Sunday’s Zaman:

According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), by the year 2030 the majority of deaths in the world will be related to cancer.

Data show that 24 million people a year get cancer, 17 million people die from it annually and 75 million people are currently living with it.

Judging from past data, it appears that cancer rates will rise by about 100 percent in the future. This incredible increase will largely affect developing nations like Turkey, which this year declared the week of April 1-7 Cancer Week.

And so we thought this would be a good occasion to review the importance of early detection and of making sure you do everything you can to protect yourself from this deadly disease.

1. Quit smoking

Support the smoke-free air project. By quitting smoking alone, you can add another decade to your life. So take a step for yourself this year and put out a real effort to quit smoking.

Get professional help on this front if you need it; create your own smoke-free zone.

2. Don’t postpone getting a check-up

Don’t put off your annual medical check-up. Undergo all the screenings you need to and remember, some are for women and some are for men.

Also, don’t forget that when you are dealing with certain types of cancer, early detection can make all the difference, with some even having a 90 percent recovery rate with early detection.

Also, don’t forget that people who have family members with cancer and people over a certain age have to take even more care with their annual screenings.

3. Get rid of extra weight

It is well known that extra weight increases the risk of uterine, colon, breast, esophageal and kidney cancer.

Even losing only 10 kilograms can do much to reduce your cancer risk. It is also becoming more and more recognized that the so-called Mediterranean diet has a number of health benefits.

Olive oil, green vegetables and all sorts of fresh foods that have not been processed do a world of good in protecting against cancer and keeping you healthy.

So eat many whole grains. As for high calorie, high fat, low grain foods, these all play a role it seems in stomach and intestinal cancer.

4. Be active

One of the best ways to avoid cancer is to have an active life. The whole “10,000 steps a day” philosophy is a part of this. By exercising five days a week for 30 minutes, you can do much to protect yourself from cancer.

5. Increase your consumption of green vegetables

Studies show that eating salad three or four times a week can reduce the risk of cigarette-linked cancer in people. This is due to the generous amounts of anti-oxidant molecules in many fresh green vegetables.

6. Stay away from alcohol

7. Eat a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables

Studies in recent years show that when you eat fruits and vegetables that are natural-colored tones like red, purple and blue, these tend to contain higher levels of anti-oxidants, which in turn helps fight cancer.

8. Reduce your red meat intake, turn more toward white meats

Red meat can lead to the clogging of veins and arteries as well as many chronic illnesses when consumed in excess. This is because of the high fat content in red meat.

Eating chicken and fish, on the other hand, is really much healthier for you. High levels of animal fat consumption appear to be linked to cancer.

9. Protect yourself from sunrays

Skin cancer is very common — but also easily preventable in many situations. Make sure you are resolute in protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays by covering yourself with clothing, strong creams and wearing sunglasses and hats.

10. Nurse your baby!

All mothers, take note! Your chances of getting breast cancer are greatly reduced by simply nursing your baby, which is by far the best nutrition a newborn baby can get, anyway.

You can prevent suffering or serious illness from happening. Do yourself and your family a favour. Prevention is always better than cure. Contact us now for free health consultation.