[0:00] There's so much buzz around protein
[0:02] right now, it's exhausting. On one hand,
[0:04] we're told we need protein to keep up
[0:06] our muscle mass and strength and energy,
[0:08] especially as we age. But on the other
[0:10] hand, we hear things like bread meat is
[0:13] dangerous, animal protein causes cancer,
[0:16] and plant protein isn't enough. So, if
[0:18] you've tuned out to all the noise, I get
[0:20] it. But one thing we do know for sure is
[0:22] that protein is not optional, especially
[0:25] if you've had cancer. But it's also true
[0:27] that not all protein is good for you.
[0:29] Some actually help your body to prevent
[0:31] cancer or keep it from coming back,
[0:33] while others can do the exact opposite.
[0:35] They trigger inflammation in your body,
[0:37] which is exactly what cancer cells love.
[0:39] And unfortunately, most of us don't eat
[0:42] the right kind of protein. So, I'm going
[0:43] to go over the top three types of
[0:45] protein we should all avoid. And more
[0:47] importantly, eight of the best sources
[0:49] of protein to lower inflammation and
[0:51] your cancer risk. First and foremost,
[0:53] you want to avoid lowquality animal
[0:56] protein. But this is where things get
[0:57] confusing cuz like what does that even
[0:59] mean? So the way animals are raised
[1:02] actually matters a lot more than people
[1:04] think. Most of the meat we buy from the
[1:06] grocery store is low quality. It's high
[1:08] in inflammatory omega6 fats, hormone
[1:11] residues, and environmental toxins. Now,
[1:14] this doesn't mean that eating it once or
[1:15] twice will hurt you, but eating it day
[1:17] after day, year after year, which is
[1:20] what most people do, isn't ideal if you
[1:22] care about inflammation and your
[1:24] metabolic health. Next up, we want to
[1:26] avoid ultrarocessed protein. Things like
[1:29] processed deli meats, hot dogs,
[1:31] sausages, the protein bars that are full
[1:33] of sugar, seed oils, artificial
[1:35] sweeteners, you know, the ones with a
[1:37] novel for an ingredient list. They're
[1:39] very inflammatory because they spike
[1:41] insulin. They contain toxins that stress
[1:43] out your gut, and they're loaded with
[1:45] preservatives that your body actually
[1:47] has a hard time getting rid of. So, just
[1:49] because something says high protein on a
[1:51] label does not mean it's healthy. And as
[1:53] far as meat goes, if it has a shelf life
[1:55] of more than a few weeks or months,
[1:58] that's a big red flag. I'll get into the
[2:00] type of meat that you should look out
[2:01] for in a minute. But protein number
[2:03] three that we should all be avoiding are
[2:05] soy protein isolates. These hang out in
[2:08] a lot of processed foods, but especially
[2:10] in protein shakes or protein bars and
[2:12] even in some of the drinks that your
[2:14] doctor may have recommended to you. But
[2:16] here's the deal. Whole soy foods like
[2:18] tofu, fantastic. But soy protein
[2:21] isolates are very genetically modified.
[2:24] The protein is extracted from the soy
[2:26] bean using something called hexane. It's
[2:28] a chemical that really belongs in a
[2:30] science lab, not in your morning
[2:32] smoothie. It's highly inflammatory and
[2:34] just bad news. So, if you see soy
[2:36] protein isolate on any label, stay away.
[2:39] Okay, enough doom and gloom. Let's go
[2:41] over eight types of protein that will
[2:43] help your body stay strong, lower
[2:45] inflammation, and fight cancer. Number
[2:48] one, lentils. These little legumes are
[2:50] powerhouses for both protein and fiber.
[2:53] They're great for lowering blood sugar
[2:55] and keeping your gut bacteria happy. Two
[2:58] key factors in preventing cancer. But
[3:00] lentils also give you a hefty dose of
[3:02] folate. This helps with DNA repair,
[3:05] exactly what your cells need to keep
[3:06] cancer away. And one cup of lentils has
[3:09] 18 g of protein. That's amazing. Protein
[3:13] number two, the ultimate cancer fighting
[3:15] snack because it's full of antioxidants.
[3:17] It's certain nuts and seeds, not just
[3:19] any. Here's a few at the very top of the
[3:22] list. First and foremost, flax seed.
[3:24] They contain lignens and omega-3s that
[3:26] can actually block certain cancer cells
[3:28] from growing, especially in breast and
[3:30] prostate cancer. And you can put flax
[3:32] seed in anything. I put them in my
[3:34] salads, sauces, even omelets. Two more
[3:37] amazing seeds are pumpkin and chia
[3:40] seeds. They have a ton of the most
[3:41] important nutrients you need after
[3:43] cancer treatment, especially protein.
[3:45] And if you've never tried chia seed
[3:47] pudding, you're missing out because it's
[3:49] actually really good and it's nice to
[3:50] have for breakfast. And in terms of
[3:52] nuts, walnuts are actually a top cancer
[3:55] fighting food. They're well known across
[3:57] the board for lowering inflammation and
[3:59] they contain something called alagic
[4:01] acid. It's one of the most important
[4:03] polyphenels for keeping cancer away. And
[4:05] there's another nut that doesn't get
[4:06] nearly enough attention. It's the Brazil
[4:09] nut. They're one of the best sources of
[4:11] selenium on the planet, which helps with
[4:13] cellular repair. So, I highly recommend
[4:15] adding some flax seed, chia seed,
[4:18] walnuts, and Brazil nuts to your grocery
[4:20] list. Okay, cancer fighting protein
[4:22] number three is a bit controversial.
[4:24] It's Greek yogurt. Dairy is only
[4:26] inflammatory if you have an intolerance
[4:28] to it. If not, Greek yogurt has around
[4:30] 19 g of protein and only 150 calories.
