5 Ways to a Healthy Lifestyle

With good food habits and daily physical activity you will be well on your way to a healthy life.  Easy to say, but sometimes not so easy to do!

Our busy lifestyles can be hard on our family’s health. Rushing to and from school and work can make it hard to find time to be physically active. We can also slip into the habit of choosing unhealthy snacks and take-away foods or spending our free time watching TV or in front of the computer.

However, these choices can be dangerous for our health and our children’s health – both now and in the long-term. That’s why it’s so important to stop, take stock and make a conscious decision to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What can I do?

There are five simple ways for your family to lead a healthy lifestyle and get back on track:

1. Get active each day

Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of kids and teens.

They should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’.

Parents should be good role models and have a positive attitude to being active.

2. Choose water as a drink

Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in soft drinks, fruit juice drinks and other sweetened drinks.

Reduced fat milk for children over two years of age is a nutritious drink and a great source of calcium.

Give kids and teens whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices which contain less fiber.

3. Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps kids and teens grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

Aim to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day. (This varies for boys and girls at different ages.)

Have fresh fruit available as a convenient snack and try to include fruit and veggies in every meal.

4. Switch off the TV or computer and get active

Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.

Kids and teens should spend no more than 2 hours a day on ‘small screen’ entertainment.

Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on the computer.

5. Eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives

Healthy snacks help kids and teens meet their daily nutritional needs.

Snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains are the healthiest choices.

Avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.

Link  http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/home/fact-sheets/5-ways-to-a-healthy-lifestyle.aspx

7 tips for a healthy lifestyle

7 tips for a healthy lifestyle

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean hours of training at the gym and eating only salad leaves. It’s about making easy-to-manage healthy choices in your day-to-day living.

 

Shutterstock

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean hours of training at the gym and eating only salad leaves. It’s about making easy-to-manage healthy choices in your day-to-day living.

Says Dr Craig Nossel, head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality: "The trick to making your lifestyle healthier is to make small healthy changes every day, such as taking the stairs instead of the lifts, increasing your fruit by one, drinking one extra glass of water or quitting smoking."

So let’s start with the fundamental basics of healthy living: regular exercise, healthy eatingand healthy lifestyle choices:

I like to move it, move it!

Do as King Julian does and move your body. Not just once now-and-then – but every day whenever you can. Although a set exercise session is great to work into your daily routine, you can burn kilojoules in other small ways, such as:

• Walking to someone else’s desk rather than sending an e-mail,
• Parking furthest from the building and walking in, or
• Taking the stairs more often.
• Doing house cleaning or gardening
• Taking the dog for a walk or cycling with the kids instead of watching TV

We all stand together

We spend our lives sitting – at our desks, in front of the TV, in a meeting or on the phone. New research is emerging highlighting the potential risk to health from all our sitting behaviour. So break your sitting time by standing for five minutes and reap the health benefits.

Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

If you’re overweight, making small changes in your daily exercise routine can benefit your health. In fact one study has found that just a 10% drop in weight helped overweight people to reduce their blood pressure, cholesterol and improve their wellbeing.

Eating healthily

When it comes to healthy eating, there is an overwhelming array of theories, diet books and online information about what to eat – which is often conflicting. Although the research is still ongoing and developing, what the experts all agree on is that our diets are too high in sugar, our portions are too big and we should eat a variety of whole natural foods.

Sweet enough

From sugary drinks to breakfast cereal, it’s hard to get away from sugary foods. Often the sugar is hidden in canned goods or pre-packaged foods, or even in foods we think are healthy for us, such as fruit juice. The average person takes in about 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day. According to the American Heart Association the daily target should be no more than six level teaspoons for women, and nine for men—that’s for both food and beverages combined.

The easiest way to limit your sugar intake with one small change is to cut out sugary fizzy drinks. This alone can help you to lose or maintain a healthy weight, which in turn will reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Portion distortion

Our food and drinks portion sizes have dramatically increased over the past 30 years. In the 1950’s a chip packet was 28g from a take-away restaurant - today it’s 154g – and that’s not even the supersize, which is a whopping 196g!

Portion size increases doesn’t only include the take-away portions, but packaging of goods in the supermarket, dinner plates and glasses in restaurants and even fridge sizes! Simple ways to cut your portions include:

• Eat your main meals off a smaller plate – visually the plate looks full so you will be satisfied, but technically you’ll be eating less.
• Dish up in the kitchen, rather than have the serving dishes at the dining table – it’s much easier to have seconds when it’s right in front of you.
• Eat small regular meals (at least every four hours) so that you’re never starving – if you get to this point of hunger, it’s very difficult to stop before you overeat.

Colour me beautiful

Choosing whole foods and cooking from scratch is a much healthier way to eat than buying pre-packaged or ready-meals which are high in fat and salt but very low in nutrients. To make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals into your body every day – a quick rule of thumb is to pick a variety of colours for your meals. Be the artist of your meals and paint a colour picture with a variety of yellow, red and green fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

Your body will wear a frown if your meal is all brown.

Choose life

There is nothing more damaging to a long, healthy life than smoking, which is estimated as the reason for death or disability in half the people who smoke. The dangers of smoking tobacco are so significant that it is the most important public health problem in the world, which ironically, is largely avoidable.

Smoking not only cuts your lifespan by affecting your internal organs, but it also ages you on the outside by causing skin damage. Tobacco smoking can give you wrinkles, create pucker lines around your mouth, stain your teeth and fingers, rob your skin of nutrients, break down youth-enhancing collagen and make your skin look grey. It makes you wonder how smoking is often marketed as glamorous and attractive.

It takes courage to quit smoking, as it’s not an easy journey – but it’s a brave and sensible choice. Some of the positive changes will happen quickly, while others will be more gradual, but all the changes will benefit your health and well-being.

- (Discovery Vitality press release, February 2013)

(Photo of running woman from Shutterstock)

Link  http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Woman/Your-life/7-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle-20130218

Staying active all day linked to healthy ageing

Staying active all day linked to healthy ageing

A study conducted in Sweden shows that a generally active life is tied to better heart health.

A generally active life, even without regular exercise sessions, is tied to better heart healthand greater longevity in a study of older Swedes.

Based on nearly 3 900 men and women over the age of 60 in Stockholm, the study adds to evidence suggesting that just sitting around may be actively harmful, researchers say.

Lead author Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Åstrand Laboratory of Work Physiology of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm said: "We have known for 60 years that physical activity is important for the heart,"

But until recently the research has mainly focused on exercise and has "forgotten" about the background activity that we do every day, she said.

Whether someone exercises vigorously or not, it usually takes up a few hours of the day. That leaves the rest of the time for sitting still or engaging in non-exercise activities, like home repairs, lawn care and gardening, car maintenance, hunting or fishing.

Low intensity activities

For older people, who tend to exercise less vigorously than younger people, spending more time doing low-intensity activities like the above could help cut down on sitting time, Ekblom-Bak and her colleagues write in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Between 1997 and 1999, more than 5 000 60-year-olds were invited to participate in the study, which began with a questionnaire abouthealth history, lifestyle and daily activities, as well as medical tests and measurements.

At the study's outset, people who were more active on a daily basis, regardless of their exercise levels, tended to have smaller waists and healthier cholesterol levels.

The participants were followed for the next 12.5 years. During that time nearly 500 people had a first-time heart attack or stroke and nearly 400 people died.

Least active

People who had reported high levels of daily non-exercise activity were less likely to suffer a heart-related event and less likely to die than those who were the least active.

For every 100 people reporting low activity levels who had a heart attack or stroke, for example, only 73 highly active people experienced such events. For every 100 of the least active who died, only 70 of the most active did.

"These are fascinating findings," said David Dunstan, of the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, "but not really surprising since other studies that have looked at this from a different angle - that is, describing the detrimental relationship between excessive sitting and mortality outcomes - are essentially showing the same thing but in reverse because there is such a high correlation between sitting time and non- exercise physical activity behaviours.

Move more and sit less

"While sitting, muscles do not contract and blood flow decreases, which reduces the efficiency of many body processes, like absorbing glucose from the blood, said Dunstan, who studies heart health and exercise.

Non-exercise activity likely prevents the general slowing-down associated with sitting, he said.

"Moderate-to-vigorous exercise helps strengthen the heart muscle and other body muscles and may help regulate blood pressure more than general activity, Dunstan said.

