The start of the year is a time many of us choose to reevaluate our dietary and fitness habits. You may begin thinking about whether or not you are doing what is best for your health, and what changes you should be making moving forward.
This can often feel overwhelming and you may not know where to start. For many people, not knowing where to start can be the largest barrier to making healthful life changes. To prevent this, here are a few tips for making some successful and long term changes surrounding your dietary and fitness habits:
– Make small changes as these are more likely to become permanent habits.
– Have a supportive community to help you make healthful changes (friends, family, and spouse). Ensure they are aware of your goals and why they are important to you so they can support you in achieving them.
– Choose to make changes in the areas you feel would have the greatest impact. For example, if you eat healthy for the most part but do not participate in any exercise, choose some exercise goals to work towards.
– Ensure the changes you decide to make align with your schedule and routine. These will be the most likely to stick with you permanently.
– Celebrate the small victories, as these are what lead to large improvements in both health and wellbeing. If you are finding a new habit hard to sustain, try adjusting it to better fit your schedule and needs.
– Do not quit when it gets hard – adjust! Keep the goal of better health and longevity in mind on the difficult days.
Cancer prevention through food and exercise is a powerful tool in preserving your health, and it’s something that every person can make strides towards improving.
When we think of cancer, we tend to think of genetic predispositions. We may feel that we have little control over whether our genes say that we will one day develop cancer or not, but in reality this is far from true.
The term epigenetics refers to our ability to alter how our genes are expressed through dietary, lifestyle, environmental, and other factors. That means that healthy eating and exercise can actually suppress genes we may have that predispose us to cancer!
So what are some actual lifestyle behaviors that have been correlated with lower cancer risk?
High intake of fruits and vegetables, increased levels of exercise, both cardiovascular and resistance training, increased antioxidant intake, and decreased red meat consumption, low alcohol intake, smoking cessation, adequate fiber intake, increased intake of whole grains (grains that have been minimally processed), reduced intake of ultra-processed foods (products that are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats), avoidance of processed meats, especially those containing nitrates/nitrites, increased cruciferous vegetable intake (kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower), maintenance of a healthy BMI through nutrition and exercise.
Incorporating some, or all, of these healthy behaviors may significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer, regardless if you have a genetic predisposition or not.
What changes will you be utilizing to reduce your cancer risk? What changes will you be incorporating in the new year?
To hear more about these topics come join us for the First Steps in Nutrition and Exercise class the second Tuesday of each month in the Mission Hope conference room on the first floor.
Please call Kylie at 805-346-3403 or John at 805-346-3413 to reserve your spot today.
HAVE A QUESTION? This weekly column produced by Marian Regional Medical Center, Cancer Program invites you to submit your questions to “Your Cancer Answers” at the following email address: MHCC@commonspirit.org
