Page 22 - SEPTEMBER 2017 A ISSUE

22 www.hello-philippines.com
REDUCE YOUR
CANCER RISK
YOU can reduce your risk of cancer
by having a healthy lifestyle. Find out
about stopping smoking, eating a
healthy diet, keeping fit and drinking
less alcohol.
In 2009, 156,900 people in the UK
died from cancer. However, since the
1990s, survival rates in men and women
have improved for most cancers.
Why is fibre important?
FIBRE is an important part of a
healthy diet. A diet high in fibre has
many health benefits. It can help
prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight
gain and some cancers, and can also
improve digestive health.
However, many people don’t get enough
fibre. On average, most people in the UK
get about 14g of fibre a day. You should aim fibre keeps your bowels healthy and
for at least 18g a day.
Fibre is only found in foods that come
from plants. Foods such as meat, fish and
dairy products don’t contain fibre.
There are two different types of fibre –
soluble and insoluble. Each type of fibre
helps your body in different ways, so a
normal, healthy diet should include both
types.
However, if you have a digestive
disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), you may need to modify the type and
amount of fibre in your diet in accordance
with your symptoms. Your GP or a dietitian
will be able to advise you further about
this.
Soluble fibre. Soluble fibre can be
digested by your body. It may help reduce
the amount of cholesterol in your blood. If
you have constipation, gradually increasing
sources of soluble fibre – such as fruit and when it’s hot. n NHS Choices
vegetables, oats and golden linseeds – can
help soften your stools and make them
easier to pass.
Foods that contain soluble fibre include:
• oats, barley and rye
HEALTH and Lifestyle food
There are no proven ways to
prevent cancer, but you can reduce
your risk of getting it. Risk factors
you can do something about include
smoking and being overweight, and
there are other things you can do to
reduce your risk. • stopping smoking
Healthy lifestyle. Leading a healthy
lifestyle can help lower your risk of
• fruit, such as bananas and apples
• root vegetables, such as carrots
and potatoes
• golden linseeds
Insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre can’t
be digested. It passes through your
gut without being broken down and
helps other foods move through your
digestive system more easily. Insoluble
helps prevent digestive problems. If you
have diarrhoea, you should limit the
amount of insoluble fibre in your diet.
Good sources of insoluble fibre
include:
• wholemeal bread
• bran
• cereals
• nuts and seeds (except golden
linseeds)
Eating foods that are high in fibre will
help you feel fuller for longer. This may
help if you are trying to lose weight (also
see the weight loss guide).
If you need to increase your fibre
intake, it’s important that you do so
gradually. A sudden increase may make
you produce more wind (flatulence),
leave you feeling bloated and cause
stomach cramps.
It’s also important to make sure you
drink plenty of fluid. You should drink
approximately 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of
fluid a day, or more while exercising or
developing certain cancers. You can do
this by:
• eating a healthy balanced diet
• maintaining a healthy weight
• drinking less alcohol
• protecting your skin from sun
damage
Eating a healthy balanced diet.
Stories about various foods and diets
linked to preventing cancer are often
in the news. This is because a lot of
research is going on into diet and
cancer. But it isn’t easy to study the link supplements, has been found to increase
between diet and cancer because there
are so many different factors involved,
and cancer can take years to develop.
No single food or supplement
can prevent cancer from
developing. Overall, research shows a
link between eating certain groups of
foods (rather than any specific foods,
vitamins or nutrients) and a reduction
in cancer risk.
Eating a healthy balanced diet may
lower your risk of developing cancer. A
healthy balanced diet contains: • bowel cancer
• plenty of fruit and vegetables: try
to eat at least five portions a day
• plenty of bread, rice, potatoes,
pasta and other starchy foods: choose
wholegrain foods where possible as
these contain more fibre
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and
other non-dairy sources of protein
• some milk and dairy foods
• just a small amount of foods and
drinks high in fat or sugars, such as
cakes, crisps and biscuits • pharynx and larynx cancer
Eating a healthy balanced diet will
help make sure your body gets all the
nutrients it needs.
