It’s breast cancer awareness month, and we’re looking at how a Mediterranean diet can help you avoid what is becoming a more common disease.
They say the reason that there are so many elderly grannies and granddads in Mediterranean villages – living well into their eighties and nineties, and some beyond – is because of the diet – and lifestyle, too. It seems the recipe for longevity is a life of sunny days, low stress, and a diet that includes lots of fish, plant oil and nuts, fruits and veggies, limited red meat and not too much sugar.
A study of over half a million people in Europe confirms that a Mediterranean diet really is a great way to protect yourself from breast cancer. So if you’d like to stay safe, here’s what to eat:
Fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, calcium rich foods and fibre are all said to be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Another good preventative measure is getting regular exercise, even if it’s moderate daily activity, and making sure you get good doses of vitamin D. Sunshine is your friend!
But what should you avoid?
Red meat, especially when it’s grilled, creates compounds called heterocyclic amines which have been tied to a risk of breast cancer.
So if you’d like to stay safe, here’s what to eat.
Alcohol. Sorry about this one, but apparently even small amounts of alcohol can be a risk factor. If you can’t give up your glass of wine, then at least stick to all the other rules.
Say NO thanks to refined carbohydrates – the sugary and starchy things, especially the unrefined ones like white bread.
Low-fat and low carb snacks, including sweets, chips, chocolates and fizzy drinks. They’re usually packed with sugar. Can’t cut them out altogether? Then just keep your consumption of those to a minimum.
Eat healthy food and you’ll also avoid an unhealthy body mass index and abdominal obesity, which are also associated with an increased breast cancer risk.
Start living like you’re a citizen of the Med, and enjoy a longer, healthier life.
Find out more about the Mediterranean diet here.
