The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

“Breast cancer, almost unheard of 100 years ago, now affects 1 in 8 women over their life time…[however] research from the field of nutritional medicine has shown us that there is a clear way to improve and sustain our health and fight off illnesses in all its forms. ” – Dr. Joel Furhman (5)

“What doctors call early detection is actually late detection… A woman is considered healthy until she shows signs of breast cancer, but if she’s been harboring a malignancy for 2 decades, can she truly be considered healthy? People who do the right thing by improving their diets in hopes of preventing cancer, may in fact be successfully treating it as well.” – Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die (1)

As I shared in last week’s post on how to prevent cancer (and most other diseases), diets that revolve around whole plant foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds) significantly lower the risk of most cancers, and other diseases as well. This recommendation comes from the American Institute for Cancer Research, as well as many leading integrative oncologists, wellness experts and nutritionists.

In this post I want to talk about some specific food recommendations, based on the latest research, for the prevention of breast cancer.

One study following ~30,000 postmenopausal women (over 7 years) with no history of breast cancer showed the incredible power of food and lifestyle choices in the prevention of breast cancer. Women who followed just 3 out of the 10 recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research (limiting alcohol, eating mostly plant foods, and maintaining a normal body weight) had a 62% lower risk of breast cancer on average.

Another study of ~1500 women diagnosed with breast cancer showed that making simple behavioral changes such as eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and walking for 30 minutes, 6 days per week, was associated with a significant survival advantage. (1)

Meat and Breast Cancer Risk:

When muscle meat (beef, pork, fish and poultry) is cooked using high temperature cooking methods (roasting, baking, pan frying, grilling) it increases your risk of cancer. Boiling meat is safest. Also, eating meat that never goes above 212 degrees F is less DNA damaging compared to meat dry cooked at higher temperatures.

Baking chicken for as little as 15 minutes at 350 degrees F leads to heterocyclic amine (HCA) production which is a carcinogen. The longer meat is cooked, the more HCAs form. This explains why eating well-done meat is associated with increased risk of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, lung, prostate, pancreas and stomach.

The Long Island Breast Cancer Study reported in 2007 that women who eat more grilled, BBQed or smoked meats over their lifetime, may have as much as 47% higher odds of breast cancer.

And the Iowa Women’s Health Study found that women who ate their meat very well-done had nearly 5 times the odds of getting breast cancer compared with women who preferred their meats served rare or medium.

These carcinogens (HCAs) can also be found in fried eggs so you should also cook your eggs at low temperature, or boil/poach them.

Luckily, your body can rapidly rid itself of their toxins once exposure ceases (within 24 hours), but when you are constantly consuming meat meal after meal, your body is constantly being exposed and over time this can lead to cancer. So even if you don’t want to give up meat, limit your consumption to a few small servings per week, and choose low temperature and quick cooking methods most of the time such as boiling or a quick wok stir-fry.

Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk:

In 2010 the WHO formerly upgraded its classification of alcohol to a definitive breast carcinogen.

But you’re probably thinking, what about wine?

Well, interestingly, while the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that even less than one drink a day may be associated with a small increase in breast cancer risk, drinking only red wine was NOT associated with breast cancer risk.

Why? According to the study, a compound in red wine (that comes from the skin of dark purple grapes) appears to suppress the activity of an enzyme called estrogen synthase, which breast cancers can use to create estrogen to fuel their own growth. So red wine appears to cancer out the elevated breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake (when consumed in moderation).

And of course, you can reap the benefits of red wine without the risks associated with alcohol by simply drinking red grape juice (without added sugar) or eating the purple grapes themselves, preferably ones with seeds as they appear to be most effective at suppressing estrogen synthase.

Strawberries, pomegranates, and plain white mushrooms may also suppress the potentially cancer promoting enzyme. (1)

Plants to Eat for Breast Cancer Prevention:

According to Dr. Joel Furhman, to have what he calls “super immunity” you should try to include G-BOMBS in your daily diet: Greens (including cruciferous greens), Berries (& pomegranates), Onions, Mushrooms, Beans, and Seeds.

  • Consuming lots of leafy greens can actually make your DNA less susceptible to changes that can lead to cancer. And in particular cruciferous greens have even more potent anti-cancer fighting properties.
  • The entire allium family, onions, leeks, garlic, and chives, have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds. Increased consumption of allium family vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer at all common sites by detoxifying carcinogens in your body and they also have angiogenesis inhibiting effects that can stop cancer cell growth (5). As for seeds, flax and sesame seeds have the most powerful anti-cancer effect due to their lignan content but its good to eat a variety of seeds, as well as nuts, as they each have different nutritional qualities. The red onion is especially powerful – it can kill up to 75% more cancer cells than other varieties. (6)
  • Mushrooms have also been shown to be particularly effective at preventing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women. Eating just 10 grams a day (one small white mushroom), can give women a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer, according to one study. And even lower risk was shown with women that also consumed green tea daily (82-89% reduced risk). (5)
  • In terms of beans and seeds, Dr. Furhman suggests consuming 1/2 cup of beans daily, and a handful of seeds.

Inadequate fiber consumption has also been shown to be a key risk factor for breast cancer. A minimum of 25 grams of fiber is needed to reduce breast cancer risk. This is not difficult to achieve if you’re eating a mostly whole foods plant-based diet.

In particular, flax seeds have been shown to be particularly effective at preventing, and even treating, breast and prostate cancers. Just one tablespoon of ground flax seeds per day (3) And the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed that those women who ate the most beans had the lowest incidence of breast cancer.

