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Introduction

Good food is one of the great pleasures of life and is often at the center of family traditions and gatherings. This is true for most cultures, including African Americans. Unfortunately, the foods that are often found to be the most “comforting” and which are often present at social gatherings can also be high in fat, calories, and salt. Great food that is comforting and enjoyable does not have to be unhealthy. This is an important fact since 4 out of the 5 leading causes of death among African Americans: heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke, can be prevented or managed with some simple lifestyle changes, including choosing healthier foods and making a point to be more active (CDC, 2005).

The goal of this cookbook is to bring you a variety of traditional African American recipes that have been “made-over” to contain less fat, sugar, and sodium. The recipes have been gathered from members of the African American community in Lancaster County, including local cookbook author Phoebe Bailey. This cookbook is not only about the food, it’s about leading your family down a path towards better health. Helpful tips about making healthy changes in your eating habits and lifestyle are included throughout the book.

Good food can still be at the center of your family traditions and gatherings, just in a healthier form. Adapting your recipes and making a point to be more active will ensure that you have many more healthy, vital years to spend with your loved ones creating new traditions to pass down through the generations! The information in this cookbook is geared toward the general public of adults and children over age two. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

Lancaster General Health

African American: Favorite Traditional Recipes Made Healthy,Tasty and Easy

Modifying Recipes

Choosing healthy foods every day is important for your overall health. Many of the leading causes of death, including heart disease and cancer, can be managed or prevented with some simple changes to your diet. These changes will be easier if you learn how to make your favorite recipes healthier instead of giving up all of the foods that you love. The following is a list of some ways that you can give your recipes a healthy makeover.

Reduce the Amount of Fat, Sugar, and Sodium You can often reduce the amount of fat, sugar, and sodium in a recipe without losing the flavor. By cutting fat and sugar, you also cut calories, which is important for weight management. Here are some general ways to do this:

• Fat. Use half the amount of butter, or oil; replace the other half with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or prune puree. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of shredded cheese, use 1/2 cup instead.

• Sugar. Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half of the amount required. Try adding or increasing the amount of seasonings that enhance the sweetness of foods, like spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg) or flavorings (such as vanilla or almond extract).

• Sodium. Reduce salt by one-half in baked goods that do not require yeast. However, for bread products made with yeast, 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of flour is necessary for adequate rising of dough. For most main dishes, salads, soups, and other foods, you can reduce the salt by onehalf or eliminate it completely.

Omit an Ingredient

In some recipes, you can omit an ingredient altogether.

• Skip the high calorie toppings like frosting, whipped cream, coconut, and chopped nuts.

• Leave out optional condiments like pickles, olives, butter, mayonnaise, syrup, jelly and mustard, which add unnecessary sodium, fat, sugar and/or calories. Use a Low Fat Cooking

Method

Sometimes, changing the cooking method of a recipe can significantly reduce calories and fat. This is especially true in the case of deep frying, which adds a lot of unnecessary fat and calories to a recipe.

• Choose recipes that rely on baking, broiling, poaching, braising, grilling, and steaming instead of frying.

• For recipes that are usually fried, try baking instead. Lightly spraying the top of the food with a non-stick cooking spray may help to give food the crispier crust you would have achieved with the deep-frying method.

• For recipes that require sautéing, try using a smaller amount of oil, or substitute with a fat-free liquid such as broth, or non-stick cooking spray. Using good non-stick pans also helps to minimize the amount of fat needed to prevent sticking.

• For recipes that require basting the meat or vegetables in oil or drippings, baste with wine, fruit juice, low sodium vegetable juice, or low-sodium broth instead.

Reduce the Portion Size

Some recipes are difficult to modify, and as a result, may still be high in sugar, fat, or sodium despite all of your efforts to change them. In this case, simply choose to eat a smaller portion. Remember that balance is important, so when you do serve a high fat or high calorie item, offer plenty of healthy accompaniments, like fresh vegetables and fruit with the meal.