[4:34] But that's not even the best part.
[4:36] Yogurt contains probiotics that your gut
[4:38] loves. Most people don't realize that up
[4:40] to 70% of your immune system lives
[4:43] inside your gut. So, keeping your gut
[4:45] healthy is a really big deal. Just be
[4:47] sure to buy plain Greek yogurt because
[4:49] flavored Greek yogurt is basically just
[4:51] a sugar bomb disguised as health food.
[4:54] Okay, coming in at number four, wild
[4:56] caught salmon. You may have heard that
[4:58] the Mediterranean diet can help to
[5:00] prevent cancer, and that's because it's
[5:01] high in healthy fats. And salmon
[5:04] contains a lot of healthy fats that can
[5:06] lower inflammation and keep cancer away.
[5:08] But they're also great for your heart
[5:09] health, too. And in 4 ounces of salmon,
[5:12] there's 28 gram of high quality protein.
[5:15] Now, if you buy wild caught salmon, it
[5:17] has more omega-3 fatty acids and less
[5:19] toxins than farmed salmon. But the good
[5:22] news is you can even find wild caught
[5:24] salmon in a can. Super quick and easy.
[5:27] Just throw it on top of a bed of greens
[5:29] or mix it into some quinoa and you're
[5:31] good to go. Cancer fighting protein
[5:32] number five is something that gets a bad
[5:34] name for no good reason. Eggs. One egg
[5:38] has six g of protein, antioxidants, and
[5:40] healthy fats. For decades, we were
[5:43] scared that eggs would raise our
[5:44] cholesterol and give us a heart attack.
[5:46] But now we know that eggs have very
[5:48] little impact on your blood cholesterol
[5:50] levels for most people. And the best
[5:52] thing about them is they contain
[5:54] choline. Choline helps to regulate cell
[5:56] growth and repair, aka exactly what your
[5:59] body needs to prevent cancer. Scrambled,
[6:01] poached, hard-boiled, you can do no
[6:03] wrong with eggs. Number six for your
[6:05] grocery list is a rare plant-based
[6:07] protein that contains all nine amino
[6:09] acids. It's quinoa. So, if you're a
[6:12] vegetarian, make quinoa your best
[6:14] friend. One cup has 8 g of protein and 5
[6:17] g of fiber. I always tell my cancer
[6:19] patients to swap out the white rice and
[6:21] replace it with quinoa and then thank me
[6:23] in 5 years. Your body reacts to white
[6:25] rice the same way it does to sugar or
[6:28] white bread or white pasta. It spikes
[6:30] your blood sugar and insulin and
[6:32] triggers inflammation. And although
[6:33] quinoa is a carb, the fact that it's
[6:36] high in fiber and protein means it
[6:38] doesn't spike your blood sugar the same.
[6:40] It doesn't put you in a food coma the
[6:42] same way white pasta does. Okay, number
[6:44] seven. Another great vegetarian option
[6:46] with 20 g of protein per cup, tofu. And
[6:50] if you're familiar with tempeh, that has
[6:52] even more protein, like 31 g per cup.
[6:55] Now, if you're a breast cancer survivor
[6:57] and thinking, "My doctor told me to stay
[6:59] away from soy because it can mess with
[7:01] my hormones." Well, that's actually
[7:03] really old news. Soy is no longer the
[7:06] enemy. Now, we know that eating moderate
[7:08] amounts of soy can actually lower your
[7:10] cancer risk. And if you're wondering
[7:11] what a moderate amount means, well,
[7:13] unless you're having three grande soy
[7:15] lattes a day, you're fine. Tofu and
[7:18] tempeh have cancer fighting isoflavins.
[7:20] So, try swapping out the meat in your
[7:22] sauces or stir fry with some tofu at
[7:25] least once a week. Now, the last one I
[7:27] have for you is something I think a lot
[7:29] of people will be relieved to hear. It's
[7:31] high quality animal protein. But again,
[7:34] this is where things get confusing.
[7:35] Things like wild caught fish,
[7:37] pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed meat,
[7:39] organic poultry. These are all
[7:41] incredibly nutrient-dense, rich in amino
[7:44] acids, vitamin B, zinc, and iron. But
[7:47] this high quality animal protein comes
[7:49] from animals that were raised naturally,
[7:51] eating the foods they were meant to eat
[7:53] without hormones, unnecessary
[7:55] antibiotics or preservatives, or
[7:57] ultrarocessing. Lowquality animal
[8:00] protein comes from factories where it's
[8:02] heavily processed and loaded with
[8:04] additives that cause inflammation. And
[8:06] when it comes to cancer, that difference
[8:08] matters. We really don't need to be
[8:10] adding more toxins and inflammation to
[8:12] our bodies. But if you've had cancer,
[8:14] the best strategy for protein, it's not
[8:17] necessarily vegan or carnivore. It's
[8:20] what works best for you. That just means
[8:22] paying attention to how well your body
[8:24] responds to the healthy proteins we went
[8:26] over, how well you digest them, how they
[8:29] make you feel. For some people, that's
[8:31] mostly fish and eggs. For others, it's a
[8:33] mix of plant-based protein and clean
[8:36] animal protein. But then for others,
[8:38] maybe it's just vegan protein only.
[8:40] There's no simple anti-cancer protein
[8:42] strategy. You just have to make sure
[8:44] you're getting enough of it. Enough to
[8:46] keep you energized and feeling full and
[8:48] satisfied and keep your muscles strong.
[8:50] So, if anything, I just hope you'll be
[8:52] adding more of these highquality protein
[8:54] sources to your diet. And I'm leaving
[8:56] you with another important video to
[8:57] watch next, the best low sugar fruits to
[8:59] eat after cancer. Thanks for watching
[9:01] and I'll see you next