Friday, January 7, 2011

Proven Cancer Fighting Convenience Foods

Fast, convenient food can actually help fight cancer. Just because you are on the go, doesn't mean you have to ignore your health. The trick is knowing which foods are cancer-fighters and incorporate them into your everyday life. Let's take a look at some of the healthiest convenience foods that help prevent cancer. Chances are, you will be surprised about at least a couple of them.

Beans

Almost every type of bean you can imagine has great cancer preventing enzymes. These enzymes are released when cooked and many of the canned beans you buy in the grocery store have the enzymes preserved. They are canned at the peak of their freshness and cooked to perfection to kill bacteria as well as begin the enzyme breakdown process.

Garlic

The natural health benefits of garlic range from anti-viral properties, to preventing diabetes and even reducing the risk of high blood pressure or cholesterol. Garlic may be too strong in its raw state for some people, but, never fear; garlic still holds much of its nutritional value when cooked.

Lentils

For such a small legume, this guy packs a big punch in the health department. Once again, convenience in a can prevails. Give these fellas a rinse and they're ready to enjoy in a nice chilled salad or cooked in a simple soup. Packed with fiber and able to help reduce heart disease, lentils have strong cancer-fighting abilities.

Brown and Wild Rice

Brown and wild rice have almost 80% more nutrition than enriched white rice. As a matter of fact, the instant brown with wild rice varieties still have more than 75% more nutrition than the instant white rice. If you are concerned about your risk for colon cancer, brown rice not only has enough fiber to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances remain in your colon, it also packs a bunch of selenium, which is shown to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer. Keep the convenience factor by cooking up a batch and keeping small portions individually packaged in your freezer ready to eat when you are.

Oatmeal

According to the American Cancer Society, oatmeal is not a cure for cancer since a cure has yet to be discovered. However, oatmeal is one of the best foods to prevent cancer. With the large amounts of insoluble fiber contained in oatmeal, the body is able to fight against the toxicity of bile acids which helps to lower the risk of cancer. Oatmeal is quick to cook, but you can also enjoy it baked and tossed with nuts for an easy granola treat.

Vegetables

Broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage have a powerhouse of cancer-fighting properties. Also, the dark leafy green vegetables such as romaine lettuce, collards, kale, spinach, and beet greens help keep numerous cancers at bay. Many of the vegetables can be eaten raw or lightly steamed. You can find most of these veggies sold already cut up for you, which is a great convenience factor, or you can cut them up yourself using a food processor such as one of the KitchenAid 700-Watt 12-Cup Food Processors. Also, look for the frozen or canned varieties for even faster and easier preparation.

Tomatoes

Lycopene is the name of the game when it comes to tomatoes. Lycopene is a phytochemical, which plants use to color their fruits. If you see a fruit with a red coloring, like a tomato, you can be sure lycopene is the reason. Eating lycopene rich foods has a great impact on protecting against cancers of the stomach, colon, lung, throat, breast and prostate. Lycopene can also be found in grapefruit, watermelon, and strawberries. If slicing a tomato doesn't sound convenient to you, throw ripe tomatoes in your food processor and chop them up. Store them in the refrigerator and they'll be ready to throw on a salad or mix into your favorite rice dish. Or, simply buy cans of diced tomatoes for convenience sake.

These simple foods can be turned into snacks or meals in minutes so you can give your body the cancer fighting weapons it needs without standing at the stove all day. The motto to remember is this - keep it simple when planning a healthy diet. Eat conveniently, and eat well, to stay healthy.