Cancer is a hot topic in the health food world and with good reason. Cancer affects 1,600,000 people and their family and friends in the United States alone as of the latest 2016 reports.
What Exactly Is Cancer?
The truth is, we all have cancerous cells in our body; they’re just quickly destroyed by our immune system.
The problem with people who “get cancer” is that some of these cells aren’t stopped in time, and they replicate and spread to other areas of the body.
Considering those facts, what we need to focus on is not just treatment of cancer, but how to stop abnormal cell growth.
There is no magic diet that can help you prevent cancer, but there are significant dietary and lifestyle habits you can start now to reduce your chances or prevent your chances of getting cancer.
With this in mind, here are three science-backed ways to prevent cancer that everyone can take advantage of now.
Science-Backed Ways to Prevent Cancer
1. Don’t Smoke or Quit Now
Tobacco intake is one of the most predominant causes of cancer.
The American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic report that smoking has been linked to breast, lung, mouth, pancreas, bladder, throat, larynx, cervix and kidney cancer.
If you live with someone or are around someone who smokes, you should also be very carefully. Second-hand smoking has also been associated with lung cancer along with other lung problems over time.
This one step alone is one of the most effective and important steps you can take to not only protect yourself from cancer but also a shorter life in general. If you need help quitting, see a doctor for treatments that may work best for you.
2. Get Off the Couch and Get Moving Daily
Daily exercise is important for preventing cancer and other types of disease. Obesity increases your risk of cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and a shorter lifespan in general.
Even just 30 minutes of exercise per day can help you reduce the risk of breast, prostate, lung, colon, and kidney cancer. It will also help you control your weight, and improve your blood pressure levels, digestion, and mood.
Walking is a great exercise to prevent disease, but if you enjoy running, yoga, or even jump rope, do those too! Just be sure you log at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, with a minimum of 5 sessions per week.
What to Eat To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
A diet full of fruits, vegetables, greens, whole grains like oatmeal, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), healthy fats (almonds, avocados, wild fish, chia, flax, and antioxidant-rich foods such as those listed above can all help you improve your intake of healthy foods and decrease your risk of disease, including cancer.
You may also want to increase your intake of green tea which has been shown to reduce cancer and be sure to get at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Don’t forget to get enough fiber as well. Fiber only comes from plants and it’s important for optimal health.
