CANSA says leading a balanced lifestyle can help lower the cancer risk and agrees with the World Cancer Research Fund – people can reduce their cancer risk in one third of cancer cases, by simply combining a wholesome eating programme, maintaining a healthy body weight and remaining physically active.

Being overweight or obese is linked to a higher risk of several cancers. Many people in South Africa are overweight, including children and teens. In fact, we have the highest occurrence of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa, with 42 percent women and 13 percent men carrying this label, while 7 percent of boys and 9.6 of percent girls present as obese. So our message is to eat smart to lessen the cancer risk, advises Elize Joubert, CANSA CEO.

CANSA recommends the following smart nutrition tips:

1. Have less high sugar content food and beverages on an ongoing basis.
2. Eat little, if any, processed meat such as ham and bacon and eat no more than 500 g (cooked weight) red meat (beef, pork, lamb) per week. Instead, consume other protein sources such as fish, poultry or beans.
3. On a daily basis eat a minimum of 2.5 cups of vegetables and fruit. These are complex foods that contain beneficial vitamins, minerals, fibre, carotenoids, and other bioactive substances, that may help avert cancer.
4. Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products.
5. Eat less salt and limit salt intake to below 6 g (2.4g sodium) a day.

Information taken from Cansa. 

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