Diet for the Worksite

April is National Cancer Awareness Month. The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends eating a healthy phytochemical-rich diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight to reduce cancer risk by 30%. Too busy at work to adhere to these guidelines?Just follow these suggestions on the job to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease.1. Breakfast at your deskA whole grain blueberry muffin is a great source of cancer- fighting fiber and anthocyanin (antioxidant). Eat it with an orange to add the antioxidant Vitamin C and folic acid while sipping on your morning cup of polyphenol (antioxidant)-rich green tea.2. Drink plenty of waterDrinking 6-8 cups of water during the day not only keeps you hydrated but also decreases you risk of bladder cancer.3. Brown bag itA brown bag lunch of tuna fish salad on whole wheat bread provides cancer-fighting omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Add low sodium V-8 or tomato juice for the powerful antioxidant lycopene. Round it off with a cup of high vitamin C strawberries and low fat vanilla yogurt topped with ground flaxseed. Yogurt is calcium rich, which may help ward off colon cancer, and flaxseeds are a source of the phytoestrogen lignan and omega 3 fatty acids, which decrease the risk of breast and prostate cancer.4. Order it healthyWhen ordering out for lunch, order salad with the olive oil and vinegar dressing on the side. Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats and contains phytochemicals and Vitamin E that may help ward off breast and colon cancer. Add onions to the salad for a good source of allium, which may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.5. Make the right choiceIf you're lucky enough to go out for lunch start with lentil or minestrone soup which are high in fiber, folic acid and other antioxidant vitamins. Folic acid is not only good for your heart but may decrease the risk of colon cancer. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are good vegetable choices, high in isothiocyanates and indoles, which boost the body's cancer-fighting enzymes. For your entree, baked salmon, high in omega-3's, or grilled marinated tofu, high in the isoflavones genistein and daidzein, are good choices to help prevent breast and prostate cancer. Note: Your entree should only fill 1/4 of your plate.For dessert, order the fruit cup with berries (blueberries, raspberries, & strawberries) which are high in anthocyanins (antioxidants).Just a reminder when eating in restaurants: watch out for those portions to maintain your weight!6. Snack wellSnack on roasted soy nuts, which are high in prostate fighting isoflavones. Also try dried apricots, rich in beta-carotene or Brazil nuts which are high in the antioxidant selenium.7. Move itKeep moving on the job! Instead of emailing your coworker, walk down the hall to give him or her the message. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or go out for a walk at lunchtime. Exercise helps to boost your immune system and maintains your weight to fight cancer and other diseases.8. Skip the smokeAlthough not a nutritional suggestion, skip the cigarettes at break time to decrease the risk of lung and upper digestive tract cancers.By Sandy Hernandez, MS,RD