Lowering our cancer risk |21 October 2022

Most of us know someone living with cancer or have lost a family member, close friend or loved one to this deadly disease.

Although up until now there is no known cure for cancer there is a lot of evidence about what a person can do to reduce their risk of getting cancer and also manage their conditions following diagnosis.

Over the last few decades there has been extensive research on cancer and there are many risk factors that have been identified that we should all be aware of.

Reducing or eliminating the risk factors that are modifiable such as smoking, alcohol and unhealthy diet can really help to lower our risk for certain types of cancer.

Unhealthy diet and cancer risk

There is ubiquitous evidence linking poor dietary habits to certain forms of cancer such as breast and colorectal cancer.

This includes high intake of highly processed foods that are high in sugar such as sweet cakes and biscuits, confectionary, fizzy drinks, cordial and other sugary drinks and those that are high in salt such as crisps, chips, savoury snacks and processed meats.

Eating such foods occasionally rather than daily can really help in bringing down not only your cancer risk but your risk for other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Establishing good habits

Make changes slowly and gradually in order to sustain them in the long-term. Always remember that just as it took years to form your existing habits it will take some time to make new ones.

Healthy habits are not restrictions but rather what we should all be doing to improve our overall health and wellbeing.

Healthy eating

There are many changes we can make to our diet to reduce our cancer risk. There is no special diet for cancer survivors but eating healthy foods can reduce the recurrence of certain forms of cancer (along with other lifestyle changes).

Choose fresh, whole and minimally processed foods as often as possible as they contain essential nutrients and less additives or chemicals that are harmful. This is similar to what is recommended in the Seychelles Food Guide.

Becoming more active

Many of us struggle to get in enough physical activity in a day. It’s no surprise as most of us have desk jobs with prolonged periods where we are sitting down.

When we get home after a long day at the office we are mentally drained and want nothing more than to relax and enjoy some entertainment on our TV, smart phone or tablet and we therefore end up sitting some more. This then becomes our daily routine.

Breaking this habit can seem impossible but it’s all about making the first step. Being active does not have to be torturous if we choose something that we love and enjoy and also within our ability to do.

When we are starting out we can choose something as simple as walking. Nowadays at the click of a button we can also download or stream online exercise videos in the comfort of our home if we don’t feel like going out or signing up to a gym.

If you haven’t been active for a while, have just finished cancer treatment or have other underlying health conditions, it’s important to consult your doctor before starting any exercise programme. It’s also important to go slow and listen to your body and what it’s capable of.

Try to aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, on 5 days a week. This can be broken down into 5 or 10 minutes slots several times in the day to make up the 30 minutes.

Cutting down on alcohol

There is no safe amount of alcohol that can be recommended to lower your risk of cancer. It is better to abstain from drinking any alcohol if you can.

If you choose to drink alcohol, then it is better to drink within recommended limits which is not more than 2 units of alcohol per day for men and women.

It is best however to not regularly exceed 14 units per week. Having no alcohol on at least three days per week is also highly recommended.

Source: www.drinkaware.co.uk

Overall if you have a healthy diet, maintain a healthy body weight, remain active, abstain from smoking and alcohol you can reduce your overall risk of some forms of cancer and help improve your physical and mental health.

Start implementing one change today that you can stick with in the long-term and build up from there.

October is designated as Breast cancer awareness month and is commemorated annually to help raise awareness on this condition. This year, we are being asked to “RISE to ensure every woman has access to the screenings she needs and the support she deserves” (National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., 2022).

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on Social Media - Eat for our Health Seychelles on Facebook.

Please get in touch by emailing eat4ourhealth@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, let us know how we can help you.

Yours in health

The E4OH Team