Foods That Help Fight Cancer by Leslie Beck

This was an incredibly well-attended presentation and was very informative. I'm so glad I went. The guidelines make it easier, I think, to implement some little but very positive changes for all of us.

Highlighted Recommendations:

• Leafy Greens - 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked per day
• Cruciferous vegetables - 3-5 servings per week (serving = 1/2 cup)
• Processed Tomatoes - 5 servings per week (serving = 1/2 cup tomato juice or 2 Tbsp tomato sauce)
• Berries - 1-2 servings per day (serving= 1/2 cup)
• Citrus Fruit - 1 serving per day (serving = med orange, 1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 cup juice, though whole food better than juice - don't forget to use zest at every opportunity)
• Whole Grains - 3 servings per day (1/2 cup steel cut oatmeal, 1 slice bread, 1/3 cup brown rice or quinoa)
• Fibre - 21 grams per day (for my gender and age), including soluble and insoluble fibre.
  
• Flaxseed - 1 - 2 Tbsp ground flax seed per day
• Legumes - 3-4 servings per week (serving = 3/4 cup)
• Soybeans and Soy Foods - 3-4 servings per week (serving = 3/4 cooked). Exception is AVOID SOY FOODS IF USING TAMOXIFEN, which means no soy for me.
• Garlic - 2 cloves per day (raw is best - can substitute some servings with anything from the onion family).
• Green Tea - 2-5 servings per day. Loose leaf tea better than tea bags. It can improve survival and prognosis for breast cancer survivors.
  
• Maintain a healthy bodyweight and BMI.
• Physical Activity - minimum 30 minutes per day - ideally an hour. Brisk walking is just fine.
• Eat a Plant-Based Diet - Eat a combined 7 servings per day of fruits and vegetables. Steaming vegetables is better than microwaving or boiling. Lightly cooked or raw vegetables are best, for the most part.
• Limit red meat to no more than 18 oz per week and avoid processed meats. The nitrates in processed meats are carcinogenic.
• Limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink per day for women, IF AT ALL.
• Reduce sodium to less than 23 mg per day, ideally around 1300 mg for my gender and age.
• Adults over 50 should take a B12 supplement, which you should be able to get as part of your daily vitamin.
• Take a multivitamin daily, just make sure it includes .4 mg of folic acid.
• Vitamin D - VERY IMPORTANT to be taking at least 1000 IU supplement per day. Ask your Doctor to check your Vitamin D level because you might need more than 1000 IU to bring your levels up to optimum.
• Calcium - supplement if you're not getting enough calcium for your age and most people aren't.
• Fish Oil - if you're not eating enough fish, take a fish oil supplement, approx 500 mg per day. It's important in prevention of heart disease.
  

If other attendees notice something useful I missed or any mistakes, please let me know and I'll make additions/corrections.