If you could take a magic pill to keep cancer away, would you do it? Although that type of pill doesn’t exist, you can make some simple changes to promote a cancer-free life.
At Imperial Digestive Health Specialists, we offer preventive care in addition to colonoscopies to rule out cancer or detect it in its early stages. Board-certified Oforbuike Ewelukwa, MD, MSc, and our team are experts in helping patients lower their risk of cancer.
Here are five ways you can take proactive steps to help eliminate its risk.
1. Get your body moving
The American Cancer Society promotes physical exercise as one of the best ways to lower your risk of developing different types of cancer. If you’re an adult, you should spread out 75-minutes of moderately-intense activity over a week, which is the equivalent of taking a brisk walk every other day.
Children should have at least one hour of moderate to vigorous exercise daily, and vigorous activity at least three times a week.
2. Watch your weight
When you’re obese, not only are you at risk for cancer, but many other diseases, as well. If you’re overweight, a nutritional plan can and exercise can help get your weight on track and back within a healthy range.
3. Eat healthy food
You can lower your risk of cancer when you eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods like:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Poultry
We also recommend that you avoid sweets.
4. Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol intake
Poor lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive drinking can play a role in your risk for developing cancer.
Did you know that smoking tobacco causes one out of five deaths each year? If you don’t know how to quit smoking, turn to the American Cancer Society for available tools and tips to help.
If you struggle with overindulging in alcohol, research shows that you’re more at risk for many types of cancer, including breast, liver, esophagus, mouth, throat, colon, and rectal cancer.
We recommend that men have no more than two drinks a day, and women should stop at one.
5. Get routine cancer-screening tests
Regular cancer-screening tests allow us to check for cancer development early on. They can also rule out any concerns you might have. If caught early, then we can develop a personalized treatment plan right away to eliminate it or help keep it from spreading.
When you come in to see us, we can also educate you on how to observe any changes in your body, like the color of your stool, pain in your abdomen, or loss of appetite.
Routine screenings also provide a time for you to sit down with us and ask questions and notify us of any abnormalities you might notice.
To find out more about how to reduce your risk of cancer, call us today at 281-397-3499, or text us at 832-639-5725, or request an appointment online.