Diet Therapy - Alternative Diets

Alternative Diet

Many of the age-old remedies stress food avoidance and specify what to eat. For instance, the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda primarily revolves around dietary control. Foods are categorized as either aiding or impairing the three doshas, the foundational principles by which all living beings are classified in Ayurveda. Food serves as a means to harmonize the "doshas," alongside practices such as meditation, yoga, and more.

Many individuals experience Allergy to specific foods, such as chocolate or lactose. Likewise, excessive consumption of high-fiber foods can lead to constipation. Diabetes patients, especially those with Type 2 diabetes, must be mindful of their food choices, especially those containing sugar. Individuals with heart disease should regulate their consumption of foods rich in fat and cholesterol. These are all sensible dietary therapies.

1. Reduce the consumption of both saturated and unsaturated fats to 30 percent of total calories. Fat has been linked to a number of cancers. Fat may especially be a causal factor for breast and colon cancer.
2. Include fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereal products in the daily diet. Foods rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene are especially recommended. Foods such as apricots, peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, citrus fruits, and broccoli, spinach, kale, escarole, Romaine lettuce, parsley, peppers, cabbage, white and sweet potatoes, acorn and butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and carrots fit that bill. Consumption of such vegetables of the mustard family as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts has been linked to a reduced incidence of gastric and colon and rectal cancer.
3. Keep the consumption of food preserved by salt curing, salt pickling, and smoking to a minimum. It has been found that in countries such as China, Japan, and Iceland where such foods are consumed, there is a higher incidence of the cancer of the esophagus and the stomach. Cut back on sausages, smoked fish and ham, bacon, and hot dogs.
4. Alcoholic beverages should be consumed only in moderation. Heavy drinking, especially in combination with cigarette smoking, has been associated with an increased risk of cancer of the upper gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, as well as other adverse health effects.

Many people also believe that dietary protein is also linked to cancer. Many experts believe that American consume too much protein. There is not a consensus on this matter. Some research indicates that a low cholesterol.

Diet and Cancer

A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute has concluded that as much as 90 percent of all cancer in humans have been attributed to environmental factors, including diet. Dietary modification would have the greatest effect on the incidence of the cancers of the stomach and large bowel and, to a lesser extent, on the cancers of the breast   and lung  . It may not be possible to specify a diet that will guarantee that cancer can be completely eliminated, as there are other factors involved, certain diet modifications would generally help. Some of these guidelines are:  below 150) may be linked to colon cancer  . So, the advise is to use moderate amount of any food and as far as practical, consume a balanced diet rather than eating just one kind of food (for example red meat.)