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Cancer remains one of the leading killers. This is despite the fact a major effort has been under way for decades to develop a cure for it. Fortunately, there are a number of simple and inexpensive things that one can do to greatly reduce their risk of getting cancer as well as to increase their ability to recover from it should they get it. They include: (1) Don't smoke. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and the leading avoidable cause of death. Smoking is not only the dominant cause of lung cancer (which is an extremly unpleasant and nearly always fatal disease) but it can also cause various other types of cancer, including bladder cancer. Smoking is just plain stupid! Also avoid other tobacco products, including snuff, as they can also cause cancer, including mouth and throat cancer. (2) Avoid excessive drinking of alcohol. (3) Eat a well-balanced, low-fat, high-fiber diet with little or no red meat and plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. (4) Lose weight if fat. (5) Get plenty of exercise. Regular exercise is an important way of building up ones immune system. Recent studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise every day can reduce one's cancer risk more than 30 percent and that additional exercise can cut cancer risk even more. (6) Get sufficient sleep. Many people are sleep deprived and only get through the day by drinking lots of coffee, tea, etc. Insufficient sleep can weaken one's immune system and make one more susceptible to cancer as well as various other diseases. (7) Minimize stress. This is not always easy to do, but there are often steps that one can take to reduce stress. (8) Minimize exposure to carcenogenic chemicals. This includes avoiding many substances that are used around the home and work that could cause cancer and using non-carcenogenic substitutes to the extent possible. It also includes miminizing exposure to polluted air indoors and outdoors. (9) Know the warning symptoms of cancer. (10) Get regular medical checkups. Created September 30, 2006. |