"20 Ways to Prevent Cancer" MEME

Came across this article about cancer prevention today, and thought it might be fun to turn it into a "meme". I've listed each tip and responded with GOOD/NEUTRAL/BAD about how I'm doing on that point, and a brief description of what I do. At the end, there are 2 questions to sum up the meme.

Feel free to participate, for your own little health check-up:

  1. Filter your tap water- GOOD "normally", BAD here. We used bottled water when we live overseas, but while visiting here in the US, we're tap water folks.
  2. Stop topping off your gas tank- GOOD. I rarely fill up the car with gas, and when I do, we just go to the top and that's the end of it.
  3. Marinate meat before grilling- GOOD. I almost always marinate before any kind of cooking.
  4. Caffeinate every day- BAD. This one was surprising. I rarely drink caffeine in any form.
  5. Drink more than 8 cups of water daily- GOOD. Nine years of pregnancy and nursing have drilled that habit into me. I am a water guzzler.
  6. Load up on really green greens- BAD. I ate broccoli tonight, but before tonight, it'd been weeks since I'd had really dark greens.
  7. Snack on brazil nuts- BAD. Never tried em.
  8. Exercise regularly to avoid breast cancer- BAD, but GETTING BETTER. I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm exercising more lately than I have in years.
  9. Skip the dry cleaner- GOOD. It's been more than 9 years since I've taken anything to the cleaners. We're wash-and-wear people.
  10. Ask your doc about breast density- NEUTRAL. I'm not to the age for mammograms yet, but I have not asked about and do not know about breast density.
  11. Limit cell phone usage near the head- GOOD. Although this tip is inconclusive, it really doesn't matter because I don't use cell phones often anyhow. I'm home so much, that anywhere we live, we just keep one cell phone and one house phone. I probably talk on a cell phone less than once a day.
  12. Block skin cancer with colors & hats- NEUTRAL. I do wear a lot of colors, and I'm pretty good about wearing sunscreen or hats when I go out in the sun. But I don't choose colors based on which ones block the sun at greater proportions.
  13. Pic a doc with a past for accurate interpretation of mammogram results- NEUTRAL. Again, I'm not yet to the age for mammograms.
  14. Eