This document discusses the connection between lifestyle factors like diet and exercise and cancer risk. It states that following the American Institute for Cancer Research guidelines of eating a mostly plant-based diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity can lower cancer risk. Specifically, about 1/3 of common cancers may be prevented this way. The guidelines recommend choosing whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and limiting red meat. Getting 30 minutes per day of moderate activity is also recommended.

1. Understanding the Connection Between
a Healthy Lifestyle and Cancer
Holly Mills, MS,RD,CDN,CSO
NYU Clinical Cancer Center

2. Healthy Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention
 According to the American Institute for
Cancer Research (AICR), a combination of
a healthy diet, regular physical activity and
healthy body weight can lower your risk of
cancer
 Overall, about 1/3 of the most common
cancers in the US could be prevented by
following the AICR recommendations,
according to experts

3. Healthy Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention

4. AICR Guidelines for Cancer
Prevention
 Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat
and avoid processed meat
 Aim to be a healthy weight throughout life
 Be physically active every day in any way
for 30 minutes or more

5. Foods That Fight Cancer?
 No single food or food component can protect you
against cancer by itself. But scientists believe that
the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-
based diet may. There is evidence that the minerals,
vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could
interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer
effects
 Eating a predominantly plant based diet can help
prevent weight gain and protect against those
cancers whose risk is convincingly increased by
higher body fat. Such as cancers of colorectum,
esophagus, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and
breast in postmenopausal women

6. Plant Based Diet
 The American Institute for Cancer Research
(AICR) recommends to fill your plate with 2/3 or
more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans
and 1/3 or less with animal protein

7. Plant Based Diet
 Plant foods are vegetables, fruits, whole grains
(such as whole wheat bread and brown rice),
beans and legumes, nuts and seeds
 Provide substances that help keep us healthy
when eaten regularly
 Good sources of phytochemicals, vitamins,
minerals, and fiber

8. Phytochemicals
 Naturally occurring compounds that provide scent,
color and taste to protect the plants containing them
 Researchers have discovered hundreds of different
phytochemicals in plant foods that work to protect
our health by blocking the potential for cancer
causing substances to form in our bodies
 They also appear to strengthen our immune
systems, reduce inflammation and regulate
hormones. These improvements can lower cancer
risk

9. Vitamins
 Plant foods provide essential vitamins such as
vitamin K to help bones and blood clotting,
vitamin A for eyesight and Vitamin C for immunity
and wound healing

10. Minerals
 Minerals from foods are essential to good health
and research suggests some may be protective
against cancer
 Examples of minerals in plant foods include
calcium in dark leafy greens, selenium in whole
grains, magnesium in beans, and potassium in
spinach, sweet potatoes, winter squash and
bananas

11. The Colors of Health
 Fruits and vegetables are great sources of many
vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may
help protect you from chronic diseases
 To get a healthy variety, think color. Eating fruits and
vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide
range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium,
and vitamins A and C
 Some examples include green spinach, orange sweet
potatoes, blueberries, yellow peppers, purple plums, red
watermelon, and pineapple

12. Fiber
 Fiber rich plant foods contain hundreds of naturally
occurring plant substances called phytochemicals,
which help protect the body’s cells from damage that
may lead to cancer. They also provide essential
vitamins and minerals
 As part of a well balanced diet, eat at least 25 grams
of fiber each day from a variety of plant foods

13. Fitting More Plant Foods into Your
Diet
Tips for Breakfast:
 Whole grain cold cereal topped with fresh fruit.
Look for cereals with little added sugar/salt. Use
skim or 1% milk.
 Oatmeal sprinkled with crushed walnuts
 Whole wheat toast with natural cashew, almond or
peanut butter
 Vegetable omelet with bell peppers, mushrooms,
onion and spinach

14. Fitting More Plant Foods into Your
Diet
Tips for Lunch:
 Make a sandwich with whole grain bread or
pita filled with hummus, spinach, tomato and
onion
 Broth based soup with beans and vegetable
 Spinach salad topped with strawberries and
nuts. Add 3 oz of salmon for a heartier meal
 Spaghetti Squash with fresh tomato sauce
and diced chicken breast

15. Fitting More Plant Foods into Your
Diet
Tips for Dinner:
 Increase the amount of vegetables in mixed
dishes and casseroles
 When preparing burgers or meatloaf that call for
1lb of meat, cut that amount to three-quarters of
a pound and add 2/3 cup cooked brown rice,
quinoa, or barley
 Try a kidney bean and ground turkey chili
served with brown rice, broccoli and red
peppers
 Prepare lentils with onion, garlic, dijon mustard
and top with a piece of halibut or salmon

