Hello, March! It is time to bloom and grow! I am sooo ready for the gorgeous spring weather, are you as excited as I am? Not only March is the beginning of spring season, it is also the month of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s take this opportunity to talk about the healthy tips for reducing colon cancer risk. The lifestyles to lower the risk of colon cancer, it is really not as complicated as you thought. If you have followed our VegUp blog here frequently, you will be very familiar with the recommended eating pattern. The suggested healthy lifestyle tips for lowering the risk of colon cancer, are:
Maintaining healthy weight. Research shows excess body fat leads to elevated levels of insulin, which promotes cell growth and inhibits apoptosis (self-destruction of abnormal cells); as well as causes chronic inflammation.
Being physically active: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly and limit sedentary habits. Based on CDC (2023), ‘“Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity means you're working hard enough to breathe harder, raise your heart rate, and break a sweat. You'll notice that you'll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song.”’
Diet
Limit intake of red and processed meats: it is recommended to consume no more than 12-18 oz per week of red meat. And, we should treat processed meats as food for special occasions only.
Avoid or limit intake of alcohol (all types): it is recommended to consume no more than ONE drink per day for women, or no more than TWO drinks per day for men.
Limit intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, highly processed food, and refined carbohydrates: this category of food links to unintentional weight gain.
Increased consumption of dietary fiber intake: it is recommended to incorporate a variety of dietary fiber in our daily diet, like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and pulses. To obtain a better outcome for lowering colon cancer risk, it is recommended to consume at least 30 grams fiber daily (FYI: 1 cup of cooked black beans equivalent to 15 g fiber, ½ cup of dried old fashioned oats equivalent to 4g fiber). The studies show the dietary fiber helps to protect colon cells, as well as support for protective, butyrate-producing bacteria in gut microbiome.
I hope through the above discussions, I am able to help answer some of your doubts about colon cancer and lifestyles here. See, there is nothing new about a healthy lifestyle. We do not need fancy tools or ideas to be healthy. The way to be healthy is COMMITMENT/DEDICATION, DETERMINATION, and a little bit CURIOSITY (to new healthy food/recipes). Now, who is ready to make some DE-LI-CIOUS meals?! I am ready to share with you some recipes that are great for colon health (especially lowering colon cancer risk).
Chia Pudding with Yogurt (3 flavors): Do you need some ideas for light, nutritious breakfast on-the-go? Then, do consider this chia pudding. I have to admit some of the flavors of these chia pudding are kinda bold, but if you are like me who is always ready for new challenges, please feel free to try ‘em and share with your friends and family this delicious chia pudding. You can either make this recipe completely plant-based or with dairy, but I mixed my chia seeds with regular milk and greek yogurt. This recipe is adapted from Feasting at Home.
Breakfast Cookies: There was a hiccup when I made these cookies, thanks to my accent and my Alexa heard me wrong. Instead of setting a 13-minute timer, my Alexa set a 30-minute baking time. LOL! When I realized the timer was set wrongly, the cookies were already in 20-minutes baking time. BUT…. They still taste great even though they are slightly overbaked. These cookies are packed with flavor and they are super filling! The recipe inspired by Feasting at Home.
Mexican-inspired Burrito Bowl (video included in March cooking video): Why pay so much for breakfast on weekends, when you can easily make this mouth-watering satisfying breakfast bowl to share with your family. We make our own turkey chorizo here from scratch (can be made ahead of time), to go with this our breakfast burrito bowl, it is way leaner and healthier! The recipe is adapted from Feasting at Home. Thank you chef Colby for testing out this recipe.
Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing: Nothing tastes better than some prep salad from scratch, PLUS, this salad incorporates crispy baked sweet potatoes and chickpeas! The recipe is inspired by Half-baked Harvest.
Cauliflower Steak with Romesco Sauce and Lentils: Cauliflower steak was once a hit, seems like everyone (I met) was talking about it. I think the key to this recipe is the great pair of Romesco sauce with Cauliflower and lentils. The recipe adapted from Feasting at Home.
Crispy Sesame Tofu Grain Bowl: I am craving for some tasty asian-inspired dinner, but kinda lazy to spend too much time preparing it. As I was browsing for ideas, I found this crispy sesame tempeh bowl. Because tempeh is not available at the store or my house, I made an easy swap with tofu. I am kinda bored with the rice, therefore I cooked quinoa instead for my grain bowl! To complete my crispy “tofu” bowl, I added some quick stir-fried shredded carrots, purple cabbage, red bell pepper, and broccoli. Last component of my grain bowl is the creamy avocado. The recipe inspired by Feasting at Home.
Happy cooking everyone!
References
Collins, K. (2021). Cancer nutrition: Early-onset colorectal cancer. Today’s Dietitian, 23(8), 12. Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1021p12.shtml
Palmer, S. (2008). The top fiber-rich foods list. Today’s Dietitian, 10(7), 28. Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/063008p28.shtml
U.S. Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), 2023. Physical activity basics: what counts as physical activity for adults. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/adding-adults/what-counts.html
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