Since one in two of us are likely to get cancer in our lifetime, cancer prevention lifestyle tips are incredibly important. Oncology nurses across the globe administer treatment to those who have fallen ill with cancer, and though the cause can sometimes be unexplained, there are steps that can be taken to better your chances against the disease. From changes to your diet to other living habits, there are things that you can do to give yourself a better chance of escaping the threat of cancer. So, what steps do you need to be making when it comes to avoiding cancer?
Avoid Smoking
This is perhaps the most common of cancer prevention tips, but it’s because smoking has been linked to multiple forms of cancer. These include cancers of the throat, mouth, lung, larynx, kidney, cervix, bladder, and pancreas.
Smoking is an addiction so if you’re a smoker, it’s probably not realistic that you’ll be able to quit cold turkey. Instead, you should limit the number of cigarettes you smoke each day until you bring the number down to zero a day. If you start to crave nicotine, you can purchase gum, patches, and other stop smoking measures. After 14 to 21 days, you’ll no longer experience nicotine withdrawal so cravings at this point will be purely habitual.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet doesn’t mean that you live purely off fruit and vegetables, but it does mean that you should eat at least five servings of fruit and veg daily. However, on top of this, you should also be eating carbohydrates, proteins, dairy, fats, and oils. As well as this, you should only drink alcohol in moderation and limit your intake of processed meats. This better equips you to fight off cancer as it allows you to build your body’s strength, which will benefit your immune system. Eating naturally is the best way to care for your body and supply it with everything it needs to combat illnesses.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Keep Active
The term “keeping active” can sound overwhelming, particularly if you don’t consider yourself to be a very physically active individual. With this being said, keeping active doesn’t mean that you need to be going for a five-kilometer run every day. A half an hour daily walk is all that you need to remain relatively fit and healthy. However, it’s not just about keeping active, as being overweight can also contribute to your risk of getting cancer. These cancers include kidney, colon, lung, prostate, and breast cancer. The fitter you are, the less strain is put on your body to perform daily tasks, which puts you in better stead to fight off cancer.
Protect Yourself from the Sun
Skin cancer is among the most preventable types of cancers, as sun cream with an SPF of 30 or higher will often do the job of shielding your skin. It’s widely believed that you should only apply SPF products when it’s hot outside, but you should actually be using them every day to protect your skin from harmful rays. As well as this, you should avoid the midday sun, keep to the shade, and cover exposed areas with hats, sunglasses, and loose-fitting clothing. It’s also important to avoid sunlamps and tanning beds as these are just as harmful as natural sunlight.
Get Vaccinated
Since 2008, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been administered in schools to girls between the ages of 13 and 14. This is a form of immunotherapy that stimulates the immune system to fight against cancer before it becomes detrimental.
