Reduce your cancer risk with the right foods: follow these seven key dietary rules to better your odds against this serious disease - How to Eat Right

Natural Health, March, 2003 by Michael Murray, Tim Birdsall, Joseph E. Pizzorno, Paul Reilly

Even mild dehydration can interfere with your digestion, which could allow polyamines to build up in your system. Water also transfers waste materials from cells to your kidneys, which filter out and eliminate toxins. In fact, research shows that low water consumption increases your risk for cancers of the breast, colon, and urinary tract. You need to drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of water every day to flush toxins out of your body.

Soluble fiber also plays a key role in detoxification because it absorbs toxins in your digestive tract. Increase the amount of fiber in your diet gradually over a few weeks to avoid uncomfortable intestinal gas. Aim to get at least 35 g of fiber a day from a variety of food sources like carrots (4.6 g fiber in 1 cup), kidney beans (7.3 g in 1/2 cup), and parsnips (5.4 g in 1 cup).

Getting Started

Easy Ways to Eat Your 10-a-Day

You should eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to protect yourself from cancer. Here are five ways to boost your intake:

1. Keep a container of cut-up vegetables like broccoli and red or green peppers on the top shelf of your refrigerator for easy snacking.

2. Place a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter or desk.

3. Bring prepackaged chopped vegetables to work to add to soups or salads for lunch.

4. Add shredded vegetables to soups, sauces, and casseroles at home (for example, add grated carrots and zucchini to spaghetti sauce).

5. Top cereal, low-fat yogurt, pudding, frozen yogurt, or sherbet with berries.

Michael Murray, N.D., is a naturopath in Issaquah, Wash., and co-author of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima Publishing, 1998). Tim Birdsall, N.D., is the national director of naturopathic medicine and research for Cancer Treatment of America in Zion, Ill. Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., N.D., is a co-founder of Bastyr University, a college of natural medicine in Kenmore, Wash., and co-author of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima Publishing, 1998). Paul Reilly, N.D., is a founding member of the Nutritional Advisory Committee for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Seattle.