Cancer Prevention
Family Matters want to help you maximize your health and fight cancer.
Because of advances in diagnosing and treating cancer, more people than ever are surviving the disease.
But you can do things now that may prevent cancer from ever being in your future. Here are some tips that can help you and your family:
- Stop smoking or better yet, never start. Most cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking.
- Exercise - it's one of the best ways to keep your body healthy.
- A healthy body - and a healthy body weight - are better able to fight off a host of diseases.
- Eat nutritiously - including whole grains, fiber, healthy fats and foods high in anti-oxidants.
- What you eat can help boost your body's disease-fighting abilities.
- Limit alcohol use - a glass of red wine can be beneficial, but too much alcohol works against your health.
- Wear sunscreen - most skin damage occurs before the age of 20, though skin cancer may not show up for decades.Make sure you wear sunscreen, and especially, make sure your children are properly protected from the sun. An SPF of 30 or higher offers the best protection from UVB and more importantly, UVA rays.
- Get regular checkups and get appropriate screenings - many common screenings, like mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate tests and a review of your skin can help catch some cancers in their earliest - and most survivable - stages.
- Know your family history - some people have a higher risk of certain kinds of cancer if it runs in their family.
Source: Providence Health & Services
Providence Integrative Medicine