How to Lower Your Chances of Getting Cancer

There are many factors that go into causing cancer in an individual. Genetics is a big factor because it has been found that cancer runs in a family. Each type of cancer has a different risk factor. Living a healthy lifestyle, however, will reduce your chances of getting cancer.

Steps

1. Don’t use tobacco. Not smoking is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It can reduce your risk of several cancers, including lung, esophagus, voice box (larynx), mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach. Every time you smoke a cigarette, you inhale more that 60 substances that can cause your cells to become cancerous
2. Eat a variety of healthy foods. While this isn’t a guarantee, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of getting certain types of cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 30% of cancers are related to issues of nutrition, including obesity.
3. Eat an abundance of foods from plant-based sources. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Also, eat whole grains and beans. Green and dark yellow vegetables, beans, soybean products vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage may help reduce your risk of colon and stomach cancers.
4. Limit saturated fat. Chose low-fat or fat-free foods. High fat diets may increase your risk of cancers of the prostate, colon, and uterus. One way to limit your intake of saturated fat is to limit your meat consumption and include more meatless meals in your diet. Meatless Monday is a national public health campaign associated with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health that encourages people to give up meat one day a week to lower their risk of heart disease, some cancers, obesity, and diabetes.
5. Stay active and maintain a healthy weight. Research suggests that exercising regularly may also play a role in preventing cancer and other diseases. Obesity is a risk factor for some cancers, so it is important to maintain a healthy weight for your height, age, gender, etc. Physical activity, along with a healthy diet, can help lower your risk of certain types of cancer. Try to be physically active for 30 minutes or most days of the week.
6. Protect yourself from the sun. Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer and also one of the most preventable. Avoid being outside during the time that the sun is strongest. If you need to be outside, cover up with sunblock, hats, and sunglasses and stay in the shade.
7. Get your immunizations. Certain cancers are associated with infections that can be prevented with shots. Hepititus B can increase your risk of liver cancer and HPV (Human papillomavirus) can lead to cervical cancer. Be sure to talk to your doctor about what is right for you.
8. See your doctor regularly and get screened. This can lead to early detection and increase your chance of successful treatment.
9. Reduce stress. Scientists observe stressed rats are at higher risk for cancer.
10. Avoid sugars. Excess sugar and carbs have been linked to breast cancer and all cancer itself undergoes a fermentation like process that requires excess glucose to thrive.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Eat a diet high in anti-oxidants like beta-carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
13. Eliminate hydrogenated fats. Avoid altogether fat that has been chemically altered, giving so-called trans-fat. This type of fat is often found in margarine, cookies, snacks, fast food and other pre-made food.
14. Make green vegetables part of every meal. Snack on raw vegetables, especially the cruciferous ones (cabbage, broccoli, etc
15. Especially include red fruits like strawberries,cherries and tomatoes in your diet, as they contain chemicals brimming with the anti-oxidant Lycopene.
16. Make sure you get enough calcium.
17. Start eating flax. Flax seeds contain two cancer-preventative compounds: omega-3 fatty acids, and lingams which may reduce your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. Add flax seeds to your breakfast cereal. You can also use flaxseed meal, which you can buy or the store or make on your own with a coffee grinder. Flaxseed meal mixes well in smoothies or you can sprinkle it over yogurt and cereal.
18. Eat other anti-cancer nutrients: Vitamin D, Selenium, Acidophilus, Garlic and Green Tea.
19. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Physical activity can reduce your chance of getting certain types of cancers by at least 50%. Choose a physical activity that you enjoy.
20. Cut down on alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol can lead to changes in your body which can lead to cancer. Discuss how alcohol might affect you with a nurse or doctor.
21. Don’t use any form of tobacco. If you do smoke, try to quit. Keep trying! It is possible. Over 1,000 Americans quit for good each day.
22. Protect yourself and your partner from STDs. Some sexually transmitted infections lead to changes in the body which can lead to cancer. Use latex condoms. Practice safe sex.
23. Avoid potentially carcinogenic compounds, such as formaldehyde (found in car exhaust and in sealant products), benzene, asbestos and many others. For the most part, try to avoid automobile fumes and similar air impurities. A list of carcinogenic compounds can be found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=32BA9724-F1F6-975E-7FCE50709CB4C932
24. Do not make foods or drinks known to contain carcinogenic compounds. Do not make teas or root-beer from the roots of the Sassafras plant, as these contain safole which may be carcinogenic. Limit your use of Nutmeg, as safole is a minor constituent of that spice as well.

Tips

• Start slowly. Pick two of these steps and then gradually move onto the others. You’ll see benefits as soon as you start.
• Consider taking daily supplements of Vitamin C (500 mg), Calcium (500 mg), Flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) (30 grams), Acidophilus powder (1 teaspoon), Vitamin E (200 IU), Selenium (100 mcg).
• Anti-cancer vegetables include the following: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, kale, red onions, peppers, radish, and tomatoes.
• A good read is, “The Little Book of Cancer by Ol Lady Leap”. It talks about things we are doing to ourselves that may cause cancer and discusses some prevention methods.
• Understand what asbestos is by studying asbestos pictures to identify asbestos contaminants (building material in your house/office & asbestos products) and clean it from your environment.^[1]
• The PH (acid levels) of cancerous cells are on the acid side compared to normal body PH of 7.4 to 7.6. Be sure to keep your body alcaline in stead of acidic.

Warnings

• Your health is affected by many factors. Following the advice listed above will not guarantee that you will never get cancer, but it is a good way to lower your chances of getting cancer or other diseases.
• Talk to a doctor or a nurse before following a tip if it will result in a major change from your usual activities.
• While sunlight is good, make sure you don’t get too much sunlight or you might actually increase the risk of getting cancer.
• No one knows what causes cancer. There are many thoughts about the causes, but there are also different theories about eating different foods. If anyone really knew for sure the causes of cancer, there would have been a pill to eliminate it entirely.
• Just because you are active or thin does not mean you will not get cancer.
• Being a vegetarian will reduce your chances of getting cancer. Meat eaters are more at risk than non-animal eaters of getting cancer, due to the hormones pumped into meat.
• Not all smokers get cancer, although not smoking will lower your chance of getting lung cancer.
• Just eat a healthy diet, of your choice.
• Don’t worry about getting cancer, or you will end up with anxiety.
• None of the vitamins mentioned have been proven to keep you safe from cancer.
• The only thing that is known is that sun rays do cause skin cancer when you are exposed to them for long periods of time.
• Normal tap water could increase your chances of getting cancer. Make sure you have or get a water filter or purifier to take out the bad chemicals in tap water.
  • Beta-carotene and vitamin A supplements may increase the chance for heavy smokers of getting lung cancer and other cancers caused by smoking, according to results from epidemiologic studies. However, these vitamins in the food do not increase this risk. It is not clear what effect beta-carotene have on lung cancer in combination with other supplements or by non-smokers. The results from these studies are also controversial.
• Vitamin E supplements seem to protect against Cancer, but heavy vitamin E amounts may in fact increase the chance of getting heart problems and stroke.
• Cancer undergoes a fermentation like process and requires sugar (yes, even “natural” sugars) to grow. This is fact and supported by Nobel winner Otto Warburg’s research. See the link ‘low-carber’ below for studies with proof of this.
• To prevent cervical cancer, while Gardasil, condoms, and birth control may be recommended, the best way to avoid it is to not have sex at all!!!