Medical Keywords - Everything you need to know about health.

Take Charge of Cancer Prevention in your Retirement

Taking charge of your lifestyle - how you eat, sleep and exercise - can go a long way toward preventing and controlling different types of cancer. Knowing what to avoid and taking preventative measures are all part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Practicing avoidance like putting off going to the doctor is very detrimental to your health.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

Did you know that as much as 33% of all cancer-related deaths possibly could have been prevented? A poor diet and lack of exercise leads to excessive weight. Being overweight can heighten your chances of developing some form of cancer because your body in not strong enough to fight sickness off.

While you cannot fight your genetic profile or your age, there are plenty of things you can do to keep the odds in your favor of preventing or controlling cancer. Here are a few of the many ways that you can lower your cancer risks:

* Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat at all times as well as the strongest SPF sunscreen you can find. Avoid the heat of the day if at all possible.

* Eat a diet that is rich in dark green leafy vegetables, low fat dairy, lean meats and fish and fruit and whole grains. By avoiding all processed foods, you are effectively cutting out half your cancer risk due to your diet. Choose natural foods and avoid salt and sugar added products.

* Take a multi-vitamin to ensure that you get enough nutrients.

* Avoid or quit smoking and drink in moderation.

* Physical activity is a necessity. Four to six days a week should include light cardiovascular activity such as walking, gardening and more. Strength training also can help.

Keeping your regular doctor appointments goes a long way towards detecting and preventing different kinds of cancer. Your physicals as you get older should include all the cancer screening tests for skin, colon, and breast, prostate, cervical and ovarian cancers.

Talk with your doctor to determine what else you should be doing to try and prevent cancer. Your family history as well as your health are common factors in coming up with a plan. There are various tests that will effectively check for cancer and should be repeated yearly or as often as the medical community dictates. Of course, your sex will determine some of these tests. Here is an example of what to expect or ask your doctor about:

* Mammograms and x-rays are standard procedure to screen for breast cancer and should be completed once a year. Be sure to self-test as well.

* Men, there is a special PSA blood test that checks for prostate problems as well as a yearly rectal exam.

* Ladies, a pap smear can help detect cancer cells in the vagina and cervix. Be sure that you get this test as often as necessary, anywhere from 1-3 years, depending on medical and family history. A pelvic exam and ultrasound can help detect ovarian cancer.

* There are various colon cancer tests that can be performed such as a colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or barium enema.

* See your doctor if you have any unusual patches of skin, bumps or moles. During your yearly physical, have your doctor examine your skin.

In addition to the yearly cancer screenings, eating right and exercising, sleep is another factor which could affect your health. Your best defense is a good offense when stopping cancer before it even starts.