Diet And Your Risk Of Breast Cancer
by TheDinnerDiva
EDITOR'S NOTE: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wearing a pink ribbon is a great way to show your support of a cure for this killer disease; cooking better and eating healthier are two ways to lower your risk.
When you consider that 2/3 of all disease is lifestyle induced, it’s not hard to make the argument that you are what you eat.
To illustrate that concept, there is a commercial on television for some kind of cereal showing a woman walking down the street who has (apparently) just eaten cinnamon buns and is quite literally wearing them on (where else?) her buns.
I love that commercial... such a visual!
You can end up “wearing” the wrong foods for sure (as in the cinnamon bun lady). I’ve often said there is no need for me to eat certain foods, I should just apply them to my thighs and skip all the work of eating and digestion — that’s where it will end up anyway!
But more than just outer appearances, food impacts our health and the inner workings of what’s going on in our bodies, significantly. There are healthy foods lists telling you what to eat and why, there are books of the same genre and people (like me) speaking all over the country, trying to get people to understand the impact of eating the wrong food.
It may be a life and death matter.
Cancer -- particularly breast cancer for women -- is a disease that chills the blood of most women. The fear of losing a breast or both is a palpable concern, as we’ve known someone who has or has had this disease. It’s become all too common.
So what can we do as women, to combat this disease?
The answer of course is to eat better. I can help you with that, I love food!
And I love lists, so here’s a little one:
The top five foods for combating cancer are:
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, oh my! These mighty veggies contain indole-3-carbinol that may help fight breast cancer by changing up cancer promoting estrogen into a more protective type of estrogen.
Tomatoes: Turns out lycopene, the phytonutrient in tomatoes that is linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer, can work its same magic with breast cancer risk as well. New research has shown that to properly absorb lycopene, you need to eat it along side a little oil. I’m thinking olive oil and tomatoes sounds good, huh?)
Carrots and Their Orange Colored Friends: The pretty beta-carotene does more than color your carrots orange. It may also protect the DNA in the cell nucleus from cancer causing chemicals outside the membrane. Think of beta-carotene as a shield every you nibble a carrot!
Citrus Fruits: The lovely orange and gorgeous grapefruit contain monoterpenes that may help prevent cancer as this compound sweeps the body of carcinogens. How cool is that? A cancer Swiffer!
Seaweed: When you consider this amazing sea vegetable is chock-full of beta-carotene, fiber and chlorophyll as well as chlorophylones, fatty acids that may help fight breast cancer, you just can’t say no to sushi! Domo arigato!
And while you’re digesting those five foods, how about cooking up this delicious, cancer fighting soup?
Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion – chopped
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes, leftovers
2 cups low fat milk
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and cook onion. When onion is translucent, add broccoli and chicken broth. Cook till broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes or so.
Add mashed potatoes, mixing well until incorporated. Heat for 5 minutes then add milk and heat a little while longer. Add cheese and stir. Serve.
Per Serving: 180 Calories; 7g Fat; 12g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 591mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with a big salad and some whole grain rolls.
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October 18, 2010
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Mmm, Mmm Good: My Favorite Gluten-Free Soup
by TriciaThompsonMS/RD
It’s turning a wee bit chillier in the Northeast and my thoughts are starting to turn towards soup to keep me warm. Homemade gluten-free soup is easy to make and a great way to experiment with some of the gluten-free whole grains.
Amaranth is one of my favorite grains to use in soups. Actually, amaranth isn’t really a grain but an herb harvested for its seeds.
Amaranth seed is tannish-brown in color and very small — about the size of a poppy seed. It gives soups a nice thick mouth feel. From a nutritional standpoint, amaranth seed is a tasty way to increase the iron and fiber content of your soups.
Amaranth seed can be found in natural foods stores. It also can be mail ordered, including from Nu-World Amaranth (www.nuworldamaranth.com).
In the Fall and Winter I like to serve soup for dinner. The recipe below is one of my favorites. It is from my book The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide (McGraw-Hill, 2008).
Gluten-free rice chips go great with this soup. I am partial to Lundberg Family Farms brand.
Enjoy!
Tomato Vegetable Soup with Amaranth Seed
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced into ¼” crescents
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 19-ounce can dark red kidney beans
2 cups gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked amaranth seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Red pepper flakes, optional
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, peas, corn and kidney beans. Add the broth, water and tomatoes, stirring to combine. Mix in the amaranth seed. Add the garlic powder, oregano, pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 1 hour.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Tricia Thompson, M.S., RD is a nutrition consultant, author and speaker specializing in celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. She is the author of The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide (McGraw-Hill) and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating (Penguin Group). For more information, visit www.glutenfreedietitian.com.
GLUTEN-FREE IS A GOOD START! But to get a weight loss plan perfectly catered to your personal needs, click here and becomes a Diet.com Premium member!
For a copy of The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide click here. |
September 20, 2010
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Be Thinner, Healthier: 10 Easy Things To Do
by TheDinnerDiva
In the world of nutrition, there is a constant stream of information that (unfortunately) overwhelms most people. Yes, even nutritionists get overloaded with nutritional TMI!
Regardless, it still drills down to the basics that people often miss in their quest to be healthier.
I’ve thought about this a lot as I stroll through the grocery store seeing what people have in their carts! It’s absolutely mindboggling what constitutes food in some people’s minds and that they actually paid hard earned money for some of this stuff.
So let’s get serious and came up with 10 things to implement right now for better health that won’t cost you any money and you won’t even have to think about (much). Here you go...
1) First Thirst. Water is cheap, readily available and will boost your health, your absorption of nutrients and give you great skin! What’s not to like about that? Before you order a soda, grab the juice or iced tea, drink your water. Water first, then the other stuff. If you really wanna save some cash, skip the other stuff entirely.
2) Big on Breakfast. Eating breakfast gets your metabolism started, your appetite handled and consequently, helps you to stabilize -- and maybe even lose weight!
3) Eat in Season. Fresh fruits and veggies can be expensive, but if you buy in season (take advantage of locally grown stuff), you’re going to get superior quality and less cash outlay!
4) Watch the Iceberg. There are FAR better lettuces out there. Iceberg is nearly nutritionally void. Just let the color GREEN be your guide; the greener, the better!
5) Get Blue. Throw some blueberries on your cereal this week. Blueberries have more antioxidants and phytonutrients than any other vegetable or fruit on the planet! I like them in my steel cut oats in the morning.
6) Home Plate. Large salad plates work better for portion control than conventional dinner plates. Remember to keep your plate piled with veggies, a deck of cards-sized protein source and a fist-sized amount of complex carbs.
7) Brown Outs. Skip the white rice, white flour and sugar. Instead, go with whole wheat flour, brown rice and use evaporated cane juice (also called Sucanat) instead of regular sugar.
8) Go Fish. Eat wild fish instead of farm-raised fish to enjoy the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids not found in farm-raised. You can find it on sale and flash frozen to save money. Wild salmon is an especially nutritious choice!
9) Better Butter. Use half olive oil and butter whipped together. Spreads easier, better for you and less saturated fat than regular butter.
10) Shake the Salt. When cooking, use toward the end of cooking and only to taste. Taste your food BEFORE you salt it and if you wanna go hardcore, remove the shaker entirely from the table. |
August 23, 2010
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