Following healthy lifestyle tips could prevent bowel cancer

A new study has indicated that almost a quarter of colorectal (bowel) cancer cases could be prevented if people followed healthy lifestyle advice in five areas including diet and exercise.

Researchers from Denmark found that following recommendations on physical activity, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol and diet could reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer considerably - by 23 pc.
There is much evidence that implicates modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical activity, body composition, alcohol and diet.

The Danish researchers wanted to study the link between following healthy lifestyle advice and risk of bowel cancer in middle-aged people. They also wanted to find out the proportion of bowel cancer cases that might be linked to lack of adherence to the advice.

They studied data on 55,487 men and women aged 50-64 (bowel cancer is rare amongst people under 40) not previously diagnosed with cancer. The people were studied over almost 10 years up to 2006.
All participants filled in a lifestyle questionnaire including questions about social factors, health status, reproductive factors and lifestyle habits as well as a food frequency questionnaire developed to assess average intake over 12 months.

The researchers created a healthy lifestyle index using internationally accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organization, World Cancer Research Fund and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

These included being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, having no more than seven drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men, being non-smoker, having a waist circumference below 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men and consuming a healthy diet.

During the follow-up period, 678 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer.

After looking at how the participants managed to keep to each of the five lifestyle recommendations, the researchers calculated that if all participants (except the healthiest) had followed even one additional recommendation, it was possible that 13 pc of the bowel cancer cases could have been prevented.

If all participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23 pc of the bowel cancer cases could have been avoided.

A second study shows that adults with low education who used a decision aid when considering whether to have a bowel cancer screening test were more informed, but were less likely to have the test. Despite the lower uptake, the authors state that the decision aid improved informed choice in people with low education. They recommend that such aids should be made available for people who want to make an informed choice about screening and could be integrated within primary care.

Source  http://sify.com/news/following-healthy-lifestyle-tips-could-prevent-bowel-cancer-news-health-kk1nucabhdg.html

5 Lifestyle Tips that Lower Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Keeping a healthy lifestyle — by refraining from smoking, limiting alcohol intake, eating healthily, working out and maintaining a small waistline — can go a long way in preventing colorectal cancer, according to a new study.

Nearly a quarter of colorectal cancer cases could be prevented by adhering to these five lifestyle 

recommendations, said study researcher Dr. Anne Tjonneland, of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen.

"Bowel cancer is probably one of the cancers where lifestyle habits have the highest impact on risk," Tjonneland told MyHealthNewsDaily.

In the United States, the National Cancer Institute anticipates 51,370 deaths from colon and rectal cancers in 2010. Together, these cancers were second only to lung and bronchial cancer in the number of U.S. deaths from 2003 through 2007.

According to the Danish study, the risk of colorectal cancer can be lowered by being physically active for more than 30 minutes every day, having no more than seven drinks for a woman or 14 drinks for a man every week, not smoking, having a waistline smaller than 35 inches (88 centimeters) for women and 40 inches (102 cm) for men, and maintaining a healthy diet.

Even modest differences in lifestyle habits can have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk, Tjonneland said.

The study was published online today (Oct. 26) in the British Medical Journal.

Following the rules

The researchers surveyed 55,489 men and women between the ages of 50 and 64 over the course of nearly 10 years to learn about their lifestyle habits. By 2006, at the end of the 10-year period, 678 people had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Researchers then compared how closely those with colorectal cancer and those without had adhered to the five lifestyle recommendations.

They found that if participants had adhered to all five lifestyle recommendations, 23 percent of the colorectal cancer cases could have been avoided. If all participants had followed just one of the recommendations, 13 percent of the colorectal cancer cases could have been avoided, the study said.

"What should be done as a next step would be to actually make people change their habits in an intervention study," Tjonneland told MyHealthNewsDaily.

The message isn't necessarily new, but the study itself is important because it looked at how lifestyle factors can act together to affect colorectal cancer risk, instead of looking at each factor on its own, said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt, a colorectal cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

"It's been well-known that avoidance of obesity, increasing physical activity, certain dietary things, lack of smoking, reduction of alcohol are all things that can relatively reduce one's risk of developing cancer, but most papers individually look at each of these things," said Meyerhardt, who was not involved with the study.

Research published in 2000 in the journal Cancer Causes & Control found similar results. Harvard School of Public Health researchers found, in a study of 47,927 men ages 40 to 75, that those who adhered to a similar set of lifestyle recommendations had a lower colon cancer risk than those who didn't. And a 2009 study published in the journal Colorectal Disease found a correlation between body mass index and colorectal cancer risk.

