We are so excited to partner with Susan and Michelle for having us on your IG Live Kicking Cancer in Heels talks. I am Safura Osmani of Jax Vegan Couple. My husband Ubaid and I started our social channels 3 years ago. We are sharing below: The most powerful fruits and veggies for health to beat cancer. What does a healthy vegan diet look like? Is there research that links fruits and vegetables to anti-cancer properties? Healthy Tips and Recipes.
We have been vegan for almost 15 years and are passionate about whole-foods, plant-based eating and love to share our knowledge with others. We love to travel, make new recipes and share tips and resources with our followers.
That is why we created our social blog Jax Vegan Couple. We get asked about our social channel name and how it came about JAX is short for Jacksonville which is located in sunny Florida where we live.
When our family went vegan we began feeling more energetic, stronger, creative and happier than ever before.
Many of our family members had passed away from stroke and heart disease at a young age.
This lead us to do tons of research and follow all the plantbased experts in the food and health field to find out how to live healthier without disease. We read the book,The China Study, watched Forks Over Knives and follow the teachings from these expert doctors: Joel Furhman, Michael Greger, Joel Kahn, Michael Klaper, John McDougall, Caldwell Esselstyn, and Neal Barnard. We were thrilled when we got an opportunity to meet with these doctors on a vegan cruise we went on earlier this year.
We also received the Plant-Based Nutrition certificate through eCornell. This certificate program helped us to understand the scientific relationships between diet, exercise, and chronic disease.
To hone our cooking skills in cooking without oil, we took the Forks Over Knives online cooking class and became certified.
We have been featured in numerous publications, JAX4News, VegWorld Magazine and even met the famous plant-based doctors on a vegan cruise we went on.
Friends and family always came to us for advice and tips on healthier eating and how to reverse their disease. Therefore, we launched our social channel JAX Vegan Couple with the mission to educate, engage and inspire others and help them on a healthy whole-foods plant-based journey!
We offer free tips, resources and recipes to our followers to educate, engage and inspire them to make better health and lifestyle choices.
We created a 21-Day Meal Plan eBook with over 70 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. It also has a getting started guide, FAQs, grocery list and menu for anyone thinking about going on a plant-based diet. We donate all the proceeds from the sale of this eBook to farmers, this is our way of giving back to the community.
We would truly appreciate it if you share our story with your family and friends and follow us on our social channels: blog jaxvegancouple.com, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
Power foods that build immunity and fight Cancer and Leukemia.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. But estimates suggest that as many as a third of cases could be prevented with diet and nutrition alone.
The recipe? Many experts recommend filling your plate with foods that grow from the ground. Decades of research suggests that the best diet for cancer prevention is all about plants. That means lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes, and no meat or other animal products.
The #1 most powerful anti-cancer food is Garlic, Onions and Carrots. Garlic stops cancer growth COMPLETELY
Leeks were #1 against kidney cancer. Garlic was #2. But not just garlic and leeks, almost all vegetables from the Allium and Cruciferous families completely stop growth in the various cancers tested. Leeks; Yellow and Green Onions; Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli; Brussels sprouts; Cauliflower; Kale; Red cabbage and curly cabbage
Like any healthy diet, a leukemia diet should include a bounty of fruits and vegetables. Add fruit to a whole-grain cereal, make an afternoon smoothie, or enjoy a bowl of berries for dessert. Whole grains. Whole grains are chock-full of nutrients.
Most powerful fruits and veggies for health and cancer.
No single food can protect you against cancer by itself.
But research shows that a diet filled with a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and other plant foods helps lower risk for many cancers. In laboratory studies, many individual minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals demonstrate anti-cancer effects.
Researchers are studying a range of plant chemicals that may play a role in cancer prevention, including:
Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapples
Carotenoids, plant pigments often found in orange fruits
Antioxidants in pomegranates
All berries, cherries, apples, bananas, lemons pineapple, grapefruit,
Phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are protective against cancer.
Benefits of Moringa, Amla and Black Seeds
Moringa leaves come from the moringa oleifera tree or “the miracle tree.” Their roots can grow in a variety of soils, including depleted soils. Because they are drought-resistant and can grow without rain water, moringa trees do particularly well in harsh and dry climates like India and Africa.
Fun fact: moringa is a distant relative to cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage.
Moringa leaves are 25% protein and contain all 9 essential amino acids. They’re also a great source of fiber and plant-based iron. But that’s not all! Gram for gram, moringa leaves have:
- 7 times more vitamin C than oranges
- 4 times more vitamin A than carrots
- 4 times more calcium than milk
- 3 times more potassium than bananas
Like most superfoods, moringa leaves are packed with antioxidants. It has an ORAC value of 157,000 — that’s 6 times the antioxidants of goji berries!