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Guidelines for Healthy Food and Beverages for Adolescent Health Programs

Replace Sweetened Drinks with Water and Low Fat Milk

Why? Sweetened beverages like soda and juice drinks are high in calories but low in nutrients. As a result they can cause weight gain and tooth decay. The body does not recognize calories in liquids the same way it does in solid foods. Therefore, the more high-calorie sweetened drinks youth have in a day, the more likely it is they are taking in a higher number of total calories.

What to do? Instead of sweetened drinks, youth should be offered water or low fat milk. These drinks are more nutritious and will not increase daily caloric intake as much as sweetened drinks. It may also be a good idea to provide young people with 100% juice products as a healthy alternative, since it can contribute a whole serving of fruit. However, youth should be cautious with this, because it is easy to over-consume 100% fruit juices and they contain a higher amount of calories than water or low fat milk products.

Quick Recipe: Refreshing Pineapple Fizz
(Makes 4 Servings, 8oz each)
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cups seltzer
4 lemon slices

In a bowl or pitcher, mix the juice and seltzer together. Add the lemon slices and chill in the refrigerator.

Did You Know??

Did you know that over half of the body is water?

Water is the main ingredient in blood which travels through your body carrying nutrients. When you’re hot, water helps keep the body cool.

Drink water even when not thirsty. It helps hydrate the body and boost energy.

Put a variety of fruits in a blender to create a heart healthy and delicious smoothie.

$ Money Saving Tips $

$ Encourage youth to drink tap water! It’s often fluoridated and many bottled waters are not. Fluoride protects teeth from tooth decay (cavities) and helps heal early decay.

$ Have youth use reusable bottles instead of plastic.

Serve More Fruits and Vegetables

Why? Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are necessary for healthy growth in youth. Fruits and vegetables are also low in calories. They are great because they can be cooked and prepared in a variety of ways. This can help make them more appealing to youth. Fruits are sweet and can often be substituted for a dessert, providing a healthy alternative while still satisfying a sweet tooth.

What to do? It is essential that youth eat vegetables and fruits each day. In order to adhere to this recommendation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has replaced the food pyramid with a more understandable “MyPlate”1 graphic (see below). They recommend that half of the plate be fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits can be varied by eating a lot of dark green and orange vegetables as well as dry beans and peas. Also, buying fresh vegetables and fruits in season and stocking up on frozen vegetables and fruits that are easy to prepare and will not spoil makes accomplishing this goal easier.

1 USDA “MyPlate” illustrates the five food groups using a familiar mealtime visual, a place setting and replaces the food pyramid. For more information, visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Quick Recipe: Fast Fruit Salad
(Yields about 8 servings)
2 apples
2 bananas
2 oranges
1 small can of pineapple chunks in juice

Wash, core and chop apples. Peel and slice bananas and oranges. Mix all fruits in a large bowl and enjoy!

Try using different combinations of fresh or canned fruit or use ½ cup of frozen lemonade concentrate.

Vary Your Veggies!

Offer rich-colored rainbow of veggies… Flavor veggies with fresh herbs and lemon juice instead of butter…Cook veggies only until done, when they lose color, they lose vitamins and don’t taste as good.

Focus On Fruits!

Serve fresh or frozen fruits rather than those canned in syrup…. Eat whole fruits which provide nutrients and are high in fiber.

$ Money Saving Tips $

$ Provide fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season, such as collard greens, cherries, strawberries and peaches in July and tomatoes, kale, apples and watermelon in September.

$ Bring your students to a farmers’ market or a bodega to select their own snacks at a good price!

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Introduction – Why Set Goals?

Let's begin by using an old case study to lay the groundwork for how goals are among the most crucial components you need to have in order to be successful in almost anything you set out to do.

To find out how many Yale's graduating seniors had clear, written goals for the future, researchers polled the class of 1953. The response is only about 3% did. Researchers then surveyed the Class of 1953 survivors 20 years later and discovered that the 3% with goals had amassed more personal wealth compared to the other 97% of the class put together!

