Issue No. 596
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25 - 31 July 2002 Issue No. 596 Features |
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Health tips given by the Canadian Cancer Society
Be a non-smoker and avoid second-hand smoke.
Smoking causes about 30 per cent of all cancer deaths in Canada. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women in Canada. Smoking also increases your risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, cervix, pancreas, oesophagus, colon, rectum, kidney and bladder. Non-smokers exposed to second- hand smoke are also at higher risk of getting cancer and other lung diseases. Health Canada estimates that more than 300 non- smokers die from lung cancer each year because of second-hand smoke. If you are a smoker, quit. If you are a non-smoker, avoid second-hand smoke.
Eat 5-10 servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Choose high fiber, lower fat foods. If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to 1-2 drinks a day.
Research suggests as much as one third of all cancers may be related to what we eat and drink. Eat five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Eat plenty of whole grain fibres. Keep your dietary fat intake low and if you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to one to two drinks per day. For a healthy diet, balance your daily meals with foods from the four food groups described in Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating.
Be physically active on a regular basis: this will also help you maintain a healthy body weight.
Most people know that regular exercise is necessary to remain healthy. Studies strongly suggest that exercise reduces your risk of colon cancer and possibly breast and lung cancers too. There's even some evidence that regular physical activity provides some protection against cancer in general.
Protect yourself and your family from the sun. Reduce sun exposure between 11am and 4pm. Check your skin regularly and report any changes to your doctor.
Reduce sun exposure between 11am and 4pm. Seek shade or create your own. Keep babies under a year old out of direct sun. Tanning parlours and sun lamps are not safe.
When you are in the sun, always remember SLIP, SLAP, SLOP. SLIP on clothing to cover your arms and legs. SLAP on a wide- brimmed hat. SLOP on sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher).
Follow cancer-screening guidelines. For women, discuss mammograms, Pap tests, and breast exams with a health professional.
Even people with healthy lifestyles can develop cancer. One way to detect cancer early is to have regular screening tests. These tests can often find cancer when it is still at an early stage. And the good news is that many kinds of cancer can be cured when they are found and treated early. Talk to your doctor about early detection and screening tests.
Visit your doctor/dentist if you notice any change in your normal state of health.
Know your body and report any changes to your doctor or dentist as soon as possible (for example, sores that do not heal, a cough which goes on for more than two weeks or a change in bowel movements).
It's vitally important to find and treat cancer as early as possible, before it has a chance to spread. Health care professionals are trained to spot the early warning signs of cancer and other diseases.
Follow health/safety instructions at home and at work when using, storing and disposing of hazardous materials.
At home and at work, take care to follow safety instructions when using, storing and disposing of household pesticides or any other chemicals.
The Canadian Cancer Society accepts convincing evidence that some commonly used pesticides cause cancer. We call for a ban on the cosmetic use of chemicals that have been identified by the International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) as known or probable carcinogens.
Cosmetic use means using carcinogenic chemical pesticides in the home, on gardens and lawns, and on recreational facilities such as parks and golf courses.
What should I eat to reduce the risk of cancer?
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and maintaining a sensible body weight can reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, between 30 to 40 per cent of all cancers can be prevented through a combination of a healthy diet, exercise and a healthy body weight.
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends balancing your daily meals with foods from the following four food groups:
Grain products: 5-12 servings per day
Fruit and vegetables: 5-10 servings per day
Milk products: 2-4 servings per day (for adults)
Meat and alternatives: 2-3 servings per day
Is there anything specific I should or should not eat to lower my risk of cancer?
Eat 5 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits a day
According to the latest re diet and cancer, vegetables and fruits are the most likely of all foods to help reduce the risk of cancer.
Eat a diet rich in fibre
Get lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose enriched grains or whole grain products made with wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat, oats, rye or flax.
Adopt a lower-fat diet
Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and foods prepared with little or no fat. Limit fast foods, convenience foods, and high-fat, baked foods.
Drink less alcohol
If you don't drink, don't start. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation. As described in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, for most adults, moderate drinking means no more than 1 drink a day, and no more than 7 drinks a week. More than 4 drinks on one occasion, or more than 14 drinks a week is a risk to health and safety. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, avoid alcohol.
Limit the amount of salt preserved meats you eat
These meats include bacon and beef jerky. Also, cut down on salt in other foods.
Limit the amount of smoked meat you eat
Also, watch for meat preserved with nitrite. In Canada, vitamin C is added to reduce the cancer risk in these foods.
Avoid charring or deep browning your food
Crispy surfaces contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These are cancer- causing chemicals that come from cooking at high temperatures. If you do want to barbecue your food, cook it slowly and keep food as far from hot coals as possible.
What else can I do to protect myself?
Include more of vitamins E, C, A and beta- carotene in your diet. They are known as antioxidants. They prevent and destroy compounds called free radicals. If free radicals are not destroyed by an antioxidant, they can damage cells and start the cancer process. To get more of these vitamins in your diet, eat a variety of vegetables, fruits and grain products.
While these vitamins are essential for a healthy diet, this doesn't mean you should take vitamin supplements. Studies suggest that whole foods -- not vitamins -- provide protection against disease. Pills are no substitute for good eating habits.
Courtesy of the Canadian Cancer Society. For more information see: www.cancer.ca
Dr Mohamed Shaalan on the top risk factors:
1. Bearing children at the age of 18 minimises the risk of breast cancer. Bearing your first after the age of 35 increases your risk.2. The prolonged use of birth control pills
3. Hormone replacement therapy
4. Obesity and lack of exercise
5. Early menarche
6. Late menopause
Around 10 per cent of breast cancer cases are due to hereditary factors of brca1 and brca2 genes.
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