By Dr. Martha Gonzalez, MD/Pediatrics/Anti-aging/ Anti-inflammation, Complementary Medicine.
• Health • 2010-10
• Health • 2010-10
what should I eat?
It’s overwhelming…what should I eat? What should I avoid? What is good? What is bad? This is the question we all ask ourselves at some point during the day, but when you have Breast Cancer… it rules your world. The fear of something doing more damage or the hope that something may help is high.
Here is an example: Everyone knows that French Fries are BAD!!! But how bad can they be? Turns out…possibly, really bad. “In a new study, women were more likely to get breast cancer if they had regularly eaten French Fries decades earlier as preschoolers. The report appears in the online edition of the International Journal of Cancer. It's based on the Nurses' Health Study, a long-term health study of a large group of nurses. The study focused on 582 nurses who had breast cancer and more than 1,500 who didn't have breast cancer in 1993. Their mothers were asked how often the nurses had eaten 30 different foods as preschoolers.” Fox News, WebMD, Miranda Hitti.
In this particular study, out of the 30 foods only French Fries were associated with Breast Cancer. “For every extra weekly serving of French Fries that the women reportedly ate as preschoolers, their risk of breast cancer as adults rose 27 percent, write Karin Michels, ScD, PhD, and colleagues.”
Being that I am not up for scandals and would never suggest you stop eating those wickedly delicious potato sticks, you may consider that if there IF are foods out there that help, there are definitely foods out there that damage.
If you were to ask any doctor “what should I eat?” he or she would say to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes/grains, nuts, fish, chicken, turkey, lots of water and maybe an antioxidants green tea, among some others. The problem lies here: most people don’t get more than 1 or maybe 2 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day, (one serving being ONE CUP) and if you are on a budget, forget about organic fruits or veggies. The other problem is most people don’t consume the variety of foods in a day that is needed to keep the body healthy, much less from getting sick. USDA recommends any adult to consume anywhere between 9 and 13 fruits and veggies servings per day. Here is another dilemma, most people don’t know what foods to enjoy or avoid. Some foods don’t interact well with certain medication, some foods may actually help some medication work better. Either way, if you have Cancer or any other chronic illness, where do you start?
All foods are not equally good if we consider their antioxidant content. Some foods are better than the others. USDA recommends top 20 best sources of food antioxidants as measured by their total antioxidant capacity per serving size.
Here are some suggestions of what to eat:
Best Sources of High Antioxidant Foods
1. Fruits:
Berries (Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry, blueberry, bilberry/wild blueberry, black currant), pomegranate, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapefruit.
2. Vegetables
Kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, red beets, olives.
3. Dry Fruits high in antioxidants
Apricots, prunes, dates.
4. Legumes
Broad beans, pinto beans, soybeans.
5. Nuts and seeds
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground nut or peanuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds.
(Peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, roasting boosts its overall antioxidant content by as much as 22 per cent. Roasted peanuts are far richer in antioxidants than apples, beets and carrots and comparable to the antioxidant content of strawberries and blackberries).
6. Cereals
Barley, millet, oats, corn, flax.
7. Spices
Cloves, cinnamon, oregano, turmeric.
Scientists at the USDA have developed a rating scale that measures the antioxidant content of various natural plant foods. The scale is called ORAC, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. In other words, how fast does it get into our blood and how much protection for the DNA? Antioxidants such as these help to reduce the damage from free radicals.
Fruits Antioxidant Value: ORAC units per 100 grams
Fruit & Vegetables Antioxidant Value ORAC units per 100 grams
Prunes 5570 Kale 1770 Raisins 2830 Spinach 1260 Blueberries 2400 Brussels sprouts 980 Blackberries 2036 Alfalfa sprouts 930 Strawberries 1540 Broccoli flowers 890 Raspberries 1220 Beets 840 Plums 949 Red bell pepper 710 Oranges 750 Onion 450 Red grapes 739 Corn 400 Cherries 670 Eggplant 390 Kiwi fruit 602 Grapefruit 483
USDA recommends people should eat foods containing at least 3,000 ORAC units a day. As for people with Cancer, studies strongly suggest to double or even triple that amounts. Again, the issue is that most people that are sick can’t eat that much food either because of intolerance or loss of appetite. Then there is the economic factor of purchasing all that food. The other problem, many studies suggest that consuming high amounts of any sugar, whether naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, or artificially added to foods, can cause cancer cells to reproduce at a faster rate.
So what is the solution? Many experts agree that supplementation along with a balanced diet, should help tremendously. But not all supplements are the alike. An antioxidant is not an antioxidant. What I do I mean, make sure that you are investing your money and time in a supplement that is Pharmaceutical Grade, that has the science to back up the bioavailability and has the mix of other ingredients that actually boost the function of the supplement you are looking for. Example: Turmeric helps decrease inflammation in the body and our cells and it is well known as an antioxidant as well, so if you blend it with an antioxidant Aloe Vera formula, it may actually allow the antioxidants to work at maximum capacity.
Some foods to avoid:
1. Foods containing acrylamide, such as french fries and potato chips. Acrylamide, a chemical formed when starchy foods are heated, was labeled a probable human carcinogen in 2005. A list of acrylamide content in various foods can be found at www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/acrylamideintakefdaappendix.pdf.
2. Grapefruit. It saddens me to list a forbidden fruit, but those trying to lower their risk of breast cancer should moderate their grapefruit consumption. Women, who consume a quarter of a grapefruit on a daily basis, are 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Grapefruit interferes with an enzyme in the liver - allowing the gut to reabsorb more of the body's natural estrogen - resulting in a higher level of estrogen in the body.
3. Trans fats. As New York City set out to eliminate trans fats from restaurants, and food labels began listing trans fats in 2006, the world became aware that saturated fats alone were not the problem. For those who think New York went to the extreme, check out a study that has me reading food labels. The amount of trans fats in a woman's buttocks is directly proportional to her risk for breast cancer. A word of caution. As products begin eliminating trans fats, what are they substituting? Many times, sugars to make the food taste better or some other thing that may not be healthy. Note though that in general, products containing, or that contained, trans fats, should be minimized.
4. Soda. While soda alone has not been linked with cancer, it has been shown to increase the risk of obesity - both the regular variety and diet. Currently obesity is responsible for 20 percent of cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men. If that doesn't make that 12-pack less appealing, remember soda is often substituted for other drinks such as water, which lowers the risk of certain cancers, and the cancer-fighting phytochemicals in vegetable and fruit juices.
5. Processed meats. Regular consumption of processed meats is associated with cancers of the lung, colon, liver, and esophagus. Esophageal cancer is the most rapidly growing cancer in the USA.
6. Fried foods. And not simply because of the calories and acrylamide. When oil is heated and reheated, more free radicals are produced. Most importantly, avoid fried foods when eating out - where restaurants frequently reheat the oil they use, or "top-off" the old oil rather than starting fresh.
7. Foods containing the preservatives BHT, BHA. BHT has been shown to cause cancer in animals. BHA is considered a possible human carcinogen.
8. Orange peel. That is - orange peel from non-organic Florida oranges. The food dye citrus red #2, known to cause cancer in animals, is used to make the greenish appearance of Florida oranges resemble the deep orange of California oranges.
9. Refined sugar. A high intake of refined sugar, also known as a high glycemic load, is associated with cancer of the breast and upper digestive tract.
10. Smoked and pickled foods. Both smoked and pickled foods are associated with cancers of the digestive tract.
While we all should keep in mind what we eat and don’t eat while we are healthy, woman with breast cancer specially should take a look at the foods they consume and their past and see what habits need to be eliminated and which habits need to be added. Healthy eating is always a win-win, now more than ever, health professionals worldwide agree that proper supplementation along with a good diet while sick or healthy is a sound investment in our health and our lives. When searching for the right supplement, always ask your doctor what is right for you. Everybody is different and needs a complete evaluation before making drastic changes in their diet.
Martha Gonzalez is a Medical Doctor who practices and resides with her family in Tijuana, Mexico. Her passion is helping people live stronger, healthier, beautiful and fulfilled lives. She enjoys sharing her education through personal consultation in Tijuana and educational seminars in the US and Mexico. References for this article are available upon request. Contact her at: USA 619-646-9420 or www.saludinc.net
Here is an example: Everyone knows that French Fries are BAD!!! But how bad can they be? Turns out…possibly, really bad. “In a new study, women were more likely to get breast cancer if they had regularly eaten French Fries decades earlier as preschoolers. The report appears in the online edition of the International Journal of Cancer. It's based on the Nurses' Health Study, a long-term health study of a large group of nurses. The study focused on 582 nurses who had breast cancer and more than 1,500 who didn't have breast cancer in 1993. Their mothers were asked how often the nurses had eaten 30 different foods as preschoolers.” Fox News, WebMD, Miranda Hitti.
In this particular study, out of the 30 foods only French Fries were associated with Breast Cancer. “For every extra weekly serving of French Fries that the women reportedly ate as preschoolers, their risk of breast cancer as adults rose 27 percent, write Karin Michels, ScD, PhD, and colleagues.”
Being that I am not up for scandals and would never suggest you stop eating those wickedly delicious potato sticks, you may consider that if there IF are foods out there that help, there are definitely foods out there that damage.
If you were to ask any doctor “what should I eat?” he or she would say to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes/grains, nuts, fish, chicken, turkey, lots of water and maybe an antioxidants green tea, among some others. The problem lies here: most people don’t get more than 1 or maybe 2 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day, (one serving being ONE CUP) and if you are on a budget, forget about organic fruits or veggies. The other problem is most people don’t consume the variety of foods in a day that is needed to keep the body healthy, much less from getting sick. USDA recommends any adult to consume anywhere between 9 and 13 fruits and veggies servings per day. Here is another dilemma, most people don’t know what foods to enjoy or avoid. Some foods don’t interact well with certain medication, some foods may actually help some medication work better. Either way, if you have Cancer or any other chronic illness, where do you start?
All foods are not equally good if we consider their antioxidant content. Some foods are better than the others. USDA recommends top 20 best sources of food antioxidants as measured by their total antioxidant capacity per serving size.
Here are some suggestions of what to eat:
Best Sources of High Antioxidant Foods
1. Fruits:
Berries (Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry, blueberry, bilberry/wild blueberry, black currant), pomegranate, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapefruit.
2. Vegetables
Kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, red beets, olives.
3. Dry Fruits high in antioxidants
Apricots, prunes, dates.
4. Legumes
Broad beans, pinto beans, soybeans.
5. Nuts and seeds
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground nut or peanuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds.
(Peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, roasting boosts its overall antioxidant content by as much as 22 per cent. Roasted peanuts are far richer in antioxidants than apples, beets and carrots and comparable to the antioxidant content of strawberries and blackberries).
6. Cereals
Barley, millet, oats, corn, flax.
7. Spices
Cloves, cinnamon, oregano, turmeric.
Scientists at the USDA have developed a rating scale that measures the antioxidant content of various natural plant foods. The scale is called ORAC, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. In other words, how fast does it get into our blood and how much protection for the DNA? Antioxidants such as these help to reduce the damage from free radicals.
Fruits Antioxidant Value: ORAC units per 100 grams
Fruit & Vegetables Antioxidant Value ORAC units per 100 grams
Prunes 5570 Kale 1770 Raisins 2830 Spinach 1260 Blueberries 2400 Brussels sprouts 980 Blackberries 2036 Alfalfa sprouts 930 Strawberries 1540 Broccoli flowers 890 Raspberries 1220 Beets 840 Plums 949 Red bell pepper 710 Oranges 750 Onion 450 Red grapes 739 Corn 400 Cherries 670 Eggplant 390 Kiwi fruit 602 Grapefruit 483
USDA recommends people should eat foods containing at least 3,000 ORAC units a day. As for people with Cancer, studies strongly suggest to double or even triple that amounts. Again, the issue is that most people that are sick can’t eat that much food either because of intolerance or loss of appetite. Then there is the economic factor of purchasing all that food. The other problem, many studies suggest that consuming high amounts of any sugar, whether naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, or artificially added to foods, can cause cancer cells to reproduce at a faster rate.
So what is the solution? Many experts agree that supplementation along with a balanced diet, should help tremendously. But not all supplements are the alike. An antioxidant is not an antioxidant. What I do I mean, make sure that you are investing your money and time in a supplement that is Pharmaceutical Grade, that has the science to back up the bioavailability and has the mix of other ingredients that actually boost the function of the supplement you are looking for. Example: Turmeric helps decrease inflammation in the body and our cells and it is well known as an antioxidant as well, so if you blend it with an antioxidant Aloe Vera formula, it may actually allow the antioxidants to work at maximum capacity.
Some foods to avoid:
1. Foods containing acrylamide, such as french fries and potato chips. Acrylamide, a chemical formed when starchy foods are heated, was labeled a probable human carcinogen in 2005. A list of acrylamide content in various foods can be found at www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/acrylamideintakefdaappendix.pdf.
2. Grapefruit. It saddens me to list a forbidden fruit, but those trying to lower their risk of breast cancer should moderate their grapefruit consumption. Women, who consume a quarter of a grapefruit on a daily basis, are 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Grapefruit interferes with an enzyme in the liver - allowing the gut to reabsorb more of the body's natural estrogen - resulting in a higher level of estrogen in the body.
3. Trans fats. As New York City set out to eliminate trans fats from restaurants, and food labels began listing trans fats in 2006, the world became aware that saturated fats alone were not the problem. For those who think New York went to the extreme, check out a study that has me reading food labels. The amount of trans fats in a woman's buttocks is directly proportional to her risk for breast cancer. A word of caution. As products begin eliminating trans fats, what are they substituting? Many times, sugars to make the food taste better or some other thing that may not be healthy. Note though that in general, products containing, or that contained, trans fats, should be minimized.
4. Soda. While soda alone has not been linked with cancer, it has been shown to increase the risk of obesity - both the regular variety and diet. Currently obesity is responsible for 20 percent of cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men. If that doesn't make that 12-pack less appealing, remember soda is often substituted for other drinks such as water, which lowers the risk of certain cancers, and the cancer-fighting phytochemicals in vegetable and fruit juices.
5. Processed meats. Regular consumption of processed meats is associated with cancers of the lung, colon, liver, and esophagus. Esophageal cancer is the most rapidly growing cancer in the USA.
6. Fried foods. And not simply because of the calories and acrylamide. When oil is heated and reheated, more free radicals are produced. Most importantly, avoid fried foods when eating out - where restaurants frequently reheat the oil they use, or "top-off" the old oil rather than starting fresh.
7. Foods containing the preservatives BHT, BHA. BHT has been shown to cause cancer in animals. BHA is considered a possible human carcinogen.
8. Orange peel. That is - orange peel from non-organic Florida oranges. The food dye citrus red #2, known to cause cancer in animals, is used to make the greenish appearance of Florida oranges resemble the deep orange of California oranges.
9. Refined sugar. A high intake of refined sugar, also known as a high glycemic load, is associated with cancer of the breast and upper digestive tract.
10. Smoked and pickled foods. Both smoked and pickled foods are associated with cancers of the digestive tract.
While we all should keep in mind what we eat and don’t eat while we are healthy, woman with breast cancer specially should take a look at the foods they consume and their past and see what habits need to be eliminated and which habits need to be added. Healthy eating is always a win-win, now more than ever, health professionals worldwide agree that proper supplementation along with a good diet while sick or healthy is a sound investment in our health and our lives. When searching for the right supplement, always ask your doctor what is right for you. Everybody is different and needs a complete evaluation before making drastic changes in their diet.
Martha Gonzalez is a Medical Doctor who practices and resides with her family in Tijuana, Mexico. Her passion is helping people live stronger, healthier, beautiful and fulfilled lives. She enjoys sharing her education through personal consultation in Tijuana and educational seminars in the US and Mexico. References for this article are available upon request. Contact her at: USA 619-646-9420 or www.saludinc.net
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