Do you think you have to run a marathon or become a vegetarian to significantly lower your risk of cancer? Not true! Little things you do everyday can significantly increase your odds of remaining cancer-free. Try adding these to your daily routine.
Walk. Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your weight under control and reduce your cancer risk. Exercise-even without weight loss-has shown in studies to chase cancer away. The American Cancer Society recommends 30 minutes a day of aerobic activity. You can accomplish this with a 30-minute walk, or try swimming, jogging, playing tennis or raquetball, or anything that gets your heart pumping. NOTE: If you’re over 45 years old, try adding 45 minutes twice weekly of strength training to fend off muscle loss.
Take it off the grill. If you blacken your beef, chicken, or fish, you’re increasing the amount of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in the meat-compounds that have been linked to cancer. Keep the heat low, use aluminum foil on the grill to protect the goods, flip burgers often, and choose medium over well-done.
Relax. We all know that too much stress can weaken our immune systems, and open the door for cancer to sneak in. If you feel yourself getting riled up, take deep belly breaths, think about your favorite place, and write down the things you’re grateful for. If you have a little more time, try some meditation, read a joke book, or strike a few yoga poses.
Eat some dark chocolate. Yes! It’s full of powerful antioxidants that help your normal cells fight off any that may be thinking about becoming cancerous. In fact, recent research shows that components of dark chocolate help combat cell damage that can lead to tumor growth. Watch the calories, but don’t be afraid to indulge in a bit now and then.
Spice things up. An Indian spice called turmeric has shown in studies to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. Add it to your relishes and soups, or drizzled over pasta.
Choose a safe sunscreen. We’ve talked about the dangers of chemical-based sunscreens. Choose those made with zinc oxide.
Take a multi-vitamin and mineral. Supplements are no substitute for healthy foods, but as we all miss our 5 servings of fruits and vegetables on some days, a multi-vitamin and mineral can help fill in the gaps, and give us a good dose of cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Drink green tea. It’s rich in antioxidants and has shown in studies to reduce the risk of several kinds of cancers.
Buy organic. Pesticides have been linked with cancer in several instances. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley compared household pesticide exposure in 324 infants and toddlers, half of whom were recently diagnosed with leukemia, and found that compared with the kids not exposed to home pesticides, those who had been exposed had up to three times the leukemia risk. Organic produce has consistently tested lower in pesticide content than regular produce.
Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol can increase the risks of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, and rectum. Limit your daily intake to 1-2 beverages. (Women are better off limiting it to only one.)
What are you doing to reduce your cancer risk? Please share your story.
Photo courtesy Eduard Titov via Flickr.com.
