10 STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP PREVENT CANCER

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In many cases, cancer is something that develops because of certain lifestyle choices. Of course, smoking or excessive sunbathing can lead to different types of cancer, and so can exposure to certain toxins and a generally unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, the American Cancer Society attributes 42% of cancer cases and 45% of deaths to seven preventable factors.

However, there are steps you can take to help prevent cancer. This doesn't mean you won't ever get some form of the disease as sometimes you're just predisposed to it. In fact, the US-based National Cancer Institute attributes 5%-10% of cancer cases to inherited genetic mutations. However, if you do have a family history of cancer, you don't want to be doing things which increase your chances of getting the disease but should instead be doing all you can to stay healthy. So, here are 10 things you can do to help prevent cancer.

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1. Reduce your sugar intake. Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1931 for discovering that the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. Cancer thrives in an environment rich in glucose. Foods with more oxygen (e.g. veggies) and less sugar reduce your risk of cancer. 2. Maintain a proper pH (potential Hydrogen) in your body. A nice high pH level is more oxygen rich and an environment in which cancers don't do well. So keep your pH above 7.5. To do this, drink a lot of water (you can alkalise it by adding half a natural lemon), eliminate sugary drinks from your diet, reduce your consumption of meat drastically, cut out sweets and chocolates, and eat loads of raw vegetables.

3. Exercise regularly. It doesn't really matter what kind of exercise - just keep moving. Remember also that good cardio-vascular exercise oxygenates your cells thus helping to keep your body pH alkaline. 4. Get enough sleep. Your body needs that time or rest to rejuvenate cells, so make sure you're getting the right amount of sleep. 5. Take vitamin and mineral supplements which will help maintain a healthy body chemistry.

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6. Quit smoking altogether or at least cut down to one or two cigarettes a day if you really can't stop completely. Tobacco products are linked to many different types of cancer including lung, bladder, cervix, kidney, oral cavity and pancreas. According to QuitSmokingSupport.com, an organisation that provides information and encouragement to assist people to quit smoking, ‘Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. These cigarette ingredients include nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT’.

7. Protect yourself in the sun. Use a sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15. You should reapply your sunscreen frequently, cover yourself with clothing, and wear dark colours and a hat. Avoid the midday sun if you can by keeping in the shade during the warmest hours of 12.00pm-2.00pm. Don't go overboard, though, in avoiding the sun as just 30 minutes per day provides the body with all the vitamin D it needs for the day. However, you should absolutely avoid tanning beds with their harmful ultra violet radiation which is often worse than direct sunlight as a cause of melanoma; the worst of all the skin cancers.

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8. Stay up-to-date with your immunisations. Protecting yourself against certain types of viruses will limit your chances of getting some cancers. Hepatitis B and HPV (Human Papillomavirus) are two vaccines you should be sure to have. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and is associated with cervical cancer. 9. Avoid risky behaviours which can lead to infections. This means practising safe sex. HIV or AIDS increases a person's chance of getting cancer of the anus, liver or lungs. Furthermore, sharing needles for intravenous drug use increases the chances of contracting Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B infection can cause scarring of the organ, liver failure and cancer. Chronic hepatitis C is the most severe of the hepatitis viruses and is a leading cause of liver cancer.

10. Stay on top of your medical care. Seeing your doctor regularly and booking an appointment immediately should you notice any unusual changes in your body will help your physician diagnose a problem early, possibly preventing it from turning into cancer.

These are just some ways you can take some sort of control over cancer and reduce your risk of being diagnosed with it. Nothing is guaranteed in life, but you'll feel much better if you follow these 10 invaluable pieces of advice.