Nutrition for Cancer Healing Q&As by Health Partners

1. What foods are good for healing cancer?

It is best to first understand the possible causes of cancer.

2. What are the possible causes of cancer?

a. Toxin overload (excessive free radicals)
b. Nutritional deficiency (leading to immune system dysfunction)
c. Lifestyle factors, including: too much stress; lack of exercise; low quality sleep; insufficient hydration; poor emotional health.

Best cancer healing foods are those that:
a. Detoxifying
b. Nutrient dense

High antioxidant natural foods are most important because they
– provide both A&B
– help arrest free radicals
– provide protein and complex nutrients in the right amounts.

3. What are high antioxidant natural foods?

Generally, they are deep colored fruits and vegetables:
– Berries (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, rasberry)
– High in Lycopene – red colored fruits (red dragon fruit, tomatoes, watermelon, red guava, red capsicum etc.)
– High in Beta carotene (papaya, carrots, kai lan, sweet potato, pumpkin etc)
– Dark leafy green vegetables (kai lan, spinacg, etc.)
– Nuts and seeds
– Beans (cooked)

When fruits are in peak ripeness, their antioxidants are at their highest, for example, when bananas have black spots.

4. How often should we eat these? In what form?

Ideally:
– every meal of every day
– in the least processed form (where possible) > raw, for example,
– as cut fruit and veg, salads, smoothies
– in many small meals (better absorption)
– eat when hungry (more effective absorption)
– avoid snacking (snacking lessens digestive power)

Eating less or no rice could help because rice takes up precious stomach space.
Smoothies are an easy way to consume high amounts of antioxidants.
(In juicing, fibre is lost and sugars can be too concentrated).

5. What are examples of special anti-cancer foods?

– Amla (very high vit-C, an antidote to toxins)
– Flaxseeds (high in lignans to combat breast cancer)
– Broccoli (and broccoli sprouts)
– Ginger
– Turmeric
– Beetroot
– Wheat grass (high chlorophyll) Chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves, is strongly detoxifying.

For more information about anti-cancer food, peruse the links listed at the end of this webpage.

6. Cancer patients tend to lose weight. Will adopting this diet cause even more weight loss?

Weight is a secondary concern. Gaining weight may not mean gaining health. Detox and rebuilding the immune system is a main concern.
Toxins tend to attract fat cells. Thus, detoxifying may cause some temporary weight loss.
It is better to lose “bad weight” and re-gain “good weight” from clean nutritious food.

7. How to re-gain “good weight”?

Incorporate more clean nutritious calories in your meals:
– beans and peas (cooked)
– sweet potatoes (cooked)
– brown or red rice (cooked)
– nuts and seeds
– oats, muesli
– avocados, coconuts

8. What foods to avoid? Why?

1. Avoid toxic and low nutrient foods.

2. White sugar, white flour, white rice

3. All animal products:
– especially dairy (milk, cheese, ice-cream, yogurt etc.)
– red meat
– white meat (chicken, fish)
– eggs
– birds’ nest

4. Other highly processed foods
– preservatives
– artificial coloring, flavouring (MSG)
– canned foods (tuna)
– most noodles, unless they are whole grain.

5. Foods cooked at high temperatures
– fried foods
– baked foods
– grilled-roasted foods

6. Stimulants
– caffeinated coffee, tea

9. But I love savory foods, like char kuay teow, nasi lemak, laksa and curries. How do I change?

– Be educated on the science of antioxidants and unhealthy foods’ effects. It is best that the changes come from inside first, from a deeper understanding.
– Reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods, ultimately to zero.
– Acquire the simple taste of whole, natural plant-based foods.
– Change food choices as a way to respect and be grateful for the simple, unprocessed foods we have.

10. Besides food, what else is good for fighting cancer?

Good emotional health
Regular exercise
Large amounts of water
Sufficient rest and sleep
Deep breathing
Sunshine

It is best to understand the principles and not just follow hear say.

Disclaimer:

The information shared here is for educational purposes only.
These opinions are not given as medical advice and not intended to replace or conflict with your decisions or healthcare providers’ advice.

Sources:

1. National Cancer Institute USA, “Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention“. Reviewed: February 6, 2017
2. National Cancer Institute USA, “Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk“. Reviewed:July 11, 2017
3. Hanausek M1, Walaszek Z, Slaga TJ. “Detoxifying cancer causing agents to prevent cancer“, Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2003 Jun;2(2):139-44
4. Chandra RK, “Nutrition and the immune system: an introduction“, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997 Aug;66(2):460S-463S.
5. Hanausek M1, Walaszek Z, Slaga TJ. “Detoxifying cancer causing agents to prevent cancer.“, Integrative Cancer Therapies,2003 Jun;2(2):139-44.
6. Anad, Preeta et al. “Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes“, Pharmaceutical Research, 2008 Sep; 25(9): 2097–2116.
7. Science Encyclopedia. “Bioaccumulation“, Accessed on 2 Aug 2019.
8. Dr. Mark Hyman. “How Toxins Make You Fat: 4 Steps to Get Rid of Toxic Weight“, Feb 2012
9. Dr Alicia Stanton. “How Toxins Make Us Gain Weight“, Jun 2015
10. “Dr Lorraine Day” (Youtube Video), 18 Jun 2014
11. Natural News. “Healing Cancer Naturally – A Holistic Approach“, Feb 2010
12. Dr Michael Greger. “Eating Green to Prevent Cancer” (Video), NutritionFacts.org, Oct 2012
13. Cancer Tutor. “The Cancer Diet“, Updated May 2019.

For more information on special anti-cancer food, check out: