Archive for the ‘Cancer Prevention Week’ Category

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths globally, accounting for over 75 lakhs deaths annually. Hence there’s almost a deep fear surrounding cancer, mainly due to ignorance and prevalence of myths. Yet the sad fact is that 30% of cancers can be prevented through mere lifestyle changes or avoiding certain key triggers. Another 30% of cancers could be reduced with early detection and treatment.

Did you know…? 10% of cancers are due to poor diet & low nutrition.

You need to know your own body well enough to identify any changes such as lumps or bleeding. These are the alarms that should get you to a doctor’s at the earliest. Of course most of such slight changes may not be precursors to cancer. Most cancers, if detected early enough, can be successfully treated. Even better, the four significant lifestyle changes that can largely prevent cancer are:

• NOT Smoking
• Staying Active
• Moderate Alcohol Intake
• Including 5 portions of fruits & veggies in daily diet

Your contribution in ‘Breaking the Silence’ matters however small…

• Though a sensitive topic, sharing knowledge & talking about cancer can pass on hope and reinforce the mantra ‘early detection saves lives’.
• Getting leaflets from your nearest palliative care centre and passing it on among family, friends and colleagues can help spread hope rather than despair.
• You may come across people with a history. Here you can impress upon them that how cancer treatment has advanced over the last decade.
• If someone you know confide in you about certain suspicious bodily changes, assure them that most screening tests are quite simple and quick.

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The rings of smoke encircling a sturdy face might look cool in a movie; but you know that it isn’t so cool in real life. Lighting a smoke multiple times a day can certainly burn out your chances of being healthy. Most smokers hold on to this habit, thinking along the lines of ‘I have been smoking for years (or months). It has already affected my health & wont make much difference if I stop now’. Get real guys, your body begins to recover from the bad-effects of nicotine & additives, the minute you quit. Elevated BP, heart rate, body temperature; all start to return to normal while lung capacity improves and breathing becomes easier.

And quitting is not as near-impossible a feat as its made out.

Certainly You Can Do It! The Catch Lies in “How?

• Self help! No outside support! Your will-power and determination will be your armamentarium for fighting the urge within.

• Be prepared and find ways to suppress your cravings for smoking. Fortunately, the strongest of cravings will last not more than 5 minutes. Keep yourself ready with a handy chewing gum or a mouth-freshener instead.

• Abstain from triggers such as coffee or alcohol. If your craving to smoke is conditioned to alcohol, coffee, or any other ritual that you wish to do along with smoking, try and mend your ways to something else.

• Keep low on your stress meter. The moment you decide to quit smoking, your stress levels will start to go down. Gear yourself up with some light exercises such as yoga or meditation to better cope with stress. Learn stress relaxation exercises to reduce stress and to avoid relapse.  
  

• Joining a support group for smoking cessation will surely help you quit as problem shared is problem halved.

Some Thumb Rules to Put a Thumb On

• Know your smoking urges and triggers and throw them in the ashtray.
  

• When you try to quit smoking, remember that the first few days will be the toughest. Irritability, mild depression, slowness, and tiredness are common to occur. Don’t bother and remain diligent with your aim.

• Indulge yourself a new interesting activity to help deviate your attention and suppress your urges. Listen to soft music while on the move or indulge yourself into some creative hand work or hobbies like painting, write blogs / poems, pottery.

Are you still waiting to decide on your quit date?

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At least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. ~ World Health Organisation

World Cancer Research Fund International published its expert report that examined the links between cancer and diet in 1997. WCRF started off a global debate in 2007 when its study linked processed meat as a major risk factor for some forms of cancer. The same study pointed out that ‘fibre rich foods including green veggies and fruits’ provided protection against bowel cancer.

Around 80% of cancers are due to ‘environmental’ factors which are largely preventable like dietary habits, lifestyle choices, behavioral patterns including reproductive and sexual practices, use of tobacco and alcohol etc. And all these are well within human control, only if you choose to. A simple change in dietary habits and incorporating exercises into the daily routine, combined with raised awareness and periodic screening would keep away most of the cancers.

Are you overweight? There is a simple test to determine. Divide your height by weight. The resultant figure is your Body Mass Index. And if your BMI is 25-29, you are overweight and if it is 30+, you are obese.

Together We Can Prevent Cancer....

Being overweight considerably increases one’s risk of getting endometrial (womb), breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Fresh fruits and veggies are assets in waging war against cancers. Think outside the box i.e. think beyond apples or bananas. These are good, but also go for mangoes, watermelons, pine apples and even exotic ones like asparagus and kiwi. For most of us, vegetables can get quickly dull. Try something new. Say, if you cook your veg with an herb you don’t normally try, like celery leaves?

Having Calcium and Vitamin B rich food is giving the body extra power to fight most diseases. But they are especially important for women. You may by design think of milk when someone says ‘calcium’. Its fine if you don’t like milk. There are cheese, baked beans, nuts and oatmeal to compensate.

The immense emotional trauma and economical burden associated with cancer makes it more than a number, especially in a country like ours. Survival rates are low because more than two thirds of the cases are diagnosed much too late. It just seems mind-boggling that a sizable chunk of these ordeals could be saved by healthy diet. So are you ready to spread the word? Share what you do to protect yourself?

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