I know you think your potato chip habit will be to blame should you experience a breast cancer recurrence, but I’m here to tell you, nutrition doesn’t work that way.
While it’s common to focus on eating/not eating individual foods as a way to “manage” your recurrence risk (especially foods you eat regularly), I want to encourage you to view your diet with a healthy, balanced perspective.
In order to do that, it’s critical to learn about and understand the impact of your dietary pattern, let’s get into it!
DIETARY PATTERN DEFINED
Dietary pattern is your pattern of eating and drinking over time, such as over one week, one month, or one quarter. One single meal or food is NOT representative of your overall dietary pattern, although I realize it can certainly feel that way!
This is a concept I teach in my Peaceful Plate program, and I can’t overemphasize how important it is for you to understand it.
What fans the flames of your food panic, worry, or fear is that you think whatever you’re eating or drinking, at any time, will make your breast cancer come back.
There’s a common tendency to drill down to single foods or beverages as the culprit in causing a recurrence. Why? Because when you’re trying to manage food fears, it feels empowering to place all the blame on foods you can name.
If you can name it, identify it and avoid it. . .you’ll keep yourself safe, right?
Here’s an example of that thinking: “I have a sweet tooth and I especially love chocolate chip cookies. I know eating so much sugar isn’t good for me after my cancer, and I’m afraid my love of sweets will lead to getting cancer again.”
While I’m not going down the sugar and cancer rabbit hole in this post, you can click here to read what I’ve written about that topic.
What I want to point out is that focusing only on the sugar in chocolate chip cookies is myopic thinking.
FOODS THAT INCREASE RISK
Yes, there are certain foods associated with increased cancer risk; i.e. alcohol and processed meats.
Alcohol increases the risk of several cancers (including breast), and processed meats (sausage, ham, bacon, hot dogs, salami) when eaten regularly, increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Having said that, it’s still necessary to look at an individual pattern of drinking the booze or eating the processed meats to get a sense of whether or not you’re following a healthy or potentially risky pattern.
And even when we DO identify dietary patterns, it’s still not possible to point to a single food or beverage as the “culprit” in a breast cancer recurrence, even as much as you’d like to blame all the cheese and crackers you “stress eat” to manage your fear.
In survivorship, the goal is to eat to support your breast and overall health, as well as manage your recurrence risk. Regardless of the type of diet you choose, there’s no guarantee of no recurrence, but research does show an association between a healthy dietary pattern and a positive impact on potentially reducing recurrence risk.
WHAT SHOULD YOUR DIETARY PATTERN LOOK LIKE?
My number one tip is to put more plants on your plate. The goal is to fill ⅔ of your plate with veggies, fruits, whole grains and beans (legumes, peas and lentils), and fill ⅓ or less with animal protein.
Focus on your pattern of eating over time; is your typical eating pattern filled with produce, plant-based protein, nuts and seeds, fiber and real, whole foods?
If yes, you’re on track.
If not, start today! Keep it simple, such as adding one cup of veggies at dinner and an extra serving of fruit during your day.
And remember. . .a healthy dietary pattern doesn’t mean a perfect dietary pattern.
Perfection isn’t possible, but doing a little bit better than you did yesterday is!
APPLY TODAY & JOIN US!
The Peaceful Plate program is your after-breast cancer cure for food panic, overwhelm and confusion. Do you want the nutrition information you need to progress forward? Are you ready to feel confident in your eating plan and stop worrying daily about the food you put into your mouth? Then take the next step; click here, watch my 2-minute informational video and apply today. I can’t wait to help you start eating with peace, not panic, and enjoying your food again. xo
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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your dietitian or doctor for guidance specific to your needs.
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