Eating even just one apple a day (with the peel) could lower your odds of breast cancer by 24%, and lower odds of other types of cancers. Apple anti-oxidants are concentrated in the peel so make sure to eat the whole apple, preferably organic as apples are high on the Dirty Dozen list. But if the choice is between eating a conventional apple or no apple at all, eat the conventional apple, as the benefits from eating the whole fruit have been shown to outweigh the risks associated with pesticide contamination (2).

What about soy?

Eating non-GMO soy can also help prevent and treat breast cancer.
Soy has gotten a bad rap because it contains phytoestrogens and the fear is that these act like estrogen in the body and would bind to estrogen receptors in the body. However, in reality they can actually have an anti-cancer effect.

From one of the latest studies on soy and breast cancer (funded by the NCI) including 6,000 patients from U.S. and Canada – results showed that there was a 21% reduction in the risk of death from breast cancer in those women who consumed the most soy.

However, you should only consume the less processed versions of soy (i.e. tempeh, miso, edamame, tofu, and soy milk in moderation), and only organic and non-GMO soy.

Good news for meat eaters…

A study showed that eating a heaping side of broccoli or Brussel sprouts could decrease carcinogen exposure from eating cooked meat, and eating such veggies days or weeks before a BBQ can even be defensive against the carcinogens in the meat.

Broccoli and Brussel sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable family – the most potent cancer-fighting family of veggies – presumably eating any cruciferous vegetables would have the same effect. See my blog post about cruciferous vegetables to make sure you’re cooking them the right way to get the maximum cancer-fighting benefits.

The Bottom Line:

Consuming a diversified, mostly whole foods, plant-based diet is best for preventing breast cancer, along with most other cancers and disease. Different foods provide different benefits which is why you want to also vary the types of fruits and vegetables your consume and not just eat broccoli as your only vegetable every day. For example, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green onions, leeks and garlic abolished breast cancer growth completely in one study, while other vegetables did nothing or only halved cancer growth. And radish did nothing for pancreatic cancer cells but was 100% effective at stopping the growth of stomach cancer cells. (1)

Here’s a summary of the recommendations I shared in this post:

  • Eat G-BOMBS on a daily basis, or as often as possible, to optimize your immune system:
    • Greens (esp. cruciferous greens such as kale, arugula, cabbage, Brussel sprouts & broccoli),
    • Berries & pomegranates,
    • Onions, leeks & garlic,
    • Mushrooms (even just 1 white mushroom a day can give you up to a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer),
    • Beans (at least 1/2 cup a day), and
    • Seeds (at least a small handful a day).
  • Consuming flax seeds can have a significant effect in the reduction and treatment of both breast and prostate cancers. Consume at least 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds daily. See my
  • Drinking green tea daily can reduce breast (and prostate) cancer risk.
  • Avoid or minimize alcohol consumption, and if you do choose to drink, have red wine.
  • Minimize your meat consumption to a few small servings per week and choose low heat cooking methods (such as boiling) over high heat cooking methods (such as BBQing). Also, the longer the meat is cooked at high temperatures the more carcinogens will be formed so opt for your meat rare or medium over well-done. And only consume meat from animals raised in a natural way.
  • Try to always include a big serving of cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, etc.) and/or onions/garlic when eating barbecued or roasted meat and fish, to combat against the carcinogens formed when cooking. It doesn’t have to be consumed during the same meal, but having at least a 1/2 cup serving of cruciferous veggies each day and a 1/2 cup of onions can significantly reduce the risk of breast and other cancers.

References:

  1. Dr. Michel Greger. How Not to Die, 2017.
  2. https://nutritionfacts.org/2013/06/25/apple-peels-turn-on-anticancer-genes/
  3. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-flax-seeds-help-prevent-breast-cancer/
  4. Interview with Dr. Keith I. Block on “Modern Breakthroughs in Cancer Recovery” as part of the Hay House World Cancer Summit, 2018.
  5. Dr. Joel Furhman. Super Immunity, 2011.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh9IcNoineM 
How to Prevent Cancer (& Most Disease)

How to Prevent Cancer (& Most Disease)

Today’s epidemic of cancer is not predominantly genetic.

 

50-70% of cancers can be prevented through diet and lifestyle factors.

 

I just finished listening to some incredible interviews with leading integrative oncologists, wellness experts, nutritionists, spiritual teachers. I also heard some remarkable stories from cancer survivors who have embraced the power of food as medicine and the role of the mind-body connection in fighting cancer and preventing remission. These interviews were part of Hay House’s Healing Cancer World Summit.

 

At the same time, I am listening to Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and just finished How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger.

 

So, I want to share some of the key advice that was shared when it comes to dietary and lifestyle factors that can prevent many types of cancer. And I’ll also share some of the specific foods that have been shown to significantly lower ones chance of breast and prostate cancer.

 

How to Prevent Cancer, in a Nut Shell

 

When it comes to nutrition’s role in cancer and other disease prevention and treatment, the advice from all these experts is essentially the same: we need to focus on eating a more whole foods, plant-based diet.

 

“When we eat a nutrient scare diet, diseases flourish. With nutritional excellence, our body becomes a miraculous disease-resistant organism.” – Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Super Immunity

 

Unfortunately, most doctors are not trained in nutrition and much of the drugs that doctors prescribe are actually making patients worse. For example, calcium channel blockers people take to lower blood pressure are linked to doubling breast and prostate cancer risk after 10 years of use. The focus needs to first be on promoting the use of food as medicine and then using modern medicine to supplement when needed.

 

It’s up to YOU to take charge of your own health destiny — not just so you can live longer, but so you can live BETTER.

