You can lower your risk of cancer!

frednejra hamilton
ENC 3310 Spring 2016
3 min readFeb 28, 2016

When one hears the word cancer emotions instantly start flowing. People begin feeling uneasy, sad, and even angry. This may be because there are countless cancer related deaths making the severity of the disease so scary. Many people are not aware of how a few simple health and nutrition changes can decrease their chances of cancer. With this in mind, I think it is vital that individuals are educated on ways to prevent and lower the risk of getting the disease. Following these simple recommendations can enhance your health.

According to Huntsman Cancer Institute, one great way to lower the risk of cancer is to maintain a healthy and well balanced diet. Individuals should consume healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Some vegetables that help with cancer prevention include broccoli, cabbage, kale, garlic, cauliflower, and spinach. In the same way, fruits such as apples, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, and grapefruit provide nutrients such as vitamin C and other healthy essentials that aid in cancer prevention. Whole grains play a role in a balanced diet as well. They contain many healthy compounds such as dietary fibers, polyphenols, and phytic acid that are said to have anti-cancer properties. Brown rice, oats, and whole grain bread are good sources of whole grains that can help lower the risk of cancer.

A well balanced diet also includes meat. However, individuals should also be cautious when choosing meats to eat. Information presented by professionals from Huntsman Cancer Institute University of Utah states that meats that have been preserved, cured, salted and smoked are not good for the body. These meats include but are not limited to ham, bacon, and hot-dogs. To be more specific, it is recommended that one should not consume more than 18 ounces of beef, pork, lamb, or other red meats per week. Instead it is healthier to eat meats like fish and chicken.

Another great tip for reducing the risk of cancer is to get physically active. According to cancer.org it is suggested that adults get up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. Doing so will help individuals control their weight which is important to reducing cancer. In the same way, it is recommended that kids get 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise each day, about 3 times a week. Moderate workouts include activities such as biking, walking, and light dancing. Vigorous activities are those that gets your heart rate up, utilize large muscle groups, and make you sweat.

Finally, a great way to help prevent cancer is to limit the amount of alcohol you consume, if any. Alcohol should be drunk in moderation. Men over 65 and women of all ages should not have more than one drink per day. In contrast, men 65 years old and younger should not have more than 2 drinks per day.

These tips and recommendations will help individuals lower the risk of getting cancer and improve their overall health. This issue is significant because disease prevention ultimately starts with the individual. The more proactive people are with their health, the healthier they will be. Many people are not aware of how these simple tips can improve their health and lower their risk of cancer. Once they are informed they will hopefully take better precaution. It is important to help people stay informed with health tips because they can then share the information, helping to improve the health of more people.

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