Research continues to confirm that you can control your health, by following a few simple strategies, that can help reduce the risk of cancer. Although, there's no guarantee that healthy and good habits make you immune to cancer, but as the old saying "prevention is better than cure" goes, these simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference and reduce the risk. So here is a lists of 10 things that can help lower the risk of cancer. Here goes:
1. Maintain A Healthy Weight
Many people probably know that being overweight isn’t good for the heart, but did they know that it is a major risk factor for cancer as well? Excess of weight gain or too much fat around the waist (abdominal obesity) is linked to higher chance of developing cancer of the breast, prostate, lungs, endometrium and colon. The excess fat in these areas increases the chances of developing a tumor. Too much fat also increases the risk for high blood pressure and diabetes. Weight gain during menopause can also cause cancer. For cancer risk reduction it is important to stay as lean as possible within a healthy weight range. If you are overweight, focus on losing weight and not gaining any more weight as this can help improve your health.
2. Eat A Healthy Diet
There are a number of different foods that may help to prevent certain types of cancer. Although it can't guarantee cancer prevention, it might help reduce the risk. For example, watermelon, and other foods containing lycopene have evidence showing that they probably reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Try These Tips:
- Choose a diet high in whole-grain fiber, beans and lean proteins.
- Make colourful fruits and vegetables a part of every meal. Eat vegetables as a snack and put fruit on your cereal.
- Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods.
- Keep red meat and processed meat to a minimum. Instead choose fish and chicken.
- Choose brown rice and whole-wheat bread over their more refined counterparts.
- Cut back on bad fats (saturated and trans fats) and choose healthy fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) instead.
- Choose dishes made with olive or canola oil over butter.
- Cut back on fast food and store snacks which are high in bad fats.
- Take multivitamin that contains folate daily.
3. Exercise Regularly
It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do. Any form of physical activity help to prevent many forms of cancer. Adults who get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week, have a lower risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. They also gain some health benefits like weight loss.
Try These Tips:
- Choose activities you enjoy.
- Include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine.
- Make exercise a habit by setting aside the same time for it each day.
- Get an exercise partner to stay motivated.
- Walk with your kids to school in the morning.
- Strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity
or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity.
- Try taking a walk regularly after dinner.
4. Don’t Smoke And Avoid Tobacco
Smoking has also been linked to more than a dozen other cancers and its the cause for 30% of all cancer deaths overall. It damages the entire circulatory system and increases your risk for heart disease, it hardened arteries and blood clots. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer such as cancer of the throat, lung, mouth, cervix, larynx, pancreas, bladder and kidney. For nonsmokers even passive smoking is a huge risk factor for cancer and should be avoided, as 3,000 cases of lung cancer each year occur as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke. Also chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Quitting smoking and tobacco is the best thing you can do for your health.
Try These Tips:
- Ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies for quitting.
- It often takes six or seven tries before you quit for good, therefore, Keep trying!
- Don’t smoke in the house or car.
- Try to quit as soon as possible.
5. Protect Yourself From The Sun
It is sensible to protect yourself from ultraviolet rays as excess exposure to the sun is directly linked to certain types of skin cancer. Skin cancer is one of the most common and preventable kinds of cancer. Skin damage starts early in childhood, so it’s especially important to protect children.
Try These Tips
- Stay out of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m (peak burning hours) when the sun's rays are strongest.
- Wear protective clothes (Like hats and long-sleeve shirts) and sunglasses.
- Stay in the shade when you're outdoors.
- Use generous amounts of sunscreen when you're outdoors.
- Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps.
- Opt for bright or dark colors, which reflect more ultraviolet rays than bleached cotton.
By restricting sun exposure the risk of skin cancer can be reduced greatly.
6. Drink Alcohol Only In Moderation
When it comes to health, alcohol wields a double-edged sword. Moderate drinking is good for the heart, as there is plenty of evidence to suggest that light alcohol intake, especially red wine,may be beneficial for heart health, but it can also increase the risk of cancer. The risk of various types of cancer like those of the mouth, throat, and esophagus increases with the amount of alcohol consumption and the length of time you've been drinking regularly.
Try These Tips:
- Avoid occasions centered around alcohol.
- Choose nonalcoholic beverages.
- Talk to a health-care professional if you feel you have a problem with alcohol.
7. Shake Off Stress.
Although stress by itself is not an independent risk factor for cancer. But it can lead people to engage in unhealthy behavior like drinking,
smoking or overeating in an effort to cope with stress. These behaviors can increase the risk of cancer. Find other healthy ways of coping with stress, like exercise instead.
8. Protect Yourself From Sexually Transmitted Infections
You can get certain cancers from unprotected and unsafe sexual activities. Limit your number of sexual partners, and use a condom when you have sex. There is an increased rate of cancer of the cervix in women who have multiple sexual partner. Having multiple sexual partners also exposes you to infections like HIV and Hepatitis C, which can cause other cancers, as people with HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the liver, anus and lung. HPV might also increase the risk of cancer of the penis, anus, throat, vulva and vagina among other problems. Protecting yourself from these infections can lower your risk.
Try These Tips :
- Always be prepared.
- Always use a condom and follow other safe-sex practices.
- Bever rely on your partner to have a condom.
- Aside from not having sex, try to be in a committed, monogamous relationship with someone who does not have a sexually transmitted infection.
- Vaccinate girls and boys against HPV.
9. Get Vaccinated
Certain cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections. For example Hepatitis B Vaccination has reduced the incidence of chronic liver disease and cancers. This vaccine is recommended for high risk individuals, such as men who have sex with men, people who are sexually active but not in a mutually monogamous relationship, intravenous drug users or those with a sexually transmitted infection. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) virus can lead to cervical cancer and head and neck cancers in males. Do visit a doctor for advice on vaccination.
10. Go For Regular Health Check-ups
There are a number of important screening tests that can help protect against cancer and detect cancer early. These test find cancer when
treatment is most likely to be successful. While others can actually help keep cancer from developing in the first place. Yearly pap smear testing and mammogram have reduced mortality rate due to cancer of cervix and breast in women.
Cancers that should be tested for regularly are:
Breast cancer
Cervical cancer
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Ask your doctor about the best cancer screening schedule for you.
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