LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: Water is really important throughout every system, every process in our body. When I say "water," I typically mean any non-caffeinated fluid source and also a non-sugar fluid source. At least eight glasses of water a day and that would be a minimum.
ANNOUNCER: There are also some things to limit. First: red meat.
LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: It's high in saturated fat, and there have been numerous studies that have shown that high intakes of red meat are directly related to colon cancer risk.
There are many other really good protein sources other than red meat. Any poultry source is fine, so chicken and turkey, eggs, fish and also non-meat sources such as tofu, tempeh, miso, any soy-based products. There's also grains, like quinoa and buckwheat that are very high in protein as well.
ANNOUNCER: And finding the right balance of fats.
LYNN GOLDSTEIN, MS, RD: The fats that are harmful to us are saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fat is found in animal products: butter, lard, and, basically, anything that's solid at room temperature is a saturated fat; it's a good rule of thumb.
Trans fatty acids are the fatty acids found in margarine, in vegetable shortening and most of our processed products like cookies, cakes, crackers. Most of the processed foods tends to have trans fatty acids in them and they act like saturated fats in the system as well and are both promoters, both for obesity, which is a cancer risk, and for cancer itself.
Unsaturated fatty acids, the monounsaturated fatty acids and the polyunsaturated fatty acids are the healthy ones. Those are the ones that our body really needs to function naturally.
Unsaturated fat is anything typically liquid at room temperature, so your oils. Olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil. The only exceptions to this rule would be palm and coconut oil and those two are saturated fats.
