Finding Health Through Food

I think far too often people associate the word "diet" with losing weight. Looking at our diets has become a focus on how we look, rather than what's going on on the inside, and it's the inside that really counts.

I'm never surprised when new studies come out claiming to be cancer-fighting foods, heart healthy or increasing your lifespan just by eating a bowl a day. Of course the food you put in your body affects what's going on in your body.

Seeing as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are just a few foods that have been said to be good specifically for breast health and in helping to prevent breast cancer:

Tomatoes, grapefruit and watermelon I've heard are the most important to breast health, and one of the reasons given was that nature knew what it was doing. Foods that mimic the shape and structure of the organ are generally good for that organ. Take a grapefruit, for example. The cells look similar to the breast tissue cells, so grab a spoon and dig in.

Broccoli and other greens like cabbage and kale contain nutrients that break down carcinogens in the body, making them a favorite in cancer studies. In the UK, scientists are releasing broccoli with extra glucoraphanin through conventional breeding techniques to help fight early stage cancer.  

I come from a family of people who believe strongly in the power of what we eat. I suppose a great influence in my dad's life was his background in body building and weight lifting, ever cognizant of his body and muscles and how he felt. Even today he reads health journals and studies nutrition for the keys to staying healthy and active. He is a real life Chris Pratt, except married to my mother.

It's no surprise that I've come out of that household aware of what I eat and how what I put in my mouth can have consequences, both good and bad, on my body. With cancer strong in both sides of my family, I am determined to be as healthy as possible to decrease my risk. For me, this means a diet full of healthy fats, pesticide-free produce and low in processed ingredients. I look for moderation, and to me this means a dessert a month, not a dessert a day or a few a week.

Do you consider your overall health when you think about what you put into your mouth every day, or are you more focused on how good it tastes or the consequences it may have on your weight?