Explaining the events

The reasons why following the recommendations can help prevent colorectal cancer are not certain, but it is known that high insulin and diabetes are risk factors for the disease, Meyerhardt said.

"Obesity and lack of activity leads to high insulin states, which can lead to growth of cancer cells," Meyerhardt said.

An American Cancer Society official noted, however, that the new study doesn't address whether lifestyle changes have more or less of an impact on people with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than on the average person.

The biggest risk factor for colorectal cancer is a family history of the disease, or a family or personal history of colon polyps, which are small clumps of cells that can turn cancerous, said , said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of Prostate and Colorectal Cancers at the society, who was not associated with the study.

"Regardless of lifestyle — you can do everything right — and you can still have significant chance" of developing colorectal cancer, Brooks said. "Getting screened for all adults starting at age 50, or earlier if they have risk factors, is the single most important thing that people can do."

Source  http://myhealthnewsdaily.com/5-lifestyle-tips-that-lower-your-risk-of-colorectal-cancer-0632/

Tips for Gaining Weight- the HEALTHY Way

Tips for Gaining Weight- the HEALTHY Way

Gaining weight should be “simple.”  Eat more calories than you expend and you’re sure to gain weight, right?  Gaining weight in a healthy way, though, can be a bit more challenging.  Here are 11 steps to help you assure that you are doing what’s best for you and your body as you pursue your weight gain goals.

1.  Set attainable goals.  Face it, very few people are destined to appear on the cover of a fitness magazine.  Our body shape and size is determined primarily by genetics and secondly by our lifestyle.  Healthy weight gain is a slow process that requires patience and realistic goal-setting.

2.  Eat breakfast.  Every day.  A well balanced breakfast is an excellent way to wake up your metabolism and your appetite.  Make sure you have a grain, some protein, and a fruit to start your day.  Try a yogurt berry parfait with granola OR a bagel sandwich with eggs & cheese and some juice.  In a hurry?  Grab a fruit smoothie OR cereal with milk and
berries.

3.  Follow basic nutrition recommendations.  Contrary to popular belief, living on fast food, pizza, and milkshakes is not the best approach to weight gain.  Although these foods can be incorporated into your meal plan, be sure to balance them with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a variety of protein sources, such as meat, nuts, beans, and dairy.    

4.  Plan to eat 5-6 times/ day, at least.  Prevent excessive fullness by eating reasonable portions spread throughout the entire day.  Plan to have 3-4 meals each day with several snacks in between.  At the end of the day, your “energy in” must be greater than your “energy out” in order to gain weight.

5.  Vary your diet, especially the protein.  Eating the same foods every day can be boring.  Get creative and try something new.  Start with a variety of protein sources: cheese, nuts, beef, fish, yogurt, pork, beans, chicken, yogurt, turkey, cottage cheese, lamb, eggs, etc.

6.  Pack snacks to-go for extra calories.  Trail mix, granola bars, fruit with peanut butter, chips, dried fruit, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, nuts, smoothies, sunflower seeds, and cookies are portable options that can help you keep up with your needs throughout the day.  Cereal with milk, ice cream, and hot chocolate can be great snacks to end your day.

7.  Choose caloric beverages.  You’re going to drink something, so pick fluids with calories.  Juices, milk, and even an occasional soda (non-diet, of course) will do the trick.  Drink plenty of fluids that supply calories like juice, milk, milkshakes, and sports beverages. For example, drinking 1 quart of grape or cranberry juice supplies 1000 calories. 1 quart of 2% milk supplies 720 calories.

8.  Consider high-calorie nutritional supplements.  Energy-dense, high-quality nutrition can be hard to come by, but Ensure Plus, Boost Plus, and Carnation Instant Breakfast provide quick and easy calories with the added bonus of vitamins and minerals.  Consider using these products as your “nutrition medicine” on the days you’re not feeling hungry, but know you still need to eat.

9.  Balance cardio, flexibility, and strength-training exercises.  Exercise, especially cardio work-outs, burns calories that you must replace by eating more.  However, it can help to stimulate your appetite and assure that you build an appropriate amount of muscle.  3-5 days of physical activity each week can assure optimal outcomes.
(Note: Severe malnutrition can require a period of inactivity as the body heals and repairs.  Consultation with a medical provider and/or dietitian can help to establish a safe plan in these situations.)

10. Get regular sleep
The human body needs adequate rest in order to “keep up.”  On average, most people need 8 hours of sleep/ night.  However, some people function well on 6 hours/night while others need 10+ hr/ night to feel fully rested.  Bottom line, listen to your body and get the sleep you need.

11. Set realistic goals
Genetic factors can play a large role in physique. You are not going to look like Arnold if your parents look like Pee Wee Herman.