The Balance of Good Health : Organic Food

Many people who have cancer find that their disease or treatment
can affect their appetite and enjoyment of food. This booklet aims to give you some ideas about what foods may be easier to eat and help you enjoy food again. Your diet is important and this advice is aimed to help you eat well when you have cancer. It is advisable to avoid losing too much weight as this may affect any planned treatment.

Organic Food's  benefits for Cancer :

Cancer survivors often look for information and advice from their health care providers about food choices, physical activity, and dietary supplement use to improve their quality of life and long-term survival. But many people also look to news reports and studies for information like this. The best advice about diet and physical activity is that it’s rarely a good idea to change diet or activity levels based on a single study or news report.

No single study is the last word on any subject. News reports may focus on what seem to be conflicting results because they are new or different, or they challenge conventional wisdom. And in brief news stories, reporters can’t always put new research findings in their proper context.

In the questions and answers listed here, we have tried to address some common concerns that cancer survivors have about diet and physical activity. As you read this, keep in mind that a cancer survivor is defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, whether or not the person is in treatment.

Supplements

Would survivors benefit from using vitamin and mineral supplements?

Survivors should try to get the nutrients they need through food, not supplements. Dietary supplements should be used when your doctor tells you to take them because of a deficiency of a certain nutrient. Do not take vitamins or other supplements to get higher than recommended levels of nutrients—this may do more harm than good.

Can nutritional supplements lower cancer risk or the risk of cancer coming back?

There is no evidence at this time that dietary supplements can lower the chance of cancer coming back or improve survival.

There is strong evidence that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of some types of cancer. And some recent studies suggest there may be a helpful effect on recurrence or survival for breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. But there is no evidence at this time that supplements can provide these benefits. Many healthful compounds are found in vegetables and fruits, and it’s likely that these compounds work together to create these helpful effects. Food is the best source of vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables and fruits

In most studies, eating more vegetables and fruits has been linked with a lower risk of lung, oral (mouth), esophagus (tube connecting the mouth to the stomach), stomach, and colon cancer. But few studies have been done on whether a diet that includes many vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of cancer coming back (recurrence) or improve survival. Some recent studies suggest that a higher intake of vegetables may have a helpful effect on recurrence or survival for breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, but this is not definite.

Still, cancer survivors should get at least 2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruits each day because of their other health benefits. It’s not known which of the compounds in vegetables and fruits are most protective, so it’s best to eat different kinds of colorful vegetables and fruits each day.

Vegetarian diets :

No direct evidence has shown that vegetarian diets help reduce the risk of cancer coming back when compared to a diet that contains meat and is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and low in red meats. But vegetarian diets can be good for you because they tend to be low in saturated fat and high in fiber, vitamins, and biochemicals.

What you need to know about cancer and diet

Not all health problems are avoidable, but you have more control over your health than you may think. Research shows that a large percentage of cancer-related deaths—maybe even the majority—are directly linked to lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, a lack of exercise, and an unhealthy diet. Avoiding cigarettes, limiting alcohol, and getting regular exercise are a great start to an anti-cancer lifestyle. But to best support your health, you also need to look at your eating habits.

What you eat—and don’t eat—has a powerful effect on your health, including your risk of cancer. Without knowing it, you may be eating many foods that fuel cancer, while neglecting the powerful foods and nutrients that can protect you. If you change your diet and behaviors, you can minimize your risk of disease and possibly even stop cancer in its tracks.

There are many ways to add plant-based foods to your diet. A nice visual reminder is to aim for a plate of food that is filled at least two-thirds with whole grains, vegetables, beans, or fruit. Dairy products, fish, and meat should take up no more than a third of the plate. Keep in mind that you don’t need to go completely vegetarian. Instead, focus on adding “whole” foods, which are foods close to their original form. Just as important, try to minimize or reduce the amount of processed foods you eat. Eat an apple instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, for example. Or enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with raisins instead of an oatmeal raisin cookie.

• Organic food is often fresher :
• 
  
• Fresh food tastes better. Organic food is usually fresher when eaten because it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it last longer. Organic produce is often (but not always, so watch where it is from) produced on smaller farms near where it is sold.
• 
  
• Organic farming is better for the environment :
• 
  
• Organic farming practices reduce pollution (air, water, soil), conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy. In addition, organic farming is better for birds and small animals as chemical pesticides can make it harder for creatures to reproduce and can even kill them. Farming without pesticides is also better for the people who harvest our food.
• 
  
• Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts :
• 
  
• The use of antibiotics in conventional meat production helps create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. This means that when someone gets sick from these strains they will be less responsive to antibiotic treatment. Not feeding animal byproducts to other animals reduces the risk of mad cow disease (BSE). In addition, the animals are given more space to move around and access to the outdoors, both of which help to keep the animals healthy. The more crowded the conditions, the more likely an animal is to get sick.

For more details :

Visit US :  www.organicindia.com                    www.organicindiashop.com