Alright, I said I would do it, so here I am. Week 1.
Based on the American Institute for Cancer Research's (AICR) 10 week challenge, the first step is to getting that 50% reduction in cancer risk is to follow this 2/3 - 1/3 plate principle. This week they want me to make it happen for 5 meals.
Alright, given that I typically eat 4x7 = 28 meals, I can surely make this happen for 5 of them, right? (And yes. I am totally a snacker, do not take my snack from me please!)
Well... expect today is Wednesday already. Yesterday I had to drive my mom to a dr. appointment that was 2 hours away. Plus, this morning it snowed so getting the kids out of the house was a total nightmare. And, oh the cleaning ladies wanted to come a day early so I have to 'pre-clean' the house before that happens. (Does anyone else have a house that is such a disaster that pre-cleaning is required before the cleaning ladies come? Yes, this is my life.)
This might be a bit of a cop-out, but I'm going to pick breakfast as my 5 meals this week. First of all, they totally count as meals. Second of all, I usually eat the same thing every day so, I can be lazy and figure out one or two things, then just repeat. Also, I can leave my kids and husband out of it for now (we'll cross that bridge later).
A Healthier Plate.
The 2/3 – 1/3 plate principle focuses on filling 2/3 or more of your plate with colorful plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. These types of foods are rich in fiber, vitamins and other natural substances called phytochemicals that help keep us in good health. You will aim to fill 1/3 or less of your plate with animal foods such as poultry, seafood, lean red meats, eggs and dairy. The 2/3 – 1/3 plate principle is not a diet, rather it is a fun and simple way to look at what you are eating every day and to make your meals more plant focused for cancer prevention. - https://healthy10challenge.org/weekly-goals/week-1/
Sooooo, because I'm a super visual person and need a little extra help at times, I really appreciate that they created this list below. I get that I'm almost 40 years old and that my 5 year old knows the difference between a plant and and animal, but I'm not gonna lie, this was helpful to me. Now the next question, what do I already have in my pantry (because clearly I'm not going to the grocery store right now) and what can I make in .02 seconds, because that's basically the amount of time I have in the mornings.
Hmmm... well clearly I'm not going for a fried egg sandwich with cheese on an everything bagel (though I do seriously love them)
Alright, I have...
Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat bread
Kirkland Organic Creamy Peanut Butter (ingredients dry roasted organic peanuts & sea salt)
A banana (Not organic today, they're not on the EWG Dirty Dozen, so I don't worry about bananas being organic. Fair Trade makes me feel good.)
Cinnamon
Nature's Garden Probiotic Apricots
Coffee
1% Organic Milk
Can you tell I shop at Costco?
Alright, what's for breakfast? I toasted 2 slices of bread (48 grams of whole wheat) and put the peanut butter on instead of regular butter. Then I sliced the banana and put that on top, finishing it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I made the coffee (Nespresso) and frothed the 1% milk in my frothier (I'm a sucker for a cappuccino) and topped that with more cinnamon. I put 3 apricots on the side.
How'd I do? I think pretty damn well actually. This definitely meets the 2/3 - 1/3 rule and I can easily and cheaply make this happen 5 days in a row.
But, it gets even better. I picked up my copy of the "Cancer - Fighting Kitchen" by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson and pulled out my copy of "Women's Health Matters: Nutrition and Breast Cancer" (I'll post links below.)
Here's what I learned:
Fiber: This sucker is our friend when it comes to beating breast cancer. Apparently it can bind to toxic compounds and carcinogens and allow our body to excrete them. It reduces the amount of estrogen in the body, thus reducing the risk of hormone fueled cancers. Overall, studies found the greater the fiber intake the lower the risk of breast cancer (either a primary, or a recurrence). I estimate this sandwich had 12 grams of fiber!
Resveratrol: Another winner, this is found mostly in peanuts, grapes, grape products, soy, mulberries and cranberries. (HELLO PEANUT BUTTER!) According to Women's Health Matters, it can reduce tumor growth (via decreased angiogenesis and induce apoptosis) in mice; may inhibit IGF-I mediated cell migration in breast cancer; may inhibit cell growth and regulate IGF-II in breast cancer cells. It can also reduce DNA damage. (These are a bunch of fancy terms that basically mean stop cancer cells from spreading or make cancer cells commit suicide. We like that.)
Phosphorus/Magnesium/Potassium/Boron/Calcium/Zinc: All covered between the whole wheat, banana, peanut butter and milk. Combined, these suckers create super strong bones. That's really important because the bones are one of the 4 most common places breast cancer spreads to, and the stronger the bones are, the longer they can resist metastasis. (Not to mention osteoporosis).
Apricots - According to Katz, they're potassium-rich which helps rebalance the body's chemistry, especially if your electrolytes are depleted. They're also iron rich with helps with oxygen transport and keeping hemoglobin and energy levels steady.
Cinnamon - According to Katz, cinnamon has cinnamaldehyde which reduces the inflammation associated with certain cancers, can help balance blood sugars and can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon cancer specifically.
While doing this research I decided in the future I'll add:
Apple Slices - As Katz says they've shown in labs to keep liver, breast and colon cancer cells at bay.
Walnut butter - (I'll combine with the peanut butter) - Katz says they have ellagic acid, which in the lab caused cancer cells to die. They also limit estrogen's growth potential for breast cancer cells.
Cloves - According to Katz, they have kaempferol which can lower ovarian cancer risk and they have eugenol which may protect against digestive cancers and attack environmental toxins.
Nutmeg - According to Katz, this spice has myristicin which may prompt the body to fight tumors itself.
Why didn't I add berry/grape jelly? It's too high in sugar for me. According to Women's Health Matters, sugar increases breast cancer risk in premenopausal non-obese estrogen positive (that's me!) women by 310%. I'll find my anti-inflammatory benefits elsewhere.
So, all in all I'm feely pretty damn good about this. I'm going to take a spice shaker and mix ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon. Then in the mornings I'll have my peanut butter toast w/ spiced banana and cappuccino. Maybe I'll add some apple slices if I'm feeling frisky.
But all in all. I'm going to feel really good about this breakfast of champions. Hey, maybe I can even get my 5 year old to take a bite!
The Yummy Part. Eating for life!