 

I like how Kris Carr — cancer survivor and host of the Healing Cancer World Summit — summed it up:

 

“self-care is health care”

 

Now I want to share my notes on the key take-aways from two of the interviews that focused on the use of food and lifestyle changes to prevent and beat cancer.

 

Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life & Health with the Mix of Six

Interview with Alison Jefferies and Lorenzo Cohen, from the Hay House Healing Cancer World Summit with Kris Carr

 

Alison and Lorenzo share what they call the “mix of 6” — 6 lifestyle factors that can both reduce the risk of cancer, recurrence of cancer, and improve outcomes for patients.

 

The mix of 6:

  1. Social support (and connection with others) à You need to find people who can support you on your journey to improve your diet and lifestyle.
  2. Stress à If you have stress and you’re eating a healthy meal, the impact of that meal on your body can be the same as an unstressed person eating a fast-food meal. This shows just how bad stress is for our health. One of the easiest and most effective practices for reducing stress is diaphragmic breathing – aka deep belly breathing. You can watch videos on Youtube to learn different techniques for this. Meditation is also powerful.
  3. Sleep à While it depends on the person, between 6.5 to 9.5 hours is recommended, as studies show that people who sleep this much are shown to live longer and be healthier.
  4. Exercise à Just exercising by going to the gym or for a one-hour walk once a day isn’t enough. Move more throughout the day; sit less; stand and walk more.
  5. Diet à A whole foods, plant-based diet is recommended. Whether its low fat or low carb it should be a low glycemic load, minimally processed foods diet. You should get as much of your caloric intake from nutritionally dense, calorically light plant foods.
    • Redesign your dinner plate: plan your vegetables first; the veggies need to cover half your plate and then bring in the protein and a whole grain
    • Protein: Minimize red meat and processed meat intake; get more of your protein from plants; aim to eat smaller amounts of meat such as 3 ounce servings of meat only 2-4 times per week; use meat as more of a condiment; eat clean animal protein – from animals that have been raised in a healthy way (the flesh of animals raised in an unhealthy way is coming from a sick animal; not only are people over consuming animal proteins but they tend to eat animal proteins that come from animals that are sick); the WHO, and other organizations, have classified processed meat as a carcinogen (meaning it carries the same risk for cancer as smoking) and red meat falls into a category just below that, esp. for risk of colon cancer.
    • Bottom line: Eating a mostly plant-based diet is going to improve all aspects of your health so aim to eat more plants and less meat, and move away from processed meats and beef and towards fish and chicken raised in a healthy way — look for the certified humane seal to know that the animals were treated well and raised in a natural way.
  6. The environment à minimize your exposure to environmental toxins in whatever way you can; look at what you’re putting on your body and what you’re using in your house.
    • Watch out for chemicals that are either 1) known carcinogens or 2) endocrine disruptors. Known carcinogens are substances that can literally cause cancer in and of themselves, and endocrine disruptors modify the natural hormonal system in your body which can be a risk factor for cancer.
    • Use the precautionary principle: there’s over 85,000+ chemicals currently out there and very few of those have actually been tested for safety; it’s really important that you realize that you’re being bombarded with chemicals and that you actually have a lot of control in your own home environment.
    • For those products that you use daily, try to replace as many as possible with safer products. Use EWG’s Skin Deep database to check the safety of your current products and to help you find healthier ones.

 

The Science of Food as Medicine

Interview with Dwight McKee, M.D., one of the leading integrative oncologists in the U.S, from the Healing Cancer World Summit

 

Dr. Mckee starts off sharing an epiphany he had a few years back: “Yes, the tumor is important, but that tumor also exists within a terrain and we can influence the terrain that the tumor is in.”

 

What should cancer patients be eating? (This is what you should also eat to prevent cancer)

Dr. McKee’s response: “the simple answer is whole foods, real foods. I don’t think that there is an ideal diet for humans and I don’t think that there is a single ideal diet for people with cancer. Probably the closest to that would be the Mediterranean diet (the old plant based one with some fish and occasional meat on celebration times; however, there are some people who have specific nutritional needs.”

 

He also advises: use A LOT of the spices you like!

 

Spices are like the chemotherapy of the plant kingdom,” he says.

 

Every spice that’s been studied has significant anti-cancer potential. Spices are almost uniformly anti-inflammatory and uniformly have anti-tumor cell activity.

 

What foods should people with cancer avoid? (This will also help prevent cancer)

  • Refined and processed foods
  • Oils heated above their smoke point – When we heat oils that contain double bonds (unsaturated oil), they oxidize and that’s the same thing as becoming rancid. He recommends only cooking with coconut oil, ghee, and butter, below their smoking temperatures. In general, cooking is best done at the lowest temperature. And there is no such thing as healthy fried food.
  • Red meat and factory farmed animals and animal products – one Harvard study (cited in Dr. McKee’s book) found that red meat eaters live on average 10 years less than those who don’t eat red meat. But there is also a big difference in the quality of meat. He suggests avoiding factory farmed meats (whether red meat, chicken or eggs from that setting) because it’s so far from the natural setting and so many drugs and chemicals are used and most of the feed is GMO corn and soy.
  • Most types of farmed fish – though there are a few fish farms using the principles of nature, only using pens and providing small fish and algae as basis of the food system, most farmed fish is raised in an unnatural way and fed GMO corn and soy which results in less of the health omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Refined sugarcancer’s preferred food is sugar. Refined sugar is very different from the sugar that comes in the form of fruits which comes with fiber. Choose low glycemic load fruits. He says “berries are the biggest bang for your buck because they have the most anti-cancer compounds in ratio to their caloric load and are also low glycemic load, raspberries being one of the lowest.” But be sure to get strawberries organic as they are so heavily sprayed when raised commercially.
  • Dairy – substitute dairy with non-GMO organic soy milk, almond, hemp, or other nut/seed milks; dairy is a very acid-forming food, even more so that some of the other animal proteins. He says “fermented is the best way to go with dairy.” But watch out for yogurts that are loaded with refined sugar – many of fruit flavored yogurts have more refined sugar in them than a candy bar or a soda. “Kefir and yogurt mixed with real fruit are probably the most beneficial in the dairy arena, and also ghee (clarified butter) is a pretty healthy cooking fat if you keep the temperature below the smoking point.” Many tumors are stimulated by a hormone found in dairy called IGF1, esp. dairy from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (BGH) is high in IGF1. Research has shown that people who are genetically very low in IGF1 have a very low incidence of cancer and live to very advanced ages.

