Image Source: rgbstock.com / Ayla87

The Benefits of Juicing For Breast Cancer – What To Juice

In my last article, The 12 Best Benefits of Juicing For Breast Cancer, I gave you twelve very good reasons why juicing is incredibly beneficial for breast cancer and today, in part 2 of this 4-part series, I am covering what exactly to juice.  I know many people delay juicing because they don’t know what to juice.  Don’t worry about having specific recipes (although resources for those is found at the bottom of this article) — just get started — squish these things into your juice (the next article covers the best juicers to use) and adjust for your own personal tastebuds.  It’s all about experimentation and finding out what you like.

Note:  Always use organic produce wherever you can but if it’s just not available, get yourself a good quality fruit and vegetable wash and wash everything thoroughly before juicing.  You can also add a splash of white vinegar to a basin of fresh cold water and soak your produce to help remove any traces of pesticide, herbicide, wax, etc.

Kale

Kale is one of the most alkaline vegetables and packs a terrific wallop of omega-3 fatty acids, chlorophyll, betacarotene, vitamin K, vitamin C and calcium.  It is highly anti-inflammatory (and cancer is a very inflammatory condition), it helps to activate your immune system, it reduces the absorption of carcinogens (cancer causing things).  Tip: Wash kale thoroughly.  According to foodbabe.com, “To get the most out of your kale, run it through the juicer before the fruits and veggies with higher water content like cucumber and apple.”

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and beta-carotene, antioxidants that protect against cell damage.  Carrots also contain retinol which inhibits tumor promotion.  There are plenty of cancer survivor testimonies out there on the internet from people who heavily juiced carrots and eradicated their cancer.  Tip: Peel both organic and non-organic carrots prior to juicing because they do grow in the ground and the skins of root vegetables can contain trace amounts of arsenic.

Cucumbers

90% water, they are a wonderful base for any juicing recipe and are full of electrolytes, vitamins B, C and K, and potassium.  They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  Additionally, new lab research (done only on animals so far) indicates that cucumbers contain plant lignans which are converted in the gut into enterolignans which have the ability to bind onto estrogen receptors on our cells.  They can have both pro-estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects, depending on what is needed by the body.  A reduced risk of estrogen-related cancers, including cancers of the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate have been associated with intake of dietary lignans from plant foods like cucumber (also flaxseed).  Fresh cucumbers also contain a group of compounds called cucurbitacins and researchers have determined that  several different cell signaling pathways required for cancer cell development and cancer cell survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins.  Tip: If your cucumbers are organic, leave the skin on but if they are not organic, peel them due to the synthetic waxes that get applied to them, you don’t want that in your juice

Beets

Beets contain iron, potassium, niacin, copper, vitamin C, folic acid, zinc, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.  They also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are required for good eye health.  Beets must be fresh, not canned. Beets are one of the best anti-cancer veggies around, abounding in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.  They stimulate lymphatic function, enhance liver function, make a great blood cleanser, and good for cellular detoxification.  Tip: Peel both organic and non-organic beets before juicing.

Wheat Grass

Fresh wheat or barley grass juice is very alkaline, it is a very potent blood purifier and liver cleanser as it contains oodles of chlorophyll, which is similar in molecular structure to hemoglobin in our blood and helps transport oxygen to our cells.  Since cancer loves conditions where oxygen is absent, you can immediately see the benefit that wheat grass offers.  Chlorophyll has also been proven to be a more effective antimutagenic than any antioxidants.  Wheat grass also contains selenium and laetrile, and that makes it a superb overall cancer fighter.   Tip:  People with wheat allergies have nothing to worry about with wheat grass – although it is grown from grain, it morphs completely into a vegetable with none of the allergy proteins common to wheat.  Also, if you drink a lot of it, just beware because it can act as a natural laxative.  Which can be a good thing if you’re doing chemotherapy!

Apples

Apples contain flavonoids, which are phytochemicals that protect cells and DNA from damage.  They act as antioxidants and help to control inflammation.  They also contain quercitin which research indicates inhibits EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) and HER2 neu common in breast cancer.  Tip:  Most of the flavonoid content of an apple is in the skin, so don’t peel them and definitely buy organic apples whenever you can.  If organic apples are not available, wash them well in warm water and vinegar to remove the wax coatings and any chemical residue.  Just go easy when juicing apples as they do contain a lot of natural sugar.

Pineapple

Pineapple contains an enzyme known as bromelain which is a natural digestive enzyme and is helpful for cancer because it boosts cytokines, particularly interferon and tumor necrosis factor, which are very important warriors in destroying cancer cells.  Bromelain also decreases inflammation, helps the immune system, and according to mercola.com, bromelain is also involved with “Dissolving fibrin: Cancer cells hide under a cloak of fibrin to escape detection. Once the cancer cells are ‘uncloaked,’ they can be spotted and attacked by your immune system. It is also thought that fibrin makes cancer cells ‘stick together,’ which increases the chance for metastases.”  Tip: To tell whether a pineapple is ripe and ready for juicing, lift it, squeeze it, and smell it. The fruit should be heavy, which means it’s juicy; the skin should yield slightly to a gentle squeeze, and the aroma should be sweet.  Color also matters – if it’s too green, it will probably be slightly sour.  You want a pineapple that has a slightly yellow tinge on the rind.

Celery

Hugely anti-inflammatory and alkaline, celery is excellent for juicing.  Celery is full of potassium, calcium, vitamins C and K, folate, and antioxidants which help protect against oxidative damage to cells, blood vessels, and organ systems.  It is also full of important phytonutrients that are anti-inflammatory and protective of the digestive tract and cardiovascular system.  Recent research done on mice indicated that a key component of celery known as apigenin slowed cancerous growths and shrank tumors and reduced the blood vessels feeding the tumors, as well as restricting nutrient flow to the tumor cells, thus starving them of the nutrients needed for growth.   Tip: Keep celery for no longer than 5-7 days in the refrigerator before using.

Berries

Berries are all rich in vitamin C, bioflavonoids, fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, silicon and iron. They also contain anthocyanins which are powerful antioxidants and bacteria inhibitors. Many also contain ellagic acid.  Blueberries in particular have been studied for their ability to help halt the growth and spread of triple negative breast cancer.   Tip: If you are juicing berries with seeds (like raspberries or blackberries), you will want to use a masticating style juicer to separate the seeds from the juice.  Or you can also strain the juice afterward.

Lemons

As we all know, lemons are loaded with vitamin C, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, aids the immune system, and is a potent antioxidant. Lemon is also a great source of folate and potassium.  Lemons help you eliminate waste, are a natural antiseptic, cleanse the lymphatic system, and are very potent little cancer-fighters.  Tip: Lemons are not acidic once inside the body – once they enter the stomach they are alkaline and promote a healthy body pH.  Juice organic lemons WITH THE PEEL as the peel contains limonene, a potent anti-cancer phytochemical.

Ginger

In studies on mice, ginger proved to be very effective in killing cancerous cells and it did this in two different ways.  First, ginger causes cancer cells to “commit suicide” (known as apoptosis) by destroying themselves while leaving the surrounding healthy cells untouched. Second, ginger tricks cancerous cells into eating themselves (known as autophagy).  In addition, ginger has long been known for its anti-inflammatory properties and this helps cancer patients in a third way – ginger helps to prevent tumors from creating the perfect scenario for growth. One study found that exposing ovarian cancer cells to a solution of ginger powder resulted in their death in every single test.  Tip: Peel your ginger and experiment with the size of chunk that you juice.  It adds a bit of heat and spice to the juice so start with small amounts and work your way up.  I use about a 1″ knob of ginger in my juice, I don’t mind the heat at all.  Ginger is also excellent for helping with nausea due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  You should not take ginger if you suffer from a bleeding disorder or take blood-thinning medications (such as warfarin or aspirin).

Broccoli

Broccoli is full of vitamins C and B, beta-carotene, folate, calcium, iron, selenium, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur and is one of the most highly regarded vegetables for breast cancer prevention. It has high levels of three powerful cancer-fighting phytochemicals – isothiocyanates, indoles and dithiolethiones. These special plant chemicals regulate the way in which cells respond to  environmental elements that can potentially trigger cancerous changes within the DNA of the cell.  The phytochemical indole has been found to increase the elimination of estrogen, which is great for those who have estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer.  Tip: Keep the stems for juicing and eat the florets raw or lightly steamed.  Broccoli can have a strong flavor which might take some getting used to, juice it with other things that you love the taste of!

Great juicing recipes abound on the Internet, check out a few of these:
myjuicecleanse.com
thebestofrawfood.com
chrisbeatcancer.com
choosingraw.com
foodbabe.com

For more information on what to juice, visit my page Diet and Cancer.  See also my article The Benefits of Juicing For Breast Cancer – Which Juicer Or Blender To Use.

If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters and e-books on the right, and/or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com).  It is my honor and my goal to help you through this so that you emerge from breast cancer feeling better than before, thriving!