Maintaining a healthy weight as the years go by is one of the most important things a woman can do to help prevent chronic disease, including breast cancer.
Why is this so important?
Body fat can affect hormone levels and result in heightened and prolonged estrogen exposure throughout adulthood and after menopause. Estrogen exposure is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer.
Eating fruits and vegetables is great advice for staving off weight gain.
There’s evidence that sticking to guidelines recommended by the American Cancer Society and the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research may help reduce the risk of breast cancer by as much as 25 to 30 percent. These recommendations are straightforward. Eat a diet focused on plant-based foods. Stay active. Limit consumption of alcohol, and red and processed meats.
Sounds simple, but all too often, our busy lives lead to unhealthy habits. Not to mention that it’s not easy to avoid ultra-processed foods that seem convenient and tasty but are packed with additives.
Being mindful of what we put in our bodies doesn’t have to mean a strict diet that probably isn’t sustainable or enjoyable for the long haul. Sometimes you just need to have a little chocolate! More and more research values healthy eating, rather than eliminating certain foods.
Establishing healthy eating at a young age is best for long-term health. But improvements to diet and lifestyle can have benefits at any age, so it’s never too late to start.
Let’s take a look at some key features of a healthy pattern of eating.
#1. Limit alcohol – Drinking is probably the number one established dietary risk for breast cancer because it can interfere with the action of estrogen. Risks are especially pronounced during adolescence and early adulthood. It’s best to limit yourself to one or fewer drinks per day on average. Each additional drink per day beyond that can increase the risk of breast cancer by up to 10 percent over a lifetime.
#2. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables – Aim for a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Phytochemicals in these foods may help promote good health. Tomatoes are a great example. They contain lycopene, an antioxidant that helps clear the buildup of “free radicals” that can damage cell DNA.
Get these and other nutrients from whole, plant-based foods and not supplements (barring specific nutrient deficiencies). The complexity of whole foods is a source of their nutritional value. In contrast, supplements have not shown evidence of cancer prevention, and some can even interfere with cancer treatments.
#3. Cut down on red and processed meats – It’s not entirely clear whether there is a link between eating red and processed meats and breast cancer, but there is certainly an increased risk of digestive system cancers, particularly colorectal cancers.
#4. Some fats are better than others – Though not definitive, some studies suggest that high-fat diets may contribute to breast cancer risks. Fats, like other nutrients, should be consumed in moderation. Avoid trans fats: They may be the worst offenders when it comes to cardiovascular health. The Food and Drug Administration has banned partially hydrogenated oils, the major source of synthetic trans fats in processed food, with a deadline of 2018, on grounds that these substances cause 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease annually.
#5. Beware of food packaging that contains bisphenol A – Bisphenol A, or BPA, mimics estrogen and is a potential threat to breast health. You can find a list of foods with containers made using BPA here.
#6. Avoid ultra-processed foods – Processed foods contain artificial colors, preservatives and other additives, not to mention excessive sugar and salt.
#7. Don’t overeat – We all indulge sometimes, but in the grander scheme, a healthy diet is about the types of foods we eat AND how much food we eat. Portion sizes in America have expanded over the past 40 years and so have our waistlines. We’ve already discussed the link between obesity and breast cancer.
Cooking is a great way to ensure you’re following a healthy diet. You have complete control over what you eat. A few simple recipes in your repertoire can set you off on the path to becoming a skilled cook, if you’re not already there.