What's in your morning bowl for breakfast? A registered dietitian at Sentara Health is sharing the ingredients behind a supercharged, disease-fighting breakfast bowl — that as cancer survivor, she has every day.
Shaye Arluk, a registered dietitian at Sentara Health and a breast cancer survivor herself, walked me through each ingredient and explained why it earns a place in the bowl.
Berries
Arluk said the bowl starts with berries — and a lot of them.
"Berries are one of our strongest fighting fruits," Arluk said.
She recommends using both fresh and frozen varieties and making them a daily habit.
"You want a cup of berries every day," Arluk said.
Seeds
Next come the seeds. Arluk said any of three options work — but one stands out for cancer survivors.
"You want to add either hemp seeds, flax seeds, or chia seeds to your diet every day," Arluk said.
And in light of the fact we're both cancer survivors——she shared this. "As a breast cancer survivor myself, flaxseed is probably the best — as a prostate cancer survivor, flaxseed is also the best for that, and we want 2 tablespoons a day of a seed every single day. They all have fiber in them. They all have omega 3s. They have a good source of protein. They all have different vitamins and minerals. They're just great disease fighters," Arluk said.
The key difference between flaxseed and the other options comes down to lignans — compounds found specifically in flax.
"They basically help destroy those cancer cells, and that's found in flaxseed — but not necessarily in hemp and chia. Hemp and chia have different amazing things about them, but they don't have lignans," Arluk said.
Proper storage matters, too. Arluk said flaxseed requires special handling.
"Always store flax in your freezer — literally as you buy the bag from the grocery store, make sure it's opaque, make sure it's sealed, check the date on it, make sure it's got some date that's far into the future, and throw it straight in your freezer. Because the freezer keeps it away from light and heat, which is the two things that break down the lignans. The lignans are the beneficial properties in there that help fight excess hormones and any kind of hormonally based cancer," Arluk said.
Chia and hemp seeds have different storage needs.
"Chia seeds can just be stored in the cabinet because they're a whole seed. This isn't a seed anymore — the seed's been smashed down and this is a meal. And then the hemp seeds you should keep in the refrigerator to keep their freshness," Arluk said.
Ceylon cinnamon
Arluk said the next ingredient has been used as medicine for thousands of years.
"We want to add one food that has been around for thousands of years that ancient cultures have used as medicine that we have shown helps the body fight at like that high of a level. So my go-to is Ceylon cinnamon. Because Ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon," Arluk said.
She recommends keeping the amount in check.
"This is one that we don't want to go crazy with. We just want those 2 teaspoons. And what is the Ceylon cinnamon doing to your body? One more amazing strong antioxidant," Arluk said.
Kefir
Gut health is central to the bowl's design, and Arluk said kefir is her probiotic of choice.
"We want to add a rich probiotic because our gut health is kind of the key to our entire body's health, so I'm gonna add kefir to this. If you're not a kefir fan, you could use yogurt," Arluk said.
Kefir has a long history as a health food.
"Kefir has been around once again thousands of years where it was developed — it was discovered because people were living to the age of 100 or beyond," Arluk said.
"Kefir is a fermented yogurt beverage," Arluk said.
Granola
Arluk adds about a quarter cup of granola for crunch — but said label-reading is essential.
"With granola there's all kinds of different brands out there. You have to be mindful of the ingredients. You don't want artificial flavors," Arluk said.
Honey and ginger
If the kefir flavor is too strong on its own, Arluk said a drizzle of honey can help. She also recommends adding fresh ginger, cut into small pieces.
"Ginger is once again one of these ancient foods that has been used for decades as medicine. It helps with nausea. It helps with digestion," Arluk said.
The full recipe for the supercharged breakfast bowl:
If you're looking for more on the connection between fighting cancer and diet, Arluk has an event at the Sentara Brock Cancer Center September 8th. For more info click here:
