Cancer-Fighting Lifestyle Channel

By eating healthy foods and sticking with a healthy lifestyle, you can prevent or significantly reduce your risk of cancer.

The Cancer-Fighting Lifestyle Channel is a program created by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) to help you start and stick with a healthy lifestyle.

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The link between cancer and diet

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Together for a Healthy Lifestyle

You won’t feel alone on your journey of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. By providing cancer-fighting food recipes and showing you how to cook them through videos, we will become your reliable partner and go along with you down the road.  

In addition to learning how to cook healthy food, you will also learn the science and research that demonstrate the anti-cancer effects of those vegetables and foods included in the recipes in the video while the cooking is going on. The scientific knowledge may give you additional courage to stick with a healthy lifestyle.

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The Benefits of Asparagus: Foods that Fight Cancer

Summer is heating up, and that can only mean one thing: time to break out the grill! Everyone loves a classic hot dog, but did you know a green stalky vegetable is winning itself a spot on many Americans’ grills this year? Asparagus is an easy-to-grill vegetable, needing little to no other preparation. But that’s not why it is growing in popularity.  Asparagus is winning the hearts of many Americans due to its outstanding health benefits. For starters, it is packed with nutrients and flavor – but contains very few calories. In fact, just half a cup of cooked asparagus contains only 20 calories! Low-calorie, water-rich foods like asparagus are associated with maintaining a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce one’s risk of many cancers.  Breaking Down the Benefits of Asparagus This low-calorie veggie packs a punch as it is a good source of folate. Research shows that foods high in folate are likely to help protect against pancreatic cancer. Some evidence even shows that folate foods decrease the risk of esophagus and bowel cancer. Asparagus is also a great source of fiber. Foods containing dietary fiber, particularly when relatively unprocessed, can help protect against bowel cancer.  Furthermore, this green superfood contains a large number of antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help protect your cells from the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress. Research suggests that the antioxidants in asparagus reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and heart disease.  Need more asparagus in your diet? Try this lemony asparagus pasta recipe – great year-round!  Lemony Asparagus Pasta Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes What you need: Large pot Large skillet Measuring cups and spoons Zester  Lemon juicer Cheese grater  Cutting board Knife Ingredients: 1 pound of whole-grain pasta 1 pound of thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil divided  1 small onion, diced ½ cup of heavy cream 1 cup of vegetable broth 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon of salt ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving ¼ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes Method: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta (cook according to the package directions until al dente). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook asparagus until crispy, then season with a pinch of salt. Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add heavy cream, white wine, lemon juice, and zest. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add in salt, parmesan, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and mix until well combined.  Turn off heat and mix in pasta, asparagus, and parsley until well coated. Add small amounts of pasta water until you reach desired […]

High Fiber Diet May Aid Melanoma Treatment

Fiber is an essential nutrient in the realm of cancer prevention. It does not break down through digestion and helps maintain bowel health and prevent cancers, including colorectal cancer. However, recent studies have also found that fiber may also be an essential nutrient for cancer treatment. Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute found that a high-fiber diet may help melanoma patients respond better to immunotherapy treatments. The high-fiber diet influences the gut microbiome, which impacts responsiveness. Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment Immunotherapy is a game-changing treatment option for cancer patients. Medical professionals utilize the body's natural immune system defense to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy has quickly become the most promising path to successfully treating cancer. The study found that melanoma patients undergoing immunotherapy treatment who ate more fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, and fresh produce survived longer without cancer growth than patients with insufficient dietary fiber intake. The researchers noted that patients who consumed at least 20 grams of dietary fiber each day survived the longest without their disease progressing. These significant findings have the potential to save countless lives. The research also offers a launchpad to explore other ways diet may impact immunotherapy effectiveness. NFCR Support for Immunotherapy Research The best part? Eating a heavy fiber diet is easier than ever. Follow National Foundation for Cancer Research's (NFCR) Cancer-Fighting Lifestyle YouTube channel for healthy recipes packed with fiber, or check out their blog with monthly recipes and tips. Additionally, NFCR funds several renowned researchers who have dedicated years to understanding and improving immunotherapy, including: Paul Fisher, Web Cavenee, Rakesh Jain, Laurence Cooper, and Xiang-Lei Yang. Thanks to these dedicated researchers, NFCR is leading the way in immunotherapy research and encouraging researchers across the globe to join in its mission of pursuing the most promising path to cures for cancer patients. You can support progressive projects like this and join NFCR on its mission of bringing an end to the burden of cancer with a gift today! Additional Reads You May Enjoy: Early Detection Tools Saving Time and Saving Lives Efficiently Eliminating Metastasized Melanoma Cells The World’s First Oncolytic Virus Drug was Launched to Treat Malignant Brain Tumor GBM Stay connected with the cancer community! Receive NFCR’s monthly e-newsletter and blogs featuring stories of inspiration, support resources, cancer prevention tips, and more. Sign up here.

Nutritious Food Is Vital to Treat Patients’ Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a severe risk for cancer patients. According to some study reports, up to 85% of cancer patients are at risk of malnutrition. This condition results from not getting sufficient nutrients to the body from diet. Cancer and treatment-related side effects are the primary underlying causes of malnutrition. Many patients will experience fatigue, weight loss, muscle weakness, and depression. In addition, malnutrition increases treatment toxicities, interrupts treatment courses, increases infection risk, and accounts for up to 20% of early death in cancer patients.  Eating nutritious food is critical for patients to treat malnutrition and fight cancers. Good nutrition is vital for cancer patients to fight their cancers, especially when undergoing treatment. Patients in treatment need more nutrients and energy than healthy people to sustain a healthy body weight, heal surgery wounds, and maintain the strength required to complete treatment. Also, eating healthy food can help patients get the nutrients needed to repair tissue damage, regain lost weight and muscles, and strengthen the weakened immune system to prevent infections.  The right foods help patients quickly rebuild their overall strength. Unless hospitalized, patients won't be able to receive the professional care provided by hospital dietitians or get the food delivered to their bedside every day. They have to plan and prepare their daily meals by themselves. Food recipes that are nutritious and easy to make will benefit cancer patients recovering at home.   How to Make Curry Beef Rice The easy-to-make curry beef rice recipe presented below provides an ideal combination of high-quality protein and powerful anti-cancer ingredients with various benefits. Benefits from beef:  Protein is one of the essential nutrients to prevent and treat malnutrition. Patients should include proteins in their meals every day. Beef contains all the "essential amino acids" that the human body needs but can only obtain from food; therefore, the beef's protein is "complete." In fact, lean beef trimmed of visible fat is an excellent food to help patients quickly rebuild their lost muscles and stop disease-associated weight loss without the risk of high cholesterol levels and blood vessel occlusion. Additionally, lean beef is a good source of vitamin B12 and zinc, the vital nutrients for normal functions of the nervous and immune systems that patients rely on to heal and recover after treatments. Benefits from curry: The active ingredient in curry powder is called curcumin. Many research papers have demonstrated that curcumin is a strong antioxidant that exhibits potent anti-inflammation and anti-cancer activities, beneficial to cancer patients.  Benefits from onions: Onions contain a type of plant chemical called flavonoid that can block the growth of cells. Researchers found that the flavonoid from onions killed colon and breast cancer cells by stimulating the biological process called apoptosis, leading to cancer cells' death. Moreover, organosulfur compounds in onions play an essential role in preventing liver, stomach, colorectal, and breast cancers.  Ingredients 1.5 pounds of beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 2 white onions, thinly sliced 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 3-4 cubes of curry mix consisting of curry powder, spices, seasoning, and salt. (Japanese Curry Mix, [...]