Cancer is a scary disease, but here;s a stat that should help give you some perspective: About 30 to 40 percent of cancers could be prevented by good eating and exercise habits. That's right, you do have some control over the disease. By eating a nutritious diet and working out regularly, you're reducing your risk for several forms of cancer, including colon and pancreatic cancer, according to two studies.
Scientists have long known that diet and exercise influence the risk for colon cancer, but a recent study looked at whether these healthy habits could help prevent a relapse of the disease. Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston looked at more than 1,000 colon cancer survivors and found that those who ate a Western diet (comprised of refined grains, processed and red meat, desserts, high-fat dairy products and French fries) were 3.25 times more likely to have a recurrence of cancer five years after their initial diagnosis compared to those who ate a healthy diet (characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chicken and fish). Not surprisingly, those who followed the healthier diet exercised more and were thinner.
By eating well and working out, you're also protecting your pancreas. In fact, a study in the journal Cancer Research shows that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle double the risk for developing pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of cancer.
So, keep getting in your regular sweat sessions and saying no to junk food (or enjoy a small amount of your favorite treats as part of your Anything Goes calories). Not only will these habits help you slim down, they could also help reduce your cancer risk.
Experts announce 8 new food “rules”
We’ve summarized some of the experts’ main points here:
1. Eat fewer calories.
Do you have any idea how many calories you are eating? No, we guessed not. For most people it’s somewhere around 2,000 calories—to maintain their current weight.
Related Link: Find out how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain your weight or lose weight, and get delicious recipes to help you stick to your goals.
2. Get more of your food from plants.
This report emphasizes eating more vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Eating vegetarian isn’t so hard, we think, when you can make delicious
3. Eat more fish.
For a while now, most health experts have been recommending that people eat two servings of fish a week to get the heart-healthy omega-3 fats they provide, but this is the first time that the advice to increase intake of seafood has been made for the population as a whole. The previous recommendation in 2005 to eat more fish was specific for the population at risk—people with heart disease to reduce their risk of mortality.
Related Link: Find 6 of the healthiest fish to eat, and 6 to avoid.
4. Switch to low-fat dairy.
Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat, which has been linked with health problems, including heart disease. Choose low- or nonfat dairy to limit intake of saturated fat. Including dairy in your diet is a great way to get calcium—a bone-strengthening mineral that most of us don’t get enough of. Plus, new research suggests that replacing full-fat dairy with low-fat dairy may also help lower blood pressure.
5. Eat only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry and eggs.
Notice the focus on moderate amounts of lean meats—this is new. Previously the recommendation was to make choices that were lean, low-fat or fat-free. Now the recommendation takes it a step further and suggests cutting back on quantity.
6. Reduce intake of added sugars and solid fats.
Eat fewer foods containing added sugars and solid fats (e.g., butter), which contribute calories and few, if any, nutrients.
7. Reduce sodium and refined grains.
Their advice is to lower your consumption of sodium and refined grains (such as white breads, pasta, etc.), especially refined grains that are coupled with added sugar, solid fats and sodium.
8. Exercise!
Are you meeting the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which encourage all adults to do 2 1/2 hours a week of moderate-intensity or 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent combination? If not, the experts suggest you do. These guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening exercises that are moderate or high intensity, and involve all major muscle groups, 2 or more days a week.
Starter Tips for Losing Weight
There are few things in life more daunting and complicated than wading through the 10s of thousands of diet and weight loss programs on the market to try to choose one that meets your needs. The advice is contradictory, difficult and potentially dangerous. To add insult to injury, new evidence indicates that diets don't work and may, in fact, contribute to weight gain. If you're just starting out, circumvent the whole fad diet culture and make small changes based on the advice of respected experts. Even then, the lifestyle changes you make must fit with your lifestyle. Your own body is the best guide to creating a successful program.Don't Diet
Even the federal government knows that diets don't work. In fact, in an article entitled "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer," published by the American Psychological Association in 2007, the federal government acknowledges that as many as two-thirds of all dieters gain more weight in the long run than they lose. Why don't diets work? They're temporary, they're restrictive and they aren't a part of larger changes to your whole lifestyle. Rather than diet, focus on making small, gradual changes to your everyday routines, like increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains and decreasing processed foods, fast foods and saturated fats.
Go Straight to the Source
Eat primarily nutrient-rich foods. Changing the way you eat can change your waistline and your overall health with minimal effort on your part. The trick is to not rule over your kitchen with an iron fist. Eat a diet that consists mostly of plant-based foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Supplement those foods with lean meats, low-fat or fat-free dairy and healthy fats. Make these foods your basic arsenal of nutrition. This is the way of eating recommended by the American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, and most other impartial, research-based health organizations. Processed foods and fast foods are typically poor in nutrients, high in sodium and loaded with saturated fat, so reduce the amount of those in your diet. Note that foods like nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats, but also higher in calories, and some people who eat these foods abundantly experience weight gain.
Allow for Indulgences
When you establish a foundation of eating nutrient-dense foods on a regular basis, you have no reason to feel guilty about occasional indulgences. This feeling of guilt, deprivation and overindulgence is part of why diets don't work. If most food you're eating is healthful, that bowl of ice cream won't make an impact on your overall health and your weight loss efforts. Avoiding restrictions helps reduce food cravings, according to Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, registered dietitians and authors of "Intuitive Eating," a book that aims to get people off the diet cycle. The authors note that when you can eat anything in moderation, your strong desire to eat unhealthy foods eases because you know you can have them any time.
Move It to Lose It
The American heart Association recommends getting 30 minutes of physical activity as many as five days per week. Exercise helps you burn calories, but it also increases your body's ability to burn calories more effectively. Find activities you like doing, like taking long walks with your dogs, dancing in your living room, playing basketball with your kids or doing exercise DVDs in your den. The more you enjoy performing an activity, the more likely you are to do it.
Create small changes in your life daily to creat a healthier you.
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