Cycle of Cancer Prevention
Although poor nutrition and limited/or no physical activity are all related factors that may contribute to raising cancer risk, body weight is another factor that comes into play that seems to have the greatest effect and strongest link to cancer outside of tobacco use.
Being obese or overweight raises the risk of many cancers including gallbladder, liver, cervix, and ovary, prostate (advanced), Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
It is also been linked with increased risk of cancer in post-menopausal breast, colon and rectum, endometrium, kidney, pancreas, and esophagus.
Next to “not smoking,” the single best thing you can do to protect yourself against cancer for is to maintain a healthy weight throughout your life.
Making lifestyle changes that will lower your risk of cancer are more important now than ever since statistics prove that in the U.S. alone, 2/3’s of Americans are obese or over-weight.
Eating more vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains as well as being physically active for at least 30 minutes daily are mandatory.
The more often cells divide the more opportunity there is for cancer cells to develop which puts overweight (especially apple-shaped) people at a higher risk because the fat that sits at the waist is highly active producing growth stimulants (substances in their blood that stimulate cell division).
Being heavy as a child or putting on excess weight as we age have both proven to increase risks for developing cancers later in life.
Although a potentially dangerous condition, cancer is (for the most part) a lifestyle disease that can be prevented which puts you totally in control of your actions and their results. Studies released by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research are confirming that you and I are in control…much more so than was previously thought.
The formula for cancer prevention is simple:
Be lean
Eat Nutrient Dense Foods
Get Active
Enjoy Quality sleep
Stress Reduction
All these things feed into and the make each other stronger. For example if you are active and eating quality foods, you will likely be lean and get a good night’s sleep and handle stress much better.
If one of these elements is missing to any degree then it will negatively affect the others in some way and likely cause a domino effect.
Everyday our body utilizes its defenses to find and destroy cancer cells. However, poor lifestyle choices weaken us in body, mind and spirit. When we are weak we cannot fight off diseases like cancer. When the cancer cells grow faster than our bodies can destroy them they gain the upper hand and grow out of control.
The result is deadly tumors.
Maintaining a healthy weight (especially throughout your life) and being as lean as possible are two major players that cannot be ignored without suffering the consequences.
Without our health we have nothing to offer ourselves and nothing to offer others for health is truly wealth and anyone lacking health may never have the opportunity to realize their dreams.
A diet high in plant proteins and low in carbohydrates can inhibit the growth of cancer cells so if you want to keep cancer at bay then paying attention to your diet is paramount.
Take my 60 second test to find out how you fare on the cancer risk scale.