CLEAN Food Network

Removing toxins from your diet is beneficial for battling cancer risk, as well as for preventing a number of other chronic conditions.In our society, countless toxins exist for the purpose of growing food and keeping food fresh.Removing those toxins from your diet is beneficial for battling cancer risk, as well as preventing a number of other chronic conditions. According to Dr. Matthew McCurdy, board-certified radiation oncologist, eating a plant-based, whole food diet should provide you with almost all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight off disease.In fact, he advises that people stay away from taking too many isolated compounds, as in some cases, doing so may allow for more harm than good. Two supplements that Dr. McCurdy does suggest are turmeric and fish oil.Something that Dr. McCurdy sees in his practice is that if a patient has been diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening disease, it's easier to suggest dietary changes for both patient and family members/caregivers. However, he'd like to get to a point where everyone, whether faced with disease or not, makes these necessary changes for overall health and wellness.Dr. McCurdy joins host Lisa Davis to share why eating a clean, plant-based, whole foods diet is key in preventing cancer and other dangerous chronic diseases.

If one of your family members is a non-meat eater and the rest are fine with steak, chicken and the like, how can you incorporate meal options that will satisfy both?If one of your family members is a non-meat eater and the rest are fine with steak, chicken and the like, how can you incorporate meal options that will satisfy both?Liz Weiss, RD, has some great suggestions. Make Soup: Soups like bean and veggie-filled minestrone are hearty, so the meat lovers at your table will feel full and satisfied after a steamy bowlful. Offer Meat-free Burgers: Frozen veggie burgers are a hearty alternative to beef or turkey burgers. Topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, and ketchup and served on a whole grain bun, they’re an ideal stand in. Grilled Portobello mushrooms, which tend to have a "meaty" texture and flavor, are another mouthwatering swap.Make Steak… with Cauliflower: This is one of Liz's favorite veggie “hacks." If you slice a head of cauliflower into “steaks” and then bake them, you’ll end up with hearty veggie steaks that mimic the mouthfeel of an actual steak. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the texture is comparable and oh-so satisfying.Use Meat-free Grounds: Faux ground beef “crumbles” can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. Hearty and substantial, they look like ground beef and taste like it too. Use them instead of beef or turkey in tacos, sloppy Joe’s, and lasagna.Make-Your-Own Pizza or Taco Night: Pizza and tacos are easy to adapt to individual taste and diet preferences. For pizza, set out a bunch of toppings (broccoli, mushrooms, sautéed bell peppers, shredded mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, fresh herbs, and lean chicken or sausage) and let everyone create their own pie… some with meat and some without. Do the same for tacos with beans, shredded cheese, corn kernels, diced avocado, salsa, and sautéed ground beef or turkey.Listen in as Liz joins host Lisa Davis to share information on these tips and more.

You can also check out Liz's blog with more links and recipe ideas: "5 Ways to Feed Your Family When One Child is a Vegetarian."

The raw food diet is something that has gained momentum over the past few years. But, do you really need to go all raw?The raw food diet is something that has gained momentum over the past few years.But, do you really need to go all raw?Vivienne Vella, Founder of Soupure, believes that we should be eating a variety of foods in a variety of forms, including raw and cooked. It's best to have a balance of both raw and cooked foods.Some foods are healthier for you raw, such as broccoli. On the other hand, cooking veggies such as spinach, kale, tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, allows them to become more digestible. Keep in mind, by "cook," Vivienne means gently cooking or steaming, not frying.She also believes we need to stop beating ourselves up for not sticking to one extreme or the other when it comes to nutrition. Healthy, clean eating should be embraced as a holistic approach.Listen in as Vivienne joins host Lisa Davis to explain the healthy balance that can be achieved by eating both raw and cooked foods, as well as some ideas for soups and other dishes.

What if we could eradicate strokes, heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes, all by changing our diets?What if we could eradicate strokes, heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes, all by changing our diets?According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of The End of Heart Disease: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, that IS possible. Dr. Fuhrman has always been a big proponent of lowering blood pressure with food, not drugs. Based on research, it's been suggested that medications only protect you in the 15-20 percent range. Alternately, dietary changes can raise that to more than 99 percent protected. While it's a rather bold approach, a large segment of the general population, as well as the medical community, is moving towards this way of thinking.Listen in as Dr. Fuhrman joins host Lisa Davis to share more about how this approach works and why he thinks it could be the solution to ending heart disease and other chronic diseases.

If you want to get started on the path to clean eating, what are some tips?At the age of 18, Tiffany McCauley went to Germany and lived with a family who ate natural foods, grown and made from scratch. They didn't call it "clean eating;" it was just the way they ate.Since then, Tiffany has learned a great deal about what "eating clean" really means.If you want to get started on the path to clean eating, what are some tips?First, recognize that no one will ever eat perfectly all of the time. Be patient with yourself. Also, don't feel like you have to make a 180-degree shift immediately. Take it in steps. For instance, when you run out of white rice or regular pasta, the next time you go to the grocery store, buy the brown rice and whole grain pasta. You certainly don't want to make this feel like you're on a "diet." It should be a new way of eating.Listen in as Tiffany joins host, Lisa Davis, to share some tips and tricks for eating clean, including her favorite go-to foods.

The advancement of GMO technology has resulted in various negative health effects.GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. Once developed, the science moved forward in order to proliferate growth in plants and animals.Unfortunately, this has resulted in numerous negative effects, including health problems.Andrea Donsky, RHN, knows all too well the health concerns that can arise from eating GMOs. Andrea had been suffering from intense stomach issues, but she could not figure out the cause. Even her doctors came to the conclusion that it was "all in her head." Not one to give up that easily, Andrea started researching different foods and how what she was eating was affecting her body in negative ways.Besides the gastrointestinal issues (gas, bloating, pain), Andrea often also suffered with a foggy brain and memory issues, as well as fatigue and pain.If you're having unexplained symptoms, it's important to listen to your body; if it doesn't feel right after eating something, food is probably the culprit. Listen in as Andrea joins host, Lisa Davis, to share her journey to going GMO-free and why it's so important for optimal health.

A clean eating lifestyle can truly be a way to get to the root cause of the imbalances in your body.After visiting countless doctors and the Mayo Clinic with no results, Amie Valpone was able to heal herself from a decade of chronic pain and multiple ailments by turning to clean eating.A clean eating lifestyle can truly be a way to get to the root cause of the imbalances in your body. One of the easiest ways to get into clean eating practice is to eat what Amie calls "one-ingredient" foods. These are foods that are in their natural, non-GMO state, such as fruits, vegetables, greens, avocado, quinoa and other non-GMO grains, and nuts.Also, stay away from refined sugars and salts, which are inflammatory, and turn to foods that are anti-inflammatory. And, don't forget the good fats, such as EVOO, avocado oil, and coconut oil. Your brain and body need fat to function properly.Amie joins host, Lisa Davis, to share her revelation into clean eating and how it can heal what ails you.

While the concept of clean eating may seem simple, the practice could get overwhelming.The phrase "eat to live, not live to eat," is a great motto for the clean eating way of life.While the concept may seem simple, the practice could be overwhelming.Dr. Blythe Metz has found there are really just five basics to clean eating, which makes the practice a lot less daunting:

Eat non-GMO foods.

Eat organic (foods free of herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, fungicides). 

Eat foods that don't come in packaging.

Read ingredients on everything that you buy.

Really look at the food you're going to eat. Does it look vibrant and healthy? Does it serve your body? There is no relationship that's more intimate than the one you have with food. 

Listen in as Dr. Metz joins host Lisa Davis to share more about the five basics of clean eating and how you can incorporate them into your daily life.