Thursday 30 May 2013

A Healthy Lifestyle For Cancer Prevention!

Did you know you can reduce your risk of cancer by adopting a healthy lifestyle? In 2009, approx 156,900 people in the UK died from cancer according to the NHS. However, since the 1990s survival rates in men and women have improved for the majority of cancers. There are no definitive ways to avert cancer, but you can minimise your risk, with a healthier lifestyle.
The risk factors that you can do something about, include smoking and being overweight,  there are certain things you can do, to reduce your risk. Leading a healthy life can help minimise your risk of developing certain cancer types. You can achieve this by adopting a healthy routine:
•    Eat a balanced diet
•    Maintain a healthy weight
•    Avoid alcohol (or drink less)
•    Do not smoke
•    Protect your skin from sun damage
Eating Healthy
Often, you will find stories and researches about various foods and diets in connection to preventing cancer. This happens because a lot of research and development work is going into diet and cancer care. However it is not as simple to find the link between diet and cancer because there are several factors involved and many cancers can take years to grow. 
Researches indicate that no single food can prevent cancer from developing. In general, researchshows a positive link between eating particular groups of foods, instead of some specific foods, vitamins, or nutrients, and a reduction in cancer risk. Furthermore, a healthy balanced diet constitutes:
•    Significant amount of fruits and veggies – Five portions a day!
•    Significant amount of bread, rice, potatoes, pastas, and other starchy foods – Preferable to eat whole grain foods
•    Adequate amount of meat, fish, eggs, beans, and other non-dairy sources of protein
•    Some portions of milk and dairy items
•    Just a small amount of high in fat or sugars, including cakes, crisps, and biscuits, etc.
Dieticians play an integral role in helping people with the balanced diet and other healthier life activities.
Maintain Weight

In the UK, more than 60% of the population is overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of some cancers such as:
•    Bowel Cancer
•    Pancreatic Cancer
•    Oesophageal Cancer
•    Breast Cancer
•    Cancer of the Womb (uterus)
•    Kidney Cancer
To find out whether you are a healthy weight or not, you can use a BMI healthy weight calculator.
Say NO to Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is known to develop your risk of some cancers, including:
•    Mouth Cancer
•    Pharynx and Larynx Cancer
•    Oesophageal Cancer
•    Colorectal Cancer in men
•    Breast Cancer
Moreover, it is potentially a cause of cancers such as colorectal cancer in women and liver cancer. It is advised that women should not drink over 2-3 units of alcohol in a day and men should avoid drinking more than 3-4 units a day.
Stop Smoking

Lung cancer is the leading cause of deaths in UK, it accounts for around a quarter of cancer deaths, and 90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking.  "Stopping smoking greatly cuts the risk of developing cancer," says Hazel Nunn, Cancer Research UK's health information officer. "The earlier you stop, the greater the impact. But it's never too late to quit. People who quit smoking at 30 live nearly as long as non-smokers and those who quit at 50 can still undo half the damage."
Avoid Sun Damage

To prevent skin cancer, taking care in the sun is important. You can follow cancer research UK’s SunSmart plan to protect your skin from damage:
•    Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm.
•    Make sure you never burn.
•    Cover yourself up with a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses.
•    Take care not to let children get burned.
•    Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

For dietitian jobs, visit Your World UK – a leading healthcare recruitment agency, helping dieticians and nutritionists find quality jobs in organizations throughout the UK. http://www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk/medical-vacancies/dietetics_nutrition/

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