More information at our link: https://jaxvegancouple.com/benefits-of-amla-moringa/
Amla Benefits
This superfruit has a remarkable ability to help restore your skin’s radiant complexion while helping to nourish aging skin. The health benefits of Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, can be partially attributed to its high vitamin C content. Amla enhances food absorption, balances stomach acid, fortifies the liver, nourishes the brain and mental functioning, and supports the heart. It also strengthens the lungs, regulates elimination of free radicals, enhances fertility, helps the urinary system, improves skin quality, and promotes healthier hair. This fruit acts as a body coolant, flushes out toxins, increases vitality, aids in vision care, improves the muscle tone and, acts as an antioxidant. Amla contains the highest level of antioxidants versus other fruits, and is one of the richest sources of vitamin C, amino acids and minerals.
8 Impressive Health Benefits of Kalonji (Nigella Seeds)
- Packed With Antioxidants.
- May Lower Cholesterol.
- Could Have Cancer-Fighting Properties.
- Can Help Kill off Bacteria.
- May Alleviate Inflammation.
- Could Help Protect the Liver.
- Can Aid in Blood Sugar Regulation.
- May Prevent Stomach Ulcers.
What does healthy vegan diet look like?
Here are some tips on how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals:
Breakfast
Add spinach, onions, broccoli, or mushrooms add add crumbled tofu
Top your favorite breakfast cereal with fresh fruit.
Try a breakfast smoothie with fruit. Leafy greens can be easily added to any smoothie – don’t be afraid to throw in a handful of spinach!
Lunch
Add a variety of veggies to any sandwich. Include lettuce, tomato, cucumber, shredded carrots, avocado, or sprouts to give your lunch a nutritional boost.
Add extra vegetables to a pasta or soup dish.
Include a side salad of fruits or vegetables instead of chips or fries.
Dinner
Include a fresh green salad and a cooked vegetable at your dinner meal. Tired of chopping produce? Use bagged and frozen veggies to reduce your workload.
Add additional vegetables to your favorite recipes, whether it be casseroles, stir-fries, or stews.
Try to fill half your plate with vegetables (and some fruit) before digging in.
Is there research that links fruits and veggies to anti-cancer properties?
7 Top Plant-Based Health Professionals
Listed below are 7 of the top plant-based health professionals leading the movement. Learn from them. Share what they have to say with others. There’s a health-focused plant-based revolution occurring, and it’s happening in large part because of these individuals who advocate a plant-based diet and lifestyle.
Colin Campbell, PhD – Dr. Campbell is the Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University who has spent the last few decades focusing on long-term health and nutrition through a plant-based diet. He has conducted extensive research on health. His expertise is in the relationship of diet and diseases, especially cancer. Dr. Campbell is a co-author of The China Study, a book the summarizes findings from over two decades of research in China on plant-based diets and disease.
John McDougall, MD – A long time plant-based advocate, Dr. McDougall is the author of The Starch Solution. He promotes a starch-based approach to a whole food, plant-based diet. Dr. McDougall emphasizes starches to make sure that people eat enough calories and don’t wither away on lettuce, thinking that a plant-based diet doesn’t work. The starch solution allows you to eat the foods you love, just keep it low fat. Potatoes, rice, corn, and beans make up the staples.
Caldwell Esselstyn, MD – Dr. Esselstyn brings the clinical side of plant-based diet research, and he shares his program for health through the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. He has conducted long-term studies on heart disease, helping his patients to overcome heart disease through diet and lifestyle. Dr. Caldwell is also the father of Rip Esselstyn, of The Engine 2 Diet which follows a very similar approach to Dr. Esselstyn’s guidelines, but with an emphasis on preventing heart disease by starting those diet and lifestyle recommendations younger, before disease sets in.
Neal Barnard, MD – Dr. Barnard is the founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Some of his books include: Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, Power Foods for the Brain, and he is the co-author of The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.
Michael Greger, MD – Dr. Greger puts out free daily videos and articles on his non-profit website NutritionFacts.org, where he provides nutrition advice on various aspects of a plant-based diet and healthy living in general.
NutritionFacts.org takes a very science-based approach to health. On the site you’ll find updates of current findings studies and the latest scientific news regarding health. He is also the author of the new book How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. Dr. Greger has garnered quite a following, and for good reason.
Michael Klaper, MD – Dr. Klaper is a long time plant-based diet and nutrition advocate who recognised the link between diet and disease which led him to develop his own lifestyle programs. After following his own program he lost weight and considerably reduced his cholesterol levels. He has written Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple and Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet.
Joel Fuhrman, MD – Dr. Fuhrman has written several books including: Eat to Live, the Eat to Live Cookbook, and The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes. His approach to health and a plant-based diet involves eating nutrient-rich foods: vegetables; fresh fruits; beans; nuts, seeds and avocados, starchy vegetables; and whole grains. Keeping other foods to a minimum, there’s also an emphasis on raw foods. Dr. Fuhrman strongly promotes eating nutrient-dense foods, as he calls them “micronutrient-rich foods.”
Websites
Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center
Forks Over Knives
Happy Cow, the Healthy Eating Guide
Physicians for Responsible Medicine
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies
Jeff Novick, MS, RD
True North Health Center
GMOs Revealed
Vaccines Revealed
Books
Eat to Live – by Joel Furhman M.D.
How Not to Die – by Michael Greger M.D.
Happy Herbivore Abroad, by Lindsay Nixon
Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, by Neal Barnard
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., MD
The China Study, by Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas Campbell
The Engine 2 Diet, by Rip Esselstyn
The Starch Solution, by John McDougall, MD
The Cancer Research AICR’s New American Plate is a plant-based diet created to reflect research on reducing cancer risk. The nutrients found in plant-based foods — including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber — have been shown to reduce risk of several types of cancer. In fact, eating 6 oz of wholegrain foods each day may decrease your risk of getting cancer.
In October 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared, that all processed meat products are Group 1 carcinogens. This means that these “foods” are known to cause cancer and that there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity to humans.
This includes bacon, salami, beef jerky, corned beef, ham, hotdogs, prosciutto, chorizo, pepperoni, sausages, salted and canned meats/fish and all deli meats and any other processed meats. Other things included as Group 1 carcinogens are tobacco, asbestos, alcohol, Tamoxifen, formaldehyde and plutonium…. just to name a few. And there are a lot!
Additionally, all red meat is included in the Group 2a carcinogen list, meaning that it is probably carcinogenic to humans. We think that “foods” like processed meats should be forced to have a carcinogen “warning label”, just like the cigarette manufacturers are forced to do. It’s also extremely frightening that these “foods” are often fed to our children. This just shouldn’t be legal or allowed.
On the upside, if you eat a whole food plant based diet without oil, salt and refined sugar, then you don’t need to concern yourself with any of these scary risks.
Benefits of a plant based diet for cancer patients.
Eating a plant-based diet is a powerful way to achieve good health! Follow the Power Plate, an approach that focuses on fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans and sets aside animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs) and added oils. Join the countless numbers of people who have made this switch to a diet full of fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals, free of cholesterol, and low in calories and saturated fat. A plant-based diet is satisfying and delicious, too! What are the benefits?
Reduced risk for heart disease and stroke
Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Better blood sugar control
Healthy weight maintenance
Lower cancer risk
How to get enough protein from a vegan diet
A varied plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables, and beans can easily meet your daily protein needs, without the risks of animal products.
Tofu, lentils, cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, quinoa, chickpeas, sweet potato, black beans, seeds, spinach, sprouts.
Kickstart with Kale and Quinoa Grains Bowl
Create a Buddha Bowl by adding some couscous, quinoa, or brown rice with the vegetables & fruits. Dressing can be blended dates, with ginger and turmeric or just a squeeze of lemon or lime.`
Fruit: mangoes, bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries, etc.
Vegetables: lettuce, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, etc.
Tubers and starchy vegetables: potatoes, yams, yucca, winter squash, corn, green peas, etc.
Whole grains: millet, quinoa, barley, rice, whole wheat, oats, etc.
Legumes: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, cannellini beans, black beans, etc.
MANGO RICE SALAD BOWLS RECIPE
These delectable brown rice and black bean salad bowls, topped with bell pepper, mango, red onion, and a creamy avocado-lime dressing, are perfect for busy weeknights.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ of a small avocado, pitted and peeled
- ⅓ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- 2 ⅔ cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 2 fresh mangoes, halved, pitted, peeled, and cubed or sliced (2 cups)
- 1 15-oz. can black or chickpea beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- Thinly sliced fresh jalapeño chile
- Lemon wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
- For dressing, in a blender or small food processor combine the first five ingredients (through salt). Cover and blend until smooth.
- In bowls arrange rice, mangoes, beans, and bell pepper. Drizzle with avocado dressing. Top with cilantro, onion, and jalapeño (if using). Serve with lime wedges.
Tips for going Whole Foots Plantbased vs. Vegan
- One of the first steps is to reset your refrigerator, freezer and pantry. This won’t happen overnight, but as you start cooking with more plants and whole foods, you will naturally reduce your reliance on packaged, highly processed foods. Like anything, it’s an individual process. You might dive in headfirst, while others may move step by step. Center of your plate should have: tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes; starchy vegetables like corn and peas; whole grains like brown rice, millet, quinoa, and buckwheat; and legumes like chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, and lima beans.
Don’t try to become vegan overnight. Cut out one thing at a time. Start by eliminating red meat. Then two weeks later, poultry and fish. Another two weeks later, nix dairy and eggs, and so forth.
