Healthy Nutrition is the Key to Fighting Cancer

Altınbaş University Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department and Lösev collaborated on the event, which focused on the relationship between Nutrition and Cancer. Dietitian Yasemin Karakaş and Lösev Benefit Project Coordinator Oya Sancar gave the seminar.

Information was given about the top 11 of nutrition. It was emphasized that healthy nutrition is the basic condition for fighting cancer. First of all, Dietitian Yasemin Karakaş talked about the importance of keeping body weight at the right level and explained that the waist circumference should be 80 cm for women and 94 cm for men.

“Consume meat twice a week and fruits in their natural form”

At the event attended by the students and academicians of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Dietitian Yasemin Karakaş reminded that they do not recommend eating at night. She suggested to stay away from unhealthy fats. She said that instead of animal fats, frying oils and trans fats, olive oil, nuts, almonds and walnuts should be preferred. Yasemin Karakaş also explained the importance of catching the rainbow colors with vegetables on the plates, “Each of these colors has a different meaning in terms of nutritional value. These vegetables, which can be consumed both cooked and raw, should definitely make up 1/3 of the plate at each meal.” Yasemin Karakaş emphasized the importance of limiting meat consumption to 2 to 3 days a week, and asked that fruits should be consumed in their most natural form and limited to 2-4 portions. She said that dried fruits should be consumed 2-3 times a day as snacks.

Yasemin Karakaş stated that dairy products should be consumed as kefir and yogurt, and steaming or boiling in water should be preferred instead of frying in oil as cooking methods. She added that additional supplements should not be taken without a doctor's advice, and that all the body's needs can be met with a proper and balanced diet.

Dried beans, soybeans... Foods that are friendly in the fight against cancer

Emphasizing that pulses consumption is very important for intestinal health, which is considered as the second brain, Yasemin Karakaş said that legumes and soybeans are both a good source of protein and a good source of pulp. She emphasized that foods such as dried beans, chickpeas, red lentils and cowpeas are good cancer fighters thanks to the phytochemicals they contain.

Yasemin Karakaş informed that root vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and radish, also known as sulfur vegetables, contribute to the destruction of pioneer cancer cells in the body. He stated that the foods in this group have an anti-inflammatory effect that strengthens the immune system.

She explained that berries such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, grapes, cranberries, cherries and sour cherries protect cells from free radical damage.

Dietitian Yasemin Karakaş also recommended using spices such as ginger, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, mint, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and cumin in meals due to their antioxidant properties. In order for the active ingredient of turmeric to come out, for example, it should be used with black pepper in lentil soup.

What not to eat during chemotherapy?

The most curious issue about the nutrition of cancer patients is what should not be consumed during chemotherapy treatment. Yasemin Karakaş reminded that grapefruit should definitely not be consumed during this treatment as it reduces the effect of drugs. She also asked that acidic foods such as tomatoes and lemons or hot spices should not be consumed during this period, as sensitivity may occur in the mouth. He also stated that hard and crusted foods would not be suitable as swallowing difficulties may also occur.

The seminar ended with a workshop on healthy dessert snacks with Altınbaş University Gastronomy and Culinary Arts students.