Three strikes: smoking, drinking and obesity

 

Smoking, drinking and obesity according to the Harvard study, these are the three risk factors are the most important people in high income countries such as Canada. Here are some strategies that will help the fight against cancer on these three fronts. 

Tobacco

Lighting a cigarette can increase your risk of a number of cancers, including lung, bladder, colon and rectum, pancreas, breast and many more. Even if you only smoke occasionally, you may greatly increase your risk of contracting cancer.

Here are some tips that will promote smoking cessation:

•  set a date and stick to it;
  
• Share your intentions with your entourage. If they know you are trying to quit, those who smoke are likely to offer you a cigarette or do you invite to a smoke break;
  
• Consult your doctor or pharmacist about medications that might help you quit smoking;
     
•  learn to identify triggers of smoking, then delete, or edit forsake smoking practices that systematically cause the glasses after work or take coffee breaks;
  
•  Assign yourself a time limit, say 20 minutes, when you feel the urge to smoke, and wait until the urge passes instead of yielding.

The drink

Many people know drinking moderately (two drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women), but the abuse of alcohol may increase your risk of gastrointestinal cancer, mouth, esophagus , liver, breast, and many others.

Here's how to moderate your alcohol intake:

• ask your doctor if you drink alcohol given your risk factors associated with cancer, the medications you take may have and other factors;
  
• at a party, alternately drink an alcoholic beverage and non-alcoholic to counteract the dehydrating effect of alcohol and limit your total consumption of alcohol;
  
• know what constitutes a ration. A drink is 341 mL (12 oz) of beer, 142 ml (5 oz) of wine or 43 ml (1.5 oz) of liquor at 40% alcohol;
  
• Avoid binge drinking - three or more drinks on one occasion for women and four or more drinks on one occasion for men;
  
• learn to recognize signs of problem drinking. They include alcohol consumption alone, memory lapses, "need" to drink and the need to increase consumption to continue to feel the effects of alcohol. If you notice these signs, consult your doctor.

Overweight and obesity

If you are overweight or if you are obese, you are not only carrying a few extra pounds - but also an increased risk of a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, brain, gall bladder, ovarian cancer in women, the rectum and colon and prostate in men. Furthermore, this excess weight may hinder the process of screening for certain cancers, thereby increasing the possibility that they propagate before being discovered.

Here are some tips to help you manage your weight:

• learn to assess food portions. First check that your portions are the right size, then measure them again from time to time. If your portions are too large, they may give you more calories than you think;
  
• Choose leaner meats and low fat dairy products. If you have trouble getting used to the taste of low-fat, introduce them gradually into your diet;
  
• give yourself a treat from time to time. If you deprive yourself constantly, you may be more likely to binge. But make sure it is small;
  
• Move! Book, in the course of the day, periods of at least 10 minutes for physical activity, if you do not have time to undertake a long workout. Each week, accumulate at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity of moderate to severe; walking (at a steady pace) cycling through jogging, it's not lack of choice. The health benefits increase with increased physical activity.