Healthy eating habits are a first step in reducing your cancer risk. Poor eating habits increase your risk of cancer at many sites in the body. Poor eating habits can also contribute to weight gain and being overweight or obese increases your risk of cancer. The good news is that a healthy diet, combined with regular physical activity and a healthy body weight can reduce cancer risk.

While there is no one food that can protect against cancer, there are steps you can take to lower your overall risk. A healthy diet may protect against cancers including cancer of the bowel, liver, oesophagus (food pipe), lung and stomach.

Download our Healthy eating and physical activity brochure.

How much should I eat in a day?

Eat at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.

What is a serve?

Vegetable:

• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables or cooked legumes.
• 1 medium potato.
• 1 cup of salad vegetables.

Fruit:

• 1 medium piece (e.g. an apple).
• 2 small pieces (e.g. apricots).
• 1 cup chopped or canned fruit.

Tips to eat more fruit and vegetables:

• Double your serving of vegetables.
• Try a new fruit each week.
• Use frozen vegetables for convenience.
• Include vegetables with your lunch.
• Add extra vegetables to all your recipes.
• Have fruit instead of sweets.

For good health, we recommend:

• Eat a variety of raw and cooked vegetables, fruit and legumes (e.g. dried beans, lentils).
• Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
• Eat red meat no more than three to four times a week. On the other days choose fish, poultry, dried or canned beans, eggs or lentils.
• Limit processed or cured meats (e.g. frankfurts, bacon and ham).
• Choose foods low in salt.
• Don’t eat too much fat, especially saturated fat. Look for hidden fats (e.g. snack foods, cakes and take-away foods).
• Choose low fat yoghurts, cheeses and milks.

Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for bowel cancer and breast cancer, and possibly prostate, uterine and lung cancer. Being inactive also contributes to weight gain. Overweight and obesity also increase cancer risk.

The good news is you can lower your cancer risk by being physically active. Physical activity regulates hormones such as insulin-like growth factor and oestrogen and affects the speed that food passes through the bowel, reducing contact with any potential carcinogens.

Physical activity assists in maintaining a healthy body weight and can improve energy levels and feelings of well being. Being more active is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

For good health, put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all days of the week. It doesn’t have to be continuous, 3 x 10 minutes sessions are also good. Each activity session should last at least 10 minutes.

To reduce your cancer risk, the more physically active you are the better. As fitness improves aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every day.

Moderate physical activity includes any activity in which you can still hold a conversation, such as brisk walking. Vigorous physical activity includes any activity that makes you ‘huff and puff’, such as fast swimming, cycling and jogging.

If you have not been physically active for some time, it is best to start slowly. Going too hard too early can cause pain and injury.

Tips for getting started

• Get friends to join you. They will give you company and motivation.
• Think of movement as an opportunity and plan ahead.
• Set goals and challenge yourself to build up your physical activity levels.
• If you are being active outdoors remember to be SunSmart.
• Drink water before, during and after your activity.

Tips for home

• Turn off the TV or computer and use this time to be active.
• Walk or cycle to the local shops.
• Do gardening or housework.
• Be active as a family.
• Walk your children to school.

Tips for work

• Catch public transport to work, get off a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.
• Park your car 10-15 minutes from work, and walk the rest of the way.
• Walk with colleagues at lunchtime.
• Take the stairs, not the lift.

Being active, like healthy eating, requires some thought each day. It also needs to be kept up over a lifetime. Regular physical activity will give you extra energy and make you feel better.