The lesson to be learned here is:

Goals do work.

They are hardly ever used.

I'm assuming that you already desire more from life than you currently experience and are looking for a way to do so. You'll discover exactly that in this short report: a means of obtaining it, regardless of your background, age, or situation.

There are three main sections in this report:

How to set goals

Reach the goals you set

Motivational strategies

Will this report help me achieve my life goals? Yes! If you put it into practice. It really does teach you how to reach your goals, but only those that you're ready and willing to reach.

This report walks you through each step of how to put in the time and effort required to achieve your goals in life. However, you must put in that time and effort. You have to take action and implement these effective strategies!

How To Set Goals You Can Reach?

All of us desire a better life. Everybody has dreams. Wishes are objectives, but objectives with pop, crackle, and snap. While goals offer a path to your desired destination, they frequently lack the motivation to get you there.

Wishes are unique. As opposed to being struck by a lightning bug, they have an impact. You are allowed to dream. They allow you to fly. They enable you to access an endless well of potential and energy, giving you the strength to achieve things you might never have dreamed of.

Think about fulfilling your wishes rather than setting goals if you want to bring about change in your life.

You must choose what you wish for before you can make your wishes come true. The good life is something that many people daydream about as they slog through one work week after another, but they rarely have a clear understanding of what that "good life" should look like.

What you truly want for yourself, not what you're supposed to want or what someone else wants for you.

Every wish comes with a cost. If you are willing to pay the price, you can have whatever you want. Time, cash, or effort may be the cost. It might be in what you have to give up to achieve your goals.

You have the ability to make your wish come true if you are willing to pay the necessary price. You have a 100% chance of success if you are 100% willing to pay the price.

If you are willing to pay, your wish will be granted.

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Welcome to The 10-Day Detox Diet! I’m so glad you are ready to take back your health and applaud you for jumping on board. If you are curious about the role your food choices play in your health, then you are on the right track. I have spent my career researching the effect of food on health, and the evidence is clear that food is medicine and what you put on your fork has everything to do with how you look and feel! The 10-Day Detox Diet is about rethinking your approach to food, and helping you understand that food is way more than just calories, it is information. In fact it is the most powerful medicine to heal and achieve an ideal weight. That is if you choose the right information. And that is what The 10-Day Diet Diet is all about. It promotes healthy, sustainable weight loss and lifelong health and wellness. I created this Roadmap as a companion to The 10-Day Detox Diet Cookbook. It is meant to be a quick reference sheet to help you become comfortable with the healthy, wholesome and delicious ingredients you will be using for the next 10 days. It provides a clear guide to portion size and to the frequency of your meals and snacks. I hope this Roadmap helps you get started on your journey and that it comes in handy when you need a quick reminder that you can do this! Enjoy the ride!

ABOUT THE 10–DAY DETOX DIET

The 10-Day Detox Diet was created so I could teach you how easy, fast and delicious it can be to lose weight and create health. Just follow this scientifically proven program, and in 10 days not only can you lose up to 10 pounds, but you can also put an end to chronic health problems including type 2 diabetes, asthma, joint pain, digestive problems, autoimmune disease, headaches, brain fog, allergies, acne, eczema and even sexual dysfunction. How is that possible? Because what makes you sick makes you fat, and what makes you fat makes you sick. It’s all connected. You know when your computer freezes up? What do you do? You reboot. Well, the 10-Day Detox Diet does the same thing for your metabolism—by following my scientifically proven diet and lifestyle practices, we can reset your metabolism to function as it was designed to. You’ll lose weight without going hungry, and clear up a whole list of health symptoms without fad diets or dangerous pills. And all it takes is 10 days.

IT’S NOT HOW MUCH YOU EAT, IT’S WHAT!

