How We Can Prevent Cancer & Less Booze = Less to Loose

  

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 What does the best available balance of evidence say right now about what to eat and what to avoid to reduce your risk of cancer? If the population had been persuaded to stop smoking when its association with lung cancer was first reported, cancer deaths would have been reduced dramatically.  In 1982 (yes, 40 years ago) a landmark report shared: “The public is now asking about the causes of cancers that are not associated with smoking. What are these causes, and how can these cancers be avoided?" The committee raised concern about processed meats, for example, and 30 years later that concern was confirmed - processed meat was officially declared “carcinogenic to humans." Maybe if we had listened back in the early 1980s when the red flag first started waving, we might have been spared "Lunchables", of which it's been said, "the healthiest item in it is the napkin.’”  Live longer, live stronger, and reduce cancer risk by having a Meatless Monday everyone! 

 We mentioned a 40-year-old landmark cancer report yesterday, and it's interesting to note that it “generated a striking level of disbelief from the cancer community and outright hostility from people whose livelihood depended on foods and the food industry whose products were being questioned.” The American Meat Science Association and other groups criticized the report and released a critique where they agreed that perhaps lives would be saved but argued that “reductions in meat consumption would sharply reduce incomes to the livestock and meat processing industries."  It was like the tobacco industry memo where Philip Morris worried the tobacco industry was going bankrupt. More to come on food politics, and have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

 40 years ago, when the landmark report on food and cancer was published “The Day That Food Was Declared a Poison” according to Thomas Jukes, discovered you could speed up the growth of chickens by feeding them antibiotics. What does the latest science tell us about nutrition and cancer? Of course, we need more fruits and vegetables, and eat more soy products to not only reduce the risk of getting breast cancer but also increase the chances of surviving it. Evidence is also sufficiently compelling to limit or avoid dairy products to reduce the risk, to limit or avoid alcohol, to avoid red and processed meat, and avoid grilled, fried, and broiled meats (including fish). All these steps could reduce the risk of several cancers.  Plantify your plates and Google "How Not to Die from Cancer" to learn more on this wonderful Wednesday!

 We've been spending a few Thursday tips on preparing for "Dry January" - not drinking alcohol to experience the health benefits.  What can you expect from this, what's the "why"?  Yesterday we mentioned alcohol causes cancer, and that's a compelling reason to stop!  Additionally, your general health can improve.  Your sleep patterns and risk for heart disease, stroke, and liver problems improve with reduced drinking.  Abstaining for one month won't prevent long-term health issues, but after one month without it, many feel so much better they stop drinking completely.  Start thinking about Dry January now and improving the health on your shelf by removing alcohol.

 Fix-it Friday today is all about roasted veggies, with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli from our Be a Plant-based Woman Warrior cookbook and the ingredients are key:

 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce  

1 tsp dried minced onion

1 tsp dried garlic

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets

2 broccoli crowns, broken into florets.

 In a large bowl with 1 Tbsp of water mix all the spices and seeds except the nutritional yeast, then toss in the broccoli and cauliflower until it's coated.  Place it all on a pan with parchment paper and sprinkle with nutritional yeast, then bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes - hot or cold they are delicious!   And you can always add onions, Brussel sprouts, summer squash, and cherry tomatoes.  Have a fantastic Friday everyone!

 References:  NutritionFacts.org and Be a Plant-based Woman Warrior Cookbook

 From the archives!

 It's the LAST WEEK of 2021 and we are all excited to start a new year!  With it comes many thoughts of getting healthier, losing weight...those "New Year's Resolutions."  And the best way to get healthier and lose weight is to move in the direction of plant-based foods.  Here's the great news - as Dr. Gregor says, "It's not rocket science.  Eating and cooking plant-based may be a little intimidating at first but it's not hard, it's delicious and it's not expensive."  He is the founder of NutritionFacts and wrote the best-selling book, "How Not to Die" (big hint, less meat, and more plants).  He goes on to share the Important part:  "You can take control of your health and prevent the chronic conditions we associate with aging or blame on our genes - but aren't inevitable at all!  It's best to prevent illness in the first place, of course, but even if we've been stricken, many conditions can be arrested and even reversed.  This is in your control, one forkful at a time." Let Meatless Monday BEGIN and start making plans for a healthier 2022!

 It's the last week of the year and we want to help you start 2022 off right.  Dr. Gregor, the founder of NutritionFacts, says, “The optimal weight loss diet should be anti-inflammatory, clean, free from hormone-disrupting chemicals, filled with fiber-rich foods to trap calories and flush them out of the body,” He advocates eating real foods that grow out of the ground.  We know exercise is important too, but as Dr. Gregor says, “You can’t outrun a bad diet.  In a few minutes, you can wipe out a whole hour of exercise.”  Did you know studies show that if half of Americans ate a single serving of fruits and vegetables a day, it would prevent 20,000 cases of cancer every year?  Dr. Greger has a "Traffic Light System" for choosing healthier foods where of course green means Go, yellow means caution, and red means stop - think before you put that in your mouth!  "Green light" foods are unprocessed plant foods, and they should be maximized.  "Yellow light" foods are processed plant foods and unprocessed animal foods and they should be minimized, and "Red Light" foods are ultra-processed plant foods and processed animal foods which should be AVOIDED.  So, on this terrific Tuesday, power up that plantified plate with PRODUCE! 

We're talking a lot this week about Dr. Greger's work in discovering the power of plant-based eating and mentioned his traffic light system.  Real food that grows from the ground is the most healthful choice - the more whole plant foods the better - these "Green light foods" are packed with protective nutrients and fewer disease-promoting factors.  But plant foods are only sometimes healthier - one of the unhealthiest foods on the shelves are partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.  In general, though, choose plant foods over animal foods, and unprocessed foods over processed foods. The yellow or "caution" foods are processed foods, such as soy milk or meat substitutes. There are times when processing can make foods healthier - processing tomatoes increase the availability of their antioxidants by five times.  And removing the fat from cacao beans to make cocoa powder improves it as well. Yellow light foods can have a role if they promote eating more "Green light" foods.  If eating oatmeal requires you to put in almond milk, then it's worth it.  If the only way you'll eat a salad is with a few Bac-o's, then sprinkle them on.  Bac-o's are ultra-processed foods - ones that bear no redeeming nutritional qualities or resemblance to anything that grew from the ground AND with added "badness". Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, and if you haven't already, buy his book, "How not to Die" to live longer and live stronger! 

 2022 is almost here, a new starting point to being healthier, and yesterday we talked about Dr. Greger's "traffic light" system for food choices.  Every time we eat, we have an opportunity to enjoy something even healthier.  Are we choosing "Green light" unprocessed and plant-based foods more than anything else?  Plant foods are higher in protective nutrients, such as phytonutrients and antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.  They are also lower in disease-promoting factors such as saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fat, sodium, and sugar.  Unprocessed means nothing bad has been added and nothing good was taken away.  The limited role of "Yellow-light" foods is to help us transition to "Green-light" foods, and our regular routines determine our long-term health.  If we habitually assault our health with a fork, it can't heal itself.  Dr. Greger’s “How Not to Die cookbook" recipes are comprised of 100% "Green light" ingredients, and it teaches us how to make something taste salty without salt, or sweet without sugar.  Let your New Year's resolution be about reclaiming vibrant health, losing that extra weight, and tapping into energy reserves you never knew existed by moving towards a diet based on unrefined veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.   Blessings of health to all of you in 2022!