What to Eat to Fight Breast Cancer

Q. I recently had a cancerous tumor removed from my breast, and I've been wondering if there are certain foods to avoid as part of my recovery. Can you help? -- Linda, via e-mail

A. The same foods you'd eat to keep your body as healthy as possible are the ones you should rely on now. Stay far, far away from saturated fats and trans fats (there's inconclusive evidence of their effects on breast cancer, but you should be staying away from them anyway). Keep your distance from refined sugars and flours, too; they're thought to increase cell growth in all types of cancer.

Instead, hang out in the produce section of your grocery store. It's filled with disease-fighting, immune-boosting foods. Researchers have found that having at least three to four daily servings of vegetables (a handful is about one serving) could lower the risk of first-time breast cancer significantly, so it's likely that they can help you, too (and they're good for many other reasons). Load up especially on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, arugula, and cauliflower; these turn on a gene that makes the protein (GSTM1) that causes breast cancer cells to commit suicide.

And when it comes to breast cancer, alcohol isn't an ally. Two daily drinks raise a woman's risk for the first occurrence of the most common types of breast cancer by 32%, and three drinks a day raise the odds by 50%. Since you've already had a breast tumor, you're smart to sip other beverages.

You should also look beyond food for cancer-prevention strategies. You'll get a jump on keeping the disease away if you stay at a healthy weight and do daily physical activity.

Q. I recently learned that I'm a borderline diabetic. I've been making some changes to help manage my blood sugar, including switching from refined grains to whole ones, but I'm not sure about my favorite food: cheese. Can it raise my blood sugar? -- Linda, via e-mail

A. It doesn't spike your blood sugar like refined grains and junk food do, but that doesn't mean you're free to pile it on. The issue with cheese is that its saturated fat does a body bad. Full-fat dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, cream, milk (even 2% milk), and sour cream are high in calories, which raise your risk of obesity and full-blown diabetes. They're also high in artery-harming fats. More than 20 grams a day ages you, and just 1 ounce of cheddar cheese -- that's a serving smaller than a pair of dice -- has nearly a third of that. Being prediabetic (and diabetic) puts you at higher risk for heart disease to begin with, so you need to be extra careful about your cheese quota. Keep it to low- or no-fat cheeses, and find other ways to add flavor and texture to your food. There are plenty!

Q. What are your thoughts on using melatonin to help with sleep? -- Anonymous

A. Ah, the air traveler's best friend. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the brain, helps regulate your body's sleep/wake cycle. Taken in supplement form, it often helps bring on sleep in people with jet lag or mild sleep problems (assuming you've tried the usual "good sleep hygiene" solutions, including making sure your room is dark and cool). The typical melatonin dose is between 0.5 and 5 milligrams. Start at the low end; if you need to increase it, do it gradually over a few nights until you find the level that works.