 

 

The Bottom Line:

 

You shouldn’t wait until diagnosis to start eating healthier; you should start now.

 

If you want to significantly reduce your risk of cancer, and other diseases:

  • Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet;
  • Make vegetables the star of your diet (not meat, refined carbs, & processed foods);
  • Have at least a serving of cruciferous veggies each day;
  • Stay away from refined sugar as much as possible;
  • Minimize dairy, and opt for fermented dairy, such as kefir and unsweetened yogurt;
  • Choose fish or chicken over red meat;
  • Make sure to only consume high quality animal products, raised in a natural way (or from an animal raised in a healthy, natural way in the case of eggs and dairy);
  • Avoid prolonged high-heat cooking for meat and fish (boiling is best, or a quick wok fry under 5 minutes); and
  • Use lots of spices in your cooking for extra anti-cancer benefits (esp. turmeric).

 

In my next blog post I’ll be getting into more specific advice about what plant foods are best for preventing breast and prostate cancer in particular. Stay tuned!

The Truth You Need to Know About Perfume and “Fragrance”

The Truth You Need to Know About Perfume and “Fragrance”

If you knew that your perfume contained undisclosed chemicals that had not been proven safe, would you still spray it on yourself?

 

And would you want your child exposed to those chemicals?

Perfume is actually being referred to as the new second hand smoke.

 

While I personally choose NOT to wear perfume for my health, here in Iraq, where I’m living currently, I’m exposed to a lot of “second hand perfume.” People here really LOVE their perfume (and cologne)!

 

So just as I try to keep my distance from people smoking, I also try to keep my distance from people doused in perfume.

 

Luckily, my husband is not one of those people – otherwise, we wouldn’t be together right now. Not only because I would have kept my distance, but also because the cologne would have masked the scent of his natural pheromones. So, if you’re trying to attract a compatible mate, it’s better to actually NOT wear perfume or any product with a strong fragrance.

 

Sadly, I’ve even seen perfume being sprayed on babies.

 

So, I was inspired to write this blog post to educate people about the dangers of using perfume. As well as any products containing synthetic fragrance, not only for the person wearing them, but for those around them (especially children).

 

And, what’s more. Many other beauty and personal care products contain these undisclosed chemicals as well under the ingredient label of “fragrance” or “parfum?”

 

Why is perfume and “fragrance” so bad for us?

 

What you perceive as a “pleasant scent” is actually a combination of chemicals which have been linked to hormone disruption (which impacts so many processes in your body), reproductive problems, and even cancer. (1)

 

Lucky for the fragrance companies, but unfortunate for you, they can hide any chemicals they want under the ingredient label “fragrance” or “parfum” because of their need to protect their trade secret formula.

 

What if I told you that many of the undisclosed chemicals were proven to cause numerous health problems? And that by inhaling perfume, or spraying it directly on your skin, it quickly ends up in your bloodstream.

 

Now, I could also go off on a rant about all the chemicals in processed foods – but I wanted to focus this week on raising your awareness about the toxins that you take in through products that your spray on yourself, or rub into your skin.

 

Sure, we inhale toxins ALL. THE. TIME. from our environment. And luckily our body has the amazing ability to detox our system on a daily basis.

 

However, when you overload your body with too many toxins the detoxification pathways become less effective and more and more toxins end up getting stored in fat cells in your body (yes, more toxins equates to more fat deposits in your body).

 

So, we want to reduce our toxic exposure from our environment as much as possible, and perfume is one of the big culprits that we can easily reduce our exposure to.

 

Here’s why I don’t use perfume & do my best to avoid being around people wearing strong perfume:

 

  1. It gives me headache

Strong perfume gives me a headache, so this is reason enough to avoid it because anything that gives you a headache you know must not be good for your health.

 

  1. Undisclosed chemicals

As I said earlier, the term “fragrance” on a label is used to protect a “trade secret” formula. This could actually equate to thousands of different chemicals making up the scent.

 

  1. Not tested for safety

And no one is ensuring those combinations of chemicals are safe!

Even many of the individual chemicals used in popular fragrances have never been tested for safety by the FDA in the U.S. as the industry is largely self-regulated.

Why would you want to put your safety in the hands of companies that are just out to make money?

According to the Environment Working Group (EWG):

“The word ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ on the product label represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients used as fragrance dispersants such as diethyl phthalate. Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis [skin irritation], respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system.” (2)

 

  1. Can lead to hormone imbalance

Many of the chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are hormone disruptors.

