Thank you to the Mt Olive Chamber of Commerce and the Women in Business for having me present Breast Cancer Awareness on Tuesday!

After the presentation, I challenged the women to participate in my Four-Week Breast Cancer Prevention Challenge! Here is the focus for Week One.

Week One – Follow a Healthy Diet

• Keep your body weight in a healthy range for your height and frame. Body mass index, can help you estimate your healthy weight (see chart below).
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit (more than 5 cups a day).
• Try to limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your total calories per day and limit your fat intake to about 30 grams per day.
• Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Avoid trans fats, processed meats, and charred or smoked foods.
• Avoid soft drinks (soda, energy drinks and coffees drinks) are a huge source of calories. One can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar and around 150 calories, so a few a day can quickly add up to a good portion of your daily calorie intake.
• Switching to diet soda isn’t the answer either. Studies suggest that it triggers sugar cravings and contributes to weight gain. Instead, try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, carbonated water with a splash of juice or sugar free, vitamin-based energy drinks.

Suggestions:

• Think lifestyle change instead of a short term diet.
• Weekly Meal Prepping: Be prepared with food, eat fruit, vegetable and/or protein before you get hungry.
• Join a program (personal recommendations available).
• Meal replacement shakes for breakfast instead of bagel.
• Meal replacement bars for lunch instead of a sandwich.
• Set goals and use tools to track progress (food log, myfitnesspal.com, other apps)
• Start slow, make it simple, make it realistic and most of all, make it happen!

Contact me if you need help getting started and/or need help staying committed. I can help you reach your goals with gentle and vibrant accountability!