Breast Health and Nutrition

October is breast cancer awareness month, so I wanted to discuss breast health and nutrition.  Although you can’t change certain risk factors, such as genetic predisposition, there are many lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk.

• Maintain a healthy weight.  In a study published 2007 in the British Medical Journal, there was a direct relationship between increased body mass and increased risk for developing breast cancer. Maintaining weight after menopause is important for reducing your risk. Obese women circulate higher levels of estrogen, which puts them at greater risk.
• Limit/eliminate alcohol. Women should consume no more than one drink a day. Alcohol consumption increases your risk of developing breast cancer. A 2007 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that even moderate alcohol consumption led to a greater incidence of breast cancer.
• Keep moving. Physical activity has been linked to a decreased risk of breast cancer. In a 1999 study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, all physical activity is beneficial in reducing the incidence of breast cancer. It is recommended that you do 5 days a week of aerobic activity for thirty minutes and 2 days a week of weight bearing exercise.
• Don’t smoke. A study done by the American Cancer Society in 2013 showed that smoking increases your risk of developing breast cancer. If you already smoke, there are many programs available to assist you in quitting.  Smoking is associated with many cancers and cessation is the best thing you can do for your overall health.
• Breast feed if you can.  Although there is limited research in regard to breast feeding and reduction of breast cancer risk, a study published in the Lancet in 2002 suggested that the longer a woman breast fed, the lower her risk of breast cancer.

So, from a nutrition standpoint, what are some things you can do to reduce your risk of both breast cancer and other chronic illnesses:

• Eat a predominantly plant based diet.  Make sure you get 8 to 10 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables daily.

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  Vary the color to make sure you get all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body needs.

• Consume 30 to 45 grams of fiber daily. Fiber comes from fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

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   Fiber binds to toxic compounds and cholesterol and is eliminated by the body. Some good sources of fiber include: Apples, blueberries, grapefruit, orange, pear, black beans, chickpeas, oatmeal, quinoa, broccoli, spinach, squash and carrots.

• Limit processed foods.

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  If its pre-made, in a box, try and avoid it. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the side of the box, you probably shouldn’t eat it!  Avoid white foods: pasta, rice, flour, sugar and potato and baked goods.

• Keep your diet low fat.  Consume only low fat/non fat dairy and eat lean protein such as chicken, turkey, fish and 97% ground beef.  20% of your total calories should come from fat with less than 8% coming from saturated fat. Avoid trans fat altogether.
• Increase healthy fats. Omega 3, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), and omega 6 are all good.  Healthy oils such as olive and canola, fatty fish, nuts and seeds should be in everyones diet.
• Eliminate alcohol. No more than one serving daily.
• Get adequate fluids. As you increase fiber, you will need to increase fluid. Fluids do many things for the body: carries nutrients and waste, participates in chemical reactions, aides in temperature regulation, maintains blood volume and is a natural lubricant. Keep all your fluids calorie free.

Making these lifestyle changes and maintaining a healthy diet can help your reduce your risk of breast cancer and can help your survival if you are already fighting the disease.  

Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp

Jean Kressy, Cooking Light OCTOBER 2000   Ingredients  

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, oats, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts.
3. Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Keys to Staying Motivated

As you go on your path towards weight loss, it can be difficult to stay motivated.  Think back to when you were little starting school.  You had a new outfit, a shiny lunch box, school supplies and brand new crayons.  You were excited to meet your teacher and new friends, to start on a new journey.  But a few months in, you realized it was hard work.  Your new clothes weren’t as crisp, the lunch box might have had dents, the supplies not so cool and the crayons were frayed and broken.  But you knew you would still have to keep going to school.  You probably found things to keep you focused to stay the course.  Weight loss is not much different.  So, why continue on the path and what are some tools to help keep you motivated? A loss of only 7-10% of your total body weight can have tremendous health benefits.  It can lower cholesterol, tryglycerides and blood pressure, improve sleep, prevent or reverse diabetes, relieve stress on joints and kidneys, increase your energy and improve your self esteem.  Being at a healthy weight reduces your risk of developing cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

• Start moving! You don’t have to join an expensive gym or buy lots of equipment to move your body.  Find something you enjoy doing, whether its dancing, tennis, walking….whatever makes you happy.  It will not only increase your metabolism, it will improve your mood and cognitive and cardiovascular function.
• Keep a food journal.  Paying attention to what you eat will keep you focused and on course.  Many people find that this can go away once you have been on your weight loss journey for awhile.  It is an excellent tool to help keep you accountable to yourself and on track.
• Get support.  The more people that you surround yourself with that support and care about your health and wellness, the better you will do.  That can include friends and family or support group as well as your dietitian, personal trainer or therapist.  When you know people support you, you don’t feel so alone on the journey. You can also turn to your local Y, community center or hospital to find groups that have common interests to support you.
• Remember to keep your goals realistic.  It can feel defeating if you can’t accomplish what you set out to do.  Have weekly, short term goals that you feel you can achieve and succeed and the weight loss will follow.
• Celebrate small victories.  Don’t wait till you reach your final goal to celebrate all the hard work you are putting in.  All the small moments along the way deserve praise and reward as well. Whether you get a massage, read a book or buy a new outfit, just make sure you NEVER celebrate with a food reward.
• Think about all the activities and events you have to look forward to and how much better you will feel and look as you get closer to your goal.

It took a long time to put the weight on and it will take time to lose it.  Losing weight is hard and can be frustrating at times. You need to be patient and kind to yourself.  No one will ever love you as much as you and you need to take care of yourself and celebrate the decision to continue on your journey to health and wellness.

Fish Stew with Olives, Capers & Potatoes

From EatingWell:  September/October 2014  

Makes: 4 servings Serving Size: 4 oz. fish & 1 cup vegetables Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 pounds mahi-mahi, swordfish or halibut steaks, about 3/4 inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 6 canned plum tomatoes, drained and very coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, halved and sliced
• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 1/4 cup capers, preferably salt-packed, well rinsed, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled yellow-fleshed potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Pat fish dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Combine tomatoes, celery, onion, olives, capers, oil, garlic and crushed red pepper in a large skillet and toss to mix well. Layer potato slices over the vegetables to cover them completely.
3. Cover the skillet and place over medium-low heat. Cook, adjusting the heat to keep a steady simmer and shaking the pan from time to time-but do not stir the vegetables-until the potatoes are starting to soften, about 20 minutes.
4. Place the fish on top of the potatoes, cover and continue cooking until the fish is opaque in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with parsley and more capers, if desired.

Per serving: 256 calories; 13 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g total sugars; 19 g protein; 2 g fiber; 315 mg sodium; 740 mg potassium.