Hormone-disrupting chemicals, like phthalates, can mimic estrogen and interfere with thyroid function. They can also cause anxiety, depression and mood swings. They can also promote acne and worsen PMS or menopause symptoms. (3)

 

And, remember, it’s not just perfume that you need to be concerned about…

 

Most shampoos, conditions, other personal care & household products (i.e. cleaning products and laundry soap) contain synthetic fragrance too.

 

Some “fragrance” might be okay if you know the company is only using natural oils. But most of the popular products you’ll find on shelves in stores (unless it’s your local health food store, or Whole Foods Market, or equivalent) are not safe.

 

Check the EWG’s Skin Deep database to find the safest products.

 

How to smell nice, while reducing your toxic chemical exposure:

 

Shower, using safe products.

Be sure to use products that are free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and other questionable ingredients. Check the EWG’s Skin Deep database to find out if your products are safe. Personally, I like Dr. Bronner’s pure castile soap, in peppermint. I also love to use handmade olive oil soaps, scented with natural oils.

 

Use a natural fragrance.

Simply use a few drops of essential oil, or buy a perfume made only with natural fragrances. I don’t use anything so I can’t give a personal recommendation, but if you’re living in the U.S., you can check out the EWG verified options of fragrance for women here: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/fragrance+for+women/

 

Wear a safe deodorant, with natural fragrance.

Use a deodorant that is free of “fragrance” unless the company discloses what they use and you know it’s safe. And also watch out for these 7 harmful ingredients in deodorant as well. I use Native brand, coconut scent. While “fragrance” is listed on their label, they only use a blend of natural oils.

The Bottom Line

 

When purchasing any personal care products (from perfume to shampoo to baby wipes), or household products (i.e. laundry and dish soap, and other cleaning products) check the label and don’t buy/use anything with “fragrance,” or “parfum” listed as an ingredient.

Unless you have a way of knowing that the ingredients in their “fragrance” are safe, you should read it as “hidden chemicals, not proven safe.” 

Your best bet is to use the EWG’s Skin Deep database to find the safest options possible for you and those around you.

There are also a lot of DIY options available if you don’t have access to safe options to buy.

 

 

References:

  1. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/27/toxic-perfume-chemicals.aspx
  2. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702512/FRAGRANCE/
  3. https://www.joyoushealth.com/27084-blog-5-reasons-i-don-t-wear-perfume
How to Make Your Green Smoothie Into a Meal

How to Make Your Green Smoothie Into a Meal

People often ask me: “Aren’t you hungry having just a green smoothie for breakfast?”

 

And my answer is always: “No, because the green smoothie is usually not the only thing I have for breakfast.”

 

Some days it is — depending what I ate the night before, or if I just want to give my digestive system a little bit of a break — but most days, I have my regular green smoothie first (after drinking some water of course, sometimes with lemon), then about 30 minutes to an hour later I have part 2 of my breakfast.

 

Recently this is what I’ve been having after my regular green smoothie when I’m on the go:

 

My Filling Green Smoothie (with added protein)

 

I like to make a big batch of green smoothie in the morning and drink one glass of it as is (as more of a detox drink), then I add some extra fillers to the remaining green smoothie in my blender to make a more filling one that I take to go and usually drink after about an hour.

 

What I usually add is:

  • ½ tsp turmeric powder (for its anti-inflammatory effects, since I just started strength training)
  • ½ tsp ceylon cinnamon (also high in antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects, and studies have shown it can lower blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity) (1,2)
  • ½ tsp ginger (this spice ALSO has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, and has been shown to help with exercise induced muscle pain, support digestion, and has loads of other health benefits) (3). Note: I’ve already included a knob of fresh ginger in my regular green smoothie recipe, but I find that adding a little more ginger and cinnamon masks the turmeric and black pepper taste nicely and I get even more health benefit from my green drink.
  • Few cranks of black pepper (to help my body absorb more of the turmeric)
  • 1 scoop of collagen peptide powder (which gives me 10 grams of protein and can help reduce joint pain, reverse skin aging, help with building muscle, and may also help reduce cellulite and improve digestive health) (4) – I use this one.
  • ¼ cup of rolled oats
  • 2 brazil nuts (for my daily dose of selenium – brazil nuts are the #1 food source of selenium which is an important mineral that is often hard to get enough of in one’s everyday diet — selenium is also anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, a mood lifter, and great for the health of your skin) (5)
  • 12 soaked almonds, or some hemp seeds, if I’m feeling more hungry (for some added protein and healthy fats — see my post on the importance of soaking nuts and seeds & how — though, no need to soak the hemp seeds)
  • A couple small dates or some date paste, or more banana, if I feel it needs a little added sweetness or I just want to make it more filling – it’s always best to opt for whole food sweeteners and while many recipes these days call for stevia, I personally don’t like the taste but if you do by all means, add some stevia)
  • Ice (because a chilled smoothie always tastes way better!)

 

You can be creative and add many different things to your green smoothie to make it into a complete meal. Other options include:

  • avocado,
  • protein powder (I like this plant-based protein powder which I actually add to my post-workout smoothie bowl or shake with frozen berries and a little peanut butter or tahini and ground flax),
  • Any other nuts or seeds (pre-soaked for better digestion and nutrient assimilation, as well to make them easier to blend)
  • 1-2 Tbsp nut or seed butter,
  • sweet potato or canned pumpkin.

 

And if your smoothie becomes very thick, just make it into a smoothie bowl. Pour it into a bowl and eat with a spoon. I like to add some toppings to have something to chew on — such as sprouted ground flax, homemade granola, coconut flake, etc.

 

Just don’t go overboard with adding too many fillers or topping or you’ll tax your digestive system and end up feeling tired afterwards.

