February 4th is World Cancer Day and Yes, You Can Reduce Your Risk of Cancer!

You can reduce your risk of cancer by increasing your intake of protective foods and nutrients and minimizing your exposure to toxins and carcinogens. A healthy lifestyle and stress management are keys to decreasing risk as well.

Include and Increase

• Eat lots of whole, unprocessed plant-based foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and their seeds (called pulses), whole grains, herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds.
• Be sure to include citrus, berries, grapes, garlic, ginger, non-GMO soy, tomatoes, asparagus, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage
• Compounds from certain plants even fight cancer!
• Consume moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and lean meats
• Strive for optimal micronutrient sufficiency (you can monitor blood levels of nutrients and associated biomarkers)
• Maintain a healthy weight (by eating lots of healthy foods!)
• Manage stress with deep breathing, mindfulness, balance, and adequate sleep
• Stay hydrated with purified water and adequate electrolytes

• Stay active and incorporate movement and exercise into your daily routine

   

Avoid or minimize

• Excess alcohol and tobacco smoke
• Excess dietary acid load, e.g., too much meat, cheese, and acid-forming foods without enough alkalizing fruits, vegetables, and legumes
• Preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites and excess salt
• Pesticides and chemical additives
• Processed foods
• Excess red meat, especially processed meats and those cooked at high temperatures (but heated to a safe temperature to kill bacteria)
• Sedentary behaviors and too much screen time!

Polyphenols protect and reduce inflammation by different pathways (through mechanisms of down-regulation, balance and up-regulation) preventing obesity, cancer and age-related diseases, in which inflammation has an important pathological role protect and reduce inflammation by different pathways (through mechanisms of down-regulation, balance and up-regulation) preventing obesity, cancer and age-related diseases, in which inflammation has an important pathological role (Di Daniele 2017).

References