Foods That Fight Cancer

In Health magazine this month, they listed some foods that are the best in fighting cancer. I wanted to share them with my readers because not only are they great for you but they all come from the Earth as well. Natural vegetarian/vegan foods win again!


Broccoli
This delicious veggie packs in a lot of sulforaphane, which boosts the protective enzymes in your body and flushes out chemicals that may cause cancer. Go ahead, eat as much as you want!
Helps Fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach and bladder cancers


Beans
Black and navy beans have been found to reduce colon cancer, especially dried. Their high levels of fatty acid butyrate protects against cancer growth. Thanks Mother Earth!
Helps Fight: breast and colon cancers


Tomatoes
These babies consist of lycopene which helps to stop cancer endometrial cell growth. You will get the most out them when cooked since the heating process increases the amount.
Helps Fight: endometrial, lung, prostate and stomach cancers


Garlic
I love garlic! There are phytochemicals found in garlic that stops the formation of nitrosamines formed in the stomach. These occur when you consume nitrates, a preservative. Stay away from processed foods!
Helps Fight: breast, colon, esophageal and stomach cancers


Walnuts
These nuts have phytosterols that block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells. Just a handful a day can help!
Helps Fight: breast and prostate cancers


Berries
Even though all berries help fight cancer, its black raspberries that contain very high concentrations of anthocyanin. These slow down premalignant cells from growing and keep new blood vessels from forming.
Helps Fight: colon, esophageal, oral and skin cancers

What Not to Eat
You won't see animal products on the list but where you will find them is on their "What Not to Eat List". These are some foods you should really stay away from.

Animal Fats
Meat, cheese and butter can be high in saturated fat which is obviously not good for you. It causes obesity which is linked to cancer. Try to eat leaner sources of protein like beans, veggies and fish.

Processed Meats
Cured meats tend to be high in nitrates and nitrites, preservatives that can increase your risk of stomach and other cancers. I recommend you stay away from most hot dogs and bacon and only eat natural or organic meats. Anything processed is not good for you. The safest thing to do is try to live a vegetarian lifestyle. Health will surely be on your side and you will save thousands of animals from being killed.

Excessive Alcohol
That's right folks. Another reason not to drink. Doctors recommend you stop after one drink because too much can cause mouth, esophagus and breast cancer. If you smoke too, than you are really in trouble! Both are horrible habits so be smart and live without that crap in your body. Plus, too much drinking makes you fat. I think we have enough people who suffer from obesity in this country. Lets not add more!

Teaching Your Children About Real Food

Teaching children about food and where it comes from is so important. Now, more than ever, we must get our kids involved. Make them aware of the natural amazing foods that the Earth gives us and teach them the benefits of all these yummy treats. They need to know that vegetables, fruits and grains are the most healthy and beneficial foods they can eat. You need to get this in their heads while they are young so as they grow up they can see the difference between the "real" food and the "processed" food. Being a parent is such an important job. If you don't do this for your children than no one will. Don't depend on your schools or your community to do your job for you! Take responsibility NOW and do what is right for your kids.

A great way to do this is to have a garden of your own. Get your children involved in the growing process so they can see first hand how awesome it is. They will get excited, believe me. Once they see how something grows they can appreciate it more. Then when they see how the plant can be cooked in so many ways it will allow them to get creative and hopefully inspire them to learn more.

I came across some great games you can get that will help you out with this issue. What child doesn't love games! Check these few out and be on your way to spreading the garden love.

Eboo - Gathering Garden
This board game for 5 yrs and up is such a cute way to get your children excited about fresh food & plants. The game itself is made out of recycled materials and no plastic. Love that! The game shows your kids to collect flowers, veggies and more from vendors and gather enough items for their garden. The first one to get home first wins. Im sure your kids will love it. At $9.00 you can't go wrong!



Ravensburger - Mystery Garden
This game is all about what is what. Its suggested for 4 year olds and up and not only teaches your child how to think and ask questions but also how to place a name on things. The artwork on the board itself is beautiful and the rules are fairly simple. Someone plays the Secret Keeper who picks up picture tiles to view the photo (something on the board). Then the other players have to ask simple yes and no questions to try to guess what the picture is. Which each correct guess the player wins the tile and gets to move ahead in the game on a 15 rock path. Fairly simple and highly educational. A great combination! You can purchase this game for $12.00 on Amazon.



Ampersand Press - The Garden Game
Another great game to check out, The Garden Game focuses on science and nature in more of an educational way. This one is more for kids ages 8 and up and celebrates the seasons. Cultivating their own gardens your children will learn how to feed the soil, plant seeds, nurture the plants and harvest. Even celebrate at harvest festivals and help other players through natural disasters! What a great way to teach them about the realistic issues they would have to deal with. I am all about that! The winner must save the most seeds and plant the largest garden. Not only will this game be fun but it will get your kids excited about farming. It also won 2 awards; Dr. Toy Award in 2002 and the Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Products Winner. I highly recommend this one! Right now its on sale on Education Learning Games for $24.99. You can also purchase it on Gardening with Kids for $29.95.



Happy Shopping and Happy Growing!

What Should You Be Drinking?

What kind of drinks so you have in your home? What are you giving to your kids? Well, I have to say that most of the juices and drinks out there in the supermarket are not good for you. They either have added sugar, preservatives they don't need or artificial flavors. Don't even get me started on soda. Why even waste your money on those when you can get the real thing! I did some research on some companies that produce natural and organic drinks that are totally worth giving a try.

R.W. Knudsen Family has been bottling organic juices since 1961. They use sustainable production and business methods and have stayed true to their commitment to using organic ingredients. Not only have they served as members of the Organic Trade Association they were the first processor in the country to become a certified organic processing facility in 1997. They carry everything from juices to sports drinks so I am sure you will find something you will love. You can find their products in Waldbaums, Stop & Shop, Shoprite and more. You can go to their website to read more on the company and also find a store near you that carries their drinks.




Santa Cruz Organic is another company who uses sustainable resources to produce their products. They claim they are "green to our core" and they are right! They are an official Green E-certified business and have also earned a WRAP award for their amazing recycle methods. Santa Cruz not only has juices but they also carry sauces, teas and peanut butter to name a few. Since 1972 they have been committed to producing the finest organic products and have been working hard to help raise awareness about the benefits of organic agriculture. You can also visit their site for stores that carry their products.



Purity Organic is a company that works directly with organic farmers and creates yummy, healthy drinks at prices that you can afford. All their products are USDA certified organic and 10% of their dividends are returned back into the organic community! They carry 6 flavors of their juice line: apple, lemonade, strawberry paradise, citrus passion, cranberry harmony and tropical bliss. Their functional drinks have a combination of vitamins and herbs and by selling fruit they help create a higher return to the farmers they work with. This shows the love they have for the community! Check out their nicely designed website when you get a chance. Also, take notice to their packaging designs. LOVE THEM! You can find their products in Whole Foods, Duane Reade and the Food Emporium.



Organic Source just came out with 3 sparkling juice drinks you might want to check out. They come in white grape, pomegranate acai and lime. The company actually started out as a brewing company and decided to make pure, non-alcoholic drinks as well. Peak Organic Brewing Company produced great organic beer out in Maine. Today they are also know as Organic Source and create natural drinks under 50 calories per serving, gluten-free and non-alcoholic. Check them out!



Those are a few that are worth checking out. Here are the names of some other companies you might want to look into as well: Uncle Matt's Organic, Lakewood Organic & Premium Juices, Columbia Gorge Organic, Elite Naturel, Steaz Energy and James White Fruit Juices.

Happy Drinking!