Fibre. Evidence consistently suggests
that eating plenty of fibre can reduce
the risk of bowel cancer. Diets high
in fibre can help keep your bowel healthy
and prevent constipation.
Fibre-rich foods include wholegrain
pasta, bread, breakfast cereals and rice.
Pulses, fruit and vegetables are also
good sources of fibre. We need sunlight on our skin so
Red and processed meat. Meat is
a good source of protein, vitamins and
minerals, such as iron and zinc. But
evidence shows that there is probably a
link between eating red and processed
meat, and the risk of bowel cancer.
People who eat a lot of these meats have
a higher risk of getting bowel cancer
than people who eat small amounts.
September 2017 – No. 17 • UK & Europe Edition
Beef, pork and lamb are all red It is probably a cause of other cancers
meat. Processed meats include bacon, such as colorectal cancer in women
sausages, salami and ham. and liver cancer.
If you eat more than 90 grams of red Women shouldn’t regularly drink
or processed meat a day (the equivalent more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day,
of about three thin-cut slices of roast and men shouldn’t regularly drink more
beef, lamb or pork, where each slice is than 3-4 units a day.
about the size of half a piece of sliced
bread), it is recommended that you cut “Regularly” means every day or on
down to 70 grams. You can find out more most days of the week. Use the alcohol
about eating red and processed meat. unit calculator to find out how many
units are in different alcoholic drinks.
Beta-carotene supplements. Beta-
carotene, often found in antioxidant Stopping smoking. Lung cancer
is responsible for around a quarter
the risk of lung cancer developing in of cancer deaths in the UK, and 90%
smokers and people who have been of lung cancer cases are related to
heavily exposed to asbestos at work. It smoking.
is possible that taking large amounts
of beta-carotene supplements would also “Stopping smoking greatly cuts the
increase the risk of cancer in other people. risk of developing cancer,” says Hazel
Nunn, Cancer Research UK’s health
wabcPlhvserufoeoerolegsFaolgeeaeoiddbogsltf,ssroar,fbeabidfiabnrr-ilnnureercsdieasiolcptu.kuhraadafrirascencetseedat.s, information officer. “The earlier you
Maintaining a healthy weight. In stop, the greater the impact. But it’s
England, over 60% of the population is never too late to quit. People who quit
overweight or obese. Being overweight smoking at 30 live nearly as long as
or obese can increase your risk of some non-smokers, and those who quit at 50
cancers, such as: can still undo half the damage.”
There is support to help you stop
• pancreatic cancer smoking.
• oesophageal cancer
• breast cancer if you are a woman Protect your skin from sun damage.
who has been through the menopause
• cancer of the womb (uterus) Taking care in the sun so that you
• kidney cancer don’t get burned is important for
Being a healthy weight can reduce preventing skin cancer. Follow Cancer
your risk of developing cancer. You Research UK’s SunSmart plan to protect
can find out whether you are a healthy yourself:
weight by using the BMI healthy weight
calculator. • Spend time in the shade between
Drinking less alcohol. Drinking 11am and 3pm.
alcohol is known to increase your risk
of some cancers, including: • Make sure you never burn.
• mouth cancer • Cover yourself up with a T-shirt,
hat and sunglasses.
• oesophageal cancer • Take care not to let children get
• colorectal cancer in men burned.
• breast cancer • Use sunscreen with a sun
protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
Keep an eye on any moles or freckles
you have. If they change at all (for
example, get bigger or begin bleeding),
see your GP as this can be an early sign
of cancer. The earlier skin cancer is
caught, the easier it is to treat, so see
your GP as soon as possible.
that our bodies can produce vitamin
D, which is essential for healthy bones.
Read about sunlight and vitamin D to
find out how much sunlight you need.
Know your body. It’s important
to know your body and recognise any
changes, such as lumps or unexplained
bleeding, and to get advice about
whether they might be serious. n NHS
Choices