Make healthy food choices
You can reduce your risk of cancer by as much as 30 to 40 percent by making healthful food choices. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when planning meals, shopping, and eating out.
Eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Many of these foods are chock-full of cancer-fighting chemicals, among other benefits, and getting your five to nine servings may be easier than you thought. Just aim for one or two servings at every meal and snack--for example, a glass of orange juice along with fruit on cereal for breakfast, a salad that includes fresh, raw vegetables (with dressing on the side) for lunch, fruit for an afternoon snack, and whole-grain pasta with tomato and mushroom sauce for dinner. A serving equals one medium-sized fruit or one-half cup cooked, or one-cup leafy, vegetables.
Eat a low-fat diet. High-fat diets are associated with colorectal, prostate, and endometrial cancers.
Eat small portions of meat. Most studies suggest a link between a diet high in animal fat and higher rates of prostate cancer. When eating out or planning meals, choose lean fish and poultry or beans. When eating red meat (which generally is higher in fat than poultry) stick to a 3-ounce cooked portion, which is about the size of a deck of playing cards. And when cooking meat, fish, or poultry, bake, broil, or poach it rather than frying it.
Eat two to three servings of dairy products for calcium every day. Calcium may protect against colorectal cancer. Skim or 1-percent milk or yogurt and calcium-fortified orange juice are good sources of calcium.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Drinking has been linked to colon, breast, and liver cancers, and, when combined with smoking, an increased risk of head and neck cancer. Men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks a day, women to one drink a day. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Drinking has been linked to colon, breast, and liver cancers, and, when combined with smoking, an increased risk of head and neck cancer. Men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks a day, women to one drink a day. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