2. Watch plantbased documentaries:
- The Game Changers (2018) A new addition to the list of vegan documentaries on Netflix: The Game Changes challenges and old narrative. Long-gone is the idea that bodybuilders and.
- What The Health (2017) Considered one of the top Netflix vegan documentaries, What The Health explores the links between milk and meat consumption and life-limiting diseases like diabetes and autoimmune disease.
- Forks Over Knives (2011) A classic vegan documentary focusing on the negative health impacts of eating meat and dairy, and why a plant-based diet has been shown to be healthier.
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014) In 2014, the world was shaken by the revelations of meat eating.
- Seaspiracy: Released in 2021, Seaspiracy is a hard-hitting and unapologetically eye-opening documentary that focusses on the impact of commercial fishing on native marine wildlife.
3. Set a go-to vegan grocery list
4. Save vegan recipes online
5. Learn to meal prep
- Meal prepping might sound intimidating—how many Tupperware containers do you need? In truth, it’s as easy as cooking one serving. Just double, triple, or quadruple your ingredients, and voila: you’ve got ready-made food for a week.
- Though meal prepping sounds like a lot of work, it can ultimately make sticking to a vegan diet a whole lot easier (especially before eating this way is second nature).
- Over the weekend, batch-cook grains (like black, brown or wild rice, quinoa, millet, or barley), wash and dry greens (like kale and collards), and chop onions, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms in the food processor.
- For filling fiber and protein, prep batches of beans like lentils, black beans, and cannellini beans. This way, you have plenty of different ingredients and toppings ready for soups, salads, tacos, wraps, and more.
6. Find plant-based substitutes for your favorite foods
7. Read menus before eating out
8. Carry snacks with you
- Our go-to’s: fruits, nuts, plant-based energy balls home made, baked kale or sweet potato chips, chickpea burgers, homemade zucchini muffins, or even almond butter and jam sandwiches on whole-grain Ezekiel bread.
9. Invest in marinades and sauces
10. Incorporate new ingredients
11. Avoid vegan junk food whenever possible
Resources – Websites for great Plantbased Recipes
Check the Recipes section on our Website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for updates. Some tools that are helpful and we use regulary are:
Forks over Knives Recipe App
The Physicians Committee’s popular introduction to a plant-based diet Vegan Starter Kit as a printed booklet, please visit our Physicians Committee Shop.
Daily Dozen Checklist
Dr. Michael Greger’s daily dozen checklist is a list of things to eat daily. In his “How Not to Die” he investigates the fifteen leading causes of death in America. He cites masses of research that shows how nutritional and lifestyle changes can help in preventing those causes of death. To make his findings actionable, Dr. Greger provides a checklist of the foods we should eat everyday “to not die”.
Here are some of the fruits and vegetables we eat from the daily dozen:
Beans and legumes, comprise of so many beans, including soybeans, split peas, chickpeas, and varieties of lentils. You should try to get three servings a day.
Berries – A serving of berries is a half cup of fresh or frozen, blackberries, cherries, mulberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Cruciferous vegetables – Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, collards, and kale. We eat at least one serving a day about 1 cup.
Nuts – Everyone should eat 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in their daily diet, in addition to a serving of nuts or other seeds. 10 pieces of nuts like almonds is one serving, or 2 tablespoons of nut or seed butters.
Spices – We love the spice turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary and add it to all of our cooking.
Whole grains – A serving of whole grains can be 1 cup of steelcut oatmeal, amaranth, buckwheat, farro and quinoa or brown rice.
Love using an air fryer for brussel sprouts, sweet potato fries, tofu tempura perfect and no oil is used.
G-BOMBS is an acronym that Dr. Fuhrman uses to help us remember the foods that we need to make sure to eat every single day.
Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds
If you eat all of these and nothing else, you will be eating a perfect Nutritarian diet. These foods are easty to remember and the best anti-cancer, health-promoting foods on the planet.
These are the foods that you should eat every day, making up a significant proportion of your diet. They are extremely effective at preventing chronic disease, including cancer and promoting health and longevity. We make sure to have a large salad every night for dinner which includes all of the Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, seeds and we add variations daily with different fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Soups
Add all the veggies you would in a salad to a pot add 2 cups of water and boil, add spices and herbs of choice: I love garlic & ginger, and lots of herbs in our soup and am very generous in putting this. Ginger Fights inflammation and garlic is antiseptic and good for you.
Bedtime Drink- Turmeric Latte
Warm water or plant-based milk ½ teaspoon of turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cardamon Blend everything together and enjoy.
Thanks for joining us today, be sure to subscribe to our blog jaxvegancouple.com and read the latest content and simple salads, breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas on jaxvegancouple.com. Here are some latest tips & posts this month:
Healthy Snacks
Organize Kitchen Fridge & Pantry
Plantbased Grocery List
GBombs what are they and how to add to your daily diet.
Daily Dozen Checklist
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