Cancer is a disease that nobody wishes to have. Unfortunately, it can happen to anybody at any age, gender, and race. Everyone can be susceptible to having this illness. The good news is that you can reduce the risk of cancer. Here are different ways on how you can protect yourself from the disease.
1. Eat Vegetables and Fruits
These food categories contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than others. You absorb essential substances that help protect your cells or DNA from free radicals that can cause cancer. It is advisable to eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits every single day. The darker the fruits and vegetables, the more phytochemicals and antioxidants you can get.
2. Lessen Red and Processed Meat
While there are foods to daily eat, there are also some to avoid or restrict. In this case, it should be meat, such as pork, beef, and lamb. You can still eat some of this but should not be daily and must be in small amount only. It is also good that you control your consumption of processed meat, which include hotdog, sausage, ham, and bacon. These are food products that have high amount of salt, sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavors. They are unhealthy that can increase your risk of cancer.
3. Limit the Intake of Fat
Fat is one thing to avoid in order to decrease the risk of cancer. This does not only make your healthy prone to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, but also cancer. You need to reduce your intake of foods that are high in dietary fat, most especially trans fat or animal fat.
4. Maintain an Average Weight
If you can maintain a healthy weight, there is also a high chance of reducing the risk of cancer. Obesity or overweight can make you more prone to having liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or prostate cancer.
5. Exercise and Be Physically Active
It is not only about healthy diet that helps prevent cancers. You also need to remain physically active. This means you must have a regular workout of at least 30 minutes a day. You can play sports some time in the week, too. Just do not sit on the couch watching TV or using the computer for hours. You need to go out and stretch your legs and hands.
6. Reduce Drinking Alcohol
Those who drink alcohol more than the suggested amount have higher chance of having cancer. This habit is not healthy at all, and is one of the most common causes of mouth cancer, liver cancer, esophagus caner, colon cancer, and breast cancer in women.
7. Do not Smoke
Even smoking can increase the risk of cancer, most especially liver cancer. In fact, 90% of patients suffer from lung cancer due to habitual and excessive smoking. If you have this habit, it is time to stop smoking before your lungs are invaded with cancerous cells.
8. Stay Away from Radiation
A higher chance to have this. That’s why it is best that you avoid over exposure to the sun and tanning beds. They have ultraviolet rays or radiation that can cause cancer in skin.
9. Protect Yourself against Infection
Viral infections can also link to different cancer types. You must be protected against infections that may cause you to suffer from cancer in the long run. This goes back to having a healthy diet and regular exercise. Once you suspect to have infection, ensure that you get treatment immediately.
10. Have Screening and Physical Exams
There are various screenings and exams that you can undergo to with a local doctor to further help prevent cancers. You must have a regular visit to a physician for some exam to diagnose if you have cancer or not. Early detection of cancer is beneficial to treat it much easier. It will be more difficult to cure cancer if it is already at the critical stage.
In order to avoid having cancer, follow these healthy habits. You need to invest your time and money in a way that you optimize and maintain your health. It is better that you try hard to reduce the risk of cancer, and other diseases, than to suffer from it.