When trying to meet the Prostate 8
dietary guidelines, you may have found difficulties with incorporating or
removing foods from your diet. If you’ve eaten the same way for years, it can
be hard to make a change. Here, we’ve outlined some of the common barriers to
eating a healthy diet and some possible solutions. We talked to UCSF dietician
Greta Macaire for advice.
I don’t have the time or the
energy to cook.
In the morning, you may be rushing
out the door with little time to eat a healthy breakfast or to pack a lunch.
And after a day at work, you might dread the thought of standing in front of
the stove. But with a bit of creativity, you can minimize the time you spend
cooking and still eat well. Taking just few hours each week for grocery
shopping and meal planning saves time, energy and money during the week ahead.
Look for recipes that can be prepared in advance, or freeze foods to be eaten
at a later date. Salad ingredients can be cleaned and prepped in bulk on the
weekend so that you have everything you need to quickly prepare a salad for
lunch or dinner. You could also make a larger quantity of food one day and use
it for leftovers later in the week. A slow cooker or crock pot is a great way
to make homemade food with little effort. The slow cooker works by simmering
food and gradually cooking it over the course of a few hours. This means that
you can turn on the cooker in the morning and have a completed meal by the time
you return home in the evening.
I don’t have the willpower
to avoid unhealthy foods.
Do you often feel tempted to reach
for your favorite junk food? It can be difficult to change your eating habits
if there are always tasty-but-unhealthy options nearby. Try out a tool like
MyFitnessPal, an app that helps you track your nutrition and calorie counts, or
fill out the Prostate 8 food planner to track the foods recommended for the
study. By logging what you eat, you can clearly see when you are doing well and
when you need to improve.
Building a new habit can take time.
If you’re thinking of eating something unhealthy, remind yourself why you are
changing your diet and that it will pay off in the long run. You don’t need to
completely deprive yourself of junk food — if
eaten in moderation, it won’t cancel out all of your hard work.
I am not sure which foods
are linked with improved prostate outcomes.
You’ve probably heard many
different tips for a healthy diet, not all of which are supported by science.
Try to stick with the Prostate 8 guidelines, which are evidence-based. In
general, you should aim to increase consumption of cooked tomatoes, fish,
vegetable fats (such as olive oil and avocado), and cruciferous vegetables
(leafy green vegetables). You should decrease consumption of processed meat
(such as cold cuts and bacon). The Prostate 8 website has details about each of
these guidelines.
Need recipes for these foods? On
the Prostate 8 website, click “Eat Well” and then “Recipes” has plenty of
simple, tasty ways to prepare them.
My family does not want to
change their diet.
Your family can motivate you to
succeed with your diet — however,
some members of the household, especially more selective eaters, might be
resistant to change. To get your family to help you, make sure to clearly
explain the guidelines of your diet and the goals you have set for yourself.
Asking for their help in shopping for healthy foods, finding new recipes, or
modifying old family favorites will likely make them more accepting of the
changes you are making.
The Prostate 8 guidelines improve
overall health as well as prostate health, so your whole family may benefit
from following them. Cruciferous vegetables are high in Vitamin C and fiber;
fish contains omega-3 fatty acids for heart and brain health; vegetable fats
may reduce the risk of heart disease.
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