Cut Your Cancer Risk!

With more than 100 types of cancer out there, it makes sense to start thinking about what you can do to prevent cancer yourself. While there are no guarantees in life, there are four simple ways in which you may be able to reduce your risk:

• Eat more plants! Study after study suggests that fruits and vegetables may be able to help protect against cancer. They're loaded with vitamins, minerals, and helpful compounds called phytochemicals — all of which work together to fight disease and keep you healthy. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day!
• Stop smoking! You'll prevent more than just lung cancer! While smoking is believed to cause almost 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths, it may also be involved in cancers of the throat, esophagus, larynx (voice box), kidneys, pancreas, stomach, cervix, and bladder. Plus, if you stop smoking, you'll stop exposing those around you — including your family — to harmful secondhand smoke.
• Wear sunscreen! According to the National Cancer Institute, more and more people each year develop melanoma, a form of skin cancer, because they spend more time in the sun. Limit your exposure during the sun's strongest hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), cover yourself with a hat and long sleeves, and slather on the sunscreen – SPF 30 or higher.
• Be physically active! Besides making you feel fantastic and helping you maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise may also fight breast, colon, and other cancers and boost your quality of life! Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week.

Start working to prevent cancer this week! Choose at least one of these powerful prevention strategies as your goal for the next seven days. If you're already doing all of them, I'm proud of you! Find a friend or relative who isn't and encourage her to start cutting her cancer risk too!