What if everything you ever learned about weight loss was wrong? What if losing weight has nothing to do with calories— counting them or cutting them out by sheer willpower? What if, in fact, most health professionals have been giving you the wrong advice—advice that has been making you fat and sick? Could it be we have had it all wrong? Yes! There has been one fatal flaw in our thinking that the amount of calories we eat is more significant to weight management than the quality of those calories. It’s true that, in a vacuum, all calories are the same. A thousand calories of soda and a thousand calories of broccoli burned in a laboratory will release the same amount of energy. But all bets are off when you actually consume the soda or the broccoli. These foods trigger very different biochemical responses in the body—different hormones, neurotransmitters and immune messengers. The same amount of calories has a profoundly different effect on the body. Eating a high-carb, low-fat diet slows down your metabolism. If you restrict your calories, you will end up triggering very ancient biological adaptions that protect us from starvation. You will slow your metabolism and get a lot hungrier. Don’t worry about how much you eat, because you will never be able to control that. Rather, focus on what you eat—the quality of the food and the composition (high in fiber, good quality protein and fat, low in starch and sugar). When you do, you won’t be hungry and your body will shift from fat storage mode to fat burning mode. And, you will prevent most chronic disease—including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia.

MY EXCLUSIVE APPROACH

My 10–Day Detox Diet program and companion cookbook will show you what food to eat, the proper portion sizes to enjoy and the important lifestyle practices to incorporate into your daily routine so you melt away the fat and restore health to your whole body, mind and spirit. I use the science and principles of Functional Medicine, which is the future of medicine–available now. It seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties. It treats the whole system, not just the symptoms. Through my Functional Medicine training, I was taught to treat the patient, not the disease. By shifting the traditional disease-centered practice of medicine to a patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine practitioners address the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. We look at the interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual. While each of you is biologically unique, all of us share common foundations comprising an optimal functioning system. I’ve based this program off of specific commonalities I’ve observed from years of clinical practice and research and made them available to you in my systematic, easy-to-follow 10–Day Detox Diet.

THE 10–DAY DETOX DIET ROADMAP

HERE’S WHAT TO EAT DURING EACH PHASE OF YOUR DETOX

WHAT TO EAT DURING THE PREP PHASE (THE 2 DAYS LEADING INTO YOUR 1O-DAY DETOX)
PROTEIN Low-toxicity animal- or plant-based protein such as: halibut, mussels, wild salmon (canned or fresh),
sardines, sable, shrimp, scallops, grass-fed beef, lamb and organic chicken, and nuts and seeds if you
want to focus on plant-based proteins

FATS High-quality fats and oils such as: Avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, expeller pressed sesame oil
VEGETABLES Low-toxicity vegetables, including sweet potatoes and winter squash starches
FRUIT Low-toxicity fruits. See Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen from www.ewg.org
SWEETENERS None. Not even artificial sweeteners like aspartame, Splenda or stevia
DAIRY High-quality, full-fat organic dairy (this is eliminated in the 10-Day Detox Diet)

GRAINS OR BEANS

Whole–kernel grains such as: black rice, brown rice, qinoa, buckwheat
Avoid pasta and other flour-based products
Beans are ok, if you tolerate them, however not sweetened baked beans
BEVERAGES Purified water, unsweetened herbal tea, seltzer, or mineral water (in moderation)
Taper off caffeinated beverages, by cutting intake of coffee/tea in half on Day One of prep; on Day Two, cut
Day One’s intake in half again. This will help reduce withdrawal symptoms
No soda, diet soda, sports drinks, fruit juice or alcohol

THE 10–DAY DETOX DIET ROADMAP

WHAT TO EAT DURING THE DETOX (10 DAYS)

PROTEIN Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, Cornish game hen, look for hormone and antibiotic free
Seafood: anchovies, clams, cod, crab, flounder/sole, herring, small halibut, mussels, wild salmon (canned or fresh), sardines, sable, shrimp, scallops, trout
Eggs: Up to 8 per week, organic or omega 3 eggs only Red or Wild Meat: lamb, beef, bison, venison, ostrich, deer, elk
Soy: tofu or tempeh, organic non-GMO only

Nuts & Seeds:

