Dr. Cynara Coomer Lays Down 7 Rules to Cancer Free Life

Dr. Cynara Coomer

Dr. Cynara Coomer is not only a Fox News Health Contributor and an assistant professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center specializing in breast cancer; she is also a highly praised medical surgeon.  Most of her surgeries are on cancer patients that she sees all too frequently.  Dr. Coomer proposes the following 7 rules or lifestyle changes that can help in continuing to live cancer-free.

Dr. Cynara Coomer’s 7 rules to cancer-free life:

1.  Eat a Mediterranean Diet: I’ve adopted this one myself.  I mostly eat foods high in omega-3s like fish, walnuts and flaxseed.  Omega 3s help to lower the inflammation in your body and therefore stunt cancer cell growth.  I also incorporate antioxidants into my diet whenever possible.  Berries, beans and broccoli are some of my favorites and they happen to be very rich in antioxidants.  Whole grains are also important and be sure to eat low amounts of red meat.  Drinking one glass of red wine is recommended because of the poyphenols that comes with your favorite varietals. Year after year, studies come out that people who stick to this type of diet have a lower occurrence of any kind of cancer.  And the added bonus is that this diet is good for your heart as well.

2.  Take Supplements: If you don’t want to eat those essential omega 3s, you can take a supplement.  I also recommend taking turmeric pills.  An extract in turmeric called curcumin, which gives curry its yellow color, is an amazing anti-inflammatory.   I also like Vitamin D as a prevention supplement.  It’s important to get your levels checked especially if you live in a cold climate.

3.  Maintain a Healthy Weight: It has been reported that obesity may amount to as much as 30 percent of major cancers like those of the colon, breast, kidney and esophagus.   Develop healthy eating habits, understand portion control and get out there and exercise.  I don’t care if you just walk around the block at first.  Anything that gets your heart pumping and your legs moving is good enough for me.   Amazingly, even weight loss of only 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can provide tremendous health benefits.

4.  Stop Smoking: I don’t know how many patients I say this to each week.  But really it is the worst thing you can do to your body.  Smoking can contribute to cancers of the throat, mouth and bladder.  In 2006 the U.S. Surgeon General came out with a study that found there is “suggestive but not sufficient” evidence between smoke and breast cancer.   The suggestion is enough for me – stop smoking!

5.  Limit Alcohol Intake: I know what you’re thinking – she just told me to drink red wine!  It’s true, red wine is beneficial because of the polyphenols in it, but in moderation.   A recent University of Oxford study found that even one drink a day increases a woman’s risk of getting the disease.  It also found that 11 percent of all breast cancers are related to alcohol consumption.

6.  Get Screened: I’m very adamant that women should be doing self breast exams monthly.  You need to know your lumps and bumps so in case there is a change, you will know about it right away.  For information on how to do a self breast exam click here. Women should also get a yearly mammogram after age 40 – or earlier if you have family history.

7.  Know Your Risk: You could do every single thing on this list every day for the rest of your life but if breast cancer is in your genes, you might still get the disease.  So I always tell anyone who has a family history to get checked out.   About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are hereditary.

(Source: foxnew.com)

Last updated by Margarita at June 10, 2010.

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