Adding more plants to your diet is something that every medical professional can agree on and while we know that breast cancer is something we cannot control, there are ways to help your body be strong and healthy that may help you to prevent or fight breast cancer. This month, try incorporating more fruits and vegetables at every meal to give your body the boost it needs to be and stay healthy. Start with these five breast cancer fighting foods.
Ditch the sugar, processed fig cookies and go for the real thing! October is the perfect time of year to score this tasty fruit at the market. Try adding figs to your breakfast by eating them with yogurt or with honey on whole wheat toast. Add figs to a salad or wrap for lunch and try cooking them with protein for dinner. There's no shortage of ways to use this beneficial fruit throughout your day.
Maybe the most intimidating vegetable on this list, but don't be afraid to cook artichokes! It's easy to steam these healthy veggies and eating them is half of the fun! Because artichokes are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, they help boost the body's immunity against disease. Before cooking cut off the stem and trim the sharp leaf tips. To eat, pull out the outer petals one at a time and pull the leaves through your teeth, removing the soft pulpy portion. Discard the remaining portion of the leaf. Use a spoon and remove the fuzzy center at the base of the artichoke and discard it. What remains is the heart of the artichoke and it is entirely edible.
Flaxseed is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and healthy fats are an important component in every diet so try giving flax seeds a try. Here's a tip: grind the flax seeds using a coffee grinder otherwise the seeds may pass through your body and you may not receive all of the benefits. Add this flax meal to muffins or a morning smoothie. A quick search on the internet will give you plenty of results for different ways to use flax meal at home.
Fresh cabbage is rich in vitamins B1, B5, and B6, and also contains 61% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and 63% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K. Additionally, cabbage contains minerals such as potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Cabbage also contains phyto chemicals thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zea-xanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. There's not shortage of good reasons to add this healthy veggie into your diet! Try a delicious slaw, make cabbage rolls, and roast in the oven for a healthy side dish with dinner.
One of our favorites vegetables – or shall we say, fruits! Avocado provides plenty of healthy fat and they're so easy to incorporate into your diet. There are 10 grams of fiber in one medium-sized avocado. Avocados are one of the only fruits that contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (the good-for-you fat) that helps boost good (HDL) cholesterol and lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol. Have a few slices with your breakfast or smoothie, add some avocado to your salad or sandwich at lunch, mash avocado into a dip, or just eat with salt, pepper, and lime juice.
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