Diet changes that will lower your cancer risk:
Eat less fat, particularly saturated fat to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Tumors thrive on low density lipoproteins, so a diet low in fat may help prevent the growth of cancer. Also, if you eat too much saturated fat, your liver will produce more bile, and too much bile will store up in the large intestines and convert into cancer causing apcholic acid.
So, what to do? For an average 2,000 calories a day diet, eat only 45 grams of fat per day. A Big Mac and fries puts you way over your limit for the day and that’s in just one meal. Choose fats wisely. The wrong fats (saturated fats, animal based fats) are the biggest culprit here. Plant based, omega 3, monounsaturated fats are actually helpful to prevent disease.
Here are some good fat choices:
Unsaturated fats in plant based foods- avocado, flax, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Good oils high in monosaturated fats – olive oil and canola oil – but don’t sautee on high heat as this may burn the oil and damage the healthful benefits. Try in homemade salad dressing.
Best oil is expeller pressed – a chemical free mechanical process that extracts oil from the seeds and nuts instead of the hexane-extraction methods used in most manufacturing.
Cold pressed for delicate oils are for when flavor nuances are important – as in olive oil – and these oils need to be treated with greater care in controlling processing factors. And good tasting olive oil makes a world of difference.
Seafood – salmon (wild Alaskan is best – not farmed – see blog entry archive on Salmon for more details)
Our bodies can handle some saturated fat – we Americans just overdo it. Enjoy a little butter once in a while. Keep in mind that one tablespoon of butter has about 14 grams of fat – so share that tablespoon with your family on a big portion of veggies so one tablespoon is shared between 4-5 people.
Hydrogenated and trans-fats are absolutely not good for you – even in moderation. Avoid them as much as possible.
Additional benefits of eating lower fat - particularly saturated fat foods are weight loss and a healthier cardiovascular system.
Thanks for reading Healthy Food Bytes:
More diet changes that will lower your cancer risk will be coming soon.
