Eating a healthy balanced diet at a post-cancer recovery retreat won’t only keep you at your ideal optimal weight, but it can also help you fight or recover from cancer. Many raw fruits and vegetables actually contain nutrients that attack cancer cells, whilst others block inflammation that promotes cancer growth. It is therefore important to adopt a healthy diet to ensure that you are living a healthy lifestyle and to help prevent the growth of cancer cells. Start your journey to a healthier lifestyle on a nutrition friendly holiday where you can indulge in nutritious flavoursome meals and discover that healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Our nutrition retreats can also help to improve your understanding of the importance of a healthy diet, and help you to make a lifestyle change. To start you on this journey, here, we share our top 5 superfoods to help fight cancer.
1. Tangerines
This delicious superfood can fuel the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver due to their anti-flammatory compounds called flavonoids. Certain flavonoids in tangerines called tangeritin and nobiletin can also help kill off brain cancer cells. Oranges, lemons and grapefruit contain many similar flavonoids which are beneficial in the detoxification process of carcinogens. Try adding this superfood into your diet by tossing tangerine segments into your salads, or take the cleansing process one step further on a detox holiday which will enhance the effects. Tangerine peels contain higher concentrations of the compound Salvestrol Q40 which also kills certain cancer cells, so why not sprinkle grated citrus zest into salad dressings, smoothies or tea.
2. Berries
Benefit from the superfood quality in berries
Not only do berries contain vitamins and fibre, but they also contain antioxidants which have amazing superfood cancer-fighting capabilities. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries all contain a large number of polyphenols and ellagic acid which hinder the growth of tumours and promote the death of cancer cells. Berries specifically help fight, colon, esophageal, oral and skin cancers. Berries are easy to add to the diet; have them with your cereals at breakfast, throw them into a smoothie on a juice detox holiday or eat them as healthy snacks throughout the day! They are also easy to stock up on as you can also buy them dried or frozen, which can be stored for a long period of time.
3. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, Bok Choy & Chinese Cabbage
These healthy vegetables all contain two potent anti-cancer molecules, namely sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinols (I3Cs), which help detoxify certain carcinogenic substances from the body and help to prevent precancerous cells from developing into harmful tumours. These molecules not only block the growth of tumours but also promote the destruction of cancer cells, and help fight breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach and bladder cancers. Avoid boiling these superfoods when cooking, and instead briefly steam them or even try going raw on a raw food wellness retreat which will work to preserve the superfoods cancer-fighting compounds.
4. Chocolate
Enjoy chocolate as a guilt-free, tasty treat
You may be surprised as chocolate is largely considered unhealthy, but it can actually have astonishingly beneficial effects on your health too! As long as the chocolate contains over 70% cocoa it will provide a number of antioxidants that fight free-radicals, as well as proanthocyanidins and many polyphenols which decrease the growth of cancer cells and limit the blood vessels that feed them. Avoid milk chocolate as this contains dairy properties which can prevent the superfood benefits of cocoa. Instead, have dark chocolate as a guilt-free yummy snack but stick to only two squares a day to avoid the negative effects.
5. Garlic
Enhance your health as you spice up your meals with garlic! This smelly little superfood actually contains cancer fighting properties, such as hydrogen sulphide, which can help prevent prostate, breast and colon cancer. Those same sulfur compounds that cause odor, also have the beneficial effects of preventing the development of cancer-causing substances in the body, speeding up the repair of DNA and helping to kill cancer cells. To get the most out of garlic’s beneficial properties, crush the cloves, as this will release active compounds and combine them with a small amount of oil as this will help absorb them. Incorporate this into your diet by adding freshly crushed garlic to steamed or stir-fried vegetable, sauces, dips and salads.
