I have a lump in my breast: foods to eat

I am fully aware that one of my problems right now is WEIGHT.  I'm over-weight.  There's an endless cycle for me with weight and healthy eating.   I'm mostly eating right.  But I have one down-fall and that is SUGAR. 

My husband has this same yearning.  So we bought all this candy (for Christmas baked goods) and stored it downstairs in the garage on the food shelves.  Well I couldn't hold out any longer and asked John to bring up some kind that he likes and something I like and put it in the freezer.  It's gone! 

I buy sugarless candy from http://www.nuts.com but even they warn that it gives you gas and then diarrhea.  And so it does.  So I'm learning to eat less sugarless candy and keep my paws off the Halloween candy. 

Here are some foods that are encouraged to be eaten to prevent breast cancer.  These foods are GOOD foods to be eaten all the time.  The explanation given for each food item tells you why the food item is good for you to take in regards to breast cancer.

1. Broccoli:  Sulforaphane—a compound in broccoli—reduced the number of breast cancer stem cells (which cause cancer spread and recurrence) in mice, according to research from the University of Michigan. 

(Ok, we're talking mice again but we know that broccoli is good for us!)  I love broccoli and try to eat it fresh and cooked (there are reasons that I don't eat raw veggies) and steamed with some spice on it.

2. Salmon:  Taking fish-oil supplements for at least 10 years can shrink your risk of ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer, according to a study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. It’s thought that the omega-3 fats in fish oil reduce inflammation, which may contribute to breast cancer. But you can skip the supplement aisle, say the study’s researchers, and eat about 8 ounces of oily fish (salmon, sardines, tuna) a week.

This is one way to eat it and it's super nutritional:   http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=83

My husband John, has been cooking our salmon, once a week, for a couple of years now.  He has three excellent ways to make it.  One way is with black beans.  This is the closest recipe to the one we have:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pan-seared-salmon-with-black-bean-relish-recipe/index.html


3. Olive Oil:  Another reason to reach for extra-virgin olive oil: when researchers in Barcelona gave rats with breast cancer a diet in which fat came predominantly from extra-virgin olive oil (versus corn oil), they found that the olive oil’s antioxidants and oleic acid (a mono-unsaturated fat) quelled growth of malignant cells.

We cook everything in olive oil and use olive oil spray.  The only time that we don't use olive oil is in baking and we use coconut oil or sometimes canola.

4. Parsley:  University of Missouri scientists found that this herb can actually inhibit cancer-cell growth. Animals that were given apigenin, a compound abundant in parsley (and in celery), boosted their resistance to developing cancerous tumors. Experts recommend adding a couple pinches of minced fresh parsley to your dishes daily.

We use a lot of parsley because we grow it ourselves and use  it in cooking and especially in our pesto.  We share this with our neighbors. 

5. Coffee:  Drinking about two 12-ounce coffees a day may lower your risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer, says a May 2011 study in Breast Cancer Research. “One possibility is that coffee’s antioxidants protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer,” says study author Jingmei Li, Ph.D. More research is needed, so don’t up your intake based on these findings just yet.

I love tasting various coffees but my husband is boring (just kidding) and only loves his Folgers.  So I have to work hard in my reviewing to find one of those one cup makers so I can try different coffee on my own.

6.  Plums & Peaches:  Researchers at Texas A&M recently found that plums and peaches have antioxidant levels to rival “superfood” blueberries—and that they contain two types of polyphenols (antioxidants) that may help kill breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact. This is good news, as 180,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year and traditional treatments often harm healthy cells. —Kerri-Ann Kennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor

Both of these I love very much, especially plums!  I love making plum and peach cobbler but with a low calorie recipe.

7.  Beans: According to a new report, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, upping your fiber intake may help lower your risk of breast cancer—and the more you eat, the more your risk decreases. The researchers found that for every 10 grams of fiber a woman added to her daily diet, her risk of breast cancer decreased by 7 percent. That’s about a 1/2 to one cup of beans, depending on the variety. Other foods packed with fiber include barley, bulgur, lentils, peas, artichokes, dates and raspberries. —Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor

My husband and I make baked beans with lots of various kinds of beans and then can and freeze the batch in the freezer to eat until we run out (in the fall and winter mostly) and then we make them again.  Making them yourself by soaking the beans and then following the instructions is the best!  Here is such a recipe:   http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-make-baked-beans/

 




8.  Walnuts:  Recent research in the journal Nutrition and Cancer suggests walnuts may thwart the growth of breast cancer. In a study out of Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia, researchers substituted the equivalent of two ounces of walnuts per day into the diet of one group of mice; the other group was fed a calorically equivalent, but walnut-free, diet. After 34 days, the growth rate of tumors in the walnut eaters was half that of the mice who ate no walnuts.

Experts think walnuts’ anti-inflammatory properties—which could come from the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid, phytosterols or antioxidants—may give them their tumor-fighting potential. One caveat: the study dose of two ounces supplies 370 calories. Still, “walnuts can be part of a healthy diet that can reduce your risk for cancer,” says lead researcher Elaine Hardman, Ph. D. —Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor

We eat a lot of walnuts!  From breakfast through a night time snack.  At breakfast I love a handful before we eat.  In the gym I found out from a trainer that you should be eating a protein within the first 30 minutes of waking up.  So I grab a handful to eat slowly while my coffee is cooling down.   At lunch I like to put them on fish or other meals, and the same for my small dinner.  I usually have yogurt with fruit and walnuts or a combination of nuts for dinner.