Snappy Article Gives Tips From Epidemiologists For a Healthy Summer
And A Healthy Life
An attention-grabbing
article, written in colloquial language, from the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Center has consulted with in-house epidemiologists at the
Center to dispense some health advice for the summer and beyond.
According to the article, “our epidemiologists have spent decades
studying the exposures that increase our risk of cancer,
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. They've painstakingly
sifted through data to understand what drives disease and what cuts it
off at the knees.”
In the article, staff
writer Diane Mapes quotes epidemiologists and dispenses advice
in a fun to read manner.
The article, in a
slightly edited version, is reprinted below with permission.
Disease-Squelching
Science Tips
It’s hard not to sound shamey, blamey and preachy — three of the
lesser-known Dwarves — when you talk about cancer prevention. So many
of the culprits that public health researchers point to are baked into
our behaviors.
Red meat and starchy
potatoes at our meals? A little sunbathing come summer? White
chocolate mocha Frappuccino? Surely, that can’t be all that bad, can
it? In moderation, no. In excess — absolutely.
But scientists aren’t
trying to make you feel guilty when they tell you to drop a few pounds
or skip that second martini. They’re just sharing the data. Disease
prevention hinges on data gathered through good science.
And here at Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, we’re all about the good science.
Sure, disease is sometimes driven by a wonky bit of inherited DNA
(thanks, Mom and Dad!) or some biological misfiring we’ve yet to fully
understand, but it’s also true that a lot of it is brought about by
our exposures, our behaviors and, yes, our choices (and you bet that
gets complicated when a choice is dictated by addiction, as with
smoking).
Choose mindfully and
you can substantially curb your risk for those four horsemen of poor
health — cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
And that can feel
pretty darn empowering. As in cutting cancer risk by 30
to 50 percent empowering, per the latest World Cancer
Research Fund report. And the stuff that kicks cancer risk to the curb
usually helps fend off the other diseases, as well.
Want to
make this your healthiest summer yet? Empower yourself — and your
loved ones — with some disease-squelching science and practical
prevention tips from our public health researchers.
1. Feast on fruits and vegetables
These colorful cancer
fighters are everywhere during summer — and that bounty usually means
prices are lower, too. Hit the local farmers market and stock up on
all kinds and all colors.
Those that are richest
in hue — like kale, spinach, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes and peppers —
contain vitamin A, which can help keep cells healthy.
And fruits, such as
berries and vitamin-C-rich oranges, grapefruit and kiwi are not only
great for breakfast, snacks and dessert, they contain important cancer-fighting
phytonutrients,
as well.
Want to kick the legs
out from underneath chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular
disease? Make vegetables, not meat, the center of most meals: they
fill you up and can literally cut risk for some cancers, like
prostate, nearly
in half.
Eat them raw, throw a bunch on the backyard grill, or make a soup and
freeze it for fall.
Hutch epidemiologist Dr.
Holly Harris said
she tries to get her kids involved when making her summer selections.
"We like to go to farmers markets and find that our kids are more
likely to eat vegetables that they've picked out themselves."
2. Stay safe in the sun
Nearly 5
million U.S. adults are
treated every year for all types of skin cancer (at a cost of $8.1
billion). And the rate of melanomas, the deadliest form, has doubled
since 1982, enough to nudge the surgeon general into a call to action
to prevent skin cancer.
But we are hardly
powerless in the face of these statistics; most
of these cancers are preventable by
simply covering up.
"Dermatologists don’t
give wiggle room to avoid sunscreen," said Fred Hutch epidemiologist
(and author)
Dr. Anne McTiernan. "They want people to use it every day, even
for walking between buildings."
Find a broad-spectrum
sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention recommends applying a
thick layer of that sunscreen that’s at least SPF 15 before going
outside, even on cloudy or cool days. McTiernan and
the American Cancer Society recommend SPF
30. Also, be mindful that some sunscreens are harmful
to coral reefs and
may even be banned in certain places. Sunscreen should be reapplied
after
two hours in the sun or after swimming, sweating or using a towel
. Other pro tips: stay in the shade, wear clothing that covers your
skin, wear a wide-brimmed hat or use a parasol or “sun-brella.”
Also, stay away from
tanning beds (and make sure you teach your kids to avoid them, too).
And wear sunglasses to protect those beautiful peepers.
3. Lean into lean meat and meatless meals
While plants are the
bomb, red meats and processed meats like ham, bologna, bacon and hot
dogs aren’t doing our cells, our arteries or our colons any favors.
The World
Health Organization has classified red meat (that’s beef,
veal, pork, lamb, mutton and any other red muscle meat) as “probably
carcinogenic” due to its link to colorectal, prostate and pancreatic
cancer. Processed meats are even more problematic. According to Dr.
