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Feeling Fit: Beyond the Sun Screen…
By Aly Wagonseller
Summer is certainly underway with family pool parties, visits to summer camp and theme parks and outdoor vacationing in full swing. Unfortunately, the consequences of all this fun in the sun can also be dangerous to your health. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 70,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in 2011, and the incidence is on the rise. A disease that doesn’t discriminate by age, melanoma is one of the most common cancers among young adults, and the chances of developing it only increase as we get older.
While most of us know that the continual slathering of a broad spectrum sun screen and protective clothing are a must for defending against dangerous UV rays, you may be surprised to learn that a change in your diet can also help reduce the risk of melanoma. Dr. Walter Quan, a melanoma specialist from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, believes that by adding organic fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds and legumes to your meals and switching to nonfat dairy and lean meats, you can reduce your risk of disease. He also names specific foods that aid in the production of healthy skin cells, thereby lessening the likelihood of a melanoma diagnosis. Dr. Quan’s skin saving super foods include:
Citrus Fruits
With their high content of vitamin C, lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit contain antioxidants that protect cells from changes that lead to skin cancer. Lemonade never tasted so good!
Avocados
This amazing fruit contains glutathione, a compound that discourages the development of skin cancer. By adding three or four avocados per week to salads, sandwiches or egg white omelettes or by piling baked pita chips with a healthy helping of guacamole, you’ll reduce skin damage in a very flavorsome way.
Pumpkin Seeds
Vitamin E is essential for healthy skin and pumpkin seeds pack a big punch of this valuable nutrient. Toasted and thrown onto salads, they provide satisfying crunch while keeping cancer cells at bay.
Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and Cantaloupe
The color orange is the key to these beta-carotene rich foods that allow the body to produce vitamin A, a nutrient linked to reducing the risk of sunburn and skin cancer. Versatile and tasty, they’re great mashed, raw or made into fruit sorbet, the perfect addition to any summer al fresco meal.
Summer time is fun time, yet it’s important we pay attention to our long term health. By getting into the routine of using sun screen, covering up and adding delicious foods that promote healthy skin, you’ll be splashing about for seasons to come. For more information about melanoma and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, visit www.cancercenter.com.
