We are all about anything that can help you become ANTI-cancer! Yesterday Chef Nancy and I taught a cooking class that was filled with wonderful foods that help your body stay strong, fight cancer, and build your immune system. I have highlighted a few tips that we discussed and thrown in one of Chef Nancy’s great recipes. Why not add the ingrediants to your next shopping trip so you can make the kale coleslaw this week? Variety is so important in your foods when you are trying to maintain a healthy, balanced meal plan.
Go retro: Strive for 80 percent vegetables, 20 percent animal protein.
Mix and match your vegetables: Vary the vegetables you eat from one meal to the next, or mix them together — broccoli is an effective anticancer food, and is even more effective when combined with tomato sauce, onions or garlic. Get in the habit of adding onions, garlic or leeks to all your dishes as you cook.
Spice it up: Add turmeric (with black pepper) when cooking. This yellow spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. Remember to add Mediterranean herbs to your food: thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, mint, etc.
Say “Brown is beautiful”: Eat your grains whole and mixed (wheat with oats, barley, spelt, flax, etc.) and favor organic whole grains when possible since pesticides tend to accumulate on whole grains.
Go green: Drink green tea every day. Regular consumption of green tea has been linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing cancer.
Make room for exceptions. What matters is what you do on a daily basis, not the occasional treat.
Kale Coleslaw
The Salad
15-20 *Kale Leaves, (about one small bunch – de-stemmed)
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Large Tomato, Chopped Coarsely, (salt lightly and let drain in colander for a few minutes while shredding the carrots)
¼ Head of Napa Cabbage, Shredded
3 Carrots, Grated
Toasted Sesame Seeds for Garnish
The Dressing
2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TB Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Low Salt Soy Sauce
1 Tsp *Agave Nectar or Honey
1 Clove Garlic, Grated
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Step One
To chiffonade the kale, stack the leaves and roll them into cylinders. Cut ¼ slices off the cylinders – resulting in thin ribbons of kale. Place the kale into a salad bowl and massage a Tsp of salt into the kale. Set aside while you make the dressing.
Step Two
Add the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well. TASTE for salt and pepper – or more lemon juice.
Step Three
Add the tomato, cabbage and carrots to the bowl with the kale, toss with the dressing and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.