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What Meal for Cancer Prevention

The common-sense approach would be to eat a balance of food practicing moderation without emphasizing anyone-food category. Good nutritional habits should start at the earliest age possible. It is never late to start practicing good nutritional habits.

December in the Philippines spells of food and food and food. Hence one should watch his her diet and the nutrition it gives during this food month.

What diet would be common-sense?

The 'PRUDENT DIET' is recommended since it would prevent the negative effects of dietary excesses.

The 'PRUDENT DIET' recommends: DECREASE - calorie intake, saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, meat (esp beef), and eggs; JUDICIOUS USE OF - refine sugar, food additives, processed foods; INCREASED USE OF - carbohydrates, crude fiber, unsaturated fats.

How would we increase fiber and roughage in the diet?

Fiber and roughage promotes daily bowel movements thus cleaning the bowels regularly, riding of potential toxins staying long term in the intestines and entering the body. It is healthy to be able to move the bowels once a day. The following increases fiber and roughage in the diet: • Replace soft-drinks and other beverages with water or fresh fruit juices. Take plenty fluids (~2 litres) a day • Replace junk foods with nuts, seeds, and raisins. • Replace refined sugar and sugar products with brown sugar, molasses, or honey. • Replace over-processed and canned fruits and vegetables with ones that are unpeeled and raw, or use dried fruits, peas, beans. • Use whole-grain cereals or flour products instead of refined ones. • Eat green or yellow, leafy vegetables (malunggay, kangkong, camote leaves, pechay, cabbage, spinach, squash, gabi beans, etc.), and fruits (citrus, pineapple, mango, chico, yams, gabi, etc.)

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Why should we one avoid saturated fats?

Saturated fats are usually the source of free radicals. Free radicals cause chemical changes surrounding molecules of cells, leading to cell damage. Cell damage can result in transformation to cancerous cells, Saturated fats are found in animal fats (lowest of which is in the fish) and coconut oil.

What is recommended is UNSATtJRATED FATS - fats from vegetables, corn, soya, linseed, sunflower, or nuts.

What about vitamins?

Consume foods rich in vitamins A, C, E and betacarotene - green, yellow, or leafy vegetables and fruits. These vitamins help remove free radicals from the body. A glass of lime, lemon, or calamansi juice with a dash of honey a day would be okay.

Is obesity okay?

Avoid overweight obesity. Exercise regularly - use stairs if going 2-3 floors up and if going down; walk or stretch during break-time from work; do brisk walking, jogging, jump rope or swimming, etc., for 10 minutes as a daily home activity.

Eat moderately - do not overeat nor undereat.

What about alcoholic beverages?

No to alcoholic drink – start not to take the habit. If you drink, keep alcohol consumption moderate; try to avoid every time you can. Wine would be better than beer, gin, lambanog, tuba, whiskey, or other hard drinks.

What about coffee, milk, cocoa, tea?

Drink coffee, cocoa, tea or milk in moderation.

What about meat?

If possible, eat more of white fish meat or seafoods; it at all, white bird meat (like chicken) is better than pork or other white meats; avoid red meat like beef (pork has red meat portions too).

Remove skin and fat of meats.

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Now how about the meal?

