Nutrition and Breast Cancer ? Susan Weiner Nutrition

1?in?8 women (or about 12% of the female population in the United States) will be diagnosed with breast cancer during the course of?their lifetime. Breast cancer became?personal to me?10 years ago, when my best friend was diagnosed with the horrific disease. After?accompanying her?to chemotherapy?and watching her go through the various stages of treatment (including chemo, radiation, a double mastectomy and eventual re-constructive surgery), I? am pleased to say that she survived and persevered.

I?ve worked with many breast cancer resource groups and organizations, in the hopes of helping women eat better to help prevent cancer. It?s also been my honor to assist women with food choices after diagnosis. Navigating the side effects of nausea and weight loss during chemotherapy, or experiencing taste alterations from radiation can be very challenging. There are a few general guidelines or tips that can help prevent breast cancer. Several risk factors are not controllable, such as gender, age or family history. But we can change our nutritional and physical activity habits.

-Exercise regularly
Studies show that women who engaged in an exercise program for more than 6 hours per week had a 23% reduction in breast cancer risk. Start moving today. Find an exercise buddy and get moving. If you have a dog, go for an extra long walk!

-Maintain a healthy body weight
This is especially true for post-menapausal women. Obese women (BMI > 30) have much greater risk of developing breast cancer than women with an acceptable BMI. It seems that additional body weight many increase the hormone estrogen which has been linked to increased breast cancer risk.

-Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eating a small salad with dinner is not enough. At least 2/3 of your plate should be made up of ?colorful? fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients which help to fight breast cancer. Eat fresh veggies throughout the day. Take a walking tour of a produce market and select a variety of nutrient packed seasonal vegetables and fruits. Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts have superior cancer fighting properties.

-Eat healthy fats, and less saturated fat
Saturated fats found in red meat and whole milk dairy products have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Increase your consumption of healthier fats such as unsalted nuts, avocado and canola oil.

-Reduce alcohol consumption
Even one drink per day can increase breast cancer risk. One serving of alcohol = 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine.

-Check your Vitamin D levels
Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level. Vitamin D rich foods include: Vitamin D fortified low fat dairy products, salmon and sardines. Vitamin D3 supplements are inexpensive. It?s an important topic to discuss with your health care provider.

-Add some?Turmeric and Curry to your meals
Turmeric and curry powder many have some anti-tumor effects. Buy a new spice rack and add these delicious spices to your veggies and soups.

- Avoid processed meat, too much red meat and simple sugars
Eating a more natural diet including fresh fish, lean poultry, whole grains, omega 3?s and seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables.?Limit most simple sugars (such as excess candy, cake and cookies).? Anti-oxidant rich foods such as berries, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and garlic are all part of a healthy anti-cancer meal plan. Many studies have shown that a plant based diet has anti-cancer properties.

-Drink Green Tea
Research conducted in Japan and China suggests that green tea can help fight the disease.

I?m pleased to see Target donate money for the fight against breast cancer. Once again the N.F.L.?is supporting?Breast Cancer Awareness Month by having the players wear hot pink gear (gloves, sweatbands and cleats). For more information, please check out www.aicr.org? How will you support the fight against breast cancer? Please share your thoughts and comments.

Tags: breast cancer, breast care, cancer care, eating well, good habits, nutrition, oncology, wellness

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Good habits, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.susanweinernutrition.com/2011/10/nutrition-and-breast-cancer/

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