Healthy Diet to Prevent and Cure Cancer

It is no secret that a healthy diet will provide many benefits. Research is constantly being done on the correlation between a healthy diet and the prevention and possible aides in cures for cancer. While so far there is no concrete evidence between a healthy diet and the cure of cancer, there are healthy diet benefits to anyone that is looking to prevent cancer.

Fruits and Vegetables

There cannot be enough emphasis put on eating fruits and vegetables. You need to include at least five or more servings of colorful, natural, non-processed fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which can lessen the effects of carcinogens and free radicals in the body. They can help you stay lean, provide you with fiber and help you build a healthy immune system which can all decrease your risk developing cancer.

Whole Grains

In addition to eating lots of fruits and vegetables, it is recommended to eat most of your foods from plant sources meaning whole grains. Whole grains, with their high fiber content and healthy digestive qualities are thought to help prevent cancers of the digestive and respiratory tracts. Fiber found in whole grains is also helpful in moving harmful carcinogens out of the body. The daily recommended intake is three servings a day.

Limit Fat

In a healthy diet to prevent cancer, it is also recommended to limit the fat intake from red meat. Nuts and fish are an excellent way to supplement the protein you need and also provide good portions of healthy fat. Chicken and turkey are also better options to red meat.

You should also get into the habit of reading labels. You want to avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar. Processed foods are best to avoid as they tend to contain high quantities of both fat and sugar.

Beverages

Alcohol should be eliminated or limited to less than one drink a day for women and less than two drinks a day for men. A healthy diet should include plenty of pure water. Some green and black teas are also seen as healthy choices due to their high levels of antioxidants.

Servings

One of the easiest ways to gauge your servings of the proper foods is to use what the American Institute of Cancer Research calls the "New American Plate" method. Try to fill your plate 2/3 of the way full with fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and 1/3 of the way full of meat or protein.

References

• The American Cancer Society
• The Cancer Cure Foundation