Cancer Prevention Education Foundation
Lifestyle Do's and Don't's For Cancer Prevention
Let's establish some easy do's and don't's that you can implement into your life now to lower your future risk of developing cancer.
Do: Move! As little as 30 minutes a day walking, jogging, or doing any activity of your choice (including sports) goes a long way in flushing out those carcinogenic toxins in your body.
Don't: Eat too much fast food. Fast foods have significant issues with carcinogen contamination (primarily benzene). This highly processed food also can lead to weight gain if eaten frequently. Try to limit fast food meals to 0-2 per week.
Do: Get regular checkups! Don't neglect your physical checkups -- because the earlier you catch a potential tumor, the easier it is to get rid of!
Don't: Eat ultraprocessed foods and chips! Cheetos, potato chips, pop tarts, and lots of breakfast cereals have inflammatory and carcinogenic ingredients. Before picking up a snack from the store, it never hurts to do a quick Google search to vet the product.
Do: Wear sunscreen! UV rays are a group 1 carcinogen along with alcohol and smoking. Make sure to consistently apply sunscreen before a day out, because the sun is one of the most sneaky cancer-causing agents!
Don't: Smoke or drink alcohol. While this seems obvious, lots of people just associate these with lung problems or gaining weight. Consistently smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol is a one-way ticket to an early cancer diagnosis.
Looking forward, make it a habit to think about these do's and don't's every day to give yourself the highest shot at a cancer-free future!
Sources:
https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/6-simple-eating-and-exercise-tips-that-can-reduce-your-cancer-risk/2022/10#:~:text=Get%20physically%20active%20and%20control%20your%20weight&text=Exercise%20helps%20by%20quickly%20moving,stationary%20bike%2C%20or%20doing%20yoga.
https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-prevention/diet-exercise/nutrition-and-diet/ultra-processed-and-fast-foods/#:~:text=Although%20the%20link%20between%20ultra,such%20as%20vitamins%20and%20minerals.
Salviano Dos Santos, Vânia Paula et al. “Benzene as a Chemical Hazard in Processed Foods.” International journal of food science vol. 2015 (2015): 545640. doi:10.1155/2015/545640
https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2016/01/detect-cancer-early-with-regular-checkups-and-screenings/#:~:text=Regular%20physicals%20and%20screenings%20can,particularly%20in%20the%20early%20stages.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/acrylamide-fact-sheet#:~:text=The%20major%20food%20sources%20of,process%20(5%2C%206).
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/ultra-processed-foods
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens.html
