A diagnosis of cancer is a scary event which can truly make you feel like the world is crashing down around you. To avoid this disease is to truly take control of your life. There are ways in which you can reduce your risk of developing cancer, and many are listed below.
The first step is to remove foods from your diet which actually can cause cancer. Cancer needs sugar to survive, and eating certain products give it the fuel it needs to grow. That means you don't want to eat foods which contain high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, sugar or bleached flour. You should also avoid white rice, pasta and bread. Eat complex carbohydrates like whole wheat and low glycemic index foods like vegetables. Avoid pop, chips, fries and all of those "junk" foods which aren't good for you,and you'll help starve cancer.
Speaking of starving cancer, there are some foods which actually do this for you. Bok choi, cauliflower and broccoli all contain brassinin, which fights against cancer in your body. Cooking tomatoes causes the lycopene within to change to a format your body can easily digest, allowing it to kill off cancer cells. Flounder has tons of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for keeping your body healthy. Strawberries have antioxidants in them, which help to protect cells from damage. Lastly, artichokes actually fight cancer with three different nutrients they provide, so enjoy them every day!
Fermented foods also help to prevent cancer thanks to the indoles, sulforaphane and ITCs created within the fermentation process. Enjoy kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles a few times per week, but remember that they are also high in sodium, which you should not overdo. In fact, washing off your sauerkraut before eating it helps remove a good dose of the sodium so that eating it won't affect your blood pressure as significantly.
Keeping at a healthy weight can do a great deal to keep cancer at bay. People who are overweight have more chemicals running through their body, and fat cells produce certain hormones which can cause your system to go off track. If you can keep yourself at a healthy weight, you should reduce your risk of obesity-related cancers.
Exercise is also important when you want to prevent cancer. When your body is in great shape, cancer is less likely to occur. Try to get at least an hour of exercise three times a week to boost your overall health.
For anyone who has colon cancer in their family history, a calcium supplement which also includes vitamin D is a must. It causes a reduction in the risk of developing colon polyps which can then turn cancerous. Even if you aren't sure if you have this in your history, these two nutrients are worth taking anyway.
Battling against cancer should begin before you are ever diagnosed with it. You can change your lifestyle to help you keep cancer at bay, so start today. Not only will you feel better, but you will live longer, too!