Cancer-Fighting Foods

It’s easy to take in the power of cancer-preventing plantfoods at all times of the day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The anticancer recipes featured this month will certainly put you on the right path.

Adding ground flax seeds to breakfast cereals, smoothies or salads is a simple, tasty and cost-effective preventive measure. These tiny seeds have a very mild nutty taste that complements most foods. Part of their benefit comes from their soluble fibres, known as mucilages. These fibres (also found in oatmeal and other grains) bind with water, resulting in a thick paste. Flax seeds can be ground and added to water and used instead of eggs, as you’ll see in this month’s Flaxen French Toast recipe.

Another way to incorporate flax is to use cold-pressed flax seed oil. This provides good fats that are essential for health-they boost immunity and help with cell repair. This versatile oil can be used in salad dressings and smoothies as well as stirred uncooked into hot dishes. Because flax seed oil is very sensitive to heat and light, be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle for storage and use.

Increasing your intake of leafy greens and brightly coloured fruits and vegetables has been shown repeatedly to dramatically reduce the risk of cancer. Colourful produce contains powerful anticancer antioxidants including vitamin C and beta-carotene. However, to get the full benefit you need to eat the recommended five to 10 servings per day.

How do you get your daily veggie servings? It’s especially easy if you have a few delicious dressings on hand to make salads and steamed vegetables that much more appetizing. Try Christel’s Creamy Sesame Dressing served over leafy greens-it’s always a hit with family and friends. Experiment with spring salad mixes, deep purple romaine lettuce, red lettuces, spinach,
colourful cabbage, grated beets and carrots in your salads. Don’t forget to add some colourful fruits such as blueberries, grapes, orange segments, apples and pears for an exotic touch. For steaming, liver-loving dandelion greens and cruciferous vegetables-kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower-are all excellent ideas and can be topped nicely with the Flax Oil and Raw Garlic Dressing. It also helps to keep a staple food in the fridge like the hearty and wholesome Potato Salad With Flax Seed Oil.

Once you’ve included a variety of new foods in your repertoire, feel free to experiment with new ways to prepare them. Eat foods raw, steamed or lightly stir-fried to get maximum nutrition and enzyme exposure (from raw foods particularly). Armed with an arsenal of cancer-fighting fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and herbs such as garlic, you’ll be well equipped to decrease
your cancer risk.

–Sally Errey, RNCP

Flax Oil and Raw Garlic Dressing

Flaxen French Toast

Creamy Sesame Dressing

Potato Salad With Flax Seed Oil