Positive Health Online

It is well known that a whole foods diet and nutritional support is essential to prevent and beat cancer and give the strength required to tolerate cancer treatments.

Eating a wholefoods diet comprising of fresh fruits and vegetables provides important vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals necessary to reduce tumour size and eradicate unwanted cancer cells. Diet is without question the most important ally in the fight against cancer, with a diet rich in plant-based foods, correlating to a lower risk of developing cancer.

Plant foods contain an untapped reservoir of functional substances with immense healing properties, compounds called ‘phytochemicals’. Guarding a plant against damage from oxidation, viruses and other predators, phytochemicals are a plants antioxidant defence system. When we consume a plant-based diet we obtain these healing and protective qualities, boosting enzymes within the body to detoxify carcinogens.

Powerful phytochemicals gives food their brilliant colours and to obtain the full range of healing phytonutrients to beat cancer, an assortment of these fruits and vegetables are best.

Below are four of my favourite healing foods straight from nature.

Beetroot

Beetroot improves lymphatic function and may prevent and reverse some forms of cancer, in particular lung cancer. In the 1950s Dr Ferenczi of Csoma, used beets, with much success, to break up tumours in the body often finding they were completely eliminated. However he did discover, if patients stopped consuming beets, the tumours would reappear. His recommendation was one litre of beet juice daily to break up tumours, with the results visible in weeks.

The red colour of beets comes from a group of phytonutrients known as betalains, with the most well-known being betacyanin. Betalains contain natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and detoxifying agents, which can increase glutathione production within the liver and detoxifying cancer-causing substances.

Other uses for beetroot include treating constipation, fluid retention, anxiety, memory problems, gallstones, bladder and kidney problems and anaemia; it is best known for its ability to enhance liver function. Beetroot is a rich source of iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, manganese copper, folic acid and vitamin C. 

Berries

Berries are nature’s little miracle-packed fruits. Many types of berries contain anthocyanins - which are bioflavonoids with antioxidant properties. Bioflavonoids are substances that provide berries with their magnificent colours and health properties. Their rich content helps to protect the health of small blood vessels and capillaries whiles reducing inflammation, in turn, easing cancer pain and the spread of cancer throughout the body.

Berries are packed with vitamin C and the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, sulphur, silicon and iron. Blueberries, like all berries, are loaded with fibre, minerals, vitamins and healing antioxidants. They’re best known for their anti-ageing properties as they prevent loss of cognitive function whilst enhancing memory. The rich amount of anthocyanins found in blueberries (three times more than found in green tea) is thought to stop all three phases of cancer from initiation, to promotion and proliferation.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Packing the strongest punch in the phytochemical world are cruciferous vegetables. These include broccoli , cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radish, turnips collard, kale, Bok Choy, kohlrabi, mustard greens and rutabaga. Some of their synergistic antioxidant and cancer fighting substances include dithiolthiones including indole-3carbinol, chlorophylline and organonitriles, selenium, fibre and vitamin C. These types of vegetables increase enzymes in the liver, lungs and intestines to detoxify many potent cancer-causing substances.

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and turnips all contain sulphuric compounds which can kill dangerous aflatoxins, detoxify wastes and prevent many forms of cancer. Good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are found in broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage, which are substances that can decrease cancer formation. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage contain a powerful anti-cancer compound, indole-3carbinol, which helps to combat hormone sensitive cancers by converting high amounts of oestrogen into its protective form (2-hydroxyestrone).  Indole-3carbinol is able to cause the excretion of excess oestrogens thereby preventing the formation of hormone-induced cancers like breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

Pomegranate

Rich in an assortment of minerals and antioxidants, pomegranate has been shown in various studies to prevent and even treat cancer.  The wide range of phytochemicals, including ellagic acid, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, tannins and vitamin C, found within this unique fruit is responsible for its healing properties. Pomegranate also possesses anti-bacterial and anti-vital properties.

Ellagic acid, found in red wine and green tea, is a potent antioxidant that has immune boosting and heart protecting properties and is thought to be highly anti-carcinogenic against skin, breast, colon and prostate cancer. Benefits are found in cold pressed seed oil, pomegranate extracts, powders and juices, with the richest amount of flavonoids found within the skin.

Eating a diet rich in antioxidant fruits and vegetables including cruciferous vegetables, citrus, dark green leafy vegetables and dark yellow, orange and red vegetables should be the basis of a healing diet. Included in this are healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates in the right ratio.

Background

At age 27 Katrina was diagnosed with malignant ovarian cancer, for which she underwent intensive chemotherapy. After 90 hours of treatment, Katrina decided to stop the treatment and convert to natural medicine and healing to overcome her illness.  At this stage her doctor informed her she would very likely never have children.

Katrina used her own knowledge and put all her energy into making organic salads and juices, taking vitamins, herbs and natural remedies, practicing yoga and meditation daily and using positive thinking, believed she was healthy and cancer-free. Katrina decreased her orthodox treatment time to less than three months (half of what was originally planned) and her decision to fight her cancer with natural therapies proved successful.

Katrina’s first book, Shattering the Cancer Myth has sold over 70,000 copies worldwide and continues to inspire cancer sufferers to tackle cancer using her positive guide that combines both traditional and natural therapies.

In early 2013, Katrina released her second book, Raw Addiction, which contains 150+ easy and delicious raw recipes to reverse ageing and disease.

Acknowledgement

Article adapted from Shattering the Cancer Myth - 4^th Edition, by Katrina Ellis ND 

Further Information

Raw Addiction and Shattering the Cancer Myth are available from Amazon and good bookshops:

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Katrina%20Ellis&search-alias=books-uk

www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Katrina%20Ellis&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AKatrina%20Ellis

http://katrinaellis.com.au/shop/