It is common knowledge that excess body fat can cause health problems, including the increased risk of cancer in the colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus and uterus, as well as breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Cancer has long been seen as something that we have no cotrol over, almost a grim lottery, but this is simple not the case as there are many preventative measure, dietry choices and lifestyle changes that we can adopt to help minimise the riscks. And these risks are fairly simple to adapt to any lifestyle. Briefly there are eight main points that can form the basis of a diet and healthy regime that are thought to be symptomatic with avoiding cancer.
1.Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.
Tests in non-humans suggests that it is not the intake of calories but the retention of those calories that increases the risk of cancer. That is that it is not the amount of food you eat but the amount that remains unburned over time in the body. This leads to the conclusion that you can eat any volume of food you like provided you live a lifestyle active enough to leave you without excess calories hanging on the body. This is fairly obvious and really is a good routine to adopt even if cancer is not your worry.
2.Be physically active as part of everyday life
Leading on from the above point, constant changes in body weight but stress on the body, better to maintain the same weight through balancing your calorific dietry intake with energy burning. Again a general good tip for everyone anyway. Simply put a moderate intake of food balanced with a moderatly physical lifestyle is a good thing to aim for. Being physically active can mean anything from walking instead of take the car, right up to going to the gym every few days. Find something that suits your life, even simple exercise can make all of the difference.
3.Limit consumption of "energy-dense foods," foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar. Avoid sugary drinks.
Most foods provide us with energy (calories), but some foods contain more energy weight-for-weight than others. Foods that contain a lot of calories are known as energy-dense foods. They tend to be high in fat and/or sugar and can contribute to weight gain, obesity and cancer. By choosing a diet based on lower energy-dense foods, you can actually eat more food but consume fewer calories. Lower energy-dense foods are high in water and fibre and help us feel fuller for longer. High sugar content foods and drinks should be avoided as they have the habit of adding calories without making the person feel full, which will help prompt over eating.
4. Eat mostly foods of plant origin, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from philosophers such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders such as Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons such as Paul McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarianism. A multitude of studies have proven the health benefits of a vegetarian diet to be remarkable.
5.Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat
One in ten cases of both lung and bowel cancer could be prevented if people cut down on beef, lamb, pork, sausages, ham and bacon, scientists say.One in ten cases of both lung and bowel cancer could be prevented if people cut down on beef, lamb, pork, sausages, ham and bacon. Red meat also increases the risk of cancers of the liver and oesophagusRed meat also increases the risk of cancers of the liver and oesophagus
6. Limit alcoholic drinks to one per day for women, two per day for men.
In the same way that red meat is thought to increase the risk of cancer, so is alcohol. Alcohol can increase the risk of cancer at levels far too low to make an average person drunk. It's not just people who have drinking problems' who have higher risks. As little as 3 units a day can increase the risk of mouth, throat, food pipe, breast and bowel cancers. That's the amount in one pint of premium lager or a large glass of wine! Alcohol has a weaker effect on the risk of breast cancer than on other cancers, but it starts having an effect at a lower level. The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of developing cancer. Heavy drinking can cause cirrhosis of the liver, which can in turn cause liver cancer. Heavy drinking can also cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis and, of course, injuries.
7. Limit consumption of salt.
Eating high levels of salt may cause the stomach lining to waste away. This condition, known as atrophic gastritis, can lead to stomach cancer. Because of this, a diet that is high in salt has been thought to increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. In Japan, very salty pickled foods are popular and stomach cancer rates are high. In the west stomach cancer rates are much lower because these types of foods don't feature regularly in our diets.
8. Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone, without dietary supplement.
Long term use of nutritional supplements, in some people, has been found to increase the risk the risk of lung cancer, particularly the use of anti-oxidents in smokers.
By adopting a few simple changes in life style and diet, the risk of cancer can be radically reduced and most of these changes will probably prove to be cost effective and enjoyable supplements to your life.