Anti-Cancer Raspberry Mango Tilapia

Below is a recipe from Dr. Julia Greer that includes some of the best secret-weapon ingredients to prevent cancer. 

This low-fat dish has the tropical flavors of mangos and carries the sweet antioxidant punch of delicious raspberries. This recipe's vitamin C, found in raspberries, and beta carotene, found in mango, may help prevent pancreas and lung cancer.

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
4 medium tilapia fillets (about 1-1/2 lbs total)
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Heat oven to 450 deg F. Place tilapia fillets on a nonstick baking sheet or baking sheet lined with foil and lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.  Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a medium nonmetallic bowl. Divide fish among 4 dinner plates and top with raspberry mango salsa.

Recipes to Fight Breast Cancer

Changing your diet can be a surprisingly effective way to help prevent or reduce your risk for breast cancer. According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, 40% of breast cancer cases can be reduced with dietary modification.

This recipe is a great way to get even more fiber into your diet. The cinnamon, orange peel and chia all contain fiber, which sticks to free estrogens in the gut, and sweeps them out. When less estrogen is absorbed, you end up exposed to lower amounts of the hormone, which in turn lowers your risk of breast cancer.

Add this healthy mix to your morning oatmeal! Fruit, such as pears and berries, will also add extra fiber to your diet.

Healthy Breast Mix for Breakfast

1.     Ingredients :

Ceylon cinnamon
Dried granulated orange peel
Ground white chia

Directions:
Combine equal parts ceylon cinnamon, dried granulated orange peel and ground white chia in a shaker.

Sprinkle over morning oatmeal for extra fiber and enjoy!



2.     This recipe includes broccoli sprouts, which contain sulforaphane-rich plant compounds that protect cells from damage. Other foods containing sulforaphane include cabbage, arugula, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Minimal Mercury Tuna Salad

Ingredients
2 cans low-mercury tuna
1 tbsp canola or olive oil-based mayonnaise
3 tbsp broccoli sprouts
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions
Place tuna in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, and mix well until you achieve a very fine texture.

Pour in chopped broccoli sprouts and lemon juice. Mix contents once more and enjoy!

3.     The spinach in this recipe is just one food that contains cancer-combating folate. Eggs, oranges and asparagus are also members of this potent food group.

Hearty Lentil and Veggie Soup  

Ingredients 

1 onion

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 carrots

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

2 large fresh tomatoes

2 cups dry lentils

8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup spinach

1/4 tsp ground tumeric

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Place large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Chop onions, carrots and celery and add to pot.

Cook and stir until onion is tender. Mince garlic and pour into soup. Add bay leaf, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, water and diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Then, rinse and thinly slice spinach and stir into pot until cooked. Season soup with turmeric and black pepper for flavor, and serve!

4.     Tomatoes are a great way to add lycopene to any meal. Cooking tomatoes releases the lycopene from the fibers of the tomato, making it easier for your body to absorb it. Lycopene has been shown to prevent cancer, and can also be found in other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons and papayas. 

Fast, Cheap ’n Easy Sprouted Lentils

Ingredients

2 cups sprouted lentils

6 cups water or low-sodium broth

1 fresh tomato

Directions

In a pot, add sprouted lentils to boiling water or broth and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off heat. Dice tomato and add into pot. Cover with lid and let sit for 2 minutes. 

Drain excess broth if not wanted and feel free to add fresh cut herbs to taste.

Recipes courtesy of Rachel Beller MS, RD, Founder of the Beller Nutritional Institute.

Cancer-Fighting Breakfast Scramble

Extra-firm tofu, when crumbled, has a scrambled-egg texture, and readily takes on the flavors of spices and sauces. Enjoy the egg-like flavor, without the heaviness. You can modify this recipe to include spinach and potatoes, tomato and basil, or curry, peas and cilantro.

1.  Ingredients
Serves 2

8 oz extra-firm tofu, crumbled
1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Directions
Crumble the tofu in a mixing bowl with a whisk or by hand. Steam the potato for about 5 minutes.

While it is steaming, heat a sauté pan up to medium heat. Add the tofu and salt, gently and slowly stirring it while it is in the pan, and cook it for about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the turmeric and potato into the scramble, cooking for 1 more minute.

Nutrition Information Per serving:
177 calories
13 g protein
17 g carbohydrate
2 g sugar
7 g total fat (34% calories from fat)
2 g fiber
315 mg sodium

Breakfast Scramble Variations
To make these variations, start with the original instructions and modify and substitute accordingly.

2.  Potato and Spinach Scramble
Extra Ingredients
1 extra potato
2 cups spinach
Black pepper to taste

Directions
Cook an extra diced potato. Add the spinach to the scramble as it is cooking, and cook until the spinach reduces. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.


Basil Tomato Scramble
Extra Ingredients
1 large chopped tomato
8-10 sliced basil leaves
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions
Cook the scramble with the chopped tomato until the tomato has softened. Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh basil, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper.

Yellow Curry Scramble
Extra Ingredients
1½ teaspoons yellow curry powder (instead of the turmeric)
½ cup green peas
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Cook the scramble, and add the curry powder and peas about 1 minute before the scramble is done. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Recipes developed by Jason Wyrick. From 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, MD

Cancer-Fighting Breakfast Smoothies

There’s nothing faster than a morning smoothie and, with the right ingredients, it can be a cancer fighter, too. The rich color of blueberries comes from anthocyanins, natural antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. For variety, try adding mango or kale to your smoothie. These foods have cancer-fighters of their own.

1.  Ingredient : Makes about 3 cups

1 very ripe banana (the riper the banana, the greater the antioxidants)
2 cups frozen fruit/berries
1 cup almond milk or soymilk

Directions
Combine the ingredients in a blender. Start your blender on the lowest setting and slowly crank it up as the smoothie starts to purée, then blend for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information : Per 1½-cup serving:
190 calories
2 g protein
46 g carbohydrate,
35 g sugar
2 g total fat
9% calories from fat
5 g fiber
79 mg sodium

Smoothie Variations
To make these variations, start with the original instructions and modify and substitute accordingly.

2.  Mango Blueberry
Ingredients
1½ cups mango chunks
½ cup blueberries

3.  Green Glamour
Ingredients
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup blackberries
1 cup packed chopped kale leaves

4.  Berry Blaster
Ingredients
½ cup blueberries
½ cup sliced strawberries
½ cup raspberries
3-4 mint leaves

Cancer-Fighting Breakfast Boosters

Foods have a surprising power to protect you against cancer, and simple breakfast choices let you put them to work.

Cancer cells crop up in our bodies all the time, and certain foods supply the nutrients that can stop cancer cells from forming and even help your body knock out cancer cells. If we really put the power of food to work, as much as 40 to 60% of cancer cases might never occur.

Here are four quick and easy ways to power up your breakfast with cancer-fighting foods.

Cancer Fighter #1: Papaya

Add some diced papaya to your morning yogurt. That faint reddish color in the papaya comes from lycopene, a powerful antioxidant also found in tomatoes. Papaya has a special carotenoid, too, called beta-cryptoxanthin. Together, these natural compounds knock out free radicals that can cause cancer and can even make cancer cells self-destruct. Researchers are especially zeroing in on papaya’s ability to prevent cervical cancer, and it appears to help against other forms as well.

Have about one papaya per week. Cut it into chunks, and pop it into a plastic bag in the fridge. It will be ready when you are.

To kick it up another notch, try soy yogurt. For several years, researchers have wondered whether soy would help or hurt in the battle against cancer, and the verdict is now in: Soy is a cancer fighter.

Studies show that a serving of soy daily (think soy yogurt, soymilk or tofu) can cut breast cancer risk by as much as 30%. And women previously treated for breast cancer benefit, too. They cut the risk that their cancer will return by about 30% if they include soy products in their routine. The credit goes to natural compounds called isoflavones.


Cancer Fighter #2: Sesame


Top your morning cereal with sesame seeds. Yes, they’ll add a nice crunch, but they are also loaded with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. They also provide natural lignans that help balance hormones – a fact that has captured the attention of scientists looking for ways to prevent hormone-related cancers, such as breast and uterine cancer.

Have about one tablespoon of sesame seeds once or twice a week. If you like, save a little for your evening salad.

For extra cancer-fighting power, choose a high-fiber cereal, like old-fashioned oatmeal or bran cereal. Fiber cuts your risk of colon cancer.

Cancer Fighter #3: Spinach


So, you’re whipping up an omelet and wondering what to put inside. How about adding some spinach? It’s loaded with folate, a B-vitamin that helps your cells repair DNA damage that could otherwise lead to cancer.

Spinach can be used fresh, steamed, or sautéed.

If you prefer, try kale, collards, or broccoli. They have folate, too, and they also boost your liver’s ability to remove cancer-causing toxins from your body.

Just two servings a week will help – but green vegetables are so healthful, I’d suggest having them every day.

Ready to go an extra step?

Since the omelet itself has a fair amount of cholesterol and none of the cancer-fighting fiber you need, try replacing it with scrambled tofu. It is almost identical to egg whites, readily taking on the flavors of spices and sauces. My favorite breakfast scrambler recipe is made with spinach and potatoes, with a bit of ground turmeric.

You can modify it to include spinach and potatoes, tomato and basil, or curry, peas and cilantro.

Cancer Fighter #4: Super Anti-Cancer Breakfast Smoothie


There’s nothing faster than a morning smoothie and, with the right ingredients, it can be a cancer-fighter, too. Just pop frozen blueberries into your blender with a ripe banana and a cup of almond milk or soymilk. Blend it slowly at first, and then turn it up as the ingredients start to blend. It’s delicious, and great for you!

The rich color of blueberries comes from anthocyanins, natural antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Blueberries also help prevent urinary tract infections, just as their cousins, cranberries, do.

For variety, try adding mango or kale to your smoothie. These foods have cancer-fighters of their own.

Try varieties like mango and blueberry, berries and kale, and the all-berry blaster.

A Healthy Bonus


In addition to their cancer-preventing properties, papaya, spinach and blueberries all have fiber. That’s important because fiber satisfies your appetite with essentially no extra calories, protecting you from overeating and helping trim your waistline. The pay off goes beyond what you see in the mirror. Trimming away extra weight reduces your risk of breast and other cancers.

People who eat breakfast daily are 80% less likely to become obese, compared with people who skip breakfast. If you miss breakfast, you’ll tend to overcompensate later in the day, taking in more calories than you would have if you had started your day with a healthy breakfast.

If you’re feeling a bit unsure about papaya, sesame seeds, spinach, or any other healthy addition to your menu – or if you’re reluctant to take time for breakfast – just try it for 3 weeks. Chances are you’ll get hooked on health.

By : Neal D. Barnard, MD

Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine

President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC

Author of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart