For Your Health:

You've heard it before . . . eat your broccoli, it's good for you! Well, it's true. Eating more broccoli, citrus fruits, onions and soy beans may help to protect you from cancer. And not just because of the nutrients they contain . . . it's more likely because of the chemicals found in these foods.

They're called "phytochemicals," meaning plant chemicals, and there's hundreds of them found in plant foods. Some examples include indoles in broccoli and genstain in soy beans. Over the past 20 years, scientists all over the world have consistently found that people who eat greater amounts of vegetables and fruits have lower rates of cancer. Why that is, we don't exactly know.

We can't yet prove that fruits and vegetables are totally responsible for curbing cancer, but we're sure they play important roles. When animals are given vegetables and fruits before being exposed to carcinogen (cancer-causing agents), they are less likely to develop cancer. With humans, we don't
have the same evidence to make as clear a connection.

So which plant foods are the best cancer fighters? These are just some of the more widely studied phytochemicals:

Garlic, onions, leeks and chives - may make carcinogens easier to excrete.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, turnips) - may block carcinogens from damaging your cells genetic make-up.

Soy beans/dried beans - may help prevent cancerous tumours from developing. Citric fruits, grapes and other fruits - may help dispose of potential carcinogens.

Whole grains - may help to prevent cell damage from taking place.

Which is best, raw or cooked? It really doesn't matter with regard to phytochemical content; even canned, frozen and juiced produce pack a phytochemical punch. However, raw or steamed vegetables would provide the best nutrient value.

Do phytochemicals come in pill form? Not as yet, but maybe in 10 years. Of course, isolating a few compounds in a pill will not provide you with the hundred of protective benefits that plant food provide. Your best deal: Get your phytochemicals by eating a good variety of plant foods every day, starting today. To your good health!

Shopping for healthy food choices can sure be tough. If you've been told you have high cholesterol or diabetes, you know the frustration in having to change how you eat ASAP. While it's pretty clear that bananas are cholesterol-free, the average person has a bit of trouble understanding why margarines and oils are too.

If you're on a mission to lose weight, lower cholesterol or salt, manage your blood sugars and keep your insides clean, then this article is for you. Making healthy food choices is easy when you figure out what all the claims mean. Let's take a look.

Ingredient list: Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The first ingredient is present in greatest amounts, and the last ingredient in least amounts. Tip - if a product's first few ingredients are fat, sugar or salt, there's not much room for nutrients. For example, ketchup may not be a staple, but it sure can accent a healthy diet.

Cholesterol-free: means that the food comes from a vegetable source and not an animal. Tip - does not mean fat-free or even low fat. A common example is vegetable oil that is a heart-healthier type of fat, but still 100% fat calories.

Low In Fat: means the food has less than 3 grams fat per serving. Tip - watch your portion size. If one portion is 8 crackers and you eat half the box, your snack becomes high in fat.

Lean Ground Beef: has a maximum of 17% fat by weight, which is almost half the fat of regular ground beef. Tip - lean may actually be cheaper to purchase since you're not throwing out a lot of the fat that you may be when cooking with regular ground beef.

Calorie Reduced: contains half the fat of the company's regular version. Tip - does not mean low calorie. Use regular or calorie-reduced salad dressing sparingly.

No Sugar Added/Unsweetened: This means that there has been no white sugar added. Tip - may contain naturally present sugar. For example, jam is concentrated fruit sugar while unsweetened fruit juice is fruit sugar and water. Although sugar may not be added to either, they are both sugar. Anyone with blood sugar problems would want to limit concentrated sweets.

Light: most often describes a product's properties as being lighter in colour, taste or texture. An example might be light pancake syrup which is lighter in colour. Tip - may not have anything to do with the product's fat or calorie content.

Source of Dietary Fibre: must contain at least 2 grams of dietary fibre per serving. A good example here is bread. Look for an ingredient list that starts with whole wheat,
cracked wheat, rye or oat flour. Tip - enriched, unbleached and wheat flour means white flour, and no fibre.

High Source of Dietary Fibre: must contain at least 4 grams of dietary fibre per serving. A good example is cereal, which really varies in fibre content. Whether a small child or
full-grown adult, most of us can benefit from more fibre. Tip - mix your favourite low-fibre cereal with a higher-fibre choice for a win-win situation.

Low Sodium: must contain half the salt of the company's regular version and have no extra salt added. Look for this claim on processed, canned and packaged foods. Tip - to lower the salt content of canned vegetables or fish, rinse through a strainer. Dilute regular soups with lots of water or milk for a lower sodium product.

These are just some of the many claims you've seen on food packages.