It’s Pinktober! In honor of both Breast Cancer Awareness and Vegetarian Month, #TastyTuesday will be dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of this disease. What we eat and how we prepare it can be a part of the fight. Let’s talk about BPA in canned goods, for example.

by Chef Tina Martini, The Medicine Chef 

When in treatment for a hormone based cancer like breast cancer, it is imperative that you choose BPA free cans. This will be indicated clearly on the label. BPA is a chemical that creates confusing and incorrect messages in the endocrine system. It is thought that BPA may be one of the main contributors to rising rates of infertility. Of course, the absolute best course is to cook dried beans from scratch whenever possible.

Black Bean Hummus Ingredients

• 1 small can organic cannellini beans, drained, and ice bathed*
• 1 small can organic black beans, drained, and ice bathed*
• 2-3 Tbls olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsps ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsps chili powder blend, mild
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 2 tsps lime juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsps lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup tahini

DIRECTIONS

1.  Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Place 1/2 of the ingredients to a food processor, blend until smooth
3. Transfer to a serving bowl, repeat process.
4. Chill and serve with your favorite gluten-free chip or cracker.

Phyto Facts

Wheat is a phytoestrogen. This is generally a good thing, unless the wheat has been genetically modified. We’re hard pressed to find wheat that is non-GMO. Wheat in it’s natual state is inflammatory. We definitely don’t want that, with regard to preventing disease. So, we can see that there are good and not-so-good characteristics in all foods. For many reasons, it does us good to take a break from wheat and wheat products, whether we’re practicing a gluten-free nutrition plan or not.

Beans are a great source of omega 3 fatty acid, the most talked about of all essential fatty acids. What we don’t speak of enough, is the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. We are exposed to processed oils, more than we might think, in our everyday foods. These oils are almost always out of balance. Even foods in their natural state can be too far out of balance with their ratio. Too much omega-6 can actually cause tumors to grow. All beans are great! I don’t want to discourage any bean eating! My only message, as always, is variety. Traditional hummus is a huge staple in our culture now, but somehow garbanzo beans have gotten a bad rep. Garbanzos are full of Delicious Medicine, just don’t eat them everyday. Black beans have a very good ratio, and they’re really purple when you look closely. Kidney beans come in white, as we’re using here, and in red. Each color offers a different profile of phytonutrients. Fiber is the real healer here, though. Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber collects circulating estrogen like a sponge in the bloodstream. The estrogen is eliminated (Ahhhh, aren’t euphemisms nice?) through natural processes. If the estrogen doesn’t hang around, it can’t become  a malignant threat. Fiber scrubbing of circulating estrogen provides great protection against breast cancer, generally speaking. Here’s the kicker, (trigger warning) if you don’t clear your bowels at least once per day, the estrogen is reabsorbed into the body. Please be sure to drink plenty of water always, but especially when eating a high fiber meal. Sesame seeds, flax as well, have shown tremendous potential with regard to prevention and treatment of breast cancer. High lignan content is the primary healer here. Lignans not only balance hormones, they also protect receptors from damage. This is crucial in preventing tumors from forming. Nature provides some clever clues as to what the food is good for. Citrus is the shape of mammaries, and bioflavonoids in citrus keep breast tissue youthful in appearance. Hello men, October isn’t just about “The Girls,” or weird hippies living on veggies, we care about your hormones too. A long and healthy life means more great sex! That’s food for thought. 

by Chef Tina Martini, “The Medicine Chef” @MedicineChef | Facebook Chef Martini is an experienced, well-versed television personality with a successful and proven track record. She holds a doctorate from Bastyr University in Naturopathy and a Nutrition degree from San Diego State University. She mixes cooking with nutrition, fitness and wellness!