 

One easy tip to enhance digestion it to consume your smoothie/smoothie bowl SLOWLY and remember to chew so that you mix your smoothie with the digestive enzymes in your saliva which starts the physical process of digestion – not only will this prevent bloating and/or fatigue afterwards, but you’ll assimilate more of the nutrients.

 

Your breakfast should give you energy, not zap your energy or give you an energy crash an hour later (which is why you need to include some healthy fat and extra protein).

 

Experiment to find the right combination that leaves you feeling satisfied but not overly full.

 

What do I eat for breakfast besides green smoothies?

 

These days I’m trying to avoid bread. So, if I’m not on the go, and it’s not a gym day, I might have a bowl of oatmeal or quinoa porridge about 30 minutes to an hour after my green smoothie.

When I make oatmeal or quinoa porridge I usually add some dates or banana to sweeten, homemade almond “milk”, fresh or dried berries, and either chopped walnuts or some seeds – chia, ground flax, or pumpkin seeds that were soaked overnight if I was planning ahead :D.

References:

 

  1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon#section5
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22671971/
  3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#section6
  4. https://www.healthline.com/health/collagen-powder-benefits#top-benefits
  5. https://draxe.com/brazil-nuts/ 
The Importance of Soaking Nuts and Seeds (& How)

The Importance of Soaking Nuts and Seeds (& How)

Have you even felt bloated after eating a lot of nuts, or felt your energy and focus just plummet? This could be because your body was having a difficult time digesting those nuts. But rather than cutting nuts out of your diet, you just need to start soaking them!

Nuts and seeds are one of my FAVORITE foods to add to all my meals because they are such a versatile ingredient in meal prep, taste amazing, and they’re packed with nutrition — good-for-you fats, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. They are definitely an essential food to include in your daily diet to  improve overall health and longevity, and are especially helpful for preventing heart disease.

However, I know many people also fear eating too many of them because of their high fat content. If that’s you, then let me first debunk the myth of fat making you fat (healthy fats that is). Then I’ll get into talking about the importance of soaking and how to do it properly.

Why you shouldn’t worry about the fat in nuts making you fat

Let me first tell you – eating fat does not make you fat. I won’t get into all the details in this post because we’re talking about soaking nuts and seeds, but you should be more concerned about the sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet than healthy fats such as nuts.

Numerous studies have shown that the addition of a handful or two of nuts a day will not lead to weight gain. (6)

One study in 2012 even had people add over a hundred pistachios to their daily diets for three months and they didn’t gain a pound! (6)

Eating more nuts and seeds can actually help you to lose weight because you’ll likely eat less unhealthy foods when you start eating more nuts and seeds.

The problem with nuts usually comes from eating too many roasted/salted nuts, especially those that have been cooked at high heat in some sort of processed, highly inflammatory oil such as soybean oil.

So when I talk about nuts being a super healthy food, I’m talking about raw, pre-soaked (aka activated) nuts and seeds.

How many nuts and seeds should you eat a day for good health?

Your lifespan could be increased by up to 2 years simply by eating just a handful of nuts 5 or more days a week.

Dr. Greger, as part of his daily dozen for good health and longevity, recommends consuming at least a ¼ cup (30 grams, or 1 ounce) of nuts and/or seeds each day, or 2 tablespoons nut/seed butter.

For example, about 23 almonds would be a ¼ cup (which also gives you 6 grams of protein!).

In Dr. Greger’s book, How Not to Die he shares:

“The Global Burden of Disease Study calculated that not eating enough nuts and seeds was the third leading dietary risk factor for death and disability in the world, killing more people than processed meat consumption. Insufficient nut and seed intake is thought to lead to the deaths of millions of people every year.” (1)

So, as long as you’re consuming sufficient fruits and vegetables (see my post on how many veggies and greens you really need to eat each day) and other high-quality sources of protein, you really don’t need to worry about how many you’re consuming – as long as you’re also being mindful when eating them. This means that you aren’t chomping down on nuts and seeds while watching TV or driving.

When you eat mindfully you’ll naturally stop eating when your body has had enough. When you eat while distracted, or eat too quickly, you’ll overeat before your mind sends the signal to stop because you’ve had enough to satisfy your body’s needs.

Why soaked nuts and seeds are better for you

While nuts and seeds are full of good nutrients, this doesn’t mean your body will absorb the full amount of those nutrients (as with all foods).

 

You are not simply what you eat. You are what you digest and absorb!

 

You can ingest nutrients, but your body may not be absorbing and assimilating them if digestion is impaired – which means you’re actually getting less of the vitamins, minerals and protein from foods that are hard for your body to digest.

Additionally, when your body is able to more easily digest nuts and seeds (and any other food), you’ll avoid stomach discomfort, bloating, gas, AND avoid an energy crash (assuming the rest of your meal was not taxing on your digestive system, as hard to digest foods, or just eating TOO MUCH food at once will require a lot of energy to be broken down — thus leaving you feeling zapped of energy for other functions like moving and focusing on work).

Here are more details (if you’re interested) on why soaking nuts and seeks is so important. (2, 3, 4)

       Soaking neutralizes enzyme inhibitors. Enzymes in raw foods usually help us better digest our food; however, raw nuts and seeds have enzyme inhibitors to keep them from sprouting until they have the right conditions. This prevents the seed from sprouting prematurely but can cause potential problems in humans by binding to nutrients in the body and contributing to nutrient deficiencies and digestive system irritation. When you soak and rinse nuts and seeds, you remove the enzyme inhibitors and allow the enzymes to be activated. After soaking, the seeds become living food which is easier to digest. This equals more energy and better nourishment.  

