North of the City
March/April 2008
By: Sheila Clark
It is one of the “power foods” containing strikingly high concentrations of cancer-fighting chemicals touted by Leslie Beck in her new book, Foods that Fight Disease: A Nutrition Guide to Staying Healthy for Life.
“The majority of today’s chronic diseases are preventable,” says the leading Canadian nutritionist. “Reducing your risk for disease is more than just eliminating unhealthy choices in your diet. In fact, the foods you include are just as important as the ones you exclude.”
The book is a comprehensive guide to the healthiest vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein foods, dairy foods, fats and oils and beverages that help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.
Power foods are defined as whole foods rich in nutrients and phytochemicals that contain no synthetic or artificial additives.
Along with broccoli, other disease-fighting power foods include:
- Brussels sprouts, prized for their high concentration of cancer-fighting chemicals called glucosinolates. One half cup (125 ml) of brussels sprouts also serves up vitamin C, folate, calcium, potassium and fibre — all for only 30 calories;
- Swiss chard, a leafy green vegetable that is a nutritional powerhouse, contains wallops of vitamin K, a nutrient thought to help ward off osteoporosis. Its generous vitamin A, C and folate content may also play a role in cancer prevention;
- Pomegranates, valued for their medicinal properties since ancient times, has seeds containing polyphenols, antioxidants thought to benefit the heart and defend against cancer. Preliminary studies have found drinking pomegranate juice daily lowers blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol and slows the progression of prostate cancer;
- Salmon, high in protein and low in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, delivers omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent heart attack. Omega-3 fats in fish, in particular DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), may also help keep your brain healthy by fending off age-related dementia;
- Black beans, a meat alternative, are an excellent source of soluble fibre, folate and magnesium, nutrients thought to guard against heart disease. Their slowly released (low glycemic) carbohydrates may also help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar control;
- Quinoa, not only is this gluten-free whole grain low in fat and a good source of fibre, folate, vitamin E, magnesium and selenium, it is protein-rich and serves up a fair amount of calcium and iron. It can help protect from heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer — even obesity.
As well as practical tips for buying, preparing and storing these power foods, the book features more than 100 recipes to make adding them to your diet easy and tasty. Even favourite comfort foods get a power food punch-up: pancakes infused with banana and flaxseed aid in lowering cholesterol; mashed potatoes get a make-over with maple syrup and sweet potatoes to protect against lung cancer and heart disease; and brownies get a nutritious boost when shortening is replaced by white kidney beans to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
“I think that there is an overwhelming amount of information out there about food — food benefits, food risks — so I really wanted to help people make sense of all that information and put together a really comprehensive guide on what are some of the healthiest foods to be eating more of and what to add to their diet,” says Ms Beck.
“It’s a very positive message. I’m not telling people, ‘don’t eat this and eat less of this’.”
For a videotape demonstration of cooking with power foods with author Leslie Beck and Holt Renfrew Café executive chef Corbin Tomaszeski, visit northofthecity.ca.
Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian who has her private practice at the Medcan Clinic in Toronto, is the best-selling author of seven nutrition books. Foods that Fight Disease can be purchased at the Medcan Clinic, fine bookstores across Canada or order online by visiting
www.lesliebeck.com