Link  http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Ageing-well/News/Staying-active-all-day-linked-to-healthy-ageing-20131202

How To Make Friends With Stress (Since You Can't Avoid It Forever)

How To Make Friends With Stress (Since You Can't Avoid It Forever)

I’ve read so many articles about “conquering stress” or “overcoming stress.” I, myself, have lectured countless times on how to manage or reduce stress most effectively.

But let’s be perfectly honest here — even those of us who’ve studied stress extensively still throw our knowledge out the window and turn into raving lunatics from time to time.

Whether we like it or not, stress is always going to be part of our lives.

So I’ve got a radical proposition here: instead of vilifying stress, let’s make friends with it.

Let’s acknowledge that in many cases stress is the only thing keeping us going. It’s the only thing tightening our muscles, sharpening our vision, and giving us the energy to survive an emergency.

So want to make stress work for you, not against you? Just follow these five tips:

1. Differentiate between productive and unproductive stress.

The smoke steaming from your ears during a business meeting is the same stress that kept humans alive from large predators once upon a time. But the fight-or-flight response isn’t much help when you’re stuck in a sea of traffic. So learn to distinguish between productive stress, in which you can use the body’s response to meet a deadline, versus unproductive stress, which may keep you tossing and turning the night before a meeting, but won't get you anywhere.

2. MOVE IT or lose it.

Ever notice what people do when they’re stressed? They pace back-and-forth. Your muscles are tightened, your blood sugar’s spiked, and the cortisol’s pumping. So take the instinct, get up, and move your body. Walking meetings, midday workouts, or the occasional spontaneous office dance party can do wonders to use up that nervous energy and bring you back to baseline.

3. Take the message and learn from it.

If it’s unproductive stress, then it means you’re putting yourself in unrealistic or negative situations. So take the message and learn from the experience. You may be taking on too much, not giving yourself enough time, or filling your head with limiting beliefs. Stress is a wonderful way to identify your issues and learn your boundaries.

4. Go to B.E.D.

For the acute stress attack, try my BED method:

Breathe deeply to activate the rest-and-digest parasympathetic nervous system to calm your body down

Eat sugar-regulating foods, such as nutritious leafy grains, fibrous whole grains, and clean protein sources, to normalize the stress jitters

Drink some water to help flush out that over-accumulation of stress hormones in your body

And, lastly, actually go to bed early after a stressful day to give your nervous system a rest-and-recharge break.

5. Reward yourself.

You did it! You survived another stressful event. Before violently throwing yourself into some more stress, take a moment to reward yourself on a job well done. Perhaps a massage to relax those muscles or a guiltless day on the couch watching a few bad flicks.

Whatever your luxury, choose a rewarding activity that both acknowledges the wonder of your stress response and gives you the relaxation you need before you get back up there and do it all over again.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Link  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12543/how-to-make-friends-with-stress-since-you-cant-avoid-it-forever.html

Relaxation and Meditation Techniques

A variety of stress management techniques are available that involve learning how to control your body’s responses to stress or anxiety. These techniques involve learning to consciously relax your body through a variety of techniques, such as meditation or guided imagery. As with any new skill you are trying to learn, daily practice is important to acquiring mastery of these techniques.

Meditation

The beauty of practicing meditation is that it allows you to “let go” of every day worries and literally “live in the moment.” People who meditate regularly report improvements physically, mentally, and spiritually. To begin a meditation practice, you will need to find a quiet spot, away from the phone, television, friends, family, and other distractions. There are several different ways to meditate. Meditation practices often involve learning chanting, breathing, or mantra techniques. Initially, your mind may wander when you first start meditating. by training your mind to focus on the moment, you will eventually find yourself transformed and feel very peaceful and content. Most experts recommend mediating for about 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Beginners may find it difficult to meditate for this length at first, but don’t despair. It will become easier once you are meditating regularly.

