Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (115 page)

Unexplained weight loss.

Action plan

Diet and lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk for the disease or improve your chances of recovery. You will need to take time out for you. If you are being treated for bowel cancer, make sure you check with your GP before taking any of the suggested supplements.

EAT/DRINK

A high-fiber diet, as this aids regular bowel movements and provides protection against bowel cancer. Opt for whole grain cereals such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth. Avoid refined grains that have had their fiber removed. Other excellent sources of fiber include beans and pulses, vegetables, fruits, and sprouted beans and seeds.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, if possible seven to nine portions a day. Besides being a good source of fiber, these food groups are abundant in phytonutrients—powerful plant antioxidants that have anticancer activity.

Vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and kale. Cruciferous vegetables contain several cancer-protective substances including indole-3-carbinol, glucaric acid, and sulphoraphane. Research suggests people
who eat cruciferous vegetables regularly have a reduced risk for bowel cancer.

Tomato-based foods. Tomatoes contain a phytonutrient called lycopene, consumption of which has been associated with a reduced risk of bowel cancer. It is thought that lycopene is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes as opposed to raw. So tomato sauces or canned tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, but watch for the sugar content. It is best to get them from a health-food store or the whole-foods sections of supermarkets. And of course, you could make your own if you’re trying to increase your intake of this powerful antioxidant.

Selenium-rich foods, including Brazil nuts, broccoli, oily fish, asparagus, brown rice, dulse, garlic, kelp, and wheat germ.

Chickpeas for their anticarcinogenic compounds.

Garlic has been found to lower the risk of bowel cancer, which may be due to its ability to reduce the development of cancer-forming compounds in the body. So try to include garlic, preferably raw, in your diet regularly.

Freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices. These are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants and help to detoxify and supercharge the body.

Water, to help keep the movements soft and moving through the colon. Drink at least eight glasses of bottled or filtered water daily.

Nettle and dandelion teas help to keep stool soft and moving regularly.