Viva Las Veggies!

Jane Arlow • November 20, 2021

Why Viva Las Veggies?

Firstly, did you start singing that in your head like Elvis? You may be stuck with this ear worm for a while, Sorry.

Full disclosure – I LOVE vegetables and fruit. And I’m also a big fan of meat. Particularly a sirloin steak so big you need a separate plate for your chips. Actually, truth be told, I just love food. Anyhoo..

Since I started reading more about the impacts of a mostly plant-based diet on our health, I have been sneaking a couple of meat-free days into the week. In fact, as I write this, I am still enjoying the memory of last night’s veggie rigatoni Bolognese (replaced minced beef with lentils).

So, why should you eat more veggies?

Did you know that a diet rich in vegetables and fibre-rich foods is correlated with lower incidence of cancer of all types (including breast cancer); reduced risk of diabetes; improved bowel function; reduced risk of prolapse; reduced insulin dysregulation; and a reduced shopping bill?

And, let’s not forget that, compared to meat rearing and consumption, a plant-based diet is also much kinder to our planet.

So, I'm going to talk some more about why adding more veggies and fibre is a super smart move.

Eating more vegetables reduces your cancer risks

There have been a number of studies indicating that regularly eating cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts) is highly correlated with a reduction in the risk of occurrence, re-occurence and death from all types of cancer.

This is thought to be because they seem to act on a specific gene that allows cancer to spread.

The World Cancer Research Fund also recommends eating a diet rich in wholegrains, vegetables, fruits and grains to help protect you from cancer.

In fact, they recommend that you fill at least 3/4 of your plate with wholegrains, vegetables, pulses amd fruit at every meal.

Eating more vegetables and fibre improves your gut health, reduces your risks of diabetes and helps you to better manage your insulin levels.

There are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestines, each of which plays a specific role in health and requires different nutrients for growth.

Generally speaking, a diverse microbiome is considered a healthy one. This is because the more species of bacteria you have, the more health benefits you get from them.

A diet consisting of different food types can lead to a more diverse microbiome. Fruits and veggies are the things that our gut biomes like best! They’re high in fibre which our bodies can’t digest….but the bacteria in our guts can.. And in fact, it stimulates the growth of “good” bacteria while discouraging the growth of those that cause disease and inflammation.

Foods that are high in fibre and that’re good for your gut include raspberries, broccoli, peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans and apples.

Apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds, and pistachios have all been shown to increase Bifidobacteria in humans. These are considered beneficial bacteria, as they can help prevent intestinal inflammation and enhance gut health.

Bifidobacteria have also been shown to reduce insulin, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in people with obesity, which could be beneficial for the prevention of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Improve your bowel movements and reduce the risk of pelvic organ prolapse

OK. I’m going to get a little scatological here. Are you constipated? Did you know that this increases your risk of a pelvic organ prolapse?

What’s a prolapse? This is where the organs in your pelvic area start to drop out of their normal position.

Usually, they’re held in place by your pelvic floor – think of it like a hammock on which everything rests. Over time (and more frequently in women who’ve had multiple vaginal births; are overweight; or menopausal), this hammock starts to lose its supportive properties and things start to slip.

So, how is this connected to constipation? Imagine you’re constipated and you’re sitting on the loo. What do you do? You try and strain it out (sorry for the mental image I’ve just left you with!). This pushing down hard puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor. If its integrity is already somewhat compromised, you further increase your risk of things dropping.

That being the case, ensuring that you have a good, regular, comfortable bowel movement will certainly reduce your risk. And what improves your bowel movements? That’s right, fibre which you get from fruit and veggies!

It’s also worth noting the role of defaecation as a major detoxification/excretion pathway for excess hormones.

Reduce the size of your shopping bill & have better mental health

As we’re all seeing the cost of our weekly shop increase, watch your shopping bill plunge when you start adding the veggies and removing meat and processed foods! You’re welcome.

Ultimately, the planet and our bodies need us to consume more vegetables and they're both cheaper and more sustainable than meat/fish and with a little thought/imagination and preparation they can become the ROCKSTARS of our daily nutrition, so what’s not to love?

Women’s Health ‘Thought Leaders’ such as Sara Gottfried suggest eating 2kg (!) of veggies daily and other schools of thought suggest aiming to get 30 different types of veggies into your diet in a week.

If you fill your plate with this many veggies, you're certainly going to spend less on meat!

There’s also significant research into the benefit of Butyrate (produced by vegetables in the gut) to positive gut health and consequently positive mental health.

Now that you're thinking about adding more fruit and veggies to your plate, it's worth speaking briefly about whether or not you should go organic.

Are you aware of the "dirty dozen"? These are the twelve fruit and vegetables that are more likely to be contaminated by pesticides and other farming chemicals. The list is updated every year.

Examples of "dirty dozen" fruit and veg are strawberries, spinach, nectarines and spinach.

You might wish to consider buying organic for these.

On the other hand, there are the "clean 15" - fruit and vegetables that are much less likely to absorb these chemicals. You can probably buy regular.

Examples of "clean 15" fruit and veg are avocados, aubergine, asparagus and broccoli.

Check out the 2021 list here.

So, now you're ready to eat more veggies, would you like some ideas on how to do that? Download this fr*e booklet of Viva Las Veggies soup recipes. They're all really quick and easy - taking no more than about 30 minutes. Fabulous for tasty lunches and suppers over the colder months!

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October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!