Convenience Foods That Can Help You Fight Cancer
You may not believe it, but some quick and easy convenience foods can actually help you fight cancer. You don’t have to sacrifice good health as an active individual who’s always on the run. Incorporating the right foods into your daily routine is the secret to utilizing convenience foods as cancer-fighters. You might be surprised at some of the best choices, so let’s have a look at some of the healthiest convenience foods that help prevent cancer.
Beans
Pick a bean, any bean, and almost every variety you can imagine has some amount of enzymes that help prevent cancer. These enzymes are released during cooking and many canned beans you buy in grocery stores have enzymes preserved in them. Beans are canned at their peak of freshness, cooked to perfection to kill bacteria and begin breaking down these helpful enzymes in the process.
Garlic
Garlic has a whole range of natural health benefits that includes fighting the effects of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and anti-viral properties as well. Raw garlic may be too strong for some people, but it still holds much of its nutritional value when it’s cooked.
Lentils
Lentils are a relatively small legume that packs a big health punch for your benefit. Lentils in a can are super-convenient, and can be rinsed and added directly to chilled salads or as a healthy addition to soups. Lentils are full of fiber and contribute to reduced risk of heart disease, which is also a significant cancer-fighting plus.
Brown and Wild Rice
Brown and wild rice has approximately 80% more nutrition than enriched white rice. Likewise, instant brown with wild rice varieties have over 75% more nutrition than instant white rice. Bown rice has been noted for reducing the risk for colon cancer, since its high-fiber content minimizes the amount of time cancer-causing substances exist in your colon.
This rice also provides a healthy supply of selenium, which has also been shown to reduce colon cancer risk. Cooking up brown rice in advance and storing small portions in your freezer is a sensible way to introduce this convenience food into your diet. This way, the portions will be ready to eat when you are.
Oatmeal
The American Cancer Society reports that oatmeal is not necessarily a cure for cancer, but it is one of the best foods you can consume to prevent cancer. Oatmeal contains large amounts of insoluble fiber, which helps our bodies fight off the toxicity of bile acids, thereby lowering our risk for certain cancers. This is a quick convenience food that’s easy to make, and you can enjoy baked oatmeal tossed with nuts for simple, tasty granola treat.
Vegetables
Certain vegetables like bok choy, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage all have powerful cancer-fighting properties. Dark, leafy green vegetables like collards, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, and beet greens also help prevent numerous types of cancers. These vegetables are at their most beneficial when eaten raw or lightly steamed, and you can purchase most of these veggies in pre-cut portions for extra convenience. Also, look for canned or frozen for another quick preparation option.
Tomatoes
Lycopene is a phytochemical found in tomatoes, which contributes to the pigment in other red vegetables and fruits like watermelon, red carrots, and papayas. Eating foods rich in lycopene has a profound impact on helping prevent cancers of the colon, throat, stomach, lungs, breasts and prostate.
If raw tomato isn’t your style, you can put some ripe tomatoes in a food processor and chop them up. Then, store them in a refrigerator to add to salads or mix into your favorite rice dishes. You can, of course, also purchase cans of diced tomatoes for an even more convenient solution.
These are simple convenience foods with special characteristics that make them excellent choices for your diet. Some can become great snacks or help create meals in minutes to give your body potent cancer fighting weapons without requiring much preparation. Keeping it simple when planning a healthy diet is a plus, and these choices allow you to eat well and stay healthy.
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