       Soaking removes anti-nutrients like phytates, tannins and goitrogens. For example, brown peel of almonds contains tannin that can prevent absorption of nutrients. As you soak the almonds, the skin will come off easily and allow the nut to release its nutrients effortlessly. And while all plants contain some amount of phytic acid, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds usually contain the highest levels. A small amount is fine because your body can naturally neutralize it during digestion, but large doses can create problems with nutrient absorption because phytic acid binds with minerals in your body and prevents absorption, and reduces the digestibility of those foods – thus leading to bloating and fatigue as well.  

       Soaking makes proteins more readily available, and thus your body absorbs more of it. According to Dr. James Costello, Pre-sprouted nuts and seeds are the best source of living energy and protein for the body. When you pre-sprout the nuts and seeds, the protein conversion rate of these particular foods is twice any kind of protein-based foods.” Protein conversion rate refers to the rate your body assimilates and converts the food source into protein for its use. (5)

How to soak your nuts & seeds

For firm nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecan, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. its best to soak overnight (or at least 7 hours) with some sea salt. Same goes for seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. The sea salt adds minerals to the water that would be naturally occurring in the soil, and thus create an ideal environment for the enzymes in the nuts and seeds to be activated. For a handful of nuts just a 1/4 tsp of sea salt would be enough, or if you’re making a larger batch to store for later, use 1 tbsp salt per 4 cups of nuts, or 1 tsp per cup of nuts. (7) You might even notice that you’re nuts or seeds start to sprout (have a little tail starting to grow) — this is more than totally okay — you’ll actually be getting even more nutrition!

Chia seeds can be soaked overnight as well, but only need at least 20 minutes, and no need for salt.

Softer nuts such as cashews, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts require less soaking (2-4 hours) as they do not contain inner skins, and therefore not as many enzyme inhibitors.

My favorite ways to consume soaked nuts

1.     Chilled on ice. When I first came to Iraq I was intrigued by the bowl of soaked raw/unsalted almonds served in a bowl of ice at some restaurants. Then I later saw the same thing being sold as street food in Turkey. “Wow!”, I thought to myself — if only we had this kind of healthy street food in the U.S. instead of sugar-coated fried nuts! Anyways, you must them like this! They are so satisfying and much more refreshing than a bowl of salted, roasted nuts. Try serving this at your next get-together, alongside some  cucumber and carrot spears served in a glass of lemon juice (also something I tried for the first time here in Iraq with the soaked almonds on ice).

2.     Blended into soups and smoothies. Adding some soaked, blanched almonds or cashews to a blended soup is a delicious way to get the same creamy consistency that you’d get from using cream, but healthier. Same goes for smoothies. If a recipe calls for “nut milk” you can also just throw in a few soaked nuts with water and get the same recipe (a creamier smoothie, with enhanced nutrition and less additives). Try this vegan cream of spinach soup — it is one of my absolute favorites! And I swap the spinach for other veggies like cauliflower or mushrooms sometimes — the roasted garlic and the soaked almonds or cashews really make it delicious! You can also swap out the parsley for other fresh herbs. And I personally find it delicious with just the green onions, so I don’t use the red onion (because the recipe I follow from her cookbook doesn’t include the red onion). Alternatively, you can blend up a cashew cream and drizzle that on your soup afterwards, just like you might do with cream.

3.     Made into nut juice (aka nut milk) & used in oat or quinoa porridge, or to make chia pudding. You’re probably familiar with almond milk, but you can use any nuts or seeds to make a homemade milk substitute. Rather than using store-bought almond milk that has a lot of additives, try making your own, which is super easy if you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, try using a softer nut like cashews that will blend up more easily.

What if you want to pack your activated nuts as a snack to go?

Since soaked nuts and homemade nut milks and creams will only last a few days (refrigerated) before going bad, you have the option of drying them out after soaking. The best option is to use a dehydrator (if you have one), but you can also just set oven temp. to 150 degrees F and leave the pre-soaked nuts on a baking tray in the oven for 12 to 24 hours, until fully dried out and crispy. Taste test a few to be sure they are completed dried out, otherwise they could go moldy in storage. Once ready, you can pack them as a snack to go; otherwise, keep then in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer to prevent the fats from going rancid (this is a rule of thumb for storing raw nuts and seeds as well).

What is you want the benefits of soaked/activated nuts and seeds but don’t want to make yourself?

If you’re just not interested in taking the time to soak and dry your nuts and seeds and are willing to spend a little extra money for convenience, there are many options available online or in health food stores. For example, I love Go Raw’s sprouted pumpkin seeds. You can buy them here. And I also love sprouted flaxseeds by Sprout Revolution (which I talked about in my post about the amazing benefits of consuming just 1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds daily).

p.s. Stay tuned for next week’s blog post where I’ll talk about why enhanced digestion is SO important and should be the first thing you address when striving to optimize your health.

References:

1.   Dr. Michael Greger. How Not to Die. 2017. 

2.   https://nicolelana.com/sprouted-raw-nuts-interview-james-costello-part-1/     

3.     https://healthyblenderrecipes.com/hints_tips/soaking_nuts_seeds_grains

4.     https://wellnessmama.com/59139/soaking-nuts-seeds/

5.     https://nicolelana.com/soaked-nuts-versus-whey-protein-foods/

6.    https://nutritionfacts.org/video/nuts-and-obesity-the-weight-of-evidence/ and https://nutritionfacts.org/2012/12/27/nuts-dont-cause-expected-weight-gain/

7. https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/is-soaking-nuts-necessary-how-to-properly-soak-your-organic-raw-nuts/ 

The right way to cook broccoli & cauliflower for cancer prevention

The right way to cook broccoli & cauliflower for cancer prevention

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, can potentially help to prevent DNA damage, prevent cancer and metastatic cancer spreading, boost your liver detox enzymes, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, boost brain health, increase the production of ATP, along with numerous other benefits.1,4

 

The component thought to be responsible for these potent benefits is sulforaphane.

