Breast Health—Tips and Recipes
Prevention
Next to smoking, your diet is the largest lifestyle factor in determining whether or not you contract cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 35% of all cancers are related to diet. For women, the correlation between diet and cancer is more prevalent, in that 50% or more of the cancer contracted by women is influenced by diet.
For cancer prevention, ACS recommends a diet high in plant-based foods, that is low in fat and high in fiber. Over and above the dietary recommendations for general cancer prevention, there are specific recommendations for prevention of breast cancer:
• Avoid or minimize consumption of alcohol. Consumption of alcohol is the #1 dietary risk in development of breast cancer.
• Avoid Omega-6 oils, such as soy oil, corn oil, sunflower, safflower oil. These oils break down into components that can lead to breast cancer. When cooking with oil, use monounsaturated oils and oils rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as extra virgin olive oil, nut and/or seed oil (walnut, flaxseed, grapeseed) or canola oil.
• Eat seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Incorporate cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) into your diet. These are particularly adept at preventing breast cancer.
• Mushrooms have been show to halt or slow the growth of abnormal cells within womens’ breasts. Ensure you add mushrooms to salads, sandwiches or even pizza.
• When taking in salads, ensure you eat an abundance of dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach). These contain more of breast cancer-fighting phytonutrients.
• When choosing fruits, tend towards citrus, berries and cherries. These fruits contain the most nutrients per calorie, are high in fiber and low in sugar.
• Breast cancer is directly linked to obesity. By maintaining a healthy body weight, you are able to prevent many types of breast cancer.
Recipes>>
