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- Don’t
breathe smoke.
To avoid secondhand smoke,
ban smoking in your house and car.
- Exercise
for 30 minutes daily.
Physical
activity for at least half an hour five days a week maybe
reduce your risk of several cancers, notably colon and
breast cancer. Forty-five minutes a day of moderate to
vigorous exercise may lead to even greater protection
against breast and colorectal cancers.
- Eat
your colors.
Different colored produce
contains different phytonutrients. Foods rich in cancer-fighting
phytonutrients include red peppers and tomatoes, white
onions and garlic, blueberries and plums, yellow peppers
and sweet potatoes, and green peas and broccoli. Try to
eat a variety of colors.
- Avoid
pesticide residues.
Washing or peeling produce
and removing the outer leaves of leafy vegetables will
reduce your exposure to these chemicals.
- Avoid
charred meat.
You can reduce your exposure
by removing fat before cooking and by trimming away any
charred portions.
- Eat
the right fish.
While fatty fish is a healthy
source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids,
some species accumulate contaminants from polluted rivers
and lakes. So it’s best to limit consumptions of wild-caught
fatty freshwater fish such as carp, catfish, bass, and
trout, prime candidates for high PCB contamination.
- Limit
your red-meat consumption.
A diet heavy in red meat
– eating it as the main dish most days of the week – has
been linked with an increased risk of some cancers, notably
cancer of the colon.
- Go
easy on fried foods.
- Consider
avoiding alcohol.
Studies show that even
a drink or two a day of wine, beer, or liquor can slightly
increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer; 2 to 5 drinks
a day ups the risk 1.5 times that or teetotalers.
- Avoid
unnecessary X-rays.
It’s OK to inform your
doctors and dentists that you don’t want X-rays unless
they are truly medically necessary. If you change dentists,
bring a copy of your most recent dental X-rays with you
and ask that they be put on file.
- Request
lowest-dose imaging.
Ask your radiologist to
use the lowest radiation dose necessary to get a clear
image. It’s especially important if computed tomography,
popularly known as a CT scan, is ordered for a child or
any small-framed individual, say Consumers Union’s medical
consultants. Federal health authorities recently raised
a concern that children are being exposed to too much
radiation, and said a single CT scan can deliver as much
radiation as 100 standard X-rays.
- Protect
your skin.
In the warmer months, avoid
the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when it’s strongest, and remember that you can
still get burned on cloudy days.
- Listen
to air-pollution reports.
The National Cancer Institute
(NCI) in Bethesda, Md., advises against exercising outdoors
near high traffic areas and on polluted days. If you have
breathing problems, try to stay indoors during smog alerts.
- Check
for asbestos.
If you live in a home built
before 1980, there may be insulation or other material
containing the carcinogen asbestos. If the material has
deteriorated to the point where fibers could escape into
the air, it should be removed by a qualified contractor.
Otherwise, it’s usually best to leave it alone.
- Assess
your workplace.
Talk to your doctor and
employer about concerns or contact the Occupational Safety
& Health Administration (www.osha.gov) for
workplace safety information.
- Check
your water report.
Many reports are posted
at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo.html.
- Check
for infection.
Three infections are increasingly
linked with the following cancers: 1) Stomach cancer,
ulcer-causing bacterium, H.pylori, 2) Cervical cancer,
human papillomavirus (HPV), and 3) Liver cancer, Hepatitis
C.
- Check
your house for radon.
Homes with radon concentration
exceeding 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/l) reduce
concentrations by creating better ventilation in basements.
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