16. Fitting More Plant Foods into Your
Diet
 Visit a Greenmarket and stock up on fresh
fruit, vegetables, herbs and whole grain bread.
Go to http://www.grownyc.org/ourmarkets to
find a market near you
 Join a Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) program. Visit
http://www.justfood.org/csa to find a CSA in
your area

17. Healthy Cooking
 Register for a cooking class. Cook for Your Life and
the American Cancer Society offer hands-on cooking
classes at Hope Lodge. Classes are open to cancer
patients, survivors, and caregivers
 To register, email register@cfyl.org or call 212-799-
3894
 http://www.cookforyourlife.org

18. Aim to Be a Healthy Weight
 Weight control is essential to reducing
cancer risk. To maintain a healthy weight
you need to choose healthful foods in
reasonable portions and get at least 30
minutes or more of moderate physical
activity per day. As fitness improves, aim
for 60 minutes of physical activity each day

19. Portion Control and Weight
Management
 Oversize portions have become standard
in this country, and as a result, we have
lost our perspective on what a healthy
portion size should be
 According to the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute, portions have increased
significantly over the past 20 years

20. Portion Control and Weight
Management
20 years ago Today
Steamed Mocha latte
16 oz/ 350 kcal
Coffee whole milk /sugar
8oz/ 45cal
255 cal/ 3.5 in.
55 cal /1.5 inc
510 cal/4oz
210 cal/1.5 oz
500 cal 850 calories

21. Portion Control and Weight
Management
Tips for controlling portions:
 Use smaller bowls and plates. Smaller portions of
food will look bigger
 When reading Nutrition Facts labels, check serving
size first; that’s what all the other figures on the label
apply to. Some packages look like a single serving,
but actually have 2 or 3 servings

22. Portion Control and Weight
Management
 Pass on super-sized and value meals. They
have no value in weight control
 Restaurant meals and bakery items are usually
oversized, so save half the meal before you
begin or plan to share with a dining companion
 Use measuring cups to see what amount really
goes on your plate or bowl. Compare your
portions to the standard servings defined by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture

23. Portion Control and Weight
Management
Food Serving Looks Like
Chopped vegetables 1/2 cup ½ baseball or rounded handful
Raw, leafy vegetables 1 cup 1 baseball or fist full
Fresh fruit 1 small piece; ½ cup chopped 1 baseball; ½ baseball or rounded
handful
Dried fruit ¼ cup 1 golf ball or scant handful
Pasta, rice, cooked cereal ½ cup ½ baseball or rounded handful
Ready-to-eat cereal Varies from ¼ - 1 ¼ cup
Whole Wheat Bread 1 Slice
Whole Grain Crackers 5 crackers
Meat, poultry, seafood 3oz cooked Deck of cards
Dried beans ½ cup ½ baseball or rounded handful
Nuts 1/3 cup Level handful
Cheese 1oz 4 small dice or 1” cube
Milk 8 oz

24. New American Plate
 The New American Plate emphasizes the kinds of foods
that can reduce risk for disease. It also shows how to
enjoy all foods in sensible portions. It promotes a healthy
weight as just one part of an overall healthy lifestyle
 At the center of the New American Plate is a variety of
vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. These
foods are rich in substances that help keep us in good
health and protect against many types of cancer. They
are also naturally low in calories

25. Making the Transition
Stage 1: The Old American Stage 2: A Transitional Plate
Plate
Stage 3: The New American Plate Stage 4: Another Option

26. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 Scientist have found evidence to suggest physical
activity may play a role in reducing your risk for a
variety of cancers
 The link between physical activity and cancer
prevention is certain, but it isn’t clear exactly how
this connection works. Current research suggests
that some biological effects of physical activity may
play a role in cancer prevention:
- Reduces body fat
- Boosts the immune system
- Speeds up food transit time in the gut

27. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 AICR recommends moderate physical activity,
equivalent to brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes
per day. As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or
more of moderate activity or for 30 minutes or more
of vigorous activity every day
 “Physical Activity” includes much more than exercise
you might get at the gym or in a fitness class. Daily
activities like walking to the mailbox, lifting boxes at
work, sweeping and recreational activities like hiking
or cycling all count

28. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 Researchers are finding that sitting for long periods
of time can increase some of those same indicators
of cancer risk, even among people who exercise
daily
 Based on these research findings, AICR is urging
Americans to make time for physical activity and
break every hour of sitting with 1 to 2 minutes of
activity
 These breaks can be as simple as walking to a
colleague's office instead of sending an email or
going to the kitchen to get a glass of water

29. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention

30. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
Types of Activity:
 Aerobic activity also known as cardiovascular or
endurance activity is any activity that raises your heart
rate to an elevated but safe level and keeps it there for a
period of time
 Strength training involves working your muscles against a
weight or resistance to increase strength
 Stretching becomes especially important as you get
older, when activities like reaching above your head
become more difficult. A regular stretching program that
works your joints through their full range of motion can
help you to maintain independence as you age

31. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 Exercise intensity is the measure of how hard your
body is working during physical activity and is often
characterized as light, moderate or vigorous.
Intensity also depends on the difficulty level, such as
whether you are walking on a flat surface or uphill
 The true intensity for an activity will vary based on
your current fitness level. For example, when you
begin an exercise program, a 3mph walk may be a
vigorous activity; as you become more fit, the walk
will become easier for you to complete in less time
and may be considered a moderate intensity activity

32. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
The guide below will give you a general sense of the
intensity level for a variety of common activities:
Light Intensity Activities
 Walking, slowly
 Golf, powered cart
 Gardening or pruning
 Bicycling, leisurely
 Dusting or vacuuming
 Light stretching

33. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
Moderate Intensity Activities
 Walking, briskly (3.4 miles per hour)
 Golf, pulling or carrying clubs
 Swimming, recreational
 Tennis, Doubles
 Bicycling 5 to 9 mph, level terrain
 Scrubbing floors or washing windows
 Weight lifting machines, free weights or resistance
bands

34. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
Vigorous Intensity Activities
 Jogging or running (5 miles per hour)
 Swimming laps
 Tennis, Singles
 Bicycling >10mph, or on steep hills
 Moving or pushing furniture
 Circuit training with weight machines

35. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
Additional tips for increasing physical activity:
 Do housework yourself instead of hiring someone else to
do it
 Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding
mower doesn't count! Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick
up trash
 Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving. When
walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk and
choose a hilly route
 Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra
distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra
lap or two around the mall

36. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few
floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way
 Get off the bus or subway a few blocks early and walk the
rest of the way to work or home
 Make a date with a friend to enjoy your favorite physical
activities. Do them regularly
 Take dancing lessons
 If you are new to exercise and confused about how to
start, try walking. Walking is the simplest way to start and
continue an exercise regimen
 Choose activities you enjoy—think about variety to stay
motivated!

37. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 Search BeFitNYC for free and low-cost fitness
activities in New York City. Activities include walking
groups, fitness classes and swimming lessons
http:/
/www.nycgovparks.org/web/fitness/html/index.php

38. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
Moving For Life
 A program of dance exercise tailored for women
living with breast cancer. Classes are also open to
and beneficial for anyone dealing with other types of
cancers or similar physical challenges
 For more information, call 212-414-2921or visit
http://movingforlife.org/home.htm

39. Physical Activity and Cancer
Prevention
 In general, physical activity is considered by
researchers and oncologist as helpful for everyday
functioning and recovery. However, if you are a
cancer survivor, it is very important to check with
your health care provider before starting an exercise
program and to begin slowly

40. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition
and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention
 Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout
life
 Be as lean as possible throughout life without being
underweight
 Avoid excess weight gain at all ages. For those who
are overweight or obese, losing even a small amount
of weight has health benefits and is a good place to
start
 Get regular physical activity and limit intake of high-
calorie foods and drinks as keys to help maintain a
healthy weight
 Be physically active

41. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition
and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention
 Adults: Get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or
75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week (or a
combination of these), preferably spread throughout the
week
 Children and teens: Get at least 1 hour of moderate or
vigorous intensity activity each day, with vigorous activity
on at least 3 days each week
 Limit sedentary behavior such as sitting, lying down,
watching TV, and other forms of screen-based
entertainment
 Doing some physical activity above usual activities, no
matter what one’s level of activity, can have many health
benefits

42. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition
and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention
 Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant foods
 Choose foods and drinks in amounts that help you
get to and maintain a healthy weight
 Limit how much processed meat and red meat you
eat
 Eat at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each
day
 Choose whole grains instead of refined grain
products
 If you drink alcohol, limit your intake
 Drink no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2

43. Additional Resources
 American Institute for Cancer Research- www.aicr.org
 American Cancer Society- www.cancer.org
 American Dietetic Association- www.eatright.org
 National Cancer Institute (NCI)- www.cancer.gov
 USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center-
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
 American Heart Association-
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Nutritio
nCenter
 Eating Well- http://www.eatingwell.com
 Cooking Light- http://www.cookinglight.com

44. QUESTIONS