I was just wondering if any of you, in addition to eating for general health and weight maintenance, try to choose foods based on their anti-cancer or other anti-illness properties or stay away from foods that are believed or known to contribute to illness.
I've begun to get very interested in this topic and I started reading a book called "Anti Cancer" by David Servan-Schreiber which is one of the many books out now that details various foods that should or should not be eaten on this basis. It also has a lot of other advice not related to food.
In general of course, maintainers mostly do eat an "anti-cancer" diet by default because of their tendency to eat more whole grains and vegetables, less red meat, etc, but there are some more specific guidelines in the book. Is anyone else interested in this?
I personally believe that eating a healthy, varied, mostly plant-based diet, and getting plenty of activity, will have a beneficial effect in terms of preventing illness. Obviously, getting the extra weight off had a beneficial statistical impact on my cancer risk. Anything beyond that would, for me, be unnecessarily complicated.
From time to time I will read an article about how eating xyz will help prevent a particular cancer. And I'll think, "Great, I eat lots of that". Another time I'll read about another item and how it's a preventive as well. And the same thoughts will pass through my mind. I am thrilled that what and how I eat *may* be a cancer preventive, but it is not the main reason I choose to eat it. In other words, I won't choose one specific food over the other because of what I read.
I was certain and quite paranoid, that I was indeed putting myself at risk for many cancers just by being so overweight. I agree with Amanda, that getting the weight off in and of itself was a huge cancer preventive all by its lonesome.
I eat tons of produce for that very reason I try not to get too caught up in the latest anti-oxidant darling, because I think all vegetable are great. But I do try to incorporate new things. The only things I'm supplementing at the moment are omega-3 and vitamin D.
Leafing through the book SuperFoods Rx: 14 Foods that Will Change Your life at a Barnes & Noble one day jumpstarted my new lifestyle. The author made the science of nutrition accessible to me an all of a sudden, I knew that second what I had to do to lose weight and be healthier. Since all 4 of my grandparents died much too young (diabates, cancer, cancer, complications of alzheimer's respectively) I want to use food as disease preventatives.
I'm a believer and I have eaten the following foods pretty much every single day since I started: leafy greens, berries, tomatoes (other foods too, of course, but definitely those 3 foods - every day).
I'll take a look at the book you recommended. Come join us in the Whole Foods forum!
I eat a lot of mixed greens, fish, sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, avocados, bananas, apples, beans/legumes, and dark chocolate. These are the foods that make me feel good.
Thanks for all the replies. I asked in this forum because I think that most maintainers are already following a pretty anti-disease diet but I wondered if any of you take an extra interest in it. I was always interested in the topic but it was really brought home to me recently when a close relative was diagnosed with cancer, and who isn't close to someone with the disease these days? I think it can also help me for weight control reasons because it's one more good motivator to make healthy choices.
Glory I'll definitely join you in the whole foods forum, thanks.
I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables--and I do mean LOTS. I eat whatever is in season or on sale. I have a sister with breast cancer so yes, it's of concern. I echo the sentiment that eating a wide variety of fresh produce is the best plan.
The whole reason I got into this whole healthy eating lifestyle is to help prevent, preventable diseases.
My mother is a breast cancer survivor. So cancer weighs very heavily on my mind. Obesity IS a risk factor in breast cancer. As it is so many other cancers as well
I can't help but think every time I go to eat some grape tomatoes (& I probably eat close to a container a day @ about 90 calories), just how much better it is for me then those 100 calorie packs.
I was just reminded of something that occured a couple of weeks ago. Someone asked me if I ever eat donuts. I said I hadn't had one in close to 3 years. Her answer was, "well, sometimes you just gotta live". I told her donuts were never really my thing and I don't have a hard time resisting them. I didn't want to be mean, snide or pushing "my lifestyle" on anyone - but I was thinking - "Yeah, sometimes you really DO have to live." We were both thinking LIVE, but just thinking about it in a totally different sense of the word. For her - eating the donut is living, and for me NOT eating the donut is living.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 05-20-2009 at 10:48 AM.
I can't help but think every time I go to eat some grape tomatoes (& I probably eat close to a container a day @ about 90 calories), just how much better it is for me then those 100 calorie packs.
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Robin, have you had the grape tomatoes called splendido? they are a bit bigger and ohhh even a little bit sweeter... yum.
I do keep health in mind as I follow my eating plan. For example, I try to eat lots of different colors of fruits and veggies every day. I try to eat nuts, lean meats and low mercury fish. I know that bbq-ing can be carcinogenic so I try to avoid getting my food black (almost always do to some degree, anyway) -- it does cause me concern. But I enjoy using the bbq so I continue, but mindfully.
In fact, I eat mindfully keeping preventive health in front.
Last edited by kittycat40; 05-20-2009 at 11:14 AM.
I choose my diet to stave off heart disease more than anything. Cancer doesn't really run in our family, but heart disease sure does. So if I can lower the bad fat content in anything, that is a plus. I incorporate a lot of vegetables and fruits and have any meat portion more of a side. It's typical that two chicken breasts in a recipe to feed four of us is normal. There are often several days a week where we don't eat meat at all, but I don't think I could ever consider myself 100% vegetarian--I like a good steak now and then!
I was just reminded of something that occured a couple of weeks ago. Someone asked me if I ever eat donuts. I said I hadn't had one in close to 3 years. Her answer was, "well, sometimes you just gotta live". I told her donuts were never really my thing and I don't have a hard time resisting them. I didn't want to be mean, snide or pushing "my lifestyle" on anyone - but I was thinking - "Yeah, sometimes you really DO have to live." We were both thinking LIVE, but just thinking about it in a totally different sense of the word. For her - eating the donut is living, and for me NOT eating the donut is living.
kittykat, I hear you on the BBQ. There are some very interesting studies recently published about marinating the meat before BBQ - it really cuts down on the HCAs formed. I don't plan on giving up red meats - but I have moved to bison, grass-fed/finished beef, and our way-too-plentiful venison, and I've implemented considerably more portion control.
I still believe that we were designed very well, and our world was designed very well to provide us everything we need for a long healthy life. After reading Omnivore's Dilemma, though, it became pretty clear that there are a lot of financial forces between the government, food producers, and the health industry that would be very disrupted if we decided to quit eating things that are manufactured. The profit comes from our being fat and sick.
Choosing foods to prevent cancer/other illnesses
