The 10 Lifestyle Tips For Cancer Prevention

The WebMD cited these 10 diet and activity recommendations highlighted during the meeting of the American Diabetic Association (ADA). The following are:

1. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. Check your waist. It is recommended that men's waists be no larger than 37 inches and women's waists be 31.5 inches or less.

2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.

3. Avoid sugary drinks, and limit consumption of high-calorie foods, especially those low in fiber and rich in fat or added sugar. It is suggested to fill up on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (such as beans).

5. Limit consumption of red meats (including beef, pork, and lamb) and avoid processed meats.

6. If you drink alcohol, limit your daily intake to two drinks for men and one drink for women.

7. Limit consumption of salty foods and food processed with salt (sodium). Don't go over 2,400 milligrams per day, and use herbs and spices instead. Additionally, processed foods account for most sodium intake nowadays -- not salt you add when cooking or eating.

8. Don't use supplements to try to protect against cancer. It's not that supplements are bad -- they may be "valuable" apart from cancer prevention, but there isn't evidence that they protect against cancer, except for vitamin D (according to K. Collins).

9. It's best for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for up to six months and then add other liquids and foods.

10. After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention. Survivors include people undergoing cancer treatment, as well as people who have finished their cancer treatment.

These tips are about reducing -- but not eliminating -- cancer risk. Many factors, including genes and environmental factors, affect cancer risk; diet and exercise aren't the whole story, but they're within your power to change.

source:
WebMD
Miranda Hitti
Karen Collins, MS, RD, CND

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