Marian Neuhouser,
head of Fred Hutch’s Cancer Prevention Program, they’re “higher in
fat, very high in sodium … and contain curing agents such as nitrites
that have been shown to be detrimental.”
Not-so-fun fact: For
every 50 grams of processed, preserved or cured meat eaten per day
— that’s about two slices of bacon, by the way — you’re bumping up
your risk for colorectal cancer by 16 percent.
If you’re a
meat-eater, try to focus on chicken or fish; they both cook up great
on an outdoor grill and don’t come with the same risks. If you must
have red meat, limit your intake to just three small portions a week.
Pro tip: Make meat more of an understudy than the star of your meal by
tucking it into a stir-fry, kebob or savory summer salad.
You can also deliver a
powerful preventive punch to cancer by not going ga-ga with your
grilling. According to McTiernan (and many other experts), “very high
heat seems to release carcinogens.”
4. Be a good (summer) sport
What’s the absolute
best way to cut your risk for at least 13 cancers (including
recurrence) as well as just about every other chronic disease out
there? Move that body.
Summer is the perfect
time to get active. Swimming, skating, paddleboarding, biking, hiking,
kayaking, softball, potato sack races — the choices are almost
unlimited. (Just don’t forget the sunscreen if you’re active outside.)
National fitness guidelines call for only 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week for adults. That’s
just 30 minutes of movement, five days a week.
“That can be
accomplished with a daily 30-minute walk,” said McTiernan. “You do not
need to be an athlete. You don’t even need to buy expensive shoes.”
Guidelines also
recommend a bit of strength training a couple of times a week.
Research also shows
that moving your body on a regular basis cuts stress, improves sleep,
boosts your mood and helps you lose weight. As McTiernan recently put
it,
“if you’re taking a walk, or pedaling on a stationary bike or doing an
elliptical machine, you’re not stuffing your face with food.”
Need some motivation
(or accountability)? Keep a fitness journal, sign up for classes
and/or partner with a buddy — or your entire family — for walks and
workouts.
5. Drink up … but skip the booze and sugary sodas
Believe it or not,
alcohol is not the best drink for your body. Even small amounts of
beer, wine or hard liquor can bump your risk for a host of cancers,
according to the
latest report from
the American Institute for Cancer Research, which McTiernan helped to
compile. Reduce your alcohol intake and you’ll fend off other chronic
illnesses too, like cardiovascular and fatty liver disease.
This is not new news,
of course. Consistently, research shows
that the more you drink, the higher your risk of cancer (heavy
drinkers face a particularly high risk of liver, throat and mouth, and
colorectal cancers). But it’s one of those “preachy” findings that we
tend to conveniently forget every time happy hour rolls around.
If you do drink, try
to stick with no more than one drink a day (5 ounces of wine, 12
ounces of beer, one shot of hard liquor).
As for that
sugar-sweetened stuff — soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened
waters, even fruit juice? They all contain sugars or syrups so they’re
problematic, too.
“If you want to make
one change in dietary habit that will clearly benefit you with regard
to the reduction of disease, it’s reducing your intake of
sugar-sweetened beverages like fruit drinks, energy drinks and soda,”
said the Hutch’s Dr.
Mario Kratz,
who studies what food and drink does to our bodies.
What should you drink instead? Water, first and foremost. Unsweetened
iced tea or lemonade can work, too. Cucumber mocktails? Watermelon
slushies? Grab some refreshing summer fruit, some ice cubes and
seltzer water and get creative with your blender.
Just don't forget to
toast yourself and your smarts before you drink to that good health.
The Tips In A
Nutshell
LEAN INTO LEAN MEAT!
Focus on lean meats – mainly chicken or fish
Avoid highly processed meats (bologna, bacon)
Limit red meats to three small portions/week
Don’t cook red meat at very high temps
THINK GREEN (AND RED
AND ORANGE AND YELLOW)!
Shoot for 9 daily servings of fruits and
vegetables
Eat them raw or cooked
All kinds and all colors
Make veggies the star of the meal
MOVE YOUR BODY!
At least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic
activity a day
Don’t forget the strength-training
Whatever exercise you will do is what works
Buddy up to keep yourself accountable
LESS BOOZE, MORE
MOCKTAILS!
Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks (like soda or
energy drinks)
Limit the booze to one drink a day, if possible
One drink = 5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer or one shot of hard
liquor
Get creative with fruity mocktails and summer slushies
BE SMART IN THE SUN!
Stay in the shade when you can
Cover up — with clothes or sunscreen
Use broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays
Go for a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15
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