The Impact of Diet and Nutrition on Cancer Prevention
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that eating a healthy, balanced diet can help in preventing the development of Cancer.
While eating an unbalanced, unhealthy diet can actually lead to cancer developing in your body.
Cancers that develop in the digestive tract ie. Stomach, esophagus and bowel are commonly associated with diet.
Poor eating habits can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle, causing you to become overweight or even obese.
Unfortunately, all of these factors increase the risk of cancer. There are studies that have shown that a diet high in red meat (especially processed meats like salami and ham), can increase the risk of cancer.
The good news is that changing a few things in your lifestyle and diet can lead to a healthier, longer and cancer free life!
Leanne and Fitness Tips Say:
Lower the risk of developing cancer by being physically active every day, eating a healthy diet and maintaining your body weight.
While there is no one specific food that can protect against cancer, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.
Eat more fruit and vegetables – Eat at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.
- Double your servings of vegetables
- Try a new fruit each week
- Use frozen vegetables for convenience
- Include vegetables with your lunch
- Add extra vegetables to all your recipes
- Have fruit instead of sweets
Eating Well
- Eat a variety of raw and cooked vegetables, fruit and legumes (eg. dried beans, lentils)
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
- Eat red meat no more than three or four times per week. On the other days choose
- Fish, poultry, dried or canned beans or lentils.
- Choose foods low in salt
- Choose low fat yoghurt, cheese and milk
If you already have cancer, it is extremely important that you continue or start to eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables and try to get regular exercise. This will help your body fight the disease. This can be difficult as some treatments can leave you feeling quite unwell. Do your best though, and nourish your way to the road to recovery!