Nuts: almonds, Brazil, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine, pistachios, walnuts, raw cacao
Seeds: chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower
Nut/Seed Butters: Almond, cashew, pecan, macadamia, walnut
Nut Flours: almond meal, coconut flour

FAT Oils:

For cooking with high heat: coconut, grapeseed, avocado
For cooking with moderate heat: olive, grapeseed, unrefined sesame
For cooking without heat: flaxseed, extra virgin olive

Nuts & Seeds: (See above)

Fish: salmon (canned or fresh), sardines, trout, herring, anchovies
Produce: avocado, olives, raw cacao, coconut

NONSTARCHY VEGETABLES

Artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beet greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, cucumber, dandelion greens, eggplant, endive, garlic, ginger root, green beans, hearts of palm, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peppers (bell, chili, etc.), radicchio, radish, rutabaga, seaweed, shallots, snap beans, snow peas, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini FRUIT Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, kiwi, lemons, limes, raspberries SWEETENERS None. Not even artificial sweeteners like aspartame, Splenda or stevia

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Breakfast

Crunchy Oatmeal

Makes 1 serving
Combining oats with warm water results in a crunchier oatmeal.
3/4–1 cup water
1/2 cup oats
cinnamon, to taste
fruit, to taste (optional)
Bring water to a boil. Mix in oats and let simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Add cinnamon and fruit, if desired.
Per serving: 156 calories; 2.6 g fat; 0.5 g saturated fat; 14.8% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 6.5 g protein; 27.2 g total carbohydrates; 0.6 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 27 mg calcium; 1.8 mg iron; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mcg beta-carotene; 0.3 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Dulcie Ward, R.D.

Creamy Oatmeal

Makes 1 serving
Adding cold water makes a creamier and softer oatmeal.
3/4–1 cup cold water
1/2 cup oats
cinnamon, to taste
fruit, to taste (optional)
Mix together oats and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Add cinnamon and fruit, if desired.
Per serving: 156 calories; 2.6 g fat; 0.5 g saturated fat; 14.8% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 6.5 g protein; 27.2 g total carbohydrates; 0.6 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 27 mg calcium; 1.8 mg iron; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mcg beta-carotene; 0.3 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Neal Barnard, M.D.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Makes 2 1-cup servings
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup apple juice concentrate
1 1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional)
Combine oats, apple juice concentrate, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in raisins or currants, if using. Let stand three minutes before serving.
Per 1-cup serving: 312 calories; 2.9 g fat; 0.5 g saturated fat ; 8.4% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein; 66 g carbohydrate; 32.9 g sugar; 4.7 g fiber; 29 mg sodium; 51 mg calcium; 2.8 mg iron; 2.1 mg vitamin C; 0 mcg beta-carotene; 0.3 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Pre vent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Muesli

Makes about 6 1/2-cup servings
Muesli, a European breakfast standard, is made from uncooked grains traditionally soaked in fruit juice overnight. Try this updated morning treat with rolled oats that can be eaten right away.
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (apples, figs, apricots, etc.)
1/2 cup raisins
Combine oats, almonds, dried fruit, and raisins. Leave whole or grind in a food processor for a finer cereal.
To serve, mix with hot or cold fortified soy- or rice milk, fruit juice, or applesauce. Top with fresh fruit if desired, and let stand a few minutes before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 196 calories; 4.6 g fat; 0.5 g saturated fat; 21% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 6.1 g protein; 35.2 g total carbohydrates; 13 g sugar; 4.6 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 43 mg calcium; 1.8 mg iron; 0.5 mg vitamin C; 79 mcg beta-carotene; 1.8 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond,M.S., R.D.

Tofu Scramble

Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped fresh kale
16 ounces low-fat tofu, drained and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
Heat 1/4 cup broth in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook until softened. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth and kale. Cover skillet and cook until kale is wilted. Add tofu. Cook until firm and lightly browned. Add salt, black pepper, and basil.
Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 161 calories; 6.9 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 38.5% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 13.5 g protein; 14.9 g total carbohydrates; 3.8 g sugar; 6.5 g fiber; 308 mg sodium; 116 mg calcium; 4.4 mg iron; 25.3 mg vitamin C; 4125 mcg beta-carotene; 0.9 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D.

