Most of the women, who have recovered from the breast cancer, believe that along with the treatment and exercise, healthy diet is also an important factor to improve the overall health. Good eating habits always help women to prevent the breast cancer as well recurrence of the cancer. Nutrition experts say that if women can include certain foods in their daily diet, then the chances of their survival surely increase. Maintaining the weight is important for breast cancer survivors. With a balanced diet, you can easily retain the weight. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins are highly recommended as diet for breast cancer survivors.
Here, we share some healthy diet tips for breast cancer survivors.
- Eating food low in fat is the best diet for breast cancer survivors. Limit the daily fat intake up to 30 % of your calories. Survivors who are overweight should limit the high calorie food to maintain healthy weight and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
- Make sure to include at least five servings of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet. It contains phytochemicals, which may prevent the cancer.
- Prefer whole grain foods such as cereals, whole grain bread, and brown rice. Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and phytochemicals.
- Make sure fiber intake should be 25 grams to 35 grams daily. Fiber is beneficial for cancer survivors as it lowers the level of estrogen in the body. Eat oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, instead of white bread and white rice. With high fiber diet, women can control their appetite to consume less calories.
- Foods, such as sweet potatoes, squash, and dark leafy greens, are rich in carotenoids, which reduces the risk of cancer.
- Avoid processed meat and red meat. Instead, eat chicken, fish, and beans.
- Eat more fish and poultry items. Fish contains omega 3 polyunsaturated fat, which is useful in preventing growth of breast tumors. Salmon, cod, haddock, sardines are the some of the fish categories. Note that only fish is beneficial to prevent the cancer and not the fish oil supplement.
- Diet rich with high fat may contain high calories, which causes the obesity and increases the risk of cancers. Due to high weight, more estrogen circulates in the body and then there are more chances of breast cancer. As per studies, fat may initiate breast development. So limit the intake of food, which contains highly saturated fat and trans fats, such as cheese, butter, cream, beef, lamb, full fat dairy, and fried food. Avoid food such as crackers, baked goods, as it contains trans fatty acids.
- Include food which has good fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in your daily diet. These good fats are available in olive oil, canola oil, avocado, olives, nuts, natural nut butter.
- Limit the daily alcohol intake to one drink.
Diet and exercise are important for breast cancer survivors. Well balanced diet with vegetables, protein, and fruits is recommended for breast cancer survivors.
