Now that we’ve discussed 10 foods that can help fight cancer, let’s take a look at 10 foods that I recommend avoiding:

  1. Refined cabohydrates – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we should eat the way Mother Earth intended without any processing. Refined carbs (breads, pasta, pastries) are nothing more than an empty shell that have had their nutrients, fiber and natural flavor removed. They also spike your blood sugar; and what goes up, must come down.
  2. Heated or hydrogenated oils – These often include the dreaded trans fat. Research has shown time and again that trans fats wreak havoc on your health. Enough said.
  3. Salt – Excess salt is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Extra salt in your diet needs to be metabolized, which taxes your body’s performance.
  4. Canned tomatoes – Tin can lining contains bisphenol-A (BPA), a compound similar to estrogen that has been linked to reproductive problems, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, acidic foods (like tomatoes) cause BPA to leach into your food. Choose tomatoes in glass bottles or Tetra Pak boxes.
  5. Corn-fed beef – Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. Unfortunately, ranchers can contain more cown in a smaller area if they’re fed corn and soybeans – this also fattens them up faster for slaughter. Grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and lower in inflammatory omega-6s and saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. Cows are are herbivores and should not be fed anything but grass.
  6. Microwave popcorn – Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of microwave popcorn bags, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans. In animal testing, these chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize and migrate into your popcorn.