Prevent cancer
with food
with food
Changing your diet to a strict regimen of only the healthiest foods works better in theory most of the time. Eating less healthfully is often more convenient and often tastes better (read: bypass the salad and eat chocolate cake for dinner). Unfortunately, eating unhealthy foods causes stress – low blood sugar from a post-sweet crash, anxiety over the weight you have gained, or simply feeling uncomfortably stuffed. Even worse, eating unhealthy foods has serious health ramifications – including cancer.
Among complications like heart and lung disease, eating unhealthy on a regular basis can increase your risk for certain cancers. However, eating healthy isn’t always easy. Time and budget constraints can make it hard to eliminate convenience food or fast-foods from your everyday life.
The good news is that you don't actually have to avoid them completely. According to registered dietician Marlo Mittler from the Business Development Group, the key to maintaining your health lies in balance and moderation.
Here are some tips to work into a balanced diet to prevent cancer, courtesy of Mittler and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
Processed food is the enemy
Junk food can bring you indulgent pleasure, but that is the only positive thing it can give you. Processed foods loaded with sugar and fat and lacking sufficient fiber can increase your chances for obesity, putting you at a higher risk for cancer.Mittler explains that when your body is not at its optimal health, you become more susceptible to disease. The WCRF lists burgers, chips, fried chicken, pizza and sugary drinks as qualifiers for dishes you should moderate or completely eliminate from your diet.
Watch how much red meat you eat
Red meat is at the top of the list of foods you should drastically reduce in your diet, especially processed meat. Mittler says that processed meats like hot dogs, cured meats and packaged foods are filled with nitrates and preservatives that increase your cancer risk.The WCRF also adds bacon, ham, salami, corned beef and some sausages as meats to avoid. In fact, they warn that there is "no amount of processed meat that can be confidently shown not to increase risk," as there is strong evidence to link red and processed meats to bowel cancer.
However, Mittler adds, "That's not to say that if you eat too many hot dogs you're going to get cancer." She says that you should eat red meat in moderation and balance the unhealthier meast with healthier foods, "like carrots or broccoli."
Limit your alcohol intake
Alcohol is tricky because there is some evidence that shows small amounts can help prevent heart disease, but there is also evidence that it increases your risk for "a number of cancers," according to the WCRF. Once again, moderation is key – limit your intake to no more than one drink a day (two drinks for men).Eat healthy for prevention
While there are many foods that increase your risk for cancer, there are many foods that help prevent it, as well. Check out these five superfoods.Mittler says to find foods with antioxidants – generally brightly colored foods like fruits and vegetables as well as these seven super spices. Organic produce is best because there is evidence linking pesticides to cancer.
The WCRF also suggests eating plenty of whole grains and beans because these foods are high in dietary fiber. Not only does fiber reduce weight gain and obesity, it has been associated with prevention of certain cancers (mouth, stomach and bowel).
