By Sarah Smith

Changing your diet after breast cancer and treatments can be as crucial to your well-being as the medicine itself. Unfortunately, you cannot alter your family history, but you can alter the way you eat. A proper diet can help reduce the risk of cancer (to learn more about breast cancer, please check out this page) while other foods are ones you should avoid if at all possible.

Breast augmentation can help rebuild what cancer tried to destroy, and the breast clinic can help you find support for the mental aspect of dealing with life after breast cancer. However, the need to change your lifestyle and nutrition is great than ever.

Since most cases of breast cancer are not genetically linked, one can conclude that nutrition and lifestyle factors play a huge role in recovery and reducing a relapse.

In order to help lower the risk of cancer, below you will find five different foods you should eat and five foods you need to avoid when you can.

Add these foods to your diet!

1. Olive Oil – Extra Virgin
Olive oil if full of antioxidants that reduce your risk and phytonutrients, such as squalene. Squalene prevents the growth of tumors and offers a greater content of monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated will not oxidize inside of your body.

Try adding two tbs. of this oil daily to your food intake. Add it to salads or whole wheat breads for taste.

2. Cruciferae vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are packed with phytonutrients which halt the spreading of cancer and new cancer cells from developing. Phytonutrients also move estrogen-metabolism, which forces the body to produce estrogen that will not initiate breast cancer. Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Broccoli Rabe, Kale, and Cabbage are the veggies to add to your daily diet.

3. Vegetables that are dark green and leafy
Leafy vegetables are chock-full of folate which is a vitamin B that supports your DNA. Lower levels of the folate you can find in darker and leafy greens is said to increase your risks. Pick kale and spinach, as the darker leaves on these greens, is the best.

4. Fatty-Fish
Females consuming supplements with fish oil lowered their risk of breast cancer by nearly 33 percent. Fattier fish offers omega-3 fatty acids – decreasing inflammation and protecting your body. Chronic inflammation is believed to encourage the development of breast cancer. East two 3.5-ounces of fatty fish like tuna, salmon, or mackerel every week.

5. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are filled with a potent antioxidant called lycopene, giving tomatoes their red coloring but protecting you from the growth of new cancer cells — best sources are tomato sauces, canned tomatoes, and paste. Eating tomato pasta is now good for you!

Stay away from these foods to reduce your risk of cancer.

1. Red meats
Red meats contain amino acids which can kindle the making of insulin and cause oxidation in your body — both known to elevate your risk of breast cancer.

2. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is thought to elevate the levels of estrogen in a woman’s body – thought to increase breast cancer risk.

3. Vegetable-based oils
Vegetable oils – safflower, soybean, corn, and sunflower are known to be higher in polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats can increase oxidation which increase the development of cancer.

4. Sugary Sweets
According to research, a diet that is higher in refined carbohydrates — found in sweets — is linked to higher blood glucose which forces your body to release more insulin – elevating levels of estrogen, and increasing the risk of future breast cancer.

5. Processed meats
Compounds found as preservatives in meats that are processed – bacon, deli meats, hot dogs or ham –change into compounds causing cancer in your body.