Six Health Choices You Can Make to Prevent Cancer

Updated on: August 8th, 2022 • Resource: Elderly Home Care

Many people believe that cancer is something that only happens to other people. However, cancer is a real and deadly disease that can happen to anyone, including your loved ones. If you are at risk for cancer, these are some simple things you can do to help prevent it:

1. Get Enough Exercise

Exercise has been shown to help prevent cancer in the short and long run. Short-term training will help your loved ones keep a healthy weight and increase their immune system’s ability to kill off cancer cells. Long-term exercise reduces cancer risk, including breast, colon and prostate cancers.

2. Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables

As your loved one’s caretaker, you are in charge of their food. Include more fruits and vegetables, an essential part of any healthy diet. They provide fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients that may help protect against cancer.

3. Avoid Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and causes 80% of all lung cancers and 90% of chronic lower respiratory diseases. The earlier you get your loved one to quit smoking, the more you will lower their risk of developing and dying from the disease.

4. Protect Their Skin

In the United States, skin cancer is the most common type. The most important environmental factor involved in developing skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and tanning beds. Please stay in the shade, apply sunscreen, and dress them in sun-protective clothing to stay safe.

5. Make Sure They Get Enough Sleep

Lack of sleep has been linked to several health problems, including cancer. Getting enough sleep can help reduce your loved one’s stress levels which may increase the body’s levels of hormones that cause inflammation and damage DNA. People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night are at a higher risk of colon cancer.

6. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese can increase your loved one’s risk of cancer. A diet high in calories and low in nutrients can also put them at risk for certain types of disease, such as colon cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight can help lower their risk for these diseases.

These common-sense guidelines can help promote general health and well-being while potentially reducing cancer risk.

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