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Staying
Healthy doesn’t have to Break the Bank
Newswise — Tough economic times are causing
many people to tighten the belt on personal
finances. But trimming fat from the budget,
such as cancelling gym memberships, doesn’t
have to lead to an expanding waistline.
Experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
offer the following free and low-cost
strategies to help maintain good health as
well as possibly reduce various cancer
risks.
Get walking
Staying fit and healthy can be as simple as
lacing up a pair of sneakers and going for a
walk. Moderate to intensive aerobic
exercise, according to studies, also can
reduce the risk of recurrence of several
cancers, including colon and breast.
“You don’t have to be a marathon runner, but
the more you exercise, typically the greater
the beneficial effect,” says Jeffrey
Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, a Dana-Farber
gastrointestinal cancer specialist.
A study by Meyerhardt found that colon
cancer survivors who exercised regularly had
a 40 to 50 percent reduction in the risk of
recurrence or dying. “The most consistent
evidence we have so far for reducing the
risk of several types of cancer is exercise
and avoiding becoming obese.”
Meyerhardt says there are many free or
inexpensive ways to workout, but recommends
consulting a doctor first. Some tips
include:
- Using the stairs rather than an elevator.
- Walking or riding a bike rather than
driving.
- Taking an exercise break or quick walk at
work.
- Playing a team sport.
- Using a stationary bicycle or treadmill
while watching TV.
“An apple a day…”
It doesn’t cost anything to walk by the
cookie aisle and into a store’s produce
section, but taking that little detour can
provide many health benefits. A diet that is
low in processed sugars, red meat and
calories, but high in fruits and vegetables
and loaded with antioxidants is one of the
simplest ways to help maintain a healthy
weight and reduce the risk of certain
cancer..
Eating one or more apples a day is a good
start. Studies have found that it may reduce
the risk of breast, mouth and colorectal
cancer. The skin of an apple contains the
cancer-fighting antioxidant quercitin. Stacy
L. Kennedy, MPH, RD, LDN a nutritionist at
Dana-Farber, says that eating apples
uncooked and unpeeled provides the most
benefit from the quercitin. “Many of the
beneficial nutrients in fruits and
vegetables are concentrated in the pigment
or rich colors, which are often in the
skins.”
Other foods that are both healthy and
cancer-fighting include pumpkin, sweet
potato, squash (butternut and acorn),
carrots, and other orange fruits and
vegetables. They contain carotenoids, a
cancer-fighting nutrient that has been shown
to lower the risk of colon, prostate, lung,
and breast cancer.
Quit smoking: Save
money and lives
Buying cigarettes and other tobacco products
can really take a bite out of a budget.
Kicking the habit can result in both a
healthy lifestyle and a significant
financial savings.
According to the American Cancer Society,
smoking is the most preventable cause of
death in the United States. It also causes
more than 80 percent of all cases of lung
cancer and increases the risk of oral,
throat, pancreatic, uterine, bladder, and
kidney cancers.
“Even though there have been many recent
advances in lung cancer treatments, the most
effective way to eradicate lung cancer is to
prevent it from ever happening,” explains
Bruce Johnson, MD, director of the Lowe
Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber.
Johnson and his colleagues emphasize that it
is never too late to quit. People who stop
and remain nonsmokers for at least 10 to 20
years can cut their risk of developing lung
cancer in half.
Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but the
following tips may help those who want to
quit:
Plan the quit day: Choose the method of
quitting, recruit help, support and
encouragement from family and friends, and
remember the reasons for quitting, such as
family, children, or personal health.
Follow the four D’s:
Deep breaths;
Drink lots of water;
Do something to avoid focusing on cigarette
cravings;
Delay reaching for a cigarette – the urge
will pass.
Avoid triggers:
Get rid of cigarettes, lighters, matches,
and ashtrays and avoid being around people
who are smoking.
Limit use of alcohol
Limiting alcohol consumption can save money
and it may lower the risk of developing some
cancers. Researchers at Dana-Farber found
that postmenopausal women who consume one
alcoholic drink a day may increase their
risk for breast cancer. “Women need to
consider the possible effects of alcohol on
breast cancer risk when weighing the risks
and benefits of alcohol consumption,” says
Wendy Chen, MD, PhD, a breast cancer expert.
“Our findings indicate that in some
postmenopausal women, even modest levels of
alcohol consumption may elevate their risk
of breast cancer.”
The bottom line, the Dana-Farber experts
agree, is that many people can simply and
inexpensively improve their health, and
possibly reduce numerous cancer risks, by
exercising, eating more fruits and
vegetables, stopping smoking, and, if they
consume alcohol, drinking it in moderation.
For more helpful tips, go to
www.dana-farber.org/healthtips.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org)
is a principal teaching affiliate of the
Harvard Medical School and is among the
leading cancer research and care centers in
the United States. It is a founding member
of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
(DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer
center by the National Cancer Institute.
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