Healthy Diets
Vegetables and Fruits
No surprise here! Eating more vegetables and fruits can also help lead you down
the path to better heart health, as well as reduce cancer risk – including cancers
of the lung, mouth, esophagus, stomach, and colon. Vegetables and fruits are packed
with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and many other substances, which together
account for their beneficial effect. Because it is not known which of these components
is most protective against chronic diseases, the best advice is to eat at least
five servings of vegetables and fruits each day, especially those with the most
color, as they tend to be packed with the most nutrients. What about supplements?
There’s no evidence that supplements can beat the benefits of eating whole foods
– so enjoy those vegetables and fruits each day.
Fat
For years, we’ve heard that our breakfast, lunch, and dinner table should focus
on low-fat foods. The tables have turned a bit, however. Current evidence suggests
that it may well be the type of fat in the diet, rather than the total amount of
fat, that is most important to consider. Limiting saturated fat is particularly
important to reduce risk of both cancer and heart disease. Choosing lean meats and
lower-fat dairy products, and substituting vegetable oils (like canola and olive)
for butter or lard can help reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat.
One thing to keep in mind—foods high in fat are frequently high in calories, so
it’s still a good idea to choose low-fat foods to help limit the amount of calories
you consume.