 

“Beyond being a promising anti-cancer agent, sulforaphane may also help protect your brain, and your eye sight, reduce nasal allergy inflammation, manage Type 2 diabetes, and was recently found to successfully help treat autism,” says Dr. Greger in his book How Not to Die.

 

However, you may be making one BIG mistake when cooking cruciferous vegetables that is significantly reducing the amount of sulforaphane you actually consume.

 

The formation of sulforaphane requires the mixing of a precursor compound with an enzyme called myrosinase, which is inactivated by cooking.

 

But who loves eating raw broccoli and Brussels sprouts? And if you have low thyroid function, you have likely been advised to eat cooked cruciferous vegetables over raw ones.

 

Fortunately, there is an easy solution that can allow you to get the cancer-fighting and other sulforaphane benefits of raw cruciferous vegetables in cooked form.

 

When any raw cruciferous vegetable is chopped or chewed the sulforaphane precursor mixes with the myrosinase enzyme (like snapping a chemical flare), and sulforaphane is created.

 

Though the myrosinase enzyme is destroyed by cooking, both the precursor and final sulforaphane end product are resistant to heat.

 

Here’s Dr. Greger’s recommendation1,2 for preparing cooked cruciferous vegetables so you get maximum benefit from sulforaphane production:

Step 1. Chop your cruciferous vegetable, such as broccoli.

Step 2. Wait 40 minutes for the sulforaphane to be created.

Step 3. Cook until tender (just a few minutes if steaming or sautéing; mushy broccoli just isn’t very good tasting!)

 

Tip for broccoli soup: blend your ingredients first, before cooking, then wait 40 minutes to heat your soup.

 

What about frozen broccoli and cauliflower?

Since frozen veggies are blanched before freezing, the enzyme becomes inert and there is no way to produce sulforaphane.

 

Luckily, there is a solution!

 

Frozen cruciferous veggies still contain the sulforaphane precursor which is heat-resistant, so you just need to find a source of the myrosinase enzyme.

 

Since mustard greens are also cruciferous vegetables, you can just sprinkle a little mustard seed powder onto the frozen broccoli or cauliflower after cooking and it will significantly increase sulforaphane production.

 

And you can do the same with fresh cooked broccoli if you don’t want to wait 40 minutes between chopping and cooking.

 

Or you can add some horseradish or wasabi for the same effect. And only a pinch is needed! Or add a small amount of fresh greens to your cooked greens, such as a few shreds of purple cabbage.

 

Here’s a few recipe suggestions for preparing cooked broccoli and cauliflower:

 

Pan-seared broccoli with garlic – this method is both quick and delicious. Get the recipe here. And try serving it mixed with some hummus if you’re not a broccoli-lover.

 

Mashed cauliflower – just steam for about 6-8 minutes (or until fork tender), then mash by hand or in a food processor with some reserved cooking water or a little coconut or almond milk (for dairy-free option) + flavorings to your liking, e.g. roasted garlic, salt, pepper, herbs such as chives or thyme, or a pinch of mustard powder (or curry powder, which contains mustard powder) if you used frozen cauliflower or didn’t let your cut cauliflower sit for at least 4 minutes before baking.

 

Roasted cauliflower – This is by far my favorite way to prepare cauliflower! And you can do the same with broccoli. I usually slice the cauliflower thinly, or just cut into small florets, toss with some olive or coconut oil + sea salt, then bake until fork tender. Alternatively, you can slice into thick “steaks”, sprinkle with curry powder (which usually contains ground mustard) and roast at about 400 degrees F then top with a whipped lemon tahini sauce, or parmesan cheese. Note: if using olive oil, you might want to cook at 375 as most extra virgin olive oils have a smoke point between 375-405 degrees F.3 Here’s a recipe with video for a roasted curry cauliflower.

 

For whipped tahini sauce, I use ½ cup tahini, juice of ½ lemon, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and ½ tsp salt then whip it in my vitamix, or any blender or food processor will work. You can also whip by hand but it will take effort; there is a point at which the oil will start to separate and the consistency will be icky but just keep whipping/blending and eventually it will come back together into a nice smooth consistency.

 

Dr. Greger’s daily recommendation for cruciferous vegetables is 1 serving per day.1

1 serving = ½ cup chopped, ¼ broccoli sprouts, or 1 Tbsp horseradish or wasabi

 

Here’s a list of other cruciferous vegetables:

  • Arugula
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
  • Broccoli sprouts (which contain 100x more sulforaphane than other cruciferous veggies)
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Collard greens
  • Horseradish
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Mizuna
  • Mustard greens
  • Radishes
  • Rutabaga
  • Turnips and Turnip greens
  • Wasabi
  • Watercress

 

To learn more about the scientific evidence behind the benefits of cruciferous vegetables, and sulforaphane in particular, watch this video by Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

References:

1 Dr. Michael Greger. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. 2017.

2 https://nutritionfacts.org/2016/02/09/how-to-cook-broccoli/

3 https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a20470582/cooking-with-olive-oil/

4 Dr. Rhonda Patrick. Sulforaphane and Its Effects on Cancer, Mortality, Aging, Brain and Behavior, Heart Disease & More