Now that really nice weather is here and we will all hopefully be out in the sunshine, we have to worry about skin cancer. I don't know about you, but I really don't like slathering on all that sunscreen because, (if you know me I am a freak about this stuff!), it's loaded with chemicals that our body will absorb. However, there is good news...once again, Mother Nature will take care of us.
Let me start by saying there are two kinds of skin cancer...."good" and "bad"...I don't want either one. I want to tell you about the bad kind. Based on studies done, if you eat dairy...milk, cheese, yogurt, etc., you are at a 2 1/2 times HIGHER risk of getting the bad skin cancer. BUT, the scientists did find something so incredibly powerful that it can cut cancer risk by about 50%....EAT GREENS!! Yes, dark leafy greens can cut your risk in half.
Now, you are probably wondering how many greens these people had to eat in the study. You won't believe it...they averaged about 6 grams....that's equivalent to 6 paper clips!! That's the same as the garnish on your entree plate in a restaurant. To cut their squamous cell cancer risk in half, they would need to eat the equivalence of 3 spinach leaves...yes, 3 lousy spinach leaves can cut your skin cancer risk in half!! It's unbelievable! That's how powerful greens can be to your body.
When astronauts go into space, what kind of diet do you think they are fed? According to NASA, a plant-based diet. Just as eating meat increases your risk of cancer, eating plants decreases your risk. Eating a lot of plant foods could cut your risk of getting breast cancer in half. Dietary fiber, another huge benefit from plants...remember, fiber is only found in plant foods. Animals have bones to hold them up, plants have fiber to hold them up. But, only unrefined plant foods--white flour, white bread, white rice, white pasta have all the fiber stripped away. Eat WHOLE PLANT FOODS.
The same goes for endometrial cancer. Lots of animal protein and animal fat, your are nearly at twice the risk....lots of plant protein and plant fat, nearly half the risk. Another huge study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported more plants--less cancer...why? Dietary lignan intake---lignans are one class of thousands of compounds called phytonutrients, (yesterdays' blog talks about phytonutrients). What's the best source of lignans? FLAXSEEDS.
OK, so to me, this is a no-brainer....a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in meat and dairy prevents tumors. This is not just me saying this....this information comes from years of scientific studies! And, all the thousands of studies done come up with the same conclusion...eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, beans, whole-grains....stay away from meat, dairy, and processed foods....you can prevent heart disease, cancers, strokes, diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease...this list is endless!
Let me start by saying there are two kinds of skin cancer...."good" and "bad"...I don't want either one. I want to tell you about the bad kind. Based on studies done, if you eat dairy...milk, cheese, yogurt, etc., you are at a 2 1/2 times HIGHER risk of getting the bad skin cancer. BUT, the scientists did find something so incredibly powerful that it can cut cancer risk by about 50%....EAT GREENS!! Yes, dark leafy greens can cut your risk in half.
Now, you are probably wondering how many greens these people had to eat in the study. You won't believe it...they averaged about 6 grams....that's equivalent to 6 paper clips!! That's the same as the garnish on your entree plate in a restaurant. To cut their squamous cell cancer risk in half, they would need to eat the equivalence of 3 spinach leaves...yes, 3 lousy spinach leaves can cut your skin cancer risk in half!! It's unbelievable! That's how powerful greens can be to your body.
When astronauts go into space, what kind of diet do you think they are fed? According to NASA, a plant-based diet. Just as eating meat increases your risk of cancer, eating plants decreases your risk. Eating a lot of plant foods could cut your risk of getting breast cancer in half. Dietary fiber, another huge benefit from plants...remember, fiber is only found in plant foods. Animals have bones to hold them up, plants have fiber to hold them up. But, only unrefined plant foods--white flour, white bread, white rice, white pasta have all the fiber stripped away. Eat WHOLE PLANT FOODS.
The same goes for endometrial cancer. Lots of animal protein and animal fat, your are nearly at twice the risk....lots of plant protein and plant fat, nearly half the risk. Another huge study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported more plants--less cancer...why? Dietary lignan intake---lignans are one class of thousands of compounds called phytonutrients, (yesterdays' blog talks about phytonutrients). What's the best source of lignans? FLAXSEEDS.
OK, so to me, this is a no-brainer....a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in meat and dairy prevents tumors. This is not just me saying this....this information comes from years of scientific studies! And, all the thousands of studies done come up with the same conclusion...eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, beans, whole-grains....stay away from meat, dairy, and processed foods....you can prevent heart disease, cancers, strokes, diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease...this list is endless!
There is an abundance of green leafy vegetables to choose from...especially now that we are going into our growing season. There's romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, (one of the powerhouses), arugula, collard greens, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, mixes of different greens.....try them all....make salads with them, throw kale and other hardy greens in soups and stews, make smoothies with them and add some fruits to sweeten them up...kids love smoothies, and look at all the nutrition and disease-fighting ammunition you will be giving them in a glass! You can use them in so many different ways.
There is not one scientific study out there showing that you get cancer, heart disease, or any disease for that matter, from eating a whole-food plant-based diet...to my knowledge, such studies just don't exist....
There is not one scientific study out there showing that you get cancer, heart disease, or any disease for that matter, from eating a whole-food plant-based diet...to my knowledge, such studies just don't exist....
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