10 Cancer-Fighting Foods to Incorporate Into Family Meals

With the everyday hustle and balancing act of managing work, kids' school lunches, homework, chores, and meal planning, people tend to leave little time to really think about long-term health and wellness. Let's face it—society is surrounded by cancer-causing pollutants that oftentimes feel like a losing battle, but it's not.

The effects of how we feed our brains positive messaging are as equally important as what we put in, on and around our bodies for our own longevity and well-being. Nutrition is a lifestyle that directly impacts lifespan. The fact is that people DO have control over the body's ability to fight, neutralize and prevent disease, and it all starts with a change in the acidic foods consumed, maintaining high alkalinity in meal-planning, and balancing overall pH in the system.

Natural Wellness Solutions

Dr. Ahmad Nooristani is a licensed medical doctor in the field of internal medicine with 15 years of experience in practicing medicine. He has taken care of thousands of patients in both in inpatient (hospital setting) and in outpatient settings (clinics, private practice). He has always combined mainstream medicine with alternative medicine to create a well-balanced plan for his patients.

As a medical doctor, Dr. Nooristani focuses the application of the tools provided through years of training and is fully geared toward using drugs. Also, the overall national response to medical issues tends to be more reactive, as opposed to being proactive.

This led Dr. Nooristani to dive deeper into what else may affect human bodies, and the reason behind these unimaginable diseases, as well as what can be done to prevent these diseases from even occurring. This has evolved into Dr. Nooristani’s mission of uncovering a solution that combines medicine with diet, supplements and exercise that has resulted in surmounting success.

Take a closer look at Dr. Nooristani's top 10 cancer-fighting foods to incorporate into family meals

For optimal impact, Dr. Nooristani recommends dietary choices that offer the best protection if they are combined with the following.

Nutrition plays a vital role in overall well-being and can even be one of the causes of cancer. Proper diet not only has a preventive effect on cancer but will also slow it down. Eating a wide variety of plant-based foods is a smart start. Fruits, vegetables and grains contain hundreds of health-promoting antioxidants and phytochemicals cannot be derived from a dietary supplement.

• Regular exercise
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Decreasing alcohol intake and remaining smoke-free
• Participating in recommended cancer screenings (i.e., mammogram, colonoscopy, pap smear, etc.)

Top Foods for Cancer Prevention

1. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables (the darker the better): spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, and other dark green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of several cancer-fighting substances. Their capacity to have antioxidant properties make them a great choice to fight against cancer. Broccoli is at the top of the chart, followed by cabbage and kale.
2. Cranberries: With their deep red color, cranberries not only boost the immune response, but also help cells detoxify harmful substances.
3. Carrots: Carrots contain several essential nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin A and antioxidants that also support the immune system.
4. Garlic & Onion (the darker the better): Garlic, onions, scallions, chives, and leeks have tons of antioxidant value. Their cancer-fighting abilities, due to several sulfur-based compounds, also have a big impact in preventing gastrointestinal cancers.
5. Grapes (the darker the better): Grapes, especially red and purple, have been known to contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
6. Fatty Fish: Fish, to include salmon and mackerel, are rich in essential nutrients, such as vitamin B and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are preventative against colorectal cancer.
7. Walnuts: All nuts exhibit cancer-preventing properties, but scientists have studied walnuts more than other types of nuts. Walnuts play a role in preventing breast cancer.
8. Whole Grains: Many compounds in whole grains have health-promoting properties. They are especially important in decreasing the chance of getting colorectal cancer and breast cancer.
9. Winter Squash: Squash, butternut and pumpkin all have antioxidants as well as preventative benefits in decreasing the chance of getting cancer.
10. Green Tea: Green Tea contains antioxidants with anticancer properties. Drinking green tea regularly has been associated with lower risk for cancers of the bladder and gastrointestinal (digestive) tract.