Salad Dressings and Dips

Creamy Dill Dressing
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
This rich-tasting, creamy dressing has no added oil. Its creaminess comes from tofu.
1 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Store any extra dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Per 1 tablespoon serving: 12 calories; 0.4 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat; 28.8% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 1 g protein; 1.2 g total carbohydrates; 0.9 g sugar; 0 g fiber; 60 mg sodium; 5 mg calcium; 0.2 mg iron; 0.4 mg vitamin C; 1 mcg beta-carotene; 0 mg vitamin E
Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

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Makes 15 (50g each)

Ingredients

330g raw whole almonds
60g chocolate pea protein powder
16 fresh dates, pitted
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Desiccated coconut for rolling (approximately 3 heaped tablespoons)

Method

1. Place almonds, protein powder, cinnamon and cocoa into blender for 15 seconds.
2. Add dates and vanilla extract and process for 15 seconds or until mix starts coming together.
3. While mixing, add a splash of water (10 ml), so that mixture is soft and will form a soft ball.
4. Divide into 15 lots of 50g portions and form the balls.
5. Roll in coconut.
6. Serve, or store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

These little power balls are a high energy, low saturated fat, low salt snack to have with your morning or afternoon coffee. Make sure you have a small coffee as each of these balls pack a 909kJ energy kick into your day. As part of a healthy diet, snacks should be between 400 and 600kJ. If you are looking to maintain your weight or find it hard to achieve your 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity you maybe want to have half a protein ball at morning tea and save the rest for the afternoon.

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4 PCRM • Healthy Eating For Life

Approximately 80 percent of cancers are due to factors that have been identified and can potentially be controlled, according to the National Cancer Institute. Not only do we have the potential to prevent most cancers, we can also improve the survival rates of people who have cancer. Cancer starts when one cell begins to multiply out of control. It begins to expand into a lump that can invade healthy tissues and spread to other parts of the body. But this deadly disease can often be prevented and, when it occurs, can often be stopped in its tracks.

At least one-third of annual cancer deaths in the United States are due to dietary factors.1 A recent review of diet and cancer shows that much of our risk for colon, breast, and prostate cancer, among other types, is due to dietary factors.2,3 The link between diet and cancer is not new. In January 1892, Scientific American printed the observation that “cancer is most frequent among those branches of the human race where carnivorous habits prevail.” Numerous research studies have since shown that cancer is much more common in populations consuming diets rich in fatty foods, particularly meat and dairy products, and much less common in countries with diets rich in grains, vegetables, and fruits. One reason is that foods affect the action of hormones in the body. They also affect the strength of the immune system. While fruits and vegetables contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that protect the body, research shows that, by contrast, animal products contain potentially carcinogenic compounds that may contribute to increased cancer risk.

Established or Suspected
Obesity-Related Cancers4
Breast (postmenopausal)
Prostate (advanced)
Pancreas
Esophagus (adenocarcinoma)
Gastric Cardia (adenocarcinoma)
Endometrium
Colon and Rectum
Liver
Gallbladder
Kidney (renal cell)
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma
Leukemia
Stomach (men)
Ovary
Uterus
Cervix

Another 30 percent of cancers are caused by tobacco. Lung cancer is the most obvious example, but it is by no means the only one. Cancers of the mouth, throat, kidney, and bladder are also caused by tobacco. Other factors, including physical activity, reproductive and sexual behavior, bacterial and viral infections, and exposure to radiation and chemicals, may also contribute to the risk of certain forms of cancer.

