It seems that everywhere I turn I'm reminded of opportunities to support a sustainable environment. "Going green" is all the rage now and I have found myself purchasing common household items or using services that capitalize on our planet's natural resources and reduce potential harm to the environment. I see my small effort as an investment in our children's future. After all if we don't take care of our Earth where else are we going to live? I guess the same principle applies to our bodies.

One of ways we can sustain good health is to practice good nutritional habits. And, in the spirit of "going green" I would like to encourage you to choose foods that are seasonal and regional to where you live. Buying local means you are reducing the transportation cost (and environmental impact of that transportation), and the electricity typically needed to manufacture and/or package the product. Organic food is grown or produced without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics or growth hormones in an effort to both help people eat more healthfully and minimize the negative impact of conventional agriculture and food production on the environment. However, organic food is typically more costly - often much more costly - than non-organic food, so it's important to prioritize your grocery list and choose those food items that offer your family maximum health protection. For example, I insist on purchasing non-genetically modified soy milk and hormone-free dairy products whenever possible. I also look for nonperishable organic items on sale such as cans of soup, vegetables, and grain products that I can store for longer periods of time.

Certainly, optimal health comes from a combination of putting the right things into our body and limiting the wrong things that come from our man-made environment. Plasticizers, herbicides, PCBs, and other industrial toxins clutter our water and food supply. When we consume these foods we internalize these toxins, bathing our cells in disease-promoting substances. If you believe that our cells are a microcosm of everything we feel, think and eat, then you understand the importance of surrounding our cells with health-promoting nutrients. In keeping with the green theme, I thought I'd share information about some of the most powerful, cancer fighting green foods that every cell in our bodies need and every woman concerned about breast cancer should be consuming:

Cabbage

Cabbage contains glucosinolates and myrosinase enzymes which have powerful anti-cancer actions in the body. According to results of a 2005 study at the University of New Mexico, women who consumed four or more servings per week of raw or lightly cooked cabbage--such as coleslaw or steamed sauerkraut--were 72% less likely to develop breast cancer as adults. The study included hundreds of Polish women and Polish born to women in the United States who were part of a case-control breast cancer study. The researchers found that raw cabbage offered more protection than cooked cabbage. It turns out that heating the cabbage denatures the enzyme and reduces the absorption of glucosinolates in the body.

Broccoli

Scientists have identified a naturally occurring compound called indole-3-carbinol, found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, which may be very effective in the fight against breast cancer. British researchers revealed that indole-3-carbinols can destroy cancer cells when used in combination with certain chemotherapies. Indoles can also change the potent form of estrogen into a non-toxic form-something every woman with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer should know about. Even a ½ cup of broccoli per day decreased breast cancer risk by 14%.

Green Tea

Published in the Journal of Cancer Biology and Therapy, December 2007, a study found that catechins, the plant chemicals found in green tea, could inhibit the invading capacity of breast cancer cells, and cause cellular death-something called apoptosis. Population studies also suggest that the risk of breast cancer is found to be less in Asian countries that consume green tea. The therapeutic dose of green tea is three to four cups of tea per day; enjoy hot or cold.

Spinach

High intakes of foods rich in vitamin A or carotenes are cancer fighters. In a case-control study conducted in the United States, subjects who had completed food questionnaires indicating a higher consumption of spinach had a reduced risk of breast cancer. Vitamin A from supplements did not offer the same protective effect as food, which solidifies my stance that foods rich in plant chemicals, not preformed vitamins, have the ability to unlock the key to health and disease prevention.

Kale

According to a study published in Cancer Letters, 2002, consumption of kale may reduce the risk of breast cancer by decreasing the formation of nitrosamines. These cancer-causing agents are formed when nitrates (from bacon, ham, sausage, lunch meats, etc.)are ingested and mixed with hydrochloric acid in the stomach which is known to inhibit nitrosamine formation, although kale also contains fiber, folic acid, carotenoids and other plant chemicals known to have anti-cancer activity.

While the focus of this article is on green foods and provides tips on how to protect the environment (both outside the body and within), the message of whole foods nutrition would not be complete without mentioning that it is the entire rainbow of plant chemicals that offers maximum cancer protection-not just one color family. So, while green is good, eating a varied diet, rich in colors and freshness, is best.



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