Happy New Year! If you're like many Americans, you've been celebrating the holidays with a lot of tasty food.
Now, it's time to make some resolutions. And I have a great suggestion for you.
This one might help you lose weight and could save you from cancer at the same time.
For years, I have warned you about diet, abdominal fat, and metabolic syndrome. If you are partaking in the Standard American Diet (SAD), you have significantly increased your risk of cancer.
A recent study out of Mexico followed 62,739 postmenopausal women for nine years. Eating more carbohydrates, having a large abdominal girth, and a high glycemic diet all contributed to increased breast cancer risk. Each of these factors figured to increase the risk between 28% and 37%.
Eating SAD raises insulin to cover for the increased processed carbohydrate load. Insulin not only converts the excess sugar to abdominal fat, but it also triggers changes in cells that can lead to cancer. It's why I continually refer to elevated insulin levels as promoters of aging and death.
But you can fix the problem immediately. Simply resolve this year to eliminate all (or most) processed carbohydrates. All of your carbs should come from whole plants, especially fruits and starchy veggies. There's just no place for all the empty-carb calories filling the toxic SAD diet. You’ll know if you are cutting back enough because once you do, you will start losing the fat.
The SAD diet is filled with breads, pastas, and sugars. And most of these foods contain processed fats and oils. Yes, they improve the taste. But they make the foods much worse for you. And they increase your risk for cancer.
The day you start avoiding these foods is the day you will start making a major change in the course of your life.
Sources:
Am J Clin Nutr, 2008; 87(5).