Hong Kong Cancer Fund

More vegetables and fruit please!

Vegetables and fruit contain natural substances that can destroy cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit can significantly reduce the risk of developing digestive tract cancers (including the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach and bowel).

How much do I need to eat?

Five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day.

What is a serving?

	1 cup of cooked vegetables.......or
	1 cup of salad......or
	1 medium sized piece of fruit e.g. apple, pear, orange, banana......or
	2 small pieces of fruit e.g. apricots, plums, kiwifruit…..or
	1 cup of fruit salad.

Reduce Alcohol Consumption

The more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk of cancer. Therefore you should limit alcohol consumption at all times.

For people who do drink alcohol, the recommended amounts are:

	For men : an average of no more than 2 standard drinks a day
	For women : an average of no more than 1 standard drink a day.

( 1 bottle of wine contains around 7 standard drinks )

Tips for drinking less

	Switch to light beer
	Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks
	Use water to quench thirst
	Wait until your wine glass is empty before topping it up to help keep count of your drinks
	Eating can slow your drinking pace and fill you up
	Avoid salty snacks, which make you thirsty so you drink more.

Using low-salt foods

Diets high in salt have been linked to an increase in stomach cancer, and it can also lead to high blood pressure.

75% of our salt intake now comes from packaged and take-away foods.

Tips for eating less salt

	Reduce the salt you use gradually - this will help you get used to the flavour
	Look for low-salt and no added salt or salt-reduced products
	Use creative cooking method to add flavour to meals, use garlic, onion, chilli, lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, herbs, curry paste, spices or a little strongly flavoured oil such as sesame, mustard seed or extra virgin olive oil

Eating low-fat foods

High-fat diets can lead to obesity and an increased risk of endometrial, bowel, breast and kidney cancer. Obesity also increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

There are two kinds of fats, the bad and the good.

Good fats (polyunsaturated and mono - unsaturated)

	Olive, canola, sunflower, soybean, sesame and peanut
	Polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated margarines
	Avocado
	Nuts (all kinds)
	Seeds (eg. sesame and sunflower)
	Oily fish (eg. salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna)

Bad fats (saturated)

	Butter, cheese, cream, ice-cream
	Pastries, biscuits, cakes, pies and chocolate
	Fried take-away foods
	Fat on meat, bacon, sausages, salami
	Coconut cream
	Palm oil

Tips for healthy eating

	Use low-fat dairy foods such as low-fat or skimmed milk, low- fat yoghurt, custard and ice-cream, and reduced-fat or low-fat cheeses
	Trim the fat from your meat
	Don't eat too many cakes, biscuits and fast foods
	Use non-stick cookware, and use less oil (try an oil spray).
	Enjoy at least three fish meals each week, and preferably oily fish, such as salmon and tuna
	Use healthy oils in cooking, and light salad dressings made with healthy oils

Cancer patients and diet

We have a booklet on cancer patients and diet. Please click below

Download Cancer Diet Booklet