Bowel Cancer Screening Programme South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Screening Centre Simple guide to give you a healthy bowel i Information for patients Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
What is healthy eating? Healthy eating means consuming the right amount of food from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. A good diet promotes good health and must include different food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs. Nutritionists identify five main food groups - whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein, dairy, and fat and sugar. Eating healthily is about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. A balanced diet means eating from all the different good groups in the right quantities. 2
5 A Day: What s it all about? Fruit and vegetables are key to a healthy diet. What s more, they taste great and add variety to any meal. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables will give you plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fruit and vegetables are also a good source of fibre and other substances such as antioxidants. All these are important to your health. Fruit and vegetables are generally low fats, low calorie foods. So eating fruit and vegetables instead of foods that are high in fat and added sugars may help you achieve or keep to a healthy weight. Eating more fruit and vegetables may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.. so many tastes, colours and textures to choose from. 3
Your guide to eatwell plate! The eatwell plate shows the different types of food we need to eat, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a well balanced and healthy diet. Plenty of fruit and vegetables Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods - choose wholegrain varieties when you can Some milk and dairy foods Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein Just a small amount of food and drinks high in fat and/or sugar 4
Fabulous fibre Fibre is an important part of a healthy diet. It keeps everything moving though your digestive system. Fantastic fruit Frozen, juiced, canned, and dried fruit and vegetables all count! Positive protein Try having chicken, fish or a vegetarian option instead. Peas, beans and lentils are a source of protein and are high in fibre too! Try grilling fish instead of frying it. 5
The bowel functions The bowel is divided into two parts, the small bowel and the large bowel. The large bowel is made up of the colon and rectum. The food we eat ends up in the large bowel, where water and nutrients are absorbed, leaving waste. Waste passes through the rest of the large bowel before leaving the body. Oesophagus (gullet) Stomach Back passage (rectum) Small bowel (ileum) Large bowel (colon) The more we take care of our diet and help our digestive system, the better we feel. 6
Bowel cancer facts Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, after breast and lung cancer. Almost 100 people are diagnosed with the disease every day. It affects similar numbers of men and women. When bowel cancer is found early more than eight out of ten people can be cured. Like most cancers, the risk of bowel cancer increases with age. More than 8 out of 10 cases are in people over 50. 7
Having a healthy bowel and reduce your risk Bowel cancer is largely preventable. Around two thirds of cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes. To reduce your risk of bowel cancer and have a healthy bowel: Try to do at least half and hour of moderate physical activity five times a week. Maintain a health body weight Boost the amount of fibre in your diet by eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day and choosing wholegrain bread, cereals and pasta. Eat smaller and fewer portions of red and processed meat Try eating more fish instead. Poached fish is particularly good for you. Cut down on alcohol. Stop smoking. Smoking is a major cause of least twelves types of cancer, including bowel cancer. 8
For more information about healthy eating visit: Change4Life www.nhs.uk/changef4life NHS www.nhs.uk/5aday NHS Direct www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk Food Standard Agency www.eatwell.gov.uk Love Food Hate Waste www.lovefoodhatewaste.com Healthy Start www.healthystart.nhs.uk 9
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This leaflet has been produced by the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme team in south Yorkshire and Bassetlaw. If you require more leaflets please contact 0114 257 3070 Design by Patient Partnership, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust PD8139-PIL3428 v2 Issue date: April 2017. Review date: April 2019