The Role of Nutrition in Cancer Prevention and Treatment

“Our diet usually contains both inhibitors and enhancers of cancerous cells. Inhibitors found in the diet include antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, and phytochemical e.g. lycopene which is found in tomatoes. Dietary enhancers may be the fat in red meat or other substances found in grilled meat.”

The big 'C', everyone knows someone who has had it and survived or sadly lost their battle to it. It scares a lot of people and the common consensus is that if you are diagnosed you most likely will not survive your battle with this deadly disease. 

But what is Cancer? Your body is made up of cells that your body works hard to replenish as they move through their lifecycle. Your cells are constantly dying and new cells are made to replace them. Cancers occur when the cells that are made mutate and do not function in the way the body instructed it to. Normally, your immune system is able to recognize when these cells go rogue and get rid of them before they can do any damage.

Your Diet needs Carbohydrates

"There is no reason to restrict carbohydrates from the diet unless you are suffering from a medical condition that requires you to do so. The truth is, your body actually needs carbohydrates to perform its daily functions."

There is no reason to restrict carbohydrates from the diet unless you are suffering from a medical condition that requires you to do so. The truth is, your body actually needs carbohydrates to perform its daily functions. However, all of the carbohydrates we eat are broken down into sugars that the body will then use or store as fat. So you have to control the number of calories that carbohydrates contribute to the diet. This is done by portioning our meals correctly. 

Fry Plantain 'n' Bread

Fried plantains with bread and crackers

This is a very common breakfast choice here in Jamaica and I even had it a few days ago. Normally we will add scrambled eggs but, fried plantains are so sweet that we normally just make a sandwich and call it a day. Although your sandwich is filling, unfortunately, fried plantains and bread do not constitute a balanced meal because plantains belong to the staple group. Plantains do belong to the Banana family, but due to the high content of starch, it is classified as a source of carbohydrates and therefore a staple.   

Eating to Survive-The Micro nutrients - (Vitamins and Minerals)

Before I take another drink-The Calories in Alcohol

The macronutrients in our diet usually provide calories, which is a measure of energy namely, Protein, which provides 4 kcal/g, while  Carbohydrate also provides 4 kcal/g and Fats provides 9 kcal/g.  

However, what is not really widely known is that Alcohol also provides calories. Alcohol provides 7 kcal/g. This post is not to explore the dangers of alcohol, however, because alcohol is not harmful to the average person when consumed in moderation.