Better diet may help cancer survivors

There are about 10 million cancer survivors in the United States —- the largest group of people living with a chronic disease. Just from breast cancer, there are 2.5 million survivors. As one of those survivors, I’m often asked what can be done to prevent a recurrence. The American Cancer Society and the American Institute for Cancer Research both stress that diet and lifestyle are the best things we can do to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. But a recent report shows that only 5 percent of cancer survivors are meeting the goals for diet, activity and quitting smoking. The good news is that the better that cancer survivors adhere to the recommendations, the better the outcome, including a higher quality of life. What can you do?

> Get nutrients from foods, not supplements. Aim for a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It is not as hard as it sounds. A handful of blueberries in your morning cereal and a glass of 100 percent fruit juice, a spinach salad for lunch, an afternoon snack of a tangerine and dinner of pasta primavera provide a healthy dose of fruits and veggies.

> Watch the scale. Losing weight may be hard but it may be the most important thing to reduce your chance of cancer. If you are at a healthy weight, maintain your weight and watch your waist. A wide waist (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) increases your risk for cancer and other chronic diseases.

> Get moving. Brisk walking 30 minutes every day (not just three times a week) improves physical and mental health. As you get fit, increase the intensity or the duration of exercise.

> Slow down. Give up fast food or choose healthier options offered at almost every restaurant. Learn to cook simple dishes. If you watch the Food Network, be more than a spectator and learn to cook a new dish or two.

> Drink less alcohol. Two drinks a day for men and one for women is the limit. And, no, you can’t save them up for Friday night —- that is not moderate drinking.

> Get nutty. Walnuts were shown to slow breast cancer tumors in mice. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acids, vitamin E and fiber —- all nutrients that may reduce cancer growth. Two servings of walnuts —- about 28 walnut halves —- contain about 350 calories.

> Go Greek. A Greek-style Mediterranean diet shows promise in reducing breast cancer. Women found the diet to be tasty and easy to follow, even though it meant giving up many processed; convenience foods and increasing the amount of healthy fats from olives, olive oil, avocados and nuts.

When choosing berries, which are well known for their disease-fighting properties, don’t forget to include cranberries. Cranberries contain a group of plant chemicals called flavonoids that can stop cancer cell growth —- at least in a test tube. As the holidays approach, look for ways to boost this tart fruit in your meals.

Turkey Burgers With Cranberry Chutney

4 servings

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

4 tablespoons finely chopped onions, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 egg

1 pound ground turkey breast

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, vinegar, 2 tablespoons onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, salt and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add cranberries and simmer until berry skins start to split, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until syrup thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. It will become firmer as it cools.

In a bowl, beat egg. Add turkey, the remaining 2 tablespoons onion, mustard and bread crumbs, gently stirring to combine. Form into 4 patties. Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, cook burgers for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. If burgers are thick (more than 1 inch), cover skillet for last 5 minutes of cooking. Top burgers with a dollop of cranberry chutney.

—- From “The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook” by Jeanne Besser and Colleen Doyle (American Cancer Society, $29.95)

Per serving: 230 calories (percent of calories from fat, 10), 29 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 2.5 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated), 125 milligrams cholesterol, 330 milligrams sodium.

Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a professor of nutrition in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University. She’ll answer nutrition questions of general interest. Send your questions to her c/o The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Or e-mail her at chrisrosenbloom@live.com.