Follow This Diet To Ward Off Cancer

Follow This Diet To Ward Off Cancer

Your lifestyle habits such as smoking or consuming alcohol, passive smoking etc. causes cancer, but what you eat also plays a mass of role in the development of cancer. The exposure to carcinogens initiates cancer but the exposure to substances in your diet also inhibits the growth of cancerous cells. Thus, following a healthy diet that includes some cancer preventive components can help to keep cancer at bay.

Cancer Busting Diet

  • Start eating foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Foods like walnuts, flaxseeds and cold water fish like sardines and salmon are great sources of omega and all have anticancer properties.
  • Aim to have plant based diets and include a good amount of green leafy vegetables in your diet. Have lots of fruits, beans and cereals too.
  • Green veggies and fruits have cancer fighting agents in the form of antioxidants and micronutrients. Take these foods in combination.
  • Fruits or vegetables like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, mint, coriander etc. along with fruits such as grapes, mangoes, watermelon, oranges, papayas etc. Some may prefer consuming these foods in the form of juice or soups, but it is always better to eat them as it is.
  • Yogurt contains good bacteria that produce metabolites which are good for preventing cancer, so eat plenty of this food. Additionally, yogurt can metabolize fat too and this further reduces the risk of developing cancer.
  • Reduce the consumption of meat as it has a high level of saturated tat. High tat diets are a risk factor for cancer and saturated tat is particularly dangerous. Finally, depending on its preparation, meat can develop carcinogenic compounds. But it you still want to eat meat, choose leaner meats like chicken or fish.
  • Try cancer fighting foods like ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric or coriander, as they all have cancer fighting properties.
  • Stay hydrated and keep your fluid level high, all through the day. This helps the body to function better and reduces fatigue too.
  • The levels of oxygen are greater in our blood flow when the body is well hydrated. You can have infused water as well, like watermelon in water or cucumber in water etc.
  • Limit alcohol consumption as high levels of alcohol consumption causes dehydration which makes cells more susceptible to multiplying and the effects are greater, if you drink more alcohol on one occasion.
  • Studies have also proved that alcohol consumption is directly associated with the risk of cancer, especially in the case of breast cancer.

Guidelines To Help You Follow A Low Sodium Diet

“Check the food label when buying foods and ensure that the sodium content is less than 50-100 mg per day”

Recommended Sodium Consumption

Hypertension, heart diseases and kidney diseases are affecting the population, especially those above 40 years of age and the incidence of disease has been rising like never before. Following a low sodium or a DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet, ensures a reduction in blood pressure, as well as puts less strain on the kidneys. For most individuals with such conditions, the usual recommended sodium lies between 1500-2500 mg per day. And in order to be able to accurately calculate this, it is important to know that one teaspoon of table salt contains 2300 mg of sodium!

This amount mentioned is just the visible salt (the salt that one can consciously see) because sodium is present in most foods and its quantity is much higher in processed foods. Hence, limiting these foods, is a must to be able to balance daily sodium intake. Also, with the rising occurrence of heart diseases and hypertension it is very important to cut down the intake of sodium from your diet and to keep a check on the amount of sodium you consume on a daily basis. So, follow these essential guidelines to ensure the intake of a low sodium diet.

Guidelines To Follow A Low Sodium Diet

  • Include a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Certain vegetables are moderately high in sodium and these require boiling, to get rid of the sodium in them.
  • Avoid increased quantities of butter, cheese and margarine and also monosodium glutamate (MSG) / ajinomoto.
  • Avoid the use of sauces like soy, teriyaki and barbeque. Also avoid sauerkraut, olives, pickle etc.
  • Avoid processed and/or convenience foods such as canned items, packaged cereals, processed meat, bacon, salami, sausages etc.
  • Limit the consumption of all varieties of bread, pizzas, cold cuts and cured meats, ready to eat soups and other mixes.
  • Check the food label when buying foods from the supermarket. Ensure that the sodium content is less than 50-100 mg per day.
  • Last but not the least, salt often makes the diet tastier. When salt is restricted, try the use of salt adjuncts such as squeezing lime juice, using amchur powder, black pepper, oregano and other herbs and spices, grated ginger, chopped garlic, vinegar etc.

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