The
word cancer strikes fear in our lives.
Fear because we all know of friends or family members who have dealt
with the disease, and we are afraid that we, too, could be a victim. The American Institute for Cancer Research
states that cancer cases could be reduced by about one-third if everyone ate a
healthy diet, was physically active every day, and maintained a healthy
weight. For the vast majority of
Americans, taking control of one’s life to achieve these behaviors may mean
lifestyle changes. It may sound
complicated, but it doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.
The
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas indicates that a good
starting point is to make dietary changes by choosing a varied meal plan and
reducing the serving sizes of food. When
selecting meat and meat-alternate foods, select more often either plant-based
foods and/or lean meat choices from the leg or loin cuts – about the size of a
deck of cards. Select poultry with the skin removed. Fresh fish is another good
choice. Select whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and rice, all of which are
good sources of fiber. Make an effort to
eat a variety of dark green leafy and orange vegetables, and brightly colored
fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, citrus fruits, melons,
etc. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of
cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung, and stomach.
Set
a goal to be physically active every day in any way for 30 minutes or
more. It can be as simple as walking,
gardening, and doing household chores that require you to move and be active. Research shows that activity can keep our hormone
levels healthy, which is important because having high levels of some hormones
can increase our cancer risk.
For
the past several weeks, over 300 participants have been making great efforts to
raise their hormone levels by taking part in Walk Across Texas which is an
eight week walking program made up of teams of eight persons. The current program is drawing to a close,
but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue, with several other teams, to use Walk
Across Texas as a motivation tool to increase your physical activity. Simply,
log on to http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu/;
enter yourself or team, begin walking or other physical activity and report
mileage on the web site weekly. The
program is recognized as a Best Practice Physical Activity Program by the Texas
Department of State Health Services.
For
more information on reducing your cancer risk, contact the Extension office at
940/627-3341.
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