, February 24, 2011

Embrace this!

David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D., author of “Anticancer, A New Way of Liofe,” recently posted his food rules on the Huffington Post. Because cancer runs rampant in my family, I plan on taking his action plan to heart – and passing it on to my kids. In this fmaily, we need all the help we can get. In a nutshell, Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s rules follow. I especially love the last one, because hey, I’m human!
1. Your main course should be 80 percent vegetables, 20 percent animal protein.
2. Vary the vegetables you eat, or mix them together. For example, broccoli is an effective anticancer food, and is even more effective when combined with tomato sauce, onions or garlic. Make it a habit to add onions, garlic or leeks to all your dishes as you cook.
3. Choose organic foods, but remember it's always better to eat broccoli that's been exposed to pesticides than to not eat broccoli.
4. Cook with turmeric and black pepper. Turmeric is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. Also add thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, mint – all which can help reduce the growth of cancer cells.
5. Potatoes contain high levels of pesticide residue and raise blood sugar, which can feed inflammation and cancer growth. Skip them.
6. Eat fish two or three times a week - sardines, mackerel, and anchovies have less mercury and PCBs than bigger fish like tuna. Avoid swordfish and shark -- high concentration of contaminants.
7. Choose only omega-3 eggs, or don't eat the yolks. Hens are now fed on mostly corn and soybeans, and their eggs contain 20 times more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than cell-growth regulating omega-3s.
8. Use only olive and canola oil in cooking and salad dressings. Throw out your soybean, corn and sunflower oils -- too rich in omega-6 fatty acids.
9. Eat your grains whole and mixed (wheat with oats, barley, spelt, flax, etc.) and choose organic whole grains since pesticides tend to accumulate on whole grains. Avoid refined, white flour, and eat white pasta only al dente.
10. Eat fruits instead of sugary desserts, sodas and fruit juices. Steer clear of products that list any type of sugar (including brown sugar, corn syrup, etc.) in the first three ingredients. Craving something sweet? Try a few squares of dark chocolate containing more than 70% cocoa.
11. Instead of coffee or black tea, drink three cups of green tea per day, decaffeinated green tea if caffeine you too wired.
12. Make room for exceptions. What matters is what you do on a daily basis, not the occasional treat.

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