The statistics are pretty staggering, as half of us will be diagnosed with cancer http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=2766 at some point in our lives. The biggest contributing lifestyle factors according to research are obesity and smoking. And as many as one-third of the most common cancer cases could be prevented through clean eating, exercise and good weight management.
A new guide released by the World Cancer Research Fund gives tips for small changes that could dramatically decrease the incidence of this disease. There is strong evidence that being overweight increases the risk of 10 cancers: bowel, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, womb, breast, ovary, gallbladder, prostate (advanced) and liver. We could prevent about one in six of these cancer cases by maintaining a healthy weight.
Six simple ways to reduce the risk of cancer by healthy weight management:
1. Find your starting point and see where you really stand. One of the easiest ways to find out if you're at a healthy weighthttp://www.dreddyclinic.com/products/ghchealth/weight-loss-ebook.php is to check your Body Mass Index (BMI). This tells you whether you're in the healthy weight range for your height, so it's a useful guide for most adults. A healthy BMI for men and women is between 18.5 and 24.9.
2. Take control of your snacking, as just reducing your daily calorie intake by 100 calories can make a big difference. Swap sweets, potato chips or fried foods for alternatives like a piece of fruit or veggie sticks. Vegetables and fruits are the foundation of a healthy diet, and it is still recommended that we eat at least five portions of each every day. Try something new and delicious like cucumber hummus http://www.allnaturalhealthreviews.org/cucumber-hummus-with-dill-is-amazing/ with dill.
3. Change up portions of the foods on your plate. Try making the larger part be vegetables and the smaller portion be meat, fish or a vegetable-based protein. Most diets make the meat portions the biggest part of the meal. The benefit of less calories consumed is great, but you will also save money implementing this strategy.
4. One way to slim down is by having one meat-free day each week or swapping out meats for fish once a week. According to environmental studies, if every US citizen went vegetarian http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=32494 for just one day a week, we would save 100 billion gallons of water, 1.5 million pounds of vegetation, 70 million gallons of gas, 3 million acres of land and 33 tons of antibiotics.
5. Stand up whenever you are on the phone or consider setting up a stand-up desk for a portion of your work day. You could also make progress by committing to a daily 15- to 30-minute walk. Not only will just a little effort help reduce the risk of weight-related cancers, but you will just feel better naturally. The more you get up and get moving, the more you decrease your risk for cancer.
6. Sign up for the World Cancer Research Fund I CAN http://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/i-can campaign which began May 11, 2015. You might just need a little encouragement and additional ideas. You can receive daily motivational emails for 21 days. Tips will include healthy recipe ideas, suggestions on how to be more active and healthy diet swaps. You may not implement them all, but if you put even a few into practice, you'll be doing something to help reduce your cancer risk.
Cancer Prevention by the Numbers
How many cases of cancer could be prevented in the UK if everyone was a healthy weight?
Type of cancer
Approximate number of UK cases per year preventable through maintaining a healthy weight
Oesophagus(adenocarcinoma) 31% 1,700
Pancreas 15% 1,300
Gallbladder 17% 290
Bowel 14% 6,000
Breast(postmenopausal) 16% 6,600
Womb (endometrium) 38% 3,200
Kidney 19% 1,900
Ovary 4% 270
Prostate (advanced) 9% 870
Liver 20% 940
Total for 10 cancers combined 17% 23,100
Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3068647/Revealed-7-simple-ways-slash-risk-cancer-eating-carrots-cleaning-house.html
http://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/lifestyle-statistics
http://www.alternet.org/story/134650/the_startling_effects_of_going_vegetarian_for_just_one_day
Obesity statistics come from the Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet, England 2014, the Welsh Health Survey 2013, the Scottish Health Survey 2012, and the Health Survey Northern Ireland 2012/13.
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