3. Eat plenty of fiber.
Eating a diet with plenty of high fiber foods lowers the risk of colorectal cancer. For every 10 grams of fiber coming from foods daily – slightly less than a cup of beans – the risk of colorectal cancer is reduced by 10 percent.
What To Do: Move to the AICR New American Plate way of eating: fill two-thirds or more of your plate with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts and no more than one-third with animal protein such as poultry or lean red meat.
4. Cut the red meat; avoid the processed.
The report found that regularly eating high amounts of red meat and even small amounts of processed meat increases colorectal cancer risk. Even processed meats in small amounts, eaten regularly, increase the risk. Processed meats include hot dogs, bacon, sausage and deli meats.
Starting Step: Limit red meat consumption to 18 ounces per week – roughly the equivalent of five or six small cooked portions of beef, lamb or pork – and avoid processed meat. Try fresh roasted chicken breast, hummus or peanut butter for sandwiches.
5. Go moderate on the alcohol.
The evidence is convincing that drinking alcohol increases colorectal cancer risk in men and it probably increases the risk in women. When it comes to cancer risk, the best advice is: If you don’t drink, don’t start. For people who do drink, AICR recommends limiting alcohol to no more than two standard drinks daily for men; one for women.
What To Do: Become aware of how much a standard drink is by measuring the following amounts and pouring it into your glassware: 5 ounces of wine, 12 oz. beer and 1.5 ounces of liquor.
6. Enjoy plenty of garlic.
Evidence suggests that regularly including garlic in a diet reduces the risk of colorectal cancer.
What To Do: Add chopped garlic to stews, stir-fries, vegetables and roasted meats. Chop the garlic then wait 10-15 minutes before cooking in order to activate the health-promoting ingredients.