Category Archives: Cancer Prevention

7-Day Liver Detox Plan before the holidays – The last minute guide to getting into better shape before 2021

When is the best time to start this plan?

NOW, but realistically, check your calendar and pick a week when you don’t anticipate any special events that involve a lot of foods. You can do this before the holidays to rejuvenate your liver and repeat it whenever you are feeling sluggish, lack of concentration, having skin breakout/acne/hyperpigmentation, having bad breath, brain fog, or just to kick start a long-term healthier lifestyle. 

Add 1 good habit and abandon 1 bad habit from your lifestyle each day of the detox.

Day 1

✅ Limit your daily eating window to 12 hours. For instance, if you take your first bite of food at 9 am, you would finish your last bite of food of the day by 9 pm. During the fasting period, you can stay hydrated with water and consume unsweetened coffee/tea. 

❌ Avoid Alcohol

Day 2

✅ Lose excess belly fat to lower inflammation and reverse liver damage. Get enough sleep and ramp up your workout: Exercise for 45-60 minutes most days of the week and be more physical active during the day.

❌Avoid added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

  • ex. Diet/regular soda, sugary cereals, sugary yogurt, whipped cream, sweetened condiments such as some teriyaki sauce/spaghetti sauce/soy sauce/honey mustard/ketchup

 

Day 3

✅ Drink 1-2 cups of Detox juice a day:

    1. Combine 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar + juice 1/2 lemon + ½ teaspoon of raw honey + 8 oz water  and/or
    2. Juice 1 beet + 2 slices of ginger + 3 carrots   

❌ Avoid refined carbs.

  • ex. Bread, pasta, burger

Day 4

✅ Eat 1 serving of choline-rich food a day.

  • ex. Egg, chicken, beef, broccoli, salmon

❌ Avoid refined oils.

  • ex. soybean, safflower, vegetable, canola or sunflower oil

Day 5

✅ Aim for at least 3 cups of vegetables and 1 fruit a day. 

❌ Avoid ultra-processed and packaged foods.

  • ex. instant rices, instant noodles, cold cuts, ham, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, canned soups, frozen meals/pizza

Day 6

✅ Start your meal by eating half of the veggies> then protein + more veggies > finishing it with carbs.

❌ Avoid fried Foods.

  • ex. French fries, donuts, falafel, churros, arancini, fried chicken, pakora, General Tso’s chicken

Day 7

✅ Practice food and lifestyle changes first, then consider supplements.

  • Supplements for liver health: Milk thistle, Artichoke, Dandelion Root, Curcumin, Vitamin D3, Resveratrol. 

❌ If you have liver disease, stay away from raw or undercooked shellfish.

  • ex. Oysters, calms

Related

💚 Learn how to create/order balanced meals at home or in the restaurants

💚 Are your supplements safe? 

 

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10 simple secrets to portion control and healthy eating

Whether you are eating out or meal prepping at home, this portion control guide is a simple and practical way to create balanced meals and build healthy eating habits. 

For each day:

  1. Choose organic, grass-fed, non-GMO, locally-sourced, minimally-processed ingredients whenever possible
  2. Fruits: 2 cupped hand sized portions a day
  3. Eat your biggest meal of the day after workout 
  4. Break up with sugary beverages
  5. Eat until you are 70-80% full
  6. Start your meal by eating half of the veggies> then protein + more veggies > finishing it with carbs

For each meal, you may need (based on your activity level, goals, etc): 

7. Non-starchy veggies: 50% of your plate  (> 2 fist sized portions) 

8. Protein: 20% of your plate ( 1 palm sized portion meat/ fatty fish or 1 hand sized portion lean fish/tofu/legumes)

    • Limit red meat, processed meats (ex. Bacon, hot dogs, ham) 

9. Carbohydrates: 20% of your plate (1-2 cupped hand sized portions)

    • Choose starchy veggies or whole grains 
    • To shred/lose weight: Choose more starchy veggies over whole grains (1 cupped hand sized portion)
    • To build/gain muscle:  40% Carbs (2 cupped hand sized portions); 40% Protein ; 20% Fats ( 2 thumb sized portions) 

10. Healthy fats: 10% of your plate (1-2 thumb sized portions)

 

Build a Healthy Plate-2020
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Is 25g of added sugar a lot? Plus 10 strategies for overcoming cravings

Know Your Limit:

  • The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women limit their added sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day,  men should limit their intake to 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) per day, while children and teens aged 2-18 should consume less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) a day
  • 1 teaspoon = 4 grams of sugar 
  • Consume added sugar sparingly (Follow the 80/20 rule)
  • Avoid/limit foods & beverages that list added sugar as the first 3 ingredients (Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight) 

Sneaky Sugar: 

  • Excessive added sugar intake is linked to weight gain, diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, inflammation- which increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. 
  • Name of added sugars:
    • Agave nectar
    • Barley malt extract
    • Corn sweetener
    • Fruit juice concentrates
    • Honey
    • Molasses
    • Sugar (brown sugar, cane sugar, malt sugar, raw sugar)
    • Syrup (corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, tapioca syrup)
    • Molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)
    • and more… 
  • Artificial sweeteners may have addictive properties. As a result, you may crave more sweets and influence your food choices

How much sugar is in your snack?

