Diet and Disease Prevention Part 16

Your Diet and Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the #2 killer of men in terms of cancer-related death after lung cancer. It is also prevalent among women, but a great deal of evidence suggests that a healthy diet can do much to prevent colon cancer.

It is also a highly treatable cancer if caught in its early stages, and people can prevent recurrence if they focus on eating the right foods to maintain their colon health.

The following recommendations are a summary of the major research that has been carried out on what you can do to prevent colon cancer through focusing on healthy nutrition.

Keep your weight at a reasonable level.

• Limit your intake of red meat. Choose lean cuts and eat small portions (about 3 oz.).

• Eat several servings of whole grains and at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Include plenty of spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, oranges, berries, and carrots in your diet.
Fiber supplements can also be helpful, and also help you to feel full so you won’t over eat and gain weight. The only trouble is, they can be expensive, especially the chewable kind.

If you don’t mind the taste of psyllium seed (like Metamucil), you can buy a large tub of it in Vitamin shoppe for about $4.59 and mix it with fruit juice. Costco has its own brand of fibre supplements. The caplets are less than $7 for 250 tablets, about a 3 month supply.

• Get 1,200 mg of calcium per day by eating calcium-rich foods, such as two to three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Don’t bother to overpay for your supplements. Look at the dosage. They may be high potency vitamins, but your body can only absorb about 1500 mg per day anyway.

Emphasis getting your calcium from food, and you will also avoid overeating. Spinach salad with lowfat cheese, with a milk based smoothie, and yogurt for dessert, is a filling lunch packed with calcium. Or try sardines instead on the salad, also a great source of calcium.

Continued in Diet and Disease Prevention Part 17

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