The American Cancer Society reports that nearly half of cancer deaths could be prevented by healthy eating habits, exercising and not smoking. Doctors offer some advice to work toward cancer prevention.
Get regular recommended cancer screenings for many types of cancer, especially if there is a family history. Ask your doctor when to begin screenings and how often to be screened. Follow a healthy diet. Determine your optimum weight and work to get to it. Excess weight increases the risk of cancer in the breast, colon, rectum, uterus, esophagus, pancreas and kidney. Watch portion sizes and limit high calorie foods, processed meats, and red meat. Aim for 1.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day and limit alcohol consumption to two glasses a day, for men and one glass for women. Stay active by getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.
Regular exercise reduces the risk of many chronic conditions as well as cancer. Do not use tobacco. Smoking has been linked to numerous types of cancer including lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder and more. Quit smoking no matter your age or how long you’ve been doing it. And finally, be careful of your time in the sun. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer according to the American Cancer Society. Cover yourself up, wear a hat and sunglasses, use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or more, avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm and don’t use tanning beds or sunlamps.
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