Mediterranean diets and taking small steps towards better health

In May, a study was published indicating that women who follow a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of uterine cancer. While more research is needed, the study is consistent with other reports and reinforces data that support the overall benefits of a balanced diet.

In fact, many components of the Mediterranean diet comply with American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) guidelines, which recommend limiting processed foods, red meat, and alcohol, and working toward a healthy weight, especially if you’re overweight or obese. Therefore, it is important to start making healthy lifestyle choices, no matter where you are in the life path.

Changing your eating and exercise habits can sometimes be difficult. With the current proliferation of fast food burgers and fries seemingly on every corner, we need to exercise discipline and can start by making one healthy decision at a time. Without changing your diet completely, you can still reap the benefits of some small dietary changes. For example, choosing air-popped popcorn over French fries or eating strawberries dipped in Greek yogurt and sprinkled with cinnamon instead of ice cream are two little adjustments you can make.

These low-calorie options meet the standards of the AICR Guidelines and also provide your body with more nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. Other examples include substituting ground beef for lean ground turkey in stuffed peppers and tacos. During the summer months, you can enjoy a quick and easy side dish by roasting seasoned vegetables and herbs in tin foil. My favorite is the red potatoes with red onions, green peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon garlic powder. The best part? No dishes, simple cleaning.

In terms of physical activity, research shows that excess body fat, especially to the point of obesity, increases blood levels of insulin and related hormones that can stimulate cancer growth. Therefore, lifestyle changes should include both diets and physical activity . One way to implement these lifestyle modifications is to set realistic goals, such as walking 20 minutes a day, and then increase the time or intensity when exercise becomes easy.

With the right mindset, we can make healthy choices every day, and this includes trying the Mediterranean diet. Start small and work your way up. you can do that!

Find out why good nutrition is especially important in the fight against cancer.