Added sugar content in 14 popular products:

ProductsPortionGrams of Added Sugar
Hi Chew Fruit Chew Candies2 pieces6
Annie’s Organic Fruit Snacks1 pouch (29g)11
Oreos2 cookies~9
Glutino Gluten-Free Cookies2 cookies14
Quaker Oatmeal Cold Cereal1 cup9
Arnold Organic 100% Whole Grain Bread2 slices8
Chobani Greek Yogurt Peach1 container (5.3 oz)9
StonyField Organic Kids Low Fat Yogurt1 pouch (3.5 oz)4
Nature’s Garden Omega 3 Deluxe Nut Mix1/4 cup (4 tablespoons)9
365 Organic Tomato Ketchup1 tablespoon3
365 Organic Barbecue Sauce1 tablespoon4
Raw Manuka Honey1 tablespoon16
Starbucks Frappuccino, Vanilla9.5 fl. oz (glass bottle)~31
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Swirl Hot Cappuccino with skim milk10 fl.oz (small)21

How to stop cravings?

How to stop sugar cravings

4 Bonus Strategies

7. Choose whole or minimally-processed foods 

8. Stay hydrated with 8-15 cups of water a day (depends on your health, environment, activity, if you are breastfeeding, etc)

9. Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night

10. Enjoying your cravings every now and then. If you indulge a little, that’s fine. Just know that you will get back on track as soon as possible ❤️

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13 ways to reduce your risk of prostate cancer and BPH

✔ Choose 

 

  1. Plant-based nutrition: The majority of your food choices are minimally processed, whole plant foods. Fill >50% of your daily meals with vegetables, 10% fruits, 15% legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, 25% lean protein such as organic chicken, grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, organic tofu/edamame
  2. Flaxseed 
  3. Garlic, onion
  4. Lycopene: cooked tomato, watermelon, papaya, guava, persimmon, red pepper
  5. Omega 3 fatty acids: fish oil, salmon, sardine, mackerel, tofu, edamame, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts 
  6. Catechins: Matcha, green tea, dark chocolate, berries
  7. Zinc-rich foods: Pumpkin seeds, legumes
  8. Vit E (50mg/day): sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, leafy greens 
  9. Selenium-rich foods: Brazil nuts, eggs, salmon, pumpkin seeds
  10. Cruciferous Vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bitter vegetables
  11. Vitamin D: 1000-5000 IU/daily or ~15 minutes of sun on the arms, legs, face during midday (10am-2pm), 3-4 times a week
  12. Nutritional supplements: Saw Palmetto, Stinging Nettle 
  13. Stay active, exercise and maintain healthy weight. Move more and sit less

✖  Avoid/Limit

  • Ultra-processed foods, such as Jam with added sugar,  processed meats, sugary granola bars, microwave popcorn, frozen dinner/pizza, instant noodles, margarine, fried foods, dried fruits 
  • Smoking or excessive alcohol intake
  • Store-bought pickled foods with nitrates or high sodium content 
  • Barbecue or grilled meats
    • Cooking meat over high temperature (ex. Pan-frying, grilling, barbecuing) may produce carcinogenic chemicals 
  • Processed meats with nitrates, such as sausage, bacon, ham, smoked salmon, pepperoni, roast beef  
    • Processed meats with nitrates and nitrites can form nitrosamines (carcinogenic) in the body 
    • Processed meats, especially red meat contain heme iron, which can enhance the formation of carcinogenic compounds (NOCs) in the body 
  • Refined grains, such as white rice, white bread, sugary cereal, regular pasta
  • Excessive intake (more than 3 servings/day) of dairy and calcium 

Nutrition Tips

  • Replace cookies & crackers with veggie sticks & hummus/plain yogurt 
  • Make a veggie omelette/tofu omelette/lentil soup/homemade smoothie for breakfast to boost vegetable intake in AM
  • Eat your vegetables and fruits with healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts to maximize nutrient absorption
  • If you have BPH, limit red meat, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods 
    • Excessive intake of red meat is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases 
  • Drink green tea with citrus (such as freshly squeezed lemon juice) to enhance catechins absorption
  • Replace processed meats and red meat with unprocessed, fresh chicken/turkey and have some meatless days with plant proteins
  • Eat a diet high in antioxidants polyphenols and Vitamin C can help reducing the conversion of nitrates and nitrites to nitrosamines 
    • ex. green tea, cocoa powder, berries, red grapes, star anise, flaxseed 
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