Give Dad the Gift of Health

This Father’s Day, forgo the garish tie and pick a gift that’ll keep him healthy, happy, and, best of all, cancer-free.

Serve up a salmon feast
Cold-water fish like salmon packs two potent types of omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). A wealth of research has shown that omega-3s help prevent cancer, and a 2010 Swedish study revealed that DHA actually kills cancer cells that have already formed.

Bake a rhubarb pie
In a 2010 Food Chemistry study, researchers discovered that baking rhubarb for 20 minutes greatly increases its level of polyphenols—compounds shown to inhibit and destroy cancer cells. Of course, rhubarb is just one cancer-fighting food. Other proven powerhouses include red wine, oranges, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and pomegranate juice.

Take him on a bike ride
A recent British Journal of Cancer study looked at more than 40,000 men (ages 45 to 79) and found that those who walked or cycled for at least 60 minutes a day had a 16 percent lower incidence of cancer.

Get some sunshine
Vitamin D3—produced naturally in your body when it’s exposed to sunlight—helps ward off cancer, possibly by activating anti-tumor genes, according to a 2009 study in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Get Dad outside or help him supplement with 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.