PLAN A PRUDENT MEAL

1. List what you will buy - Ilista ang bilihin..

a. Pinawa (bigas na tinalupan lamang ng ipa, hindi giniling, hindi pinapuri) b. Gulay- Isa o 2 klase ng mga gulay na may katangian ng 5 elemento - • gulay na may elementong kahoy - madahong berdeng gulay (pechay, kangkong, mustasa, talbos ng camote/labanos/gumamela/bawangisayote/sitao/ carrots/siliJkalabasa, etc.); pinausbong na butil (togue, etc.); kabute (tainga ng daga kodet, kabuteng talaba/Shitake/butones/dayami); halamang dagat (buhok na itim, lumot, nori, kombu, lato, gulaman). • gulay na may elementong apoy - malalaking gulay na madahon (dahon ng gabi/lubi- lubi); dahon ng puno (dahon ng sampaloc/papaya/ipil-ipil); binagnag gulay (pipino, patola, ampalaya, langka-hilaw, upo, kalamansi, kamatis, sayote, okra, sampaloc, kamansi, puso ng saging, etc.); prutas ng tag-init-Marso-Mayo (santol, pina, melon, mangga, siniguelas, duhat). • gulay na may elementong lupamabilog na gulay (kalabasa, cauliflower, repolyo, broccoli); halamang ugat (sibuyas, patatas, singkamas, bawang); prutas kapag patapos ang tag-init-Mayo-Hulyo (kaimito, bayabas, atis). • gulay na may elementong metal - gulay na maliit ang dahon (gulasiman, pansit- pansitan, alugbati, wansoy, pako, kutsarita, 'berde, kintsay, takip-kuhol, parsley, malunggay); prutas ng tag-init (Ianzones, rambutan) • gulay na may elementong tubig - beans at buto (mongo-dilaw, berde, pula, garbansos, kadyos, Baguio beans, sitaw, chocharo, sigarilyas, batao, mani, pili, linga, kasoy, lotus seed, patani, buto ng kalabasa, kidney beans-puti/pula, buto ng malunggay); lamang- lupa (labanos, luya, araro, gabi, kamote ng kahoy, tugi, ube, carrots, kamote); produktong beans (tokwa, gluten, vegemeat, tofu, tahure).

Lutuin sa isa o dalawang ulam recipes. Haluan ng halamang-dagat hanggang maaari.

c. Protina - ihain sa bawat kainan; beans, produktong beans, isdang puti ang laman, o ibat-ibang pagkaing dagat (hipon, pusit, tahong, halaan, etc.). Minsan lang o makalawa itong lutuin. Mas-mabuting nilaga, sinigang, ihaw, o paksiw; bihirang i-prito ang mga ito. d. Pang-rekado - gamitin ng madalas at marami ang sibuyas at luya; paminsanminsan ang bawang; gamiting ang pulang asukal; gawing arnibal at gamitin nang bihira at kakaunti ang panutsa. e. Pampalasa - Gamitin ng kakaunti. Ang dapat gamitin na panlasa: • Asin - hindi niluto o idoized What Meal for Cancer Prevention - Page 4 of 4 ______

• Toyo - purong-soya; walang asukal o preservatives • Suka - natural; walang kemikal • Miso • Tahure • Gomasio • Mantika - galing sa halaman at hindi gawa sa pamarnagitan ng pagluluto (cold- pressed); regular ng gamitin ang hindi maitim na mantika ng linga, mais, buto ng mustasa; bihirang gamitin ang langis ng oliba, soya, mani, sunflower, o safflower; iwasan ang langis ng niyog, pariko, margarine; gamitin lamang ang katamtamang mantika sa sinangag, gisa, at prito; sa pangkalahatan, maaring gumamit ng mantika nang dalawa o tatlong beses sa isang linggo.

2. Magplano ng mga iluluto

Piliin ang protinang gagamitin. Idagdag dito ang 1-2 gulay na nabanggit sa itaas.

Piliin ang paraan ng pagluto na mainam para sa napiling kumbinasyon. Hangga't maaari maglagay ng halamang dagat sa isa o dalawa sa mga lutuin. Kailangan sari-saring gulay at iba't-ibang uri ng pagluluto para sa bawat kainan sa bawat araw para matiyak na makukumpleto ang pangangailangan sa nutrisyon. Ang lasa at ayos ng pagkain ay mahalaga upang masiyahan at rnagustuhan ng mata at dila.

Sa bawat araw, 1-2 mangkok sopas. Para sa dulce o mirienda - prutas, nuts. Para sa inumin tubig, tsaa, dahon ng pandan, buko, pito-pito o kapareha nito.

3. Magluto

Madalas gawing laga; ginisa sa tubig o kakaunting mantika; paminsan-minsang mag-ihaw (huwag sunugin); regular na ensalada o buro.

Happy eating in December and through the years a health prudent meal!

Data Source: Philippine Cancer Society