We've got a lot of sources for recipes on the Internet, from mega-magazine sites to the Food Network to google. The American Institute for Cancer Research can be added to that mix with their Recipe Corner, that features healthy recipes with foods that fight or might prevent cancer or help cancer survivors. For instance, this season, they've got recipes for Crunchy Veggies Wraps and Oatmeal Pancakes.

Another feature is the Health-e-Recipes weekly email that sends recipes right to your inbox. It looks like it's a popular thing, and the recipes must be pretty good, since there are already 10,000 subscribers.

[via: TheCancerBlog]

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the antioxidant phytochemicals found in fresh fruits are retained at levels almost as high in the same fruits that are freeze-dried. Their research also shows that the phytochemicals in freeze-dried fruits can reach our bloodstream. These phytochemicals in freeze-dried fruits like raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, might protect against colon and esophagus cancers.

Freeze-dried fruits are commonly found in dry breakfast cereals, and the amount in one serving of cereal is hardly enough to be beneficial. It is better to use freeze-dried fruits in conjunction with fresh, frozen, and regular dried fruits to get your recommended daily intake.

[via: The Cancer Blog] 

It's not easy to remember to get our how-many-are-we-supposed-eat-now servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day.

Though the post over at the Cancer Blog is aimed specifically at a cancer prevention audience, the quick tips that Dalene lists for easily adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to our diets applies to everyone. Sure some of it is basic knowledge and common sense, but it's always nice to have a reminder.

For instance, instead of bread for your sandwich, use a cabbage leaf to make a "wrap." One that i particularly liked was the tip for thickening soups and stews. Use a mixture of cooked, pureed cauliflower and white beans instead of cream or milk! Take a peek for more ideas.

It's never ending praise for the pomegranate in preventing disease, especially prostate cancer, but if you couldn't drink another glass of pomegranate juice, then you might be okay grabbing a beer instead.

According to researchers at Oregon State University, a primary compound found in hops, xanthohumol, inhibits a certain protein in cells along the surface of the prostate gland. That protein acts as a switch that turns on a variety of human malignancies, including prostate cancer. The compound xanthohumol belongs to a group of plant compounds called flavonoids, which have been reported for a wide variety of benefits in cancer prevention and overall disease prevention.

Since it will take 17 beers for the xanthohumol to have a noticeable effect, you might want to wait for researchers to come up with a supplement.

I don't know about you, but staying fit with the only motivation being my "appearance" is hard. I mean, I've been staring at that little bikini on my refrigerator door for how long now, and I still grab an ice cream bar from the freezer!

But a challenge from the American Cancer Society is another story. On May 18 (that's Thursday!), the American Cancer Society is teaming up with Weight Watchers to launch the Great American Eat Right Challenge. The purpose is to raise awareness of the link between obesity and increased risk of cancer. The website has information and resources that help to create a better environment in your house, BMI and calorie counting calculators, tips for eating out in restaurants and cooking at home, information regarding vitamins and minerals, and fitness information.

Hey, none of this stuff is earth-shatteringly new, but it's nice to have in one place with a reminder that you're decreasing your risk of certain cancers.

[via: The Cancer Blog]

A recent study suggests that drinking coffee prevents breast cancer breast cancer in a specific group of women: those who have the BRCA1 mutation. The genetic mutation puts women at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance and National Cancer Institute sponsored a study in which researchers compared answers to a survey about coffee consumption against the medical records of 1,690 women who have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. Compared to women who did not drink coffee at all, those who had 1 to 3 cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of breast cancer by 10%. That doesn't seem all that impressive, but take a look at the serious java junkies: women who drank 4 to 5 cups of coffee reduced their risk by 25% and women who drank 6+ cups of coffee per day reduced their risk by a whopping 69%.

I think there are some days I drink six cups of coffee by...lunch.

[via: The Cancer Blog]

We certainly don't need a reason to eat pizza, but a 2003 study in the International Journal of Cancer stated that eating pizza was associated with lower rates of cancer in the stomach and colon. Well, someone get Papa John's on the line!

Not so fast. Pizza crust is made with refined carbohydrates, which are linked with higher rates of a different cancer, colorectal cancer. It's important to note that the researchers were referring to authentic Italian pizzas with thin crusts, not the American carb monstrosities. Ingredients on the pizza like tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, and other toppings that fall within the "Mediterranean diet" offset the small negative effects of the carbohydrates in the crust.

The Cancer Blog has a great listing of topping ingredients that includes details about nutrients and why /how they help with prevention of certain cancers 

Women have been hearing for a while now that compounds called called isoflavones may block estrogens, promote the destruction of faulty cells, fight inflammation, and overall, reduce the risk of breast cancer. With this association, women were running out to the drug store to buy soy supplements.

However, researchers at Johns Hopkins have said that they don't know what soy supplements do, and that they now believe that the reduction in risk of breast cancer comes not from the soy itself, but from the health habits that go along with eating soy, like eating tofu and drinking soy milk.

Claims about soy's influence on breast cancer have been based on studies of Asian women, who have a lower incidence of the disease. However, Asian women's entire diet is different from Western women. They are also more physically active and drink less alcohol. These are all associated with reduced risk of breast cancer.