“Cancer risk can be cut with good habits such as exercise and healthful eating.”
Big news, eh?
We are what we eat (and absorb and metabolize), and what we put in to our bodies can play a huge role in our health. But this article breaks down some specifics that I thought were interesting. Here is a summary of some of the causes of cancer that you DO Have some control over! (More items are discussed in the article, these were just the food/activity ones!)
Obesity and physical inactivity – linked to various forms of cancer
Poor weight and minimal movement can compound and increase risk of cancer of the colon, uterus, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, breast, and colon. And often (but not always) obesity is more a symptom of poor lifestyle lifestyle choices – so choose activity; choose fresh; choose natural and you’ll see some of that turning around.
Alcohol in Excess – risk areas include mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, and liver.
Alcohol may even play a role in breast cancer. Ideally, cut out or minimize alcohol, as it taxes your poor liver to metabolize it.
Sugary drinks – linked to pancreatic cancer.
All you soda lovers out there! Drinking 2 or more cans PER WEEK has been linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer in one study – so more research is needed. But, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, so why play guinea pig?! Time to cut back on the cola.
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Pesticides – links to various forms of cancer.
Studies have shown high levels of pesticides can be associated with cancers of the blood and lymph systems, lip, stomach, brain, prostate, and skin. These studies were done on very high exposure – such as big production farmers, crop dusters, etc – but that just goes to show how dangerous those pesticides and chemicals can be. Stick with organic as possible.
Red and processed meat – linked with colon cancer.
Processed meats can include luncheon meats, hot dogs, Bologna, Spam, Corned Beef, etc… avoid those meats! They tend to be loaded with salt, and also include nitrates and nitrites that are still being researched as potential carcinogens.
Red meat is a big controversy. Many professionals will agree that free-range, grass-fed red meat tends to have more nutrition than factory farmed, poor-treatment, farmed, junk-food-fed met. But at this time, most of these studies don’t tend to separate out healthy-raised meats from factory-farmed meat when it comes to cancer risk, so it is difficult to determine exactly the correlation. So, some health professionals would say healthy-raised meats are fine. For now, you can choose to limit red meat to the best-raised sources – or eliminate all together. There are plenty of other sources of protein, iron, aminos, vitamins, etc, if you choose to abstain.
And, I had to add this because I think it’s important – even though it’s not a food item:
Cellphones – linked to cancers in the face, neck, and brain.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests cellphone use of over 30 minutes per day can increase the risk of benign brain tumors. Benign or not, that’s a scary mutation! So get a headset! (And not a wire-less one, that still has to send waves to the ear piece glued to your head.) Go for a wired headset – you may feel silly walking around with a boom microphone near your mouth, but better that than cancer, I say! I got a little one that cost about $1.99 + shipping from Amazon. A few bucks to decrease potential brain frazzles? Yes, please!
And if we all get in on it, we can start a new fashion trend. Who’s with me? I’d love to see photos! 😉
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