PCRM • Healthy Eating For Life 5 Building Your Strength Against Cancer

Some dietary changes have a preventive effect for many types of cancer. Boosting your intake of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits, for example, strengthens your immune system and helps knock out cancer cells. To help prevent cancer, it is also smart to avoid meats, dairy products, and fried foods. Choosing fiberrich legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruits helps keep many types of cancer at bay. Plant foods also contain a wide variety of cancer-fighting substances called phytochemicals.

These facts all point to choosing a vegetarian diet to help prevent cancer and improve cancer survival. Studies of vegetarians show that death rates from cancer are only about one-half to three-quarters of those of the general population. Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries such as China and Japan, where diets are typically based on rice, vegetables, and bean products, with very little use of meat, dairy products, or oily foods. When people from those countries adopt a Western, meat-based diet, their breast cancer rates soar.

Are you ready to start enjoying the powerful benefits of a vegetarian diet? See “The Three-Step Way to Go Vegetarian” on page 13.

Defending Your DNA From Harm

Let’s look at the steps we can take to build our general defenses. Oxygen is essential to life. But as oxygen is used in the body, some of the oxygen molecules become very unstable. These unstable molecules, called free radicals, can attack cell membranes and even damage the DNA (our genetic code) in the nucleus of the cell. Damage to DNA is the beginning of cancer.

Fortunately, the foods we eat can help protect our bodies. Antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, lycopene, and others, can neutralize the damaging effects of oxygen. These powerful natural chemicals come to us in vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans. People who include fruits and vegetables in their daily diets have lower rates of many forms of cancer.

Smokers have provided dramatic demonstrations of the power of vegetables and fruits. A 55-year-old male smoker whose diet is low in vitamin C has a one-in-four risk of dying of lung cancer in the next 25 years. But if the smoker has a high intake of vitamin C, either through diet or supplements, his risk drops to 7 percent. Effects of antioxidants have even been seen in childhood. When children with brain tumors were studied, it was found that their mothers consumed less vitamin C during pregnancy, compared to other women.

To step up the antioxidant power of your menus, try a baked sweet potato, Low-Fat Guacamole, or baked corn chips with Colorful Corn Salsa (recipes on page 17).

Even with vegetables and fruits in the diet, damage to the cells’ DNA will occasionally occur, so the body has built-in repair machinery. Fixing damaged DNA, which could otherwise cause cancer, requires a B vitamin called folic acid, which is found in dark green leafy vegetables, fruits, peas, and beans. Recent evidence suggests that folic acid may be particularly important in preventing HPV-related cervical cancer.8

The Dietary Reference Intake for folic acid for adult women and men is 400 micrograms per day and increases to 600 micrograms per day for pregnant women. Beans and vegetables are rich in folic acid. Asparagus, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, and cooked spinach all have more than 200 micrograms in a 1-cup serving.

We are all exposed to cancer-causing chemicals despite our efforts to avoid them. Some people are smokers, and quitting smoking is a vital step for them. But all of us are exposed to chemicals in the air, water, food, and household products, in addition to the carcinogens produced within our bodies as a part of our metabolic processes. While trying to minimize our exposure to carcinogens, we can also shore up our defenses against these assaults by including generous amounts of vegetables and fruits in our diet.

Foods and Immunity

Even if we follow healthy lifestyles, cancer cells will arise in the body from time to time. Luckily, we have white blood cells that roam our bloodstreams looking for these troublemakers. Some white blood cells, called natural killer cells, seek out and destroy cancer cells and bacteria. They engulf and destroy aberrant cells before they can cause damage. The function of natural killer cells and other white blood cells is improved by as little as 30 milligrams of beta-carotene per day—the amount in two large carrots.

Although beta-carotene is safe, even in fairly substantial amounts, the best way to get beta-carotene is not in pills, but in carrots, winter squash, spinach, kale, and the other packages in which nature supplies it. Beta-carotene is only one of perhaps two dozen related substances called carotenoids that occur naturally in vegetables and fruits and have varying degrees of biological activity.

In a research review, cancer experts found significant evidence suggesting that carotenoids help protect against esophageal, lung, and mouth cancers