TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH AND REDUCE YOUR RISK OF RECURRENCE

Your cancer treatment might be over, but that doesn't mean it ends here. Now you have to do everything you can, within your control, to keep it from coming back. As I have preached to my kids many, many times, nutrition is the key to a healthy life. What you eat today lays the foundation for your future. Think of it like building a house. If your foundation is not strong, solid and built with quality products, your house could crumble. Your body is no different.

FATS:
There are many studies that suggest keeping your fat intake at a low level to lower your risk of recurrence, especially in postmenopausal women. One study by the National Cancer Institute's Women's Intervention Nutrition reported that women on a low fat diet who were ER( -) had a 42% risk reduction and those who were ER(+) had a 15% risk reduction. Eating a low fat diet will also make a difference in the fat cells our body retains. The more fat cells your body retains, the more estrogen your body produces and cancer loves to feed on estrogen. Fats to use in small quantities would include: (olive oil, salmon, tuna and nuts). Fats to avoid are: (whole milk, high fat meats, cheese, ice cream and saturated fatty oils).

CARBOHYDRATES:
It is recommended that we consume only complex carbohydrates. Carbs can be classified as "complex" (vegetables, fruits, chick peas, flax seeds, legumes and whole grains) and "simple" (breads, pastas, sugar, honey and sweets). When carbohydrates are digested, they are broken down into sugar, which enters the blood stream and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin levels increase to keep your blood sugar levels safe. Excess sugar is stored as fat and as we said before, fat stimulates estrogen that feeds cancer.

PROTEINS:
An essential part of your diet must be protein. This is the cell's primary building block. Now you need to arm your cells with the power to facilitate healing and regenerate. Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, chicken or fat free dairy (fat free cottage cheese, skim or fat free milk). There is a lot controversy over soy protein. Some studies state that soy contains flavonoids that resemble estrogen, which again, is a factor in some hormonally driven tumors. Other studies show that soy is beneficial. These studies show that Asian women, who consume a great deal of soy, have a lower incidence of breast cancer. The best thing you can do is discuss the consumption of soy with your physician.

FIBER:
Fiber has the ability to pass all the way through the digestive tract absorbing waste products along the way. This includes carrying excess estrogen out of the body. The best possible way to get fiber into your diet is to eat whole, unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. If you eat plenty of fiber rich foods, you can lower your risk of colon cancer.

AVOID ALCOHOL:
According to some studies, alcohol can increase your risk of breast cancer by 30% if you have 3 or more glasses a day. When you drink, your liver is working overtime and therefore is unable to process estrogen, so alcohol impairs the metabolism of estrogen which fuels the breast cancer. Alcohol can slow down the repair process of cells and therefore make recovery more difficult. It is also damaging to new cell growth. For cancer prevention, the American Institute for Cancer research recommends not to drink alcohol. However, their Expert Report recognizes that modest amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect on coronary heart disease. If you do drink alcohol, limit your consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. So the bottom line is…use good judgment when you eat and drink. Food is your fuel to live a healthy life, so pump your body with "Premium" ingredients.

As always if you have any questions or comments, or would like us to do some research for you, we are open for suggestions. Please email us with your request or if you would like to join our newsletter.