Studies show that diets high in fiber and low in fat can help prevent cancer. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. It has a higher content of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins compared to tofu. In the past five years tempeh has grown so much in popularity that it is now available in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets. Here is a simple way to prepare tempeh that both kids and adults love.

Vicki's Spicy Tempeh Soft Tacos
Serves 4

1 block tempeh crumbled
1/2 vegetable broth or water
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (can leave out if you don't want spicy)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked black beans or pinto beans drained
1 tomato chopped
handful chopped lettuce
grated hard soy cheese if you want vegan or cheddar if vegetarian
8 whole wheat tortillas

Recipe directions

Saute the tempeh in the olive oil on medium low heat for about 3 minutes. Add red pepper and onion and continue to saute for about 5 minutes more. Add the spices, 1/2 cup broth or water and the beans and cook for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Serve in the tortillas with the chopped lettuce, tomato and cheese.

In today's world, we worry about carbohydrates. We monitor them, count them, obsess about them, and pare them down to just about nothing in order to lose weight. Yet, quality carbs have a fierce power in the fight against disease. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. They absorb slowly and stabilize blood sugar, appetite, even mood. Carbs don't have to be avoided. In fact, they should be embraced -- in their most healthy forms.

While at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson this past April, I observed that all meals are balanced with small-to-moderate portion sizes of carbohydrate foods. Canyon Ranch is all about health and healing. If the experts here say carbs can be good for us, I believe them.

The key to carb management is knowing which ones keep cancer and other disease at bay. It's simple, really. Just think whole fruit, vegetables, beans, and modest amounts of whole grains.

Phytoestrogens are chemicals produced by plants that act like estrogens. These chemicals mimic and supplement the action of the bodies own hormones.

Lignans are one of the two major classes of phytoestrogens, they are naturally found in grains, berries and vegetables. Research has shown that lignans affect the estrogen signaling system. Estrogens play an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer.

Since the research shows that lignans affect the estrogen signaling system, they may therefore have a potential to affect breast cancer risk.

The lignan antioxidants can be found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, rye, soybeans, broccoli, beans, and some berries.

This research will hopefully contribute to the development of further studies on the effects of phytoestrogens on cancer.

AOL Diet & Fitness is featuring Prevention's 100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever, and it is by far one of the most creative and common sense approaches to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight -- and in hedging your bets with good nutrition against being diagnosed with diseases like cancer. The tips are from registered dietitians in private practice and respected in their field as heads of specialty practice groups for the American Dietetic Association.

Whether you are someone who can only make a small practical change -- or -- looking for ideas on how to get more veggie-goodness into your day -- or -- easy tricks to cut calories -- or -- healthy low-cal dinner ideas if you don't feel like cooking -- there is something for everyone in the list of 100 smartest diet tips ever.

Some of the creative tips include:

• Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
• Keep a food journal. The experts swear this really works wonders.
• Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.
• Dance to music with your family in your home.
  

Some common sense tips include:

• Fat-free isn't always your best bet. The experts explain why.
• Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. They give you a quick nutritious breakfast recipe.
• Make vegetables more attractive by avoiding mushy limp vegetables in the refrigerator crisper drawer with ready-to-go bags of frozen vegetables.
• Exercise. It curbs your appetite.
• Drink water frequently. They say it is not how much water you drink but how often. Dehydration slows your metabolism.
  

The last 15 tips are myth busters that take you from fiction to fact and the pitfalls to avoid when it comes to getting the most in diet health benefit. To find out more, go to 100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever for the complete list.

A 1/3 cup serving of cooked garbanzo beans contains around 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. In addition, beans are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which promotes digestive health and relieves constipation. Eating beans may help prevent colon cancer, and reduce blood cholesterol which is a leading cause of heart disease.

Hummus is relatively cheap to make with either dried or canned chickpeas. I prefer to cook my own beans. In a stockpot, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add 1 cup dried garbanzo beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover tightly and set aside at room temperature 2-3 hours. Drain and rinse the beans. Return the soaked, rinsed beans to the stockpot. Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hour. Make sure beans do not boil dry and add a little water as needed. When the beans are tender, drain and immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well again.

Vicki's Hummus
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch cumin powder

Serve with slices of cucumbers, wedges of tomatoes, slices of pita bread, or tortilla chips.

 

 

Eating beans and lentils frequently helps reduce the risks of breast cancer and others due to their rich content of flavonols and fiber. Here is a simple to prepare lentil soup that sold out quickly in my restaurant when we had it as one of our soups of the day. It is delicious, low fat, has lots of vitamins, and is very very healthy for your body and heart.

Vicki's Lentil Soup
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
6 garlic cloves minced
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped oregano
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
1 16oz can diced tomatoes (buy organic if possible)
2 cups dried lentils
4 cups water
1 pinch of cayenne pepper (can leave out if you are spicy food sensitive)

Heat a large soup pot to medium heat and add olive oil, onions, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add water and remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered on low for about 15 minutes until lentils are tender. Add more water if you want more of a liquid stock in your soup.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, CILR, has applied for a patent on legumes compounds to treat cancer. Researchers believe they found properties that might prevent the formation of the blood supply needed by cancerous tumor growth. It is promising enough that there is now a collaboration with French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. In addition, a New Zealand company has expressed interested in the discovery. According to the researchers, "The anti-cancer molecules produced by legumes during the early symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria known as rhizobia. Rhizobia induce legumes to form tiny new root organs called root nodules. The bacteria live in the nodules and provide the plant with useable nitrogen it can convert into proteins." And who said you can't find a way to make money from the study of plant potential for cancer prevention? 

Legumes are the third largest group of flowering plants in the world with more than 18,000 species; including garden peas, peanuts, clover, lentils, chickpeas and various beans such as soybean and green beans. Do we need drugs based on the extraction of single plant compounds to provide the suggested cancer prevention benefits discovered by researchers? Maybe, I really do not know. However, in the meantime, I wonder if simply adding these whole to a diet would provide cancer prevention benefits. Common sense says yes.