February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and this is the perfect time to spread awareness about cancer prevention. Although no one can completely guarantee that they won’t get cancer, there are certain steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing the disease. In this blog, we’ll discuss some lifestyle tips for cancer prevention and why it’s important to stay on top of screenings and testing.
Sunblock Use Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with more than 5 million cases diagnosed each year. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to use sunscreen when spending time outdoors. Sunscreen helps protect against skin damage caused by UVA and UVB rays, both of which are linked to skin cancer. Make sure you use sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher and apply it at least 20 minutes before going outside. It’s best to reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating heavily.
Screenings for Cancer Early detection is key when it comes to treating many types of cancers, so regular screening tests are very important in order to catch any abnormalities early on. Depending on your age and health history, your doctor may suggest certain screenings from time-to-time in order to check for signs of cancer. For example, women should have routine mammograms beginning at age 40 in order to check for breast cancer; men should also have regular prostate exams after age 50; colonoscopies are recommended for people over 50 as well; cervical cancers can be detected through Pap smears; lung cancer screenings can be done using low-dose CT scans; etc.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices Being proactive about your health and making healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, getting enough sleep each night—all these things play a role in reducing your risk factors for developing certain types of cancers. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends adults engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day five days a week in order to reduce their risk factors significantly. Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight is also known to reduce someone’s chances of developing various types of cancers as well as other chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.
Cancer Prevention Starts With YOU! Be proactive and take steps to lower your risk factors significantly. As we shared, these can include being mindful about sun exposure, staying up-to-date on screenings/testing recommended by your doctor, maintaining a healthy lifestyle by getting enough exercise and eating nutritious foods regularly. All of these things help keep our bodies strong which reduces our chances of getting sick or injured down the line.
This year, for National Cancer Prevention Month, let’s all make a commitment together to do our part! Implementing small changes into our lives will make all the difference when it comes to preventing this dreaded disease!
Looking to learn more about how you can spread awareness this month? A great way to help the fight is to follow worthy charities on social media, like Jacie’s Kids on Facebook.
Feeling generous today? Donate here to Jacie’s Kids today and help local Long Island families struggling with childhood cancer.
If you’d like, read more on how we’ve helped LI kids on our site here.
Stay tuned for our monthly news blogs, like last month where we shared more about the transformative power of giving.
You can help us by sharing this blog and if you feel like giving or becoming a corporate sponsor, we’d love to speak to you about how you can invest some time, talents or a donation to help our organization at JaciesKids.org.
We are run exclusively by volunteers so if you feel you have time and a passion to help, let us know by reaching out to us on the web at www.jacieskids.org or by email. When you do, it means the world to “our” kids and their families!
For more information about Jacie’s Kids, or to speak to our team about opportunities within the organization, contact us at info@jacieskids.org or call Beatrice Haas at 516-242-1564.
Thank you all!
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