What Is A Good Nutrition Diet For A Post-cancer Patient?

You've successfully completed your cancer treatment, and you're wondering what to do next to increase your chances of staying well. Although foods don't cure cancer, certain foods do help boost your immune system and decrease inflammation that can lead to tumor growth. Following a healthy diet filled with vegetables, fruits and legumes can strengthen your immune system so your body is better able to ward off recurrence.

Plant-Based Diet

The natural phytochemicals that occur in plants arm them against attacks from bacteria, pests and the elements. When you eat an array of colorful vegetables and fruits, you ingest these powerful molecules, many of which may guard against disease, including the growth of new cancer cells or the spread of lingering ones. The Cancer Project, a program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, recommends four or more 1-cup servings of vegetables and three or more of fruit a day for the best cancer protection. Among the most powerful for cancer prevention, says Diana Dyer, RD, author of "A Dietitian's Cancer Story," are cruciferous vegetables -- broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and bok choy -- and all types of berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

Spices and Herbs

Turmeric and ginger, spices used widely in Asian cooking, have anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight against tumors, says the American Cancer Society. In addition, the allin family of herbs, which includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots, contains sulfur compounds that may be effective fighters against carcinogens, although more studies are needed to confirm this benefit.

Beverages

Green tea contains a polyphenol -- a nutritional molecule -- called epigallocatechin, or EGCG, that has proved powerful in fighting off the formation of new cancer cells, says the National Cancer Institute. Drink two or three cups of green tea a day to reap the greatest cancer-fighting benefits. In addition, juicing will help you get more servings of fresh veggies daily, and release their powerful nutrients more quickly into your bloodstream. Try juicing with cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cabbage, or green leafy ones like chard or kale, which are especially protective against cancer.

The Skinny on Fat

According to The Cancer Project, diets high in saturated fats -- the kind of fats found in red meat -- increase the amount of the hormone estrogen in the body, which can raise a woman's risk of breast and reproductive cancers. In addition, carcinogenic compounds can form in red meat cooked too long, such as charred on the grill or broiled or fried until blackened or well-done. Legumes such as soybeans, black beans, chickpeas and lentils are better sources of protein than meat, supplying fiber to clear potential toxins out of your body.