Kaori Tonaki writes:
I think that Mrs. Masuda has to know
the importance of a well-balanced diet and understand the relationship
between diet and disease such as breast cancer, heart disease and so on.
First of all, she is approximately 15 kilos overweight. It is said that
being overweight is associated with many diseases. Moreover, even in women
already having a diagnosis of breast cancer, obesity is an adverse prognostic
factor, that is, women who are overweight do not respond as well as do
women of normal weight. That is the reason why she has to lose weight.
Though she seems to have tried to be on a diet, she couldn't make it. The
reason she couldn't loose weight is that she didn't understand how to diet
properly. For example, she shouldn't skip eating meals. When she skips
meals, in her next meal, her body tries to save fat as much as possible
for the next period of hunger. Consequently, she is likely to eat too much
food at one time. In this way, it isn't rare to put on weight when dieting.
So it is important to have three meals a day and refrain from eating between
meals.
Second, she has to exercise continuously. Exercise has a good influence
on us. Exercise reduces LDL levels that are called "bad cholesterol"
and increases HDL levels, so-called "good cholesterol." So I'd
recommend walking because fat in the body is oxidized and decomposed by
this kind of simple exercise.
Third, I want her to eat vegetables
and fruits. These foods are plentiful sources of vitamins, minerals, biochemical
compounds, and fiber-ingredients that may help to reduce risks of cancer.
For example, one substance is called lycopene - this is what makes tomatoes
red - and this substance has been strongly linked to a reduced risk of
developing various deadly cancers. And it seems that lycopene alone reduces
risk of heart disease. Because lycopene is not well absorbed into the body
unless the tomatoes are cooked, it is desirable that we eat tomatoes in
the form of paste, ketchup and tomato sauce. Other sources of lycopene
include watermelon, red grapefruit, and so on. So she had better intake
these foods too.
Finally, it seems that she prefers to eat Western-style desserts like cakes
and ice cream, and also, she uses sweet coconut oil or margarine when she
cooks. These foods are high in calories and contain much fat. It is said
that high-fat diets have been clearly linked with heart disease and colon
cancer - two other big killers of women - as well as breast cancer about
which she is worried. So I want her to make an effort to intake the lowest
fat diet in her power. For example, she had better be careful to read the
labels regarding fat content when she is in the supermarket, and animal
meat consumption should be avoided as much as possible. Fish, turkey and
chicken should be her sources of non-vegetable protein.
In short, I want her to intake a low-fat diet, and in particular, eat vegetables
and fruits as much as she can. In addition, she had better try to loose
weight and exercise continuously.
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