As the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, breast cancer has likely touched someone in your life. With a rate of 1 in 8 women developing breast cancer in their lifetime in the US, being proactive with prevention measures has become more important than ever. Did you know that lifestyle prevention measures like a eating healthy diet and being physically active can significantly help lower the risk of cancer as well as lower recurrence rates for those already diagnosed with breast cancer? It's true! Research shows that those following the lifestyle guidelines set forth by the
American Cancer Society (ACS) had a 22 percent decreased risk for breast cancer, and those already diagnosed with breast cancer had a 33 percent decreased risk of dying from that diagnosis.
The following are the ACS Guidelines for Diet and Physical Activity (to reduce cancer risk):
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
- This means avoiding weight gain throughout adult life.
- Be physically active
- This means getting 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week (or a combination of these). Getting to or exceeding the upper limit of 300 minutes is ideal.
- Limit sedentary behavior such as sitting, lying down, watching TV, and other forms of screen-based entertainment.
- Follow a healthy eating pattern at all ages. This includes:
- Foods that are high in nutrients in amounts that help you get to and stay at a healthy body weight
- A variety of vegetables- dark green, red and orange, fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas), and others
- Fruits, especially whole fruits in a variety of colors
- Whole grains
- A healthy eating pattern limits or does not include:
- Red and processed meats
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Highly processed foods and refined grain products
- It is best not to drink alcohol.
- People who do choose to drink should have no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men.
Give the recipe in the video above a try for a tasty way to enjoy some of the nutrient-packed cancer-fighting foods from ACS's list:
Avocado and Edamame Salad
(serves 4 large or 6 small servings)
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 6 radishes, sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- sesame seeds
Directions:
- For the dressing, in a small bowl, add rice vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger, lime, honey and salt and pepper. Whisk together until completely incorporated. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine thawed edamame, green onion, parsley, and radishes. Toss together.
- Add dressing to desired amount. Toss again and add a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
- Salad lasts up to 4 days in the fridge, but the radishes will start the lose their red color.
If you would like more information on nutrition for breast cancer, contact one of the oncology dietitians at The Christ Hospital Cancer Center:
- Sarah Heffron, M.Ed., RD, CSO: 513-585-4340
- Kristen Leavitt, MHA, RDN, CSP: 513-585-4495
- Laura Loch, RDN, LD: 513-585-4250