There is scary news out there that shows your risk of getting cancer keeps going up. While 30 years ago your risk of getting cancer was about 1 in 5, that ratio is now about 1 in 3 for females and 1 in 2 for males. These shocking ratios should be a wake up call for you to start developing a game plan for reducing your cancer risks.
One of the first areas you should focus on is your diet. This is one of the top areas for which you can really control your cancer risk and you should start evaluating your diet immediately. By now you should be aware of the dangers of eating a diet high in processed foods. Along with the high risks of diabetes, a diet with processed foods deprives your body of essential nutrients and fiber.
Your diet should mainly consist of whole foods that include whole grains, vegetables, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds, and some fruits. The key part of your diet should be vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and bok choy. These vegetables have the highest concentration of cancer-fighting ingredients so try and eat them as often as you can.
It should be noted that while some meats in your diet have proven to be beneficial, the meats should be grass-fed and not cooked at high temperatures. Research has shown that meats cooked at high temperatures produce carcinogens and increase your risks of getting cancer. Just remember to cook at low heats and cut off any burnt areas of the meat.
There has been controversy over the consumption of carbohydrates, and this has been argued by supporters of two of the most popular diets, the vegan diet and the Paleo diet. Vegans don’t eat any animal products and focus on whole grains and vegetables, while supporters of the low carb diet called the Paleo diet claim grains are the cause of most health problems and should be avoided completely.
Most health professionals promote a balanced diet of whole grains, legumes, some lean meats, and lots of vegetables. The one area you might want to watch is to cut back on some of your carbs, even whole grains, if your blood sugar is too high. The key is moderation. Another factor to consider is that cancer cells feed off of sugars so you don’t want your body supplying the fuel for cancer cells.
Another key factor in reducing your cancer risk is having a fitness plan that includes aerobic and anaerobic activities. This means having days for walking, running, swimming, and aerobics classes and other days for anaerobic activity like lifting weights. Research has shown that keeping fit, especially as far as not being overweight, greatly reduces your cancer risks. Someone who is physically fit, will usually have a stronger immune system and this is very important in helping your body fight off cancer cells.
Scientists theorize your body is bombarded with cancer cells daily, and a healthy immune system is vital in destroying cancer cells and keeping you healthy and cancer-free. Even people who already have cancer need a healthy immune system to help fight the cancer cells present. There are many expensive drugs out there used by oncologists to help bolster your immune system to help combat the cancer.
Your main line of defense in your immune system are natural killer cells that are produced in your bone marrow. People with strong NK cells have a better shot at fighting off the spread of cancer cells. Don’t forget the importance of your gut, where a large percentage of your immune system resides. That is why you need to be taking probiotics to help populate your gut with the good bacteria that keeps your immune system strong.
There are also some supplements that can help bolster your immune system including shark liver oil. That is shark liver oil and not shark cartilage, which has been proven to do very little. Unfortunately, only a few companies make shark liver oil and you need to get it from a reputable company. Make sure you are getting the needed amount of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D3. Supplements can help you make sure are at optimal levels for the vitamins and minerals.
Don’t forget about two other very important factors that greatly impact your immune system – sleep and stress. Too much stress or lack of a good night’s sleep are very hard on your immune system so make sure you are not dealing with too much stress or not getting enough sleep nightly.
Despite all the grim news about cancer risks, there is much you can do to reduce your risks. Time to start right now.
I had heard that eating barbecued food could be hazardous, and reading this article reminded me of the risk. I thinks Vitamin D is one of the best and cheapest ways to stay healthy. I am trying to reduce more of my risks.
This was a scary article to read and it seems like men have the short end of the stick. I am starting to eat more veggies and cut out some of the junk food I love, although I don’t think I can completely avoid them. Keep up the great posts!
I am glad you mentioned shark liver oil and way to impove your immune system. I have used it and it really works, but you have to get it from a good company or you could be getting contaminated oil.
Also want to add I read your book on the paleo and vegan diets and helped me make some choices in improving my food choices.
I have been a junk food junkie for over 20 years but have recently changed to improve my diet. Nice article that enlightened me on what to do and what to avoid.