With the frightening statistic that one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, many of us are adjusting our lifestyles to implement preventative measures against cancer. No one wants to experience the impact of cancer or treatments such as chemotherapy and their side effects. Though we can’t be sure of what the future holds, we can be sure to do all we can to ensure our health is in the best position possible.
Contents
- 1 Stay Lean
- 2 Engage in Daily Physical Activity
- 3 Limit Consumption of Energy-Dense Foods
- 4 Eat a Variety of Fruit, Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes
- 5 Limit Alcohol Consumption
- 6 Limit Red Meat Consumption
- 7 Limit Consumption of Salty Foods
- 8 Don’t Use Cancer Protection Supplements
- 9 Breastfeed Babies
- 10 Follow Recommendations for Cancer Prevention as a Cancer Survivor
Stay Lean
When it comes to a healthy weight, it isn’t just about the number on the scales. You should aim to be as lean as you can without becoming underweight which is most easily determined by your waist size. It’s suggested that a man’s waist shouldn’t exceed 37 inches, whilst a woman’s waist should be no more than 31.5 inches.
Engage in Daily Physical Activity
You should be physically active for at least half an hour each day, and this can be broken up into 10- or 15-minute slots to make it more manageable. Despite this, exercising for more than 30 minutes puts you in even better stead, but half an hour should be the minimum level of activity each day.
Limit Consumption of Energy-Dense Foods
Energy-dense foods include seeds, nuts, cheese, thick sauces, starchy vegetables, chips, crackers, pasta, fries, deep-fried food, and sweets. Though a small allowance of these is required to maintain a balanced diet, indulging in too much can clog your arteries and contribute to your risk of cancer. Sugary drinks, in particular, should be avoided where possible.
Eat a Variety of Fruit, Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes
We all know that vegetables are good for us, but did you know that consistently eating the same vegetables in a row is not as beneficial as eating a wide variety? This is because each fruit, vegetable, grain, and legume have different benefits and so to maximize the health advantages you should consume a whole selection of greens.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Men should not consume more than two alcoholic beverages per day, whilst women should drink one or less. It’s widely believed that stripping alcohol from your diet entirely is the best move health-wise, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Consuming small amounts of certain alcohols can actually be beneficial to cancer prevention as they release special compounds.
Limit Red Meat Consumption
It’s a good idea to consume no more than 500 grams of red meat per week as too much can harden your blood vessels. You should replace red meat with legumes, seafood, or chicken if you find that you’re consuming too much per week. Similarly, you should avoid processed meats as their ingredients are unnatural and could cause havoc on your health.
Limit Consumption of Salty Foods
You shouldn’t consume more than 2,400 milligrams of salt per day and use spices and herbs as alternatives to flavor your food. Despite this, most of your sodium intake doesn’t come from flavoring your food, but rather from processed food.
Don’t Use Cancer Protection Supplements
“Cancer protection supplements” are not necessarily harmful but they also have no value in preventing cancer. Vitamin D is thought to be beneficial when it comes to cancer prevention, but aside from this, other supplements will be completely ineffective.
Breastfeed Babies
Breastfeeding lowers your risk of breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. This is because it lowers your exposure to estrogen and abnormal cells that can develop into cancer.
Follow Recommendations for Cancer Prevention as a Cancer Survivor
Cancer has a habit of returning to people that have previously fought it off. If you have beat cancer, you should still take precautionary measures to prevent cancer.
