aging

I just had to purchase the New York Times bestseller How Not to Die, Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Dr. Michael Greger. After all, it has 20,698 reviews on Amazon. I also ordered the companion cookbook. My dad died of cancer and my mom is currently in hospice with breast cancer. I wanted to learn how I could eat healthier to help ward off cancer and aging.

Greger’s book is 404 pages long with an additional 158 pages of an appendix, notes and an index. I haven’t read it cover to cover. I use it as resource. For instance, I looked up colon cancer and breast cancer. Chapter 4 is titled, “How Not to Die from Digestive Cancers.” On page 63, I read, “While regular screenings are certainly sensible to detect colorectal cancer, preventing it in the first place is even better.” From my reading, I learned that by adding a small amount of turmeric to my diet it may “decrease the number and size of polyps by more than half in patients with a hereditary form of colorectal cancer.” During my first colonoscopy in my late 40’s, I had two polyps removed. The information in the book on turmeric was therefore pretty valuable to me.

Chapter 11 is dedicated to “How Not to Die from Breast Cancer.” On page 180, I read a quote from the American Institute for Cancer Research, “Diets that revolve around whole plant foods–vegetables, whole grains, fruits and beans–cut the risk of many cancers, and other diseases as well.”

After reading this book, I have added turmeric, flaxseed, chia seeds, almonds and walnuts, dates, almond butter, cinnamon, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast to my diet. I also take a magnesium supplement, a probiotic with a prebiotic fiber blend, and orange flavored fresh catch fish oil daily.

My favorite recipe from the cookbook so far is the one for fudgy no-bake brownies. I have a sweet tooth and these are so easy to make. Just 1 cup of walnuts, 1-1/3 cups pitted dates, 1/2 cup almond butter, and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Must mix the walnuts and dates in a blender, then add the almond butter and cocoa powder.

If you want, you can add 1/2 cup of crushed pecans for a topping. Put the mixture on parchment paper and pop in the frig for at least one hour. They honestly taste like real brownies.

I have also made the skillet sweet potato hash and the yellow rice and black beans with broccoli. Some of the ingredients for the recipes are new to me and it has been fun discovering the new flavors. Bon-appetite!