By Elena Voropay

According to Cancer Council of Australia, it is expected that “one in three men and one in four women will be directly effected by cancer before the age of 75. Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in Australian women. One in every 11 women is diagnosed with breast cancer accounting for 9.2 percent. While we have to accept the fact that some factors contributing to the chance of getting cancer are beyond our control, such as genetic makeup and age, there are a lot of things one can do to minimize the risk and ease the healing process. Healthy nutritious diet, exercise and emotional support may do wonders for anyone diagnosed with life-threatening disease.

While we have to accept the fact that some factors contributing to the chance of getting cancer are beyond our control, such as genetic makeup and age, there are a lot of things one can do to minimize the risk and ease the healing process. Healthy nutritious diet, exercise and emotional support may do wonders for anyone diagnosed with life-threatening disease.

One-third of cancers are related to diet, so changing your eating habits will not only lessen your risk of developing cancer, but will help your body heal and recuperate from invasive cancer treatments if you are diagnosed. The point in focus is that cancer patients' metabolism differs from that of average healthy people.

Increased caloric energy burning and tissue breakdown is typical cancer patients. During starvation, the metabolism of people without cancer adapts in order to conserve body tissue. Patients with cancer, however, do not exhibit these mechanisms and break down consumed and conserved energy stores at a higher rate. Thus the latter need to consume more total energy, more protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber and less fat in their diets. It may become problematical especially during cancer treatments as fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite take physical and emotional toll. Difficult or not, dietary changes is one of the simplest things one can do to assist the body's healing and recuperation and get one step closer to a complete healthy and happy life.

Some foods actually contribute to the development of cancer while others lessen the risk. Following a plan of specific eating guidelines may mean changing comfortable habits. Changing diet to support your health shouldn't be daunting. Rather, look at it as a terrific opportunity to experience new flavours, develop different tastes, inspire your creativity for cooking and find an uplifting power in taking care of yourself with positive control. Remember that now is the time to find peace with yourself and nourish your body from inside out.

Five Best Changes You Ever Made

1. Keep your fat, especially saturated fat, to a minimum.

Fat is the first ingredient on the list of foods that promotes tumour cell growth. Eating high-fat foods increases the concentration of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and raises the levels of hormone oestrogen serving as a feeding ground for cancer cells. Plus, in order to digest consumed fat your body produces bile. If a lot of bile is allowed to stagnate in the large intestine for a long period of time, it's converted into apcholic acid, a proven carcinogen.

Best protection against cancer is a diet that contains more omega 3 than omega 6 fatty acids by substituting most vegetable oils with flaxseed oils. Omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in oily fish and flax seeds, help produce cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Flax oil also contains the anticancer phytonutrient lignans. Monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil have shown to protect against cancer.

You need some fat in your diet to support your body in its healing process. Besides, adding a little bit of fat to your meals will make them to be tastier and more satisfying. But don't go overboard – remember that you are nourishing and healing your body, and you don't need much for that purpose.

Eat no more than 20 percent of your total food calories from fat. So, for every 2000 calories (8000 kilojoulies) you eat, choose no more than 40 grams of fat. That is approximately three tablespoons, and most can be found in the natural form contained in unprocessed foods.

Best Fats

* Vegetable oils high in monounsaturated fats, such as olive

* Oils containing more Omega 3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed oils, and virgin olive oils

* Unsaturated fats, found in legumes and nuts such as pumpkin seed, canola, soybean (not hydrogenated), walnut, safflower, sunflower and sesame

* Saturated fats from animal sources of fatty meats and dairy, as well as plant oils such from palm kernel, coconut, and cottonseed oils in large amounts

* Margarines and hydrogenated fats are potentially carcinogenic as they are loaded with trans fatty acids. These are also added to many commercially processed foods, so opt for foods given to you by nature.

2. Eat a high-fiber diet consisting mainly of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Fiber absorbs bile acids and moves potential carcinogens through the digestive tract faster, decreasing the contact time between carcinogens and the body. Fiber also promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines helping to ease symptoms of indigestion, constipation and diarrhoea experienced by cancer patients.

A high fiber diet can lower the risk of breast cancer by binding estrogen in the bowels, prevent it from re-entering and re-affecting the tissues thereby lessening the estrogen effect in the cells of breast tissue. Aim for 35 grams of fiber per day, which is more than general recommendation of 25 grams.

Best Fiber-Rich Foods

* Unprocessed whole grain cereals, such as buckwheat, oats, brown rice, quinoa, millet

* Fresh salads with fruit and vegetables

* Legumes such as beans and lentils

* Nuts and seeds

* Fiber added wholemeal and rhy bread

Worst Fiber-Free Foods

* Bleached white processed bread

* White rice and processed pasta

* Cookies and cakes made with white flour

3. Eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and flavonoids.

The five major classes of compounds that occur in fruits and vegetables as natural blocking agents against carcinogens are: phenols, indols, flavones, cumines, and isothiocyanates. These neutralizing agents prevent carcinogens from reaching critical target sites within the cell. Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods, especially onions and apples, has shown to protect against different forms of cancer. Such antioxidants as lycopene from tomatoes and beta-carotene from carrots and sweet potatoes inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and has shown to protect against cancers of the prostate, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum, esophagus (throat), mouth, breast, and cervix.

Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower have been associated with anticancer activity. These vegetables contain cancer-protective biochemicals that boost the immunity, block enzymes that guide carcinogens into healthy tissues, and prevent formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the intestines.

Best Fruit and Vegetables

- Cruciferous veggies broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower

- Lycopene-rich tomatoes, red grapefruit, watermelon, guava

- Beta-carotene-rich produce including winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes

- Citrus fruit such as oranges and grapefruit

- Berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

- Dark green, leafy veggies: spinach, romaine, kale, collards, Swiss chard

* Marinated sweetened fruit salads

* Canned vegetables with salt and preservatives

* Processed canned vegetable soups and stews

4. Eat a variety of protein from vegetable sources and lean meats.

Protein is extremely important for any cancer patient. It helps repair tissue damaged by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Protein also helps maintain a strong and healthy immune system, lowering risk of infection after aggressive cancer treatments. Protein is directly involved in maintaining your muscle tissue and keeping all internal organs functioning well. Unfortunately, muscle loss is very common in patients with cancer expressed in increased whole-body protein turnover, synthesis and catabolism. It has been estimated that whole-body protein turnover in cancer patients is 32% higher than in non-cancer patients, and 35% higher than in starved normal subjects. This means that to maintain daily function bodies of cancer patients use one third more protein for energy coming from the muscle tissue. So, eating enough protein and overall total energy is paramount

Since you are watching your fat intake, choosing low fat proteins over fat ones is not an option – it is a necessity. The best sources of complete protein are lean meats, fish and seafood, low-fat milk and dairy, and soybeans. Eating eggs was also highly protective, lowering risk of breast cancer by 44% compared to women consuming only 2 eggs a week. You may also try to go vegetarian for the duration of treatment and recovery.

A great source of vegetable protein for women is soy. It has cancer-fighting phytonutrients which inhibit the growth of new blood vessels necessary for tumor survival. Soy also blocks the carcinogenic effects of bile acids in the intestines and regulate the production of sex hormones. Soy seems to protect against the most common types of cancer, including lung, rectal, colon, stomach, prostate, and breast. Other options to get complete protein from a vegetarian diet include combinations of grains and legumes, such as rice and beans, lentils and corn, chickpeas and buckwheat. Vegetarian women who typically consume a low-fat high-fiber diet with high protein intake tend to have lower blood levels of estrogen, excrete more estrogen in their stools, and therefore are less prone to breast cancer.

It is generally recommended to stay away from red meats since they tend to be high in fat and populations who eat the most red meat have the highest incidence of colon cancer. To minimize damage, ask for extra lean beef and lamb at your local butcher.

Best Proteins

* Fish, especially cold-water fish, and seafood

* White chicken and turkey meat

* Eggs and low-fat dairy (in moderation)

* Soya, soybean products, tofu, tempeh

Worst Proteins

* Fatty cuts of beef, lamb and pork

* Mince meats and sausages

* Processed meat such as chicken roll, ham, hot dogs

5. Drink more pure filtered water, green tea, 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

Green tea, specifically its phytochemical catechin, has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. But remember that all teas contain a small amount of caffeine, which is diuretic. You need to drink plenty of fresh water to re-hydrate your body, averaging to 8 glasses a day. Juices also count for your total fluid intake and provide additional cancer-fighting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and are a delicious way to energize and nourish your healing body.

Avoid alcohol at all costs. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer by increasing estrogen levels, especially with aging. Alcohol is a toxin and may reduce detoxification or even deeper changes in cell function. While wine may have some potential cancer-protective effects, beer is thought to contain carcinogenic nitrosamines activated in the intestines.

Best Drinks

* Clean filtered water

* Tea, especially green tea

* Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices

* Wheat and barley grass juices

Worst Drinks

* Alcohol, particularly beer

* Colas and carbonated drinks

* Sweetened juices and cordials

Your body is an extremely busy machine managing millions of cell duplications every day. Like all mechanisms, the machine gets out of order when its master engine – the immune system- becomes exhausted by working overtime and fails to recognize damaging cells. Supporting your body with rest, exercise and good nutrition is one of many ways you can help your body fight this daily battle.

Breast Cancer Facts

* Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in Australian women

* Every day in Australia, over 30 women discover they have breast cancer

* Currently in Australia, 100 000 women, their families and friends have had to cope or are still coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer and its consequences

* 9 out of 10 women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease

* Age is the biggest risk factor in developing breast cancer – over 70% of cases occur in women over 50 years

* Women aged 50–69 who have a breast screen every two years can reduce their chance of dying from breast cancer by at least 30%

* Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women aged over 35 years - 29% of all cancers diagnosed

* The average age of diagnosis of breast cancer in women is 59 years

* During the period 1994 to 1998, the five year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer was 85 %

* Although we know of many factors that contribute to the risk of women getting breast cancer, the cause remains unknown.

For more information:

http://www.cancer.org.au/documents/Annual%20Report%202003%20FINAL.pdf

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