Improve Your Chances Against Cancer » Indulge in Healthy Living

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The bad news is that cancer can spread quickly if left untreated. Hence, the goal should be how to improve your chances against cancer by working more on preventive care. So, adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy balanced diet and regular physical activity. This is because a healthy lifestyle is major in protecting against diseases such as cancers and coronary heart disease. Undoubtedly, a healthy lifestyle helps to improve your chances against cancer.

Why Cancer Remains Deadly

Cancer remains one of the biggest killers in the world, second only to cardiovascular diseases. With the increase in life expectancy, the number of people at risk from cancer also increases. This is mainly due to the fact that 65 -70% of cases occur in those over 65 years old. There are over two hundred different cases of cancer but the four major ones are breast, lung, large bowel cancer, and prostate. This makes up 50% of cases diagnosed.

Breast cancer occurs most (in women), followed by lung cancer, and cancers of the bowel and stomach. Though there are many causes of cancer, the majority are influenced by environmental factors, particularly smoking.

4 Ways Healthy Lifestyle Help You Fight Cancer

Diet is the next biggest contributor to cancer deaths, after smoking. Indulgence in the wrong foods and indiscipline with food consumption accounts for about 30% of all cancer deaths. If this is the case, then a healthy diet can prevent up to half of all cases of breast cancer. Also includes three out of four cases of stomach, colon and rectal cancers.

Eat your fruits & vegetables

The principles of healthy eating may actually be beneficial in the long term. Particularly if you eat everything in moderation from different types of foods that are low in fat and high in unrefined carbohydrates.

Also, low consumption of fruits and vegetables has been linked to an increased risk of most cancers. For instance, there is evidence that those who eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day are much better protected against cancer than those who don’t.

The five portions a day of fruits and vegetables meet the recommended daily fibre intake of 12-18g per day. Eating enough fibre has the exclusive task of reducing large bowel cancer. Also, vegetables are a rich source of antioxidants, shown to affect positively factors that improve chances against cancer. It is good to note that such positive influence relates to food, not supplements of vitamins, or minerals. In other words, supplements are not recommended as a means to alter cancer risk. But a healthy lifestyle and eating do help.

As regards the effects of fat on breast cancer risk, research result has revealed the damaging effect of saturated fat, in particular. The advice is to reduce the consumption of red and processed meat, already linked to a higher risk of bowel, breast, and prostate cancers.

Reduce, or shun alcohol

Moderate alcohol consumption, or total abstinence, also reduces the chances of getting cancer, especially for people with a family history of cancer. Liver cancer is associated with heavy drinking and there may also be an increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and breast.

Control your weight

Avoid being overweight through diet and physical activity. Excess body weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and also several cancers, including endometrial, kidney, and oesophagus. Controlling your weight means balancing the energy you consume through food and drinks with the energy you burn off through exercise.

To lose weight, you need to burn off more energy than you take in from food and drinks. This means either you exercise for longer or harder. Or combine a little exercise with eating a bit less fatty food.

Be active

Exercise helps reduce the risk of many chronic diseases including certain forms of cancers. Research has shown that regular physical activity helps to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, breast, and endometrium. Those people who exercise have a 30-40% reduction in the risk of colon cancer. Also for active women, there is a 20-30% reduction in the risk of breast cancer, compared with sedentary people.

The data also suggest a 20% reduction in the risk of lung cancer in physically active individuals. In any case, the message is to accumulate thirty minutes or more of physical activity at least five days a week. Better still throughout the week.