YOU DOCS | Load up on fruits, veggies; avoid saturated, trans fats
I recently had a cancerous tumor removed from my breast, and I've been wondering if there are certain foods to avoid as part of my recovery. Can you help?
A. The same foods you'd eat to keep your body as healthy as possible are the ones you should rely on now. Stay far, far away from saturated fats and trans fats (there's inconclusive evidence on their effects on breast cancer, but you should be staying away from them anyway). Keep your distance from refined sugars and flours, too; they're thought to increase cell growth in all types of cancer.
Instead, hang out in the produce section of your grocery. It's filled with disease-fighting, immune-boosting foods. Load up on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, arugula and cauliflower; these turn on a gene that makes the protein GSTM1, which causes breast cancer cells to die.
And when it comes to breast cancer, alcohol isn't an ally. Two daily drinks raise a woman's risk for the first occurrence of the most common types of breast cancer by 32 percent.
Q. I recently learned that I'm a borderline diabetic. I've been making some changes to help manage my blood sugar, including switching from refined grains to whole ones, but I'm not sure about my favorite food: cheese. Can it raise my blood sugar?
A. It doesn't spike your blood sugar like refined grains and/or junk food do, but that doesn't mean you're free to pile it on. Full-fat dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, cream, milk (even 2 percent milk) and sour cream are high in calories. They're also high in artery-harming fats.
Being prediabetic (or diabetic) puts one at a higher risk for heart disease to begin with, so you need to be extra careful about your cheese quota. Keep it to low- or no-fat cheeses, and find other ways to add flavor and texture to your food. There are plenty!
Q. What are your thoughts on using melatonin to help with sleep?
A. Ahh, the air traveler's best friend. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain that helps regulate your body's sleep/wake cycle. Taken in supplement form, it often helps bring on sleep in people with jet lag or mild sleep problems (assuming you've tried the usual "good sleep hygiene" solutions, including making sure your room is dark and cool). The typical melatonin dose is between 0.5 and 5 milligrams; start at the low end, and if you need to increase it, do so gradually over a few nights until you find the level that works.
To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.
King Features Syndicate
