Lifestyle and Exercise Tips

Experts agree that by living a healthy lifestyle, risk of colorectal cancer can be reduced considerably.

According to Colleen Doyle, RD, MS, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society there are three basic ways to reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancer: adopting a proper diet, being physically active and undergoing screening.

• Proper Diet – “Eat lots of fruits and vegetables – at least five servings a day, preferably more,” says Dr. Doyle. “This can lower your colorectal cancer risk by 40 to 50 percent. It’s especially good to eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors. The colors are from substances called flavonoids that interfere with the process of developing cancer. And, you should cut back on fats, especially the saturated fats in foods like beef, pork and lamb.” Link to healthy diet pages
• Regular Exercise and Weight Control – Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. Current theory is that this helps speed food through the digestive tract, so any cancer-causing agents in food don’t have time to do much damage. Being overweight can increase your colorectal cancer risk so you should maintain a healthy body weight.
• Screening – Scientific data indicates that screening is the most important thing you can do to fight colorectal cancer. Talk to your family to determine if you have a family history of colorectal cancer. And begin screening by ordering a test today.