Many different things can happen at different stages of our lives in the biological cocktail of our bodies. We cannot predict exactly what’s ahead, which is why it’s important to follow a healthy lifestyle that minimises risk of illness and disease.
Eating at certain times of the day can shift the way you feel and live—and that includes preventing or mitigating health issues, from cancer to heart disease to hormonal imbalances. Whether or not you consider yourself high risk for disease, here are tips for making food part of your holistic approach to a long, healthy life.
Cancer in the family
We have all seen—or lived with—the effects of cancer, and have witnessed how it can very quickly or very slowly change our lives. Cancer is a complex disease, and many factors play a role in its development, from genetics to lifestyle choices (smoking and excessive sun are two major ones, of course).
Given all this, though we cannot say that eating certain foods can cure or all-out prevent cancer, certain nutritional steps can help decrease cancer risks. Many foods and nutrients have been linked to lower cancer rates because of the role they play in the body.
In fact, an analysis of research by Cancer Research UK indicates that just a few lifestyle changes—maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, cutting back on alcohol, not smoking, enjoying the sun safely, and keeping active—can prevent four in 10 cancers.
Vegetables, fortified with many good-for-you compounds and nutrients, are nature’s best protective medicine, especially served raw or lightly cooked (sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil is our favourite). Coffee and tea may also be helpful in fending off cancer; both are full of antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids that have been linked with lower risk of the disease.
Red and processed meat (ham, bacon, salami, and sausage), on the other hand, are linked to big-time increases in cancer rates, mostly because of the chemicals they contain, according to scientists.
Fortifying our skeletons
Our movement is a complex orchestra of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues; our brain is the conductor. Compromises between any of those body parts can play a role in how easily you move, and whether pain is involved.
In addition to holding us up and protecting our vital organs, bones serve vital chemical roles: They store nutrients and help produce blood and stem cells. But bones are built in a honeycomb-like structure (think of the Eiffel Tower) whose density becomes compromised as we age.