You may have read that we all develop cancer cells, but it depends on our immune system as to whether they grow or die. All your cells have a specific life-span, except cancer. They don’t have an off-button, they keep on multiplying uncontrollably and eventually form a tumour.
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About 90% of the time a healthy immune system will stomp on these unwanted cancer cells and you will be none the wiser.
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In the majority of cases it wasn’t random bad luck that you got cancer – it was probably the state of your immune system.
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So it begs the question… ‘How do we build a healthy immune system?’ You probably immediately think of having more vitamin C, and yes, BUT, that is only the teeny tiny tip of the iceberg.
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What you eat, your lifestyle and your environment all contribute to the state of your immune system. So we want to be incorporating habits that strengthen your immune system, not weaken it.
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Food definitely plays a MAJOR part in building your immune system.
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Phytochemicals, found in plants, possess profound anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties that directly target many of the cancer growing pathways.
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Plant foods include fruit, vegetables, legumes (beans & lentils), whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa etc) and whole fats (avocados, olives, nuts & seeds).
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Once manufacturers get their hands on these powerful plant foods they end up a poor substitute, so the less processing the better. Phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and the all-important fibre (only found in plant foods) are nearly always destroyed by the time they reach the supermarket shelves.
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So the first step in building a cancer-fighting immune system is to eat more whole, plant foods:
- Eat more vegetables – yep no avoiding that one!
- Don’t be afraid of fruit – yep whole fruit is ideal.
- Experiment with adding beans & lentils to your existing meals.
- Try meat-less Monday and begin eating more plant-based meals.
- Rather than using commercial dressings try making your own with fruit and whole fats – my all-time favourite is a whole peeled orange blended with a tablespoon of tahini and a dash of Herbamere (healthy salt).
Grab a copy of my e-book by clicking the link below and find out some more tips on how to optimise your health after cancer.
