ANTI-COLORECTAL CANCER LIFESTYLE

Studies have shown that up to 40% of all colorectal cancers could be eliminated by the following changes in our diets.  As one who has been faced with this cancer and has lost a relative to it, let me tell you that you want to do everything you can to possibly prevent it!  These are simple changes and I believe it would behoove each of us to make these changes.

• Eat less red meat.  (Not eliminate, reduce).  During digestion red and processed meats form carcinogenic chemicals.  The colorectal cancer risk was 22% higher among people who ate 5 oz of red and processed meat a day compared to those who ate less than 1 oz a day.  This statistic comes from a 2011 meta-analysis combining results of 21 studies.  
• Eat more vegetables, fruits, and fiber.  A recent study using data from the U.S. Polyp Prevention Trial looked at the impact of diet on 1,900 people with a history of precancerous polyps.  Those who met goals for cutting fat and consumed at least 18 grams of fiber and 3 1/2 servings of fruit and vegetables per 1,000 calories daily were 35% less likely to develop new polyps during the study.

Note:  To be continued tomorrow.

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BE CAREFUL ABOUT ELIMINATING BEEF FROM YOUR DIET

There is a reason we have so many different types of foods and one should be careful about eliminating any one particular food from one's diet.  Beef has often gotten a bad rap, and many avoid it in their diets.  But as I repeatedly state on this blog, never eliminate a food on a permanent basis without discussing it with your doctor. There are many reasons your doctor may feel you need to eliminate certain foods for various health reasons. However, it should be discussed with your doctor. Again, I repeat, eat everything in moderation for a healthy balanced diet and choose the low-fat versions. Would you believe red meat is brain food?  Red meat contains heme iron, the most absorbent form of iron.  The brain needs a constant flow of oxygen to operate, and oxygen depends on having iron.  Red meat helps to maintain the iron needed for our blood cells to keep that oxygen flowing to the brain.

Red meat is also a good source of vitamin B12, one of the components needed for our happiness quotient.  It is also one of the very best sources of zinc.  Research suggests that good zinc levels improve academic performance!

When possible, buy grass-fed beef and you will get 300 to 500% more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid - increases blood flow to the brain) than you will with conventional beef.

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