Top 10 Food Tips for the Holidays from the National Foundation for Cancer Research

The National Foundation for Cancer Research has developed a list of the "Top 10 Food Tips to Take Advantage of the Holidays" and help keep your cancer risk minimized over the long-term.

Bethesda, Maryland (PRWEB) November 27, 2006 -- The holiday season, filled with get-togethers with family and friends, is fun and joyous, making it one of the most celebrated times of the year. It may also be one of the most stressful and tiring times, creating an additional strain on your health. Experts warn that the combination of stress, fatigue and high fat foods - factors that traditionally go with the holidays - can over time increase your risk of cancer.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research has developed a list of the "Top Ten Food Tips to Take Advantage of the Holidays" and help keep your cancer risk minimized over the long-term.

1) Skin the turkey - By removing the skin from the turkey, you reduce the amount of fat and make the centerpiece of the holiday meal good for you.

2) Try a high fiber dressing - Try a wild or brown rice dressing. It is loaded with fiber, one of the essential ingredients to deter cancer. Beans are also a good source of fiber.

3) Fruit not fudge - Rather than reaching for the tray of fudge and cookies, try Southern Ambrosia, a mixture of oranges, apples, bananas, pineapples and coconut. It isn't only good, it is good for you.

4) Use healthier cooking methods - Broiling, grilling, roasting or baking the holiday meals instead of frying and sautéing them. This reduces the fat and allows the true taste of the food to come through.

5) Cook with lower-fat dairy products - By using low-fat dairy products, you decrease the intake of fat that is used by cancer cells to grow. You and your guests will not notice any difference in taste.

6) Include fish in your holiday tradition - Omega-B oils in tuna steak, salmon, mackerel and sardines are protective of your cell's linings in fighting off cancer growth. Avoid tuna packed in vegetable oil.

7) Eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day - Research indicates that people who follow these guidelines can cut their cancer risk in half.

8) Make a spinach salad - Spinach contains one of the top cancer-fighting enzymes, sulforaphane, while iceberg lettuce is a nutritional weakling. Don't drench the salad with dressing adding fat and defeating the powerful effects of the spinach.

9) Tomato and Pasta Sauce - Research has proven that processed tomato products have a higher number of lycopenes than unprocessed tomato products. This includes tomato sauce, pasta sauce, stewed tomatoes and other tomato products.

10) Drink green tea - Soda is nothing more than empty calories and juice drinks can be loaded with sugar. Green tea is one of the best drinks holding no calories and well-documented cancer-fighting ingredients.

About the National Foundation for Cancer Research

Since it's founding in 1973, NFCR has spent more than $230 million funding basic science cancer research and prevention education focused on understanding how and why cells become cancerous. NFCR is dedicated to funding scientists who are discovering cancer's molecular mysteries and translating these discoveries into therapies that hold the hope for curing cancer. For more information, visit www.NFCR.org or call 1-800-321-CURE (2873).

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