Cancer-Fighting Tips and 7 Anti-Cancer Dietary Principles: Cancer Expert

A breast cancer expert shares seven diet rules and several tips to live by to prevent cancer.

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While it’s true that cancer can be linked to genetics, it’s also connected to dietary habits. So what kind of diet can help reduce the risk of cancer? Dr. Chang Chin-chien, a Taiwanese expert in breast cancer, revealed the key risk factors of cancer and seven anti-cancer dietary principles.

Cancer occurrence is closely related to one’s daily habits, lifestyle, and environment, such as bedtime, exercise, and diet. Dr. Chang said that since the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine are all in direct contact with food, the type of foods we eat, how much we eat, and how they are processed and cooked can directly affect cancer.

Diet Linked to Many Cancers

Dr. Chang gave a few examples of how dietary patterns might promote different kinds of cancer:

• Esophageal: related to overheated, long-term pickled, or overly salty foods. In some places, people favor hot food to counter wintry weather and are tempted to add more salt or other ingredients to preserve food. This may increase the risk of esophageal cancer for some people.
• Gastric: related to processed food or food containing preservatives and additives.
• Colorectal: related to lack of vegetables and fruits in one’s diet, too much fatty meat, refined starchy foods, and alcohol.
• Breast: related to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as plasticizers and pesticides.
• Lung: related to smoking, too much alcohol, and insufficient intake of vitamin B.
• Pancreatic: related to excessive intake of sugar.

7 Anti-Cancer Dietary Principles

Dr. Chang said that to reduce the chance of cancer, one should pay attention to the following seven dietary principles:

1. Eat antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods: Choose foods that can eliminate free radicals and fight inflammation, such as cruciferous cauliflower, olives, or green vegetables.
2. Fill your plate with colors: Colorful foods contain different phytochemicals. Dr. Chang recommends a “rainbow diet,” or foods of diverse colors to nourish your body with a broader variety of nutrients.
3. Choose whole foods: Dr. Chang recommends consuming unrefined and unprocessed foods, such as grains, vegetables, and fruits. These foods retain more nutrients and taste more natural.
4. Refrain from deep-frying and high-temperature cooking: Acrylamide, a food contaminant, may be produced when cooking or grilling food at high temperatures. Animal studies have shown that elevated levels of acrylamide are carcinogenic, which means they may also affect humans. Moreover, excessively high temperatures will destroy proteins and affect the nutritional value of food.
5. Ditch the preservatives: Chemicals in preservatives, such as nitrite, added to bacon, ham, snacks, and the like, may increase cancer risk.
6. Avoid pickled products: Preservatives such as nitrite are added to pickled products during manufacturing.
7. Refuse colorant additives: Food coloring additives have been found to have toxic effects on various organs.

Weight Management: A Crucial Factor in Cancer Prevention

Dr. Chang said that another crucial factor in preventing cancer is managing obesity. Excessive fat accumulation will increase inflammation and may lead to cancer.

Studies have found that overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of at least 13 types of cancer, including thyroid, esophageal, breast, liver, and colorectal.

To reduce your accumulation of fat, Dr. Chang suggests implementing the following habits:

• Cut the late-night snacks: Avoid eating before going to bed and try to finish dinner at least three hours before bedtime.
• Do not overeat: Some people binge eat when upset or stressed, but overeating can quickly lead to excess fat.
• Slow down: Chew as slowly as possible, which will help you feel fuller sooner and avoid overeating.

Key Points for Exercising to Fight Cancer

Exercise also is indispensable in fighting cancer. Dr. Chang said exercise can burn excess calories, lower one’s risk of becoming overweight, and improve immunity. He emphasized that flexibility exercises that help the body restore balance, endurance training that increases muscle strength, and aerobic exercises that enhance cardiopulmonary function are all worth the effort.

Dr. Chang recommends exercising for 20 to 30 minutes a day. Staying present and mindful during exercise is of the utmost importance. It helps you escape all the day’s worries and feel more relaxed.

He concluded by introducing an acronym to remember in your efforts to prevent cancer: NESS. It means:

• Nutrition (N)
• Exercise (E)
• Sleep (S)
• Stress reduction (S)

Keeping these four in mind, add “well” to the first part, and you get “wellness,” which you’re striving for!