Healthy eating and cancer prevention
The 4th of February marks World Cancer Day. This day is marked every year and is intended to raise awareness of cancer, including treatments, symptoms, support and prevention. Although there is a genetic component to your risk of developing cancer, it is thought that up to 95% of cases result from external environmental factors and internal factors within the body. Your diet and physical health are important environmental factors that can influence your risk of developing cancer.
We are all familiar with the facts that smoking is strongly linked to your risk of developing lung cancer. But with diet and lifestyle, there are several factors that combine together to affect your risk of developing cancer. For instance, eating more fruit and vegetables is believed to reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer however people who eat more fruit and vegetables also tend to eat a healthier diet, are less likely to be overweight and smoke and are generally more active. So what aspect of their diets is providing the protection - the fruit, the vegetables or their diet as a whole?
Likewise, the media (and we) love a story which proclaims a particular food as a cancer fighting super food or the alternative, that it causes cancer. We don’t eat single foods in isolation but as part of a diet overall, so focusing on particular foods for praise or censor isn’t very helpful. In all of this, the message that eating a healthy balanced diet can help protect us against developing certain cancers can get lost in over simplified stories or difficult to convey science. It is however very important to know this, because up to 30% of cancers are believed to be caused by poor diet and excess weight.
Whether we are aware or not, we all have the knowledge and power to make small, positive steps to improve our health now and reduce our risks of developing certain cancers in the future. We have all heard that maintaining a healthy weight is good for us, but did you know that it is one of the most important steps we can take to reduce our risks of developing bowel and breast cancer?
If your BMI is outside of the healthy range of 20-25 or you have a waist circumference of 32 inches or higher if you are a woman, 37in if you are a man, you are more than likely to be overweight and at increased risk of developing diseases related to weight, including cancers such as bowel, stomach, mouth and breast. For pregnant women and the very athletic, this rule does not apply and new mums, postmenopausal woman and older men will see increases in their waists. Post-pregnancy weight gain and middle aged spread happens. However this usually accounts for no more than 1 -2 inches and is not a valid excuse not to take steps to address it.
Fortunately, the best ways to lose weight and reduce inches on your waist are also recognised methods of lowering your risk of developing lifestyle and diet related cancers. These are to eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise more.
A healthy diet is one which is rich in fruit and vegetables, provides a range of wholegrain carbohydrates, is low in saturated fats and includes lean protein and oily fish. Alcohol, processed meats, higher fat foods and sugar can be enjoyed in moderation. And complement this by getting out and getting active.
These are the principles we designed our diet plans around, healthy eating and sensible weight loss.The World Cancer Research Fund have published their Recommendations for food, nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of cancer which are very easy to read and more importantly, easy to adopt.
A healthy lifestyle is not a lifestyle of denial, but one of vitality, which brings benefits in the here and now and may just help improve your future health. So this World Cancer Day, why not take 1 positive healthy step and after reading this, switch off your computer, grab an apple, put your trainers on and go for a walk!
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