Biofeedback

This method involves attaching surface electromyography electrodes (SEMG) to your skin. The SEMG measures your blood pressure, muscle tension level, breathing, and heart rate. A biofeedback therapist will meet with you and show you the ways in which your body reacts on a computer screen. The therapist will then teach you new skills for decreasing the level of stress you are experiencing. The results are shown on the screen.
Biofeedback is taught by a psychologist or specialized therapist who has been trained in biofeedback techniques. Most insurance plans cover biofeedback treatment for recognized anxiety problems. Avoid any consumer-level biofeedback devices that claim to give you the same information as a professional device. The device itself isn’t as important as what the professionals helps you learn through repeatedtraining sessions.

Yoga

Yoga combines meditation and physical exercise to achieve improved health and sense of well-being. Yoga has been practiced in India for over 5,000 years. Yoga involves repeating movements that can help improve strength and flexibility as well as promote mental and physical health and greater self-understanding. The movements are very graceful and have spiritual significance. Paying careful attention to breathing is also part of practicing yoga.
Yoga is best learned in a local class that teaches yoga techniques. After you learn yoga, you can do it in the privacy and comfort of your own home.

Guided Imagery

Guided Imagery is a wonderful stress reduction tool which uses “visualization” and “mental imagery” techniques to improve health. It has been used effectively for cancer patients who literally imagine themselves without the cancerous cells. Other creative visualization techniques include transporting the individual to a quiet place in their mind (perhaps a favorite lake, river, or forest). You can either create your own special place or listen to a guided imagery tape or CD. According to the Guided Imagery Resource Center, guided imagery can “reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood and heighten short-term immune cell activity.”
You can learn some basic guided imagery techniques here.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing exercises are also known as diaphragmatic breathing. In these exercises, you are learning not to engage in the typical shallow breathing, but breathing through your diaphragm — a technique learned and practiced by singers and actors for centuries to produce uninterrupted song or dialogue.
You can learn more about deep breathing exercises here.

* * *

The most important thing to keep in mind about relaxation exercises such as these is that they must be practiced regularly, as a part of your daily routine. Some people quit their relaxation techniques or meditation claiming it “doesn’t do anything for me” or “I can’t clear my mind.” Through practice over and over again, most people can overcome such objections.

Link  http://psychcentral.com/lib/relaxation-and-meditation-techniques/0003200

4 Tips for a Joyful Day

A joyful day is different for everyone, said Bobbi Anderson, a pain management coach, certified hypnotist and Reiki Master. For her a joyful day is filled with love, calm and peace. But she also finds joy in sadness, disappointment and even chaos.
“Joy is inside and not dependent on outside things.” In other words, it’s a mindset.
For business coach Jeanna Gabellini, joyful days also are about mindset.
For her, joy means feeling that time is abundant, which isn’t about having an open calendar, but, again, a matter of attitude and approach.

It also includes following her inner guidance and doing what feels good instead of what she should. For instance, her to-do list may include following up with promotional partners. Instead, she decides to snuggle with her son and read him a story.
Joy is even possible in the midst of pain. According to Anderson, “Joy can be a very effective diversion to pain. [It] actually decreases its intensity and pushes us in the direction of that pain decreasing.”
She shared the story of a friend’s mother, who struggles with great pain in her back, hips and legs. After her friend and her mom returned from the doctor, she was ready to go through the 30-minute ritual of getting her mom out of the car and into the house.
As they pulled up, her mom realized that her grandkids were visiting. Before her friend could get out of the car, her mom was already in the house. “She was overcome with the joy of being able to see her grandchildren.”
Here are four suggestions from Anderson and Gabellini on cultivating joy.

1. Be intentional about your day.

We can sabotage our joy by not being intentional about our days or letting ourselves get swayed by other people’s shoulds and expectations, said Gabellini, the creator, trainer and coach atMasterPeace Coaching.
We may forget that we’re in control of our feelings, responses and the decisions we make, she said.
She suggested setting an intention for how you’d like to feel, what you’d like to experience or what you’d like to do that day. This way you’re taking the time to decide what you want to focus on instead of “letting circumstances decide for [you].”
Here’s an example: “Today I will feel spacious, in control, powerful, creative and free.”

2. Cultivate gratitude.

“Being grateful is without a doubt the most effective way to cultivate joy,” Anderson said. For instance, as you wake up every morning, and open your eyes, thank God, the universe or whatever higher power you believe in for all the blessings in your life, she said.
Gabellini is grateful for everything from her son’s teachers to her clients to the fitness program she’s doing with friends to the new program she’s launching. (“It’s awesome to pour my creativity into this project and I appreciate all the prosperity I’ll gain as a result.”)
Can’t think of anything? According to Anderson, “begin with the air you breathe and if you have a water supply or a roof over your head, be grateful for that.”

