Cancer Fighting Foods in your Balanced Healthy Diet

Be sure to add even more delicious cancer fighting foods into your balanced healthy diet.

Follow these important tips:

4. Add herbs to your balanced healthy diet.

Compared with certain fruits and veggies, some herbs have more than 10 times the amount of cancer- and heart-disease-fighting antioxidants. So reach for that rosemary, oregano or thyme next time you cook.

5. Explore the health benefits of green tea.

Instead of grabbing a latte as an afternoon pick-me-up, go green-tea, that is. A recent study from Japan found that women with cancer who drank at least three cups of green tea a day reduced their risk of recurrence by more than 30 percent. Some scientists believe that the health benefits of green tea exist because the beverage is high in the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which may halt cancer cell growth.

6. Load up on cancer fighting foods containing lignans.

Some breast tumors are triggered by the hormone estrogen. But as it turns out lignans, or plant estrogens, may block the effect of estrogen produced by the body. (Lignans can also help lower your bad cholesterol, or LDL.) Flax and sesame seeds have the highest amounts, but whole grains and whole-grain bread, cereal, and pasta, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, broccoli, and tea are also good sources.

7. Marinate, marinate, marinate for a balanced healthy diet that is full of cancer fighting strategies.

Using high-temperature techniques, like grilling, to cook meat can create potentially cancer-causing compounds to develop. But you don't have to give up barbecues altogether. Sticking with lean red meat, chicken, and fish and marinating them for just a few minutes before grilling helps avoid charring, adds flavor, and keeps these foods moist.