| by: Marilyn Bennett
In any cancer diet, there are many factors to be
considered. One is that it is ideal that we get our nutrients from our
foods, and that those foods are in as near their natural state as
possible. By that I mean foods that have minimum processing. By eating
minimally processed foods, you have a greater chance of preventing
cancer.
The reason for this is that no matter how clever
our scientists are there is still much they have not discovered about
the way vitamins and the body interact. Every day we hear they have
found either a new nutrient or another factor in how our bodies
assimilate nutrients. If we eat foods that are as close to the state
nature produces them we are most likely to get the nutrients we need
together with all the other factors our bodies need to use them. This is
crucial to any cancer diet.
A shining example is iron. Our bodies need Vitamin
C in order to assimilate iron. However, there are still iron supplements
on the market that do not have Vitamin C included in their mix. Now,
parsley is a very rich source of iron and, you guessed it, is also full
of Vitamin C. To further complicate matters, Vitamin C is heat affected
and water soluble, so cooking, particularly in liquids destroys it -
hence my assertion that eating foods - in this case parsley - in their
natural state is best. Of course this won't work for all foods -
potatoes for example - but it is a good strategy to keep in mind when
trying to maximize nutrition.
The other reason for eating foods in as near
natural state as possible, is that cooking destroys the natural enzymes.
Enzymes not only play a crucial role in digestion, and therefore
influence the quality of the nutrients we get from our food, but some
enzymes, particularly pancreatic enzymes, play a direct role in the
fight against cancer.
So how do we include raw foods when designing a
cancer diet?
The obvious answer is salads. Using as wide a
variety of salad vegetables and incorporating as many different colored
salad veggies, is an excellent way to increase your intake of live
enzymes.
But even with hot meals, many raw veggies can be
added as a garnish, i.e. parsley chopped up over scrambled eggs. Herbs
stirred in a casserole after the heat is turned off. A couple of rings
of capsicum on top of cooked fish. Use fruits to dress up a steak or a
roast. Let your imagination go! Look for color and variety and you will
easily find dozens of ways to include raw foods.
Snacks are another way of getting raw veggies into
the diet. Cut up celery and carrots into one inch/2cm lengths. Even
broccoli and cauliflower are nice and crunchy as a snack. If you must
dip them in something try a little cottage cheese rather than a fat
laden dip!
By keeping your mind open and imagination engaged,
you will soon be getting many more raw foods into your daily diet,
giving yourself and your loved ones an edge in the cancer fighting
stakes. |
