Lower your cancer risk with lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes based on current dietary guidelines can help lower your risk of developing cancer.

Cancer is a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many. None of us want to hear a health care provider tell us we might have cancer. While there is often nothing you can do to prevent cancer, the good news is that with some lifestyle changes there is a lot you can do to lower your risk of developing cancer. The newly released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations not only will improve the health of Americans but following these guidelines will lower your risk of developing chronic diseases including cancer.

So what do the guidelines recommend?

  • Focus on eating healthy meals most of the time. This includes increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten every day. Most of us should have fruit and non-starchy vegetables at every meal and as snacks. Limit the amount of protein you consume and choose more lean meat, poultry, fish and beans, nuts and legumes for your source of protein. Choose whole grains such as 100% whole wheat, barley, oats, millet and corn to increase the amount of fiber, B vitamins and iron consumed each day.
  • Limit added sugar. While nutritionists have recommended this for years, it is now stated as part of the guidelines. Added sugars are found in high sugar desserts and snacks such as cookies, pastries, cakes, and candies. What isn’t obvious is the amount of sugar added to other foods such as condiments like catsup and barbecue sauce, yogurt and cereals. Cut back or eliminate sweetened soft drinks and juices. These are a major source of sugar and extra calories in the American diet.
  • Read food labels. The amount of added sugar can be found on the food label under “Carbohydrate”.  You can also read the ingredient panel to look for hidden sugars. Any word ending in “ose” is a sugar along with any form of “syrup”. Check the amount of fiber per serving. Diets high in fiber have been shown to lower the risk of developing chronic disease including cancers. Fiber is also found under carbohydrate. Then check the amount of fat per serving. Diets high in fat have also been linked to an increased risk of cancer. 
  • Be active. This can never be stressed enough. America is turning into a nation of couch potatoes. Every adult needs to be active at least 30 minutes a day on at least five days a week. Children need to be active at least 60 minutes every day. Activity doesn’t have to be “doing exercises.” Anything that gets your body moving is physical activity from riding a bike to dancing.

If you or your family could benefit from a healthier lifestyle, choose one of the tips above as a place to start. Trying to adopt all of the recommendations at once will probably result in failure. Struggling to eat enough vegetables? Try adding one serving of vegetables a day for a week and then increase by one serving each week until you’re at the recommended level. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be a burden. Michigan State University Extension encourages you to make it a fun and lifelong pursuit, and lower the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for you and your family.  

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