October | NCES HealthBeat Blog

Today, October 24^th, is National Food Day! Thousands around the country are hosting food day events throughout the day. The emphasis this year is on eating local. Do you eat local? For many, eating foods that are grown and harvested locally sounds like too much work. I mean, who has time to visit local farms to get all their fresh meat and produce? Guess what, you don’t have to! There are many resources available right here in Kansas City that you can use to get fresh, LOCAL foods on your dinner table! Are you reading this from somewhere besides Kansas City? Odds are, your city has similar resources!

Local Farmer’s Markets

Visiting a local farmers market is a great way to get fresh, locally grown food and also directly support local farmers. www.FarmersMarketOnline.com is a great place to find a list of farmers markets in your area.

Grocery Stores

Many grocers, especially smaller, local chains carry produce that is grown locally. Here in Kansas City, we have Hen House Market’s scattered across the city. Hen House has partnered with local farms to bring fresh produce to dinner tables across Kansas City. For a list of Hen House’s partner suppliers, click here.

Thanks to events like National Food Day, eating locally grown foods is increasing in popularity. Events like this have brought attention to the importance of eating fresh foods that are free of many additives that we don’t need in our foods. So, where can you start? Instead of driving through the fast food line tonight on your way home from work, stop by your local grocery store and pick up some fresh meats, vegetables and fruits. You may be surprised how good eating locally can be!

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In 2006 (which were the most recent numbers available), over 190,000 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and just over 40,000 American women died from the disease. This accounts for about 1% of all American women deaths.

The prospect of breast cancer is scary, but there are ways to go about preventing it. The Mayo Clinic has four broad and basic ways to go about preventing breast cancer:

Limit Alcohol Intake

Either wine, beer, or mixed drinks; it makes no difference. Though a link between alcohol intake and the occurrence of breast cancer exists, it still remains to be seen how strong the link is. To be safe, think about limiting your alcohol intake to one or less drink a day.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

The link between obesity and cancer is clear, and the case remains the same for breast cancer. Weight that is gained later in life, especially after menopause, is particularly harmful. To help matters, try to keep in a healthy weight range for your body type.

Stay Physically Active

At least 30 minutes of exercise a day can aid in breast cancer prevention. This also helps when maintaining a healthy weight. Training with weights can also help with keeping your bones strong.

Limit Fat in Your Diet

This also helps in avoiding a plethora of other diseases, and in maintaining a healthy weight, but it has been determined that there is a slight correlation between dietary fat intake and the occurrence of breast cancer in women. Try to limit your fat intake to about 35% of your daily calories, and avoid saturated fat in all instances possible.

Be aware: For the average woman, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammography every two years in women between the ages of 50 and 74. Get regular check-ups for the best results.

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