I would guess that nearly everyone has heard the old expression, “You are what you eat.”

Well, that expression has been around practically forever because it’s TRUE.

Examples of how a person’s diet can make or break them in terms of health are as abundant as grains of sand on the beach.

And one area in particular where your diet has a tremendous impact is influencing your risk of colon cancer.

Here’s the scoop:

How your diet can create colon cancer

Colon cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, so methinks we’d better look closely and see what’s behind it.

Although an unhealthy diet can increase your risk of cancer in many ways, including nutrient deficiencies and consumption of dangerous artificial ingredients, colors and preservatives, the most significant connection between the foods you eat and whether colon cancer will visit you lies in your gut.

Specifically in your consumption of ultra-processed foods that contain inflammatory oils and the impact they have on your humble intestinal tract. 

Here’s what happens…

Your gallant gut

Your gut is an incredible environment that houses trillions of bacteria. There are three types of these microbes that call you their home—helpful, communal (neither good nor bad) and harmful. 

When your gut is functioning like it should, the helpful bacteria keep the harmful ones “in check.” This helps pave the way for proper digestion, effective nutrient absorption and sharp immune function (since your gut houses 80% of your immune system).

But when your diet is heavy on ultra-processed foods (like frozen meals and pizza, Cool Whip, noodle dishes like Ramen, and packaged snacks and sweets like Doritos or Hostess cupcakes), all brimming with vegetable oils, your gut must deal with a regular onslaught of these unhealthy fats.

In addition to nourishing the harmful microbes in your gut, vegetable oils trigger chronic inflammation and increase your risk of colon cancer (and other health issues too).

Especially guilty are canola, corn, safflower and soybean oils. Think: Mazola, Wesson Oil and Crisco, among others. The fact that these disease triggers are marketed as “healthy” or “heart healthy” boggles the mind.

What to do?

The good news here is that you can do a lot to help restore your gut health and heal chronic inflammation.

Here are some of the best ways you can show your gut some love and help keep colon cancer (and other health issues) far away from you:

Have a healthy diet of real (not processed) foods

This is numero uno.

It’s crucial to have a diet of healthy real foods—fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and full-fat dairy. 

As far as fats go, great options for cooking are stable saturated fats like butter, lard, tallow, chicken fat and bacon fat.

Olive oil is also a healthy choice for salad dressings and drizzling over meats and vegetables.

And of course, avoid packaged/processed foods at all costs. I know they’re convenient, but this is your health we’re talking about.

Plus keep in mind that you can make many healthy meals with real foods that don’t require a lot of time and effort! For example, it’s very easy to toss a pot roast and vegetables into a crockpot and have a delicious dinner at the end of the day.

Also, an air fryer is awesome for cooking fish fillets! Just drizzle with melted butter, season as you wish, and air fry for about 10-14 minutes at 400° (depending on thickness). Pair with a salad and you’ll have a dish that’s as good as any seafood restaurant!

Get regular exercise

Regular exercise has been shown to support gut health in a few ways! 

First, studies have shown that exercise helps increase the diversity of your microbiome and reduce inflammation.

Plus, exercise is a natural stress reliever, and since stress causes harmful changes to your gut bacteria, counteracting that stress with exercise supports strong gut health.

And lastly, regular exercise helps pave the way for sound digestion, therefore encouraging a healthier gut environment.

So, get your doctor’s OK and get going.

Supplement with vitamin D

Vitamin D has long been shown to have strong anti-cancer properties, plus it helps tame inflammatory immune responses, especially those seen with autoimmune conditions.

Unfortunately, it is also a very common deficiency, especially at this time of year when many people are not out in the sun.

To help ensure you have health-supporting levels of vitamin D all year round, our Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B is your ticket!

In addition to a health-supporting 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 in each capsule, you’ll also get the added benefit of vitamins K1 (500 mcg) and K2 (50 mcg).

Plus, Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B goes beyond other vitamin D supplements by including the mineral boron (that’s the FruiteX-B), which further supports strong immune, bone and cardiovascular health.

Get enough sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role in your body's repair and restoration processes, including maintaining a healthy gut microbiome balance. 

Sleep deprivation disrupts your balance of gut bacteria and contributes to inflammation, which in turn severely impacts your immune function.

In fact, even ONE poor night’s sleep can depress your immune system functioning by up to 30 percent!

So, make sure you’re getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Keep in mind that regular exercise also helps promote better sleep, so there’s yet another reason to get moving.

Now you are armed with the information you need to support strong gut health and keep colon cancer (and other diseases!) far away from you.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia