Superfoods for Superwoman: Foods That Kill and Prevent Cancer

KILLING AND PREVENTING CANCER

Cancer is one of those topics that most people don’t think about until they are impacted by its nasty effects. People are impacted themselves or through a relative or friend. For most of us, our lives have become so involved that while we may be able to stick to a diet or eating program for a couple of weeks or a couple of months, it can become difficult to make time or a commitment for longer term “prevention”. And sometimes we just don’t know what to do to prevent things like cancer. My goal with this article is to help others learn about ways of killing and preventing cancer.

I have lived an overall healthy lifestyle (aside from loving a good cocktail every once in a while) and have done a considerable amount of research on nutrition for the majority of my adult life. When I worked for Gatorade several years ago, I helped create a strength and nutrition program for all of our employees to help each of us better understand the impacts of exercise and nutrition on our bodies. Plus, we had to “live our brand” in order to best serve our athlete customers.  (I am sure that is one of the reasons why Gatorade has become the leading sports nutrition brand around the world! Ha!)

Exercise and nutrition is certainly a passion of mine, but I know that for others, it isn’t a passion and it does not easily flow in their lives.  And that is ok.  But as many of us are consistently bombarded with messaging in many different forms like television commercials, social networks, educational influencers, etc., we have learned that diet, exercise, rest/sleep and management of other factors like stress are the core pieces of a holistic program to increase quality of life and longevity. Consistently managing each piece is much easier said than done for sure. But it’s never too late to start with just one piece.

As I have dove into researching my mother’s new cancer diagnosis and creating a holistic treatment program for her to follow, I have discovered specific foods – I will call them superfoods – that are essential to cancer treatment as well as cancer prevention. Through a Facebook Group, I discovered a book written by a brain cancer survivor, James McCraw, who did his own research on diet and nutrition because he had a hard time getting answers from his doctors.  He wrote the book “Killing Cancer With Spices: Cancer Stem Cells – Inflammation – Cure?” to help others understand what superfoods can help prevent and kill existing cancer.

McCraw’s key message was that much of the treatment that exists today, like chemo and radiation, do not kill the actual “stem” of the cancer cell. These treatments certainly can help kill off the surrounding cancer, but they can stop short of actually killing the stem which could cause the cancer to grow again in the future. He believes treatment and prevention is two-fold:

• Attack the stem of the cancer by consuming specific foods that break through the blood-brain barrier, which shields the brain from harmful toxins.
• Reduce inflammation to prevent damage to the body’s healthy cells and to prevent larger toxins from passing through the blood-brain barrier.

I am thankful for McCraw’s book that summarizes a lot of findings he came up with as he was dealing with the same cancer that my mother is dealing with. While the book is unlike most books we are used to reading, the guts of what he writes about is key.

Based on McCraw’s book, conversations with registered dietitians and my own personal research, the following are the foods that we are providing to my mother on a daily basis to eradicate her cancer.  These foods will also aid in the prevention of cancer.

Please note all links below are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

Raw Garlic:  1-2 raw cloves daily

Try to consume raw garlic and not to cook with it very long on a high heat.  Do not use a garlic supplement, only raw garlic.

Curcumin Powder: 8g-12g daily (patient’s with cancer); 4g-8g daily (prevention)

Do not use Turmeric powder. Curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in the spice turmeric. But curcumin is the ingredient that attacks the cancer cells. It is best to buy curcumin powder or capsules.  Try to buy a capsule that includes an ingredient like black pepper extract which will increase the absorption into the body because curcumin can easily be digested with other food and not enter your blood stream because the liver is trying to get rid of it.

I consume 3-4 capsules daily NatureWise Certified Organic Curcumin with 95% curcuminoids. For my mother, I use 8 scoops (1000mg each) of the Micro Ingredients’ high concentration Turmeric Curcumin 95% (Natural Turmeric Extract) Powder.

Ginger Powder: 2 tsp daily

Eating raw ginger is great but raw organic ginger powder works just as well.  I use Healthworks Organic Ginger Powder in my smoothie.

Cayenne Pepper: 1/8 tsp daily

This pepper has been known to aid in cancer cell death. Of course, use cayenne sparingly unless you love and can tolerate spicy tastes.

Black Seed Oil: 2 capsules daily

This oil is known to have anti-cancer properties. We use Healths Harmony Black Seed Oil capsules however you can also purchase black seed oil.  I would suggest Maju Superfoods Black Seed Oil.

Boswellia Serrata (Frankincense): 1 capsule daily

This is known to also cross the blood-brain barrier. We use Herbal Secrets Boswellia Extract capsules.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Prolonged inflammation can weaken your immune system and damage your body’s healthy cells which an lead to cancer. And eating foods that lower inflammation can also help you avoid diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.  So it is a no “brain”-er to ensure you are adding the following foods to your daily food intake:

• Cinnamon
• Almonds
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Carrots
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Spinach
• Coconut oil
• Dry beans (navy, kidney, pinto, black)
• Kale
• Salmon
• Sweet potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Walnuts

Here is a list of the top inflammatory foods to avoid along with recommended substitutes:

• Sugars (substitute honey)
• Common cooking oils like olive oil (substitute grass-fed butter)
• Transfats like fried foods
• Dairy (substitute Kefir or unsweetened, full fat Greek yogurt)
• Feedlot-raised meats (substitute free-range meats)
• Red meat and processed meat (substitute free range turkey and chicken)
• Alcohol
• Refined grains like white rice, white bread, pasta (substitute oatmeal and whole grain bread)
• Artificial food additives

BONUS SMOOTHIE RECIPE

As a bonus, I am providing my superfoods protein smoothie recipe that I have been making for my mother each day. I do not list the quantities as I usually use the serving size that I feel is appropriate for taste. Links to most ingredients are provided in case you want to order the produce online.

Please note all links below are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

• Orgain Organic Protein Powder (Creamy Chocolate Fudge)
• Kefir (organic, whole milk, plain with no flavor added) I use Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
• Almond milk (unsweetened) (adjust amount as necessary for thickness)
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Organic frozen blueberries (substitutes for ice to make it thicker)
• Organic frozen strawberries (substitutes for ice to make it thicker)
• Raw garlic clove
• Walnuts
• Curcumin Powder
• Ginger Powder
• Raw Cacao Powder (makes it more chocolatier)
• Chia seeds (or powder for easier digestion)
• Cayenne Pepper (very little is needed for a small kick)