Cancer Prevention & Thanksgiving Dinner: What is the Role of Diet In Cancer?

Related: Major Reduction in Cancer Risk by Following Old Standbys Diet and Exercise

"What we really want people to focus on is something called an anti-inflammatory diet," Krista Maruschak, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. "When I say anti-inflammatory diet, this is really a whole meal pattern that's going to decrease somebody's risk for cancer in the future. Inflammation in the body can cause a whole host of health conditions and co-morbidities, and inflammation is really increased by what we call a pro-inflammatory diet. Things that are pro-inflammatory in your diet are going to be refined carbohydrates as well as high fat, saturated fat meats, processed meats, things like that."

Krista Maruschak explains how cutting “pro inflammatory” foods can decrease cancer risk

Keeping diet in mind, it’s important to balance out foods that are high in carbs or fat with healthier options such as vegetables and fruit. That being said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a little turkey or dessert during your meal, just make sure that your holiday dinner is well-balanced.

Alcohol & Cancer Risk

During holiday celebrations, it’s not uncommon for some people to enjoy a glass of wine or two at dinner or when just hanging out with family. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having a cocktail every so often, but it’s important to remember that drinking too much has been directly linked to cancer. There's no evidence that alcohol directly causes cancer, but it has been proven that excessive drinking puts us at higher risk of a cancer diagnosis. In a number of studies looking at breast cancer risk, researchers concluded that women who drank more than about three drinks in one day were at a one and a half times higher risk of developing breast cancer than non-drinkers.

Related: 'Red Table Talk' Host Jada Pinkett Smith Used To Drink 3 Bottles Of Wine Before She Gave Up Alcohol: How Going Cold Turkey Can Cut Cancer Risk

"Binge drinking, it's not good for anybody," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. "It's also not good for a woman's increased risk of breast cancer. So patients ask me this all the time 'well, how much can I drink?' If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don't drink at all. But probably having less than four glasses a week of alcohol is probably okay."

Dr. Elizabeth Comen breaks down the link between alcohol and breast cancer

One other aspect of the holiday season to remember is that just because you’re relaxing at home doesn’t mean you should slack off on exercise. Along with a healthy diet, exercise can also make a huge difference in decreasing your cancer risk. This doesn’t mean you have to do a high-intensity workout at the gym every single day, but consider taking some time to walk around the neighborhood or maybe a light workout at home. Just a little movement can make a huge difference.

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