By Joe Malan, Staff Writer
Staying healthy while fighting breast cancer can be challenging for some women, especially with an abundance of fried food at low prices.
That’s why Deirdre Postier recommends a simple method for women to eat healthy during that stressful time.
“We need to have a food rainbow on our plate,” said Postier, who is a registered and licensed dietitian at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
By a food rainbow, Postier means eating a balanced diet including five full servings of both fruits and vegetables each day, whole grain foods and foods rich in Omega-3.
With that balanced diet, women can limit fat intake.
“We really want to decrease that,” Postier said. She said obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer, meaning the more one weighs, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer.
Considering a daily intake of calories, only 30 percent of those should come from fat, Postier said. A beneficial form of fat — Omega-3 —can be found in a lot of cold-water fish, including tuna and salmon, Postier said. The nutritious oils are in canola oil, ground flax and walnuts.
Women fighting breast cancer should eat around 48 grams of whole grains per day. Foods high in whole grain include bread, cereal and pasta.
Fiber also is important. Women with breast cancer should take in 25 to 35 grams of fiber every day.
Vitamins like C and Beta Caro-tene help clean the bloodstream, which rids the body of elements contributing to cancer’s spread.
Though all these nutrients mentioned have proven to help women with breast cancer the reasons why mostly are unknown, Postier said.
“(On some) they’re not sure what the link is. It’s this group who followed this diet had a decreased risk (of breast cancer),” she said.
One thing women should avoid while fighting breast cancer is soy, a plant estrogen, though it’s good for other medical conditions, she said. That includes tofu, soy nuts, soy milk and veggie burgers.
Alcohol should be avoided, or minimized, in a diet.
“All women, if they want to drink, should have no more than one serving of alcohol per day,” Postier said.
That equates to 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 11/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
In addition to a good diet, women fighting breast cancer should exercise often.
“Physical activity can affect hormonal levels (in a good way).”
