FARMINGTON – Good nutrition and exercise can affect the recurrence of breast cancer for survivors and reduce cancer risks for everyone.

On the first day of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Donna Walsh, registered dietitian at the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta, shared the most recent nutritional information with breast cancer survivors, their families and friends at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

“Eating well is not a guarantee that you won’t get cancer again but it puts the odds in your favor,” Walsh said.

People should be as lean as possible without becoming underweight while also being physically active for at least 30 minutes every day, she quoted from American Institute for Cancer research.

Other guidelines included avoiding sugary drinks and highly processed foods, limited consumption of red meats, salty foods and alcohol while adding more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.

Recent studies have increased the “take five a day” servings of fruits and vegetables to seven to 10 per day, she said. In choosing fruits and vegetables, pick those with the brightest colors as they tend to have the most antioxidants.

Other antioxidant sources include selenium found in eating Brazil nuts, seafood and grains; the spice turmeric may suppress the start of tumors and a couple tablespoons of flaxseed a day may block tumor growth, she said.

Studies also show breast cancer survivors who reduce the amount of fat in their diets were significantly less likely to experience a recurrence, she said.

A greater risk has been realized when women have a high intake of grilled, barbecued or smoked meats, she added.

Weight gain during adulthood is a strong predictor of breast cancer risk, she said. Women who gain more than 60 pounds since age 18 were three times more likely to have breast cancer than women who gained less than 20 pounds as an adult. There is also research that indicates obesity is associated with breast cancer recurrence.

On the positive side, studies show a 50 percent decrease in recurrence of breast cancer in women who briskly walked at least three hours per week, she said.

“Even if I institute just a couple things in my diet, what a great thing it would be,” said event organizer Jamie Lucas, care support nurse for the Martha B. Webber Breast Center at FMH, the sponsor of the event.

Lucas leads a breast cancer survivor group and said she wanted to do something special for them and others in recovery in recognition of the month.