3. Cultivate curiosity.

Get curious about what brings you joy and how you can make your days less stressful. For instance, Gabellini suggested asking yourself: “How much fun can I have? How can I allow this to be easy? Who can help me? What’s the best I can imagine happening?”

4. Give something up.

Letting go of the beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve you can bring joy into your life. What would you like to relinquish?
For instance, Anderson mentioned giving up the need to criticize. Pay attention to when you criticize others.
“Push the pause button and [remember that] when we are critical of something, it directly affects something that we feel is lacking in our own life.” Explore what’s lacking in your life, and instead focus your energy on building that.
Again, joy can look different for everyone. Take the time to discover what joy looks like for you day-to-day.

Link  http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/02/10/4-tips-for-a-joyful-day/

The Anti-Cancer Diet

Cancer Nutrition Tips and Cancer-Fighting Foods

Whether you have a history of cancer in your family, or are currently battling the disease, lifestyle factors, including your diet, can make a huge difference in helping you fight off cancer. Some foods actually increase your risk of cancer, while others support your body and strengthen your immune system. By making smart food choices, you can protect your health, feel better, and boost your ability fight off cancer and other disease

What you need to know about cancer and diet

Not all health problems are avoidable, but you have more control over your health than you may think. Research shows that a large percentage of cancer-related deaths—maybe even the majority—are directly linked to lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, a lack of exercise, and an unhealthy diet. Avoiding cigarettes, limiting alcohol, and getting regular exercise are a great start to an anti-cancer lifestyle. But to best support your health, you also need to look at your eating habits.

What you eat—and don’t eat—has a powerful effect on your health, including your risk of cancer. Without knowing it, you may be eating many foods that fuel cancer, while neglecting the powerful foods and nutrients that can protect you. If you change your diet and behaviors, you can minimize your risk of disease and possibly even stop cancer in its tracks.

Cancer prevention diet tip #1: Focus on plant-based foods

Why plant-based foods are cancer-fighting powerhouses

It comes down to this: Plants have less fat, more fiber, and more cancer-fighting nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off cancer.  

The best diet for preventing or fighting cancer is a predominantly plant-based diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A plant-based diet means eating mostly foods that come from plants: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and beans. 

The less processed these foods are—the less they’ve been cooked, peeled, mixed with other ingredients, stripped of their nutrients, or otherwise altered from the way they came out of the ground—the better.

There are many ways to add plant-based foods to your diet. A nice visual reminder is to aim for a plate of food that is filled at least two-thirds with whole grains, vegetables, beans, or fruit. Dairy products, fish, and meat should take up no more than a third of the plate. Keep in mind that you don’t need to go completely vegetarian. Instead, focus on adding “whole” foods, which are foods close to their original form. Just as important, try to minimize or reduce the amount of processed foods you eat. Eat an apple instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, for example. Or enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with raisins instead of an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Simple tips for getting more plant-based foods in your diet

• Breakfast: Add fruit and a few seeds or nuts to your whole grain breakfast cereal (such as oatmeal).
• Lunch: Eat a big salad filled with your favorite beans and peas or other combo of veggies. Always order lettuce and tomato (plus any other veggies you can) on your sandwiches. Order whole grain bread for your sandwiches. Have a side of veggies like cut up carrots, sauerkraut, or a piece of fruit.
• Snacks: Fresh fruit and vegetables. Grab an apple or banana on your way out the door. Raw veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, jicama, peppers, etc. are great with a low-fat dip such as hummus. Keep trail mix made with nuts, seeds, and a little dried fruit on hand.
• Dinner: Add fresh or frozen veggies to your favorite pasta sauce or rice dish. Top a baked potato with broccoli and yogurt, sautéed veggies, or with salsa. Replace creamy pasta sauces, with sautéed vegetables or tomato sauce made with healthy olive oil.
• Dessert: Choose fruit instead of a richer dessert. Or a single square of dark chocolate.

Buy organic or local produce, if possible

Some pesticides found in commercially-grown produce are also suspected carcinogens. Organic foodsare free of these pesticides, and locally grown produce is less likely to have been treated with chemicals to prevent spoilage.

Cancer prevention diet tip #2: Bulk up on fiber

Another benefit of eating plant-based foods is that it will also increase your fiber intake. Fiber, also called roughage or bulk, is the part of plants (grains, fruits, and vegetables) that your body can’t digest. Fiber plays a key role in keeping your digestive system clean and healthy. It helps keep food moving through your digestive tract, and it also moves cancer-causing compounds out before they can create harm.

Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber. There is no fiber in meat, dairy, sugar, or “white” foods like white bread, white rice, and pastries.

Simple ways to add more fiber to your diet:

• Use brown rice instead of white rice
• Substitute whole-grain bread for white bread
• Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry
• Snack on popcorn instead of potato chips
• Eat fresh fruit such as a pear, a banana, or an apple (with the skin)
• Have a baked potato, including the skin, instead of mashed potatoes
• Enjoy fresh carrots, celery, or bell peppers with a hummus or salsa, instead of chips and a sour cream dip
• Use beans instead of ground meat in chili, casseroles, tacos, and even burgers (bean burgers can taste great)

High-fiber, cancer-fighting foods
Whole grains	whole-wheat pasta, raisin bran, barley, oatmeal, oat bran muffins, popcorn, brown rice, whole-grain or whole-wheat bread
Fruit	raspberries, apples, pears, strawberries, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, mango, apricots, citrus fruits, dried fruit, prunes, raisins
Legumes	lentils, black beans, split peas, lima beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pinto, chick peas, navy beans, black-eyed peas
Vegetables	broccoli, spinach, dark green leafy vegetables, peas, artichokes, corn, carrots, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, potatoes

Cancer prevention diet tip #3: Cut down on meat

Research shows that vegetarians are about fifty percent less likely to develop cancer than those who eat meat. So what’s the link between meat and cancer risk? First, meat lacks fiber and other nutrients that have been shown to have cancer-protective properties. What it does have in abundance, however, is fat—often very high levels of saturated fat. High-fat diets have been linked to higher rates of cancer. And saturated fat is particularly dangerous. Finally, depending on how it is prepared, meat can develop carcinogenic compounds.

Making better meat and protein choices

You don’t need to cut out meat completely and become a vegetarian. But most people consume far more meat than is healthy. You can cut down your cancer risk substantially by reducing the amount of animal-based products you eat and by choosing healthier meats.

• Keep meat to a minimum. Try to keep the total amount of meat in your diet to no more than fifteen percent of your total calories. Ten percent is even better.
• Eat red meat only occasionally. Red meat is high in saturated fat, so eat it sparingly.
• Reduce the portion size of meat in each meal. The portion should be able to fit in the palm of your hand.
• Use meat as a flavoring or a side, not the entrée. You can use a little bit of meat to add flavor or texture to your food, rather than using it as the main element.
• Add beans and other plant-based protein sources to your meals.
• Choose leaner meats, such as fish, chicken, or turkey. If possible, buy organic.
• Avoid processed meats such as hotdogs, sausage, deli meats, and salami.

Cancer prevention diet tip #4: Choose your fats wisely

A major benefit of cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is that you will automatically cut out a lot of unhealthy fat. Eating a diet high in fat increases your risk for many types of cancer. But cutting out fat entirely isn’t the answer, either. In fact, some types of fat may actually protect against cancer. The trick is to choose your fats wisely and eat them in moderation.

• Fats that increase cancer risk – The two most damaging fats are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and less likely to spoil—which is very good for food manufacturers, and very bad for you.
• Fats that decrease cancer risk – The best fats are unsaturated fats, which come from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. Primary sources include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados. Also focus on omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation and support brain and heart health. Good sources include salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds.

Tips for choosing cancer-fighting fats and avoiding the bad

• Reduce your consumption of red meat, whole milk, butter, and eggs, as these are the primary source of saturated fats.
• Cook with olive oil instead of regular vegetable oil. Canola oil is another good choice, especially for baking.
• Check the ingredient list on food labels and avoid anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, which are usually found in stick margarines, shortenings, salad dressings, and other packaged foods.
• Trim the fat off of meat when you do eat it, and avoid eating the skin of the chicken.
• Choose nonfat dairy products and eggs that have been fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
• Add nuts and seeds to cereal, salads, soups, or other dishes. Good choices include walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, and sesame seeds.
• Use flaxseed oil in smoothies, salad dressings, or mixed in snacks such as applesauce. But do not cook with flaxseed oil, as it loses its protective properties when heated.
• Limit fast food, fried foods, and packaged foods, which tend to be high in trans fats. This includes foods like potato chips, cookies, crackers, French fries, and doughnuts.
• Eat fish once or twice a week. Good choices include wild salmon, sardines, herring, and black cod. But be conscious of mercury, a contaminant found in many types of fish. 

Cancer prevention diet tip #5: Choose cancer-fighting foods

Your immune system keeps you healthy by fighting off unwanted invaders in your system, including cancer cells. There are many things you can eat to maximize the strength of your immune system, as well as many cancer-fighting foods. But keep in mind that there is no single miracle food or ingredient that will protect you against cancer. Eating a colorful variety gives you the best protection.

• Boost your antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful vitamins that protect against cancer and help the cells in your body function optimally. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium.
• Eat a wide range of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals, a potent disease–fighting and immune–boosting nutrient. The greater the variety of colors that you include, the more you will benefit, since different colors are rich in different phytochemicals.
• Flavor with immune-boosting spices and foods. Garlic, ginger, and curry powder not only add flavor, but they add a cancer-fighting punch of valuable nutrients. Other good choices include turmeric, basil, rosemary, and coriander. Use them in soups, salads, casseroles, or any other dish.
• Drink plenty of water. Water is essentially to all bodily processes. It stimulates the immune system, removes waste and toxins, and transports nutrients to all of your organs. 

Cancer prevention diet tip #6: Prepare your food in healthy ways

Choosing healthy food is not the only important factor. It also matters how you prepare and store your food. The way you cook your food can either help or hurt your anti-cancer efforts.

Preserving the cancer-fighting benefits of vegetables

Here are a few tips that will help you get the most benefits from eating all those great cancer-fighting vegetables:

• Eat at least some raw fruits and vegetables. These have the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals, although cooking some vegetables can make the vitamins more available for our body to use.
• When cooking vegetables, steam until just tender using a small amount of water. This preserves more of the vitamins. Overcooking vegetables removes many of the vitamins and minerals. If you do boil vegetables, use the cooking water in a soup or another dish to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables. Use a vegetable brush for washing. Washing does not eliminate all pesticide residue, but will reduce it. Choose organic produce if possible, grown without the use of pesticides.

Cooking and carcinogens

Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances found in food. Carcinogens can form during the cooking or preserving process—mostly in relation to meat—and as foods start to spoil. Examples of foods that have carcinogens are cured, dried, and preserved meats (e.g. bacon, sausage, beef jerky); burned or charred meats; smoked foods; and foods that have become moldy. Here are some ways reduce your exposure to carcinogens:

The 5 Worst Foods to Grill

• Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, grilled, well done
• Steak, grilled, well done
• Pork, barbecued
• Salmon, grilled with skin
• Hamburger, grilled, well done

Source: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

• Do not cook oils on high heat. Low-heat cooking or baking (less than 240 degrees) prevents oils or fats from turning carcinogenic. Instead of deep-frying, pan-frying, and sautéing, opt for healthier methods such as baking, boiling, steaming, or broiling.
• Go easy on the barbecue. Burning or charring meats creates carcinogenic substances. If you do choose to barbecue, don’t overcook the meat and be sure to cook at the proper temperature (not too hot).
• Store oils in a cool dark place in airtight containers, as they quickly become rancid when exposed to heat, light, and air.
• Choose fresh meats instead of cured, dried, preserved, or smoked meats.
• Avoid foods that look or smell moldy, as they likely contain aflatoxin, a strong carcinogen. Aflatoxin is most commonly found on moldy peanuts. Nuts will stay fresh longer if kept in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Be careful what you put in the microwave. Use waxed paper rather than plastic wrap to cover your food in the microwave. And always use microwave-safe containers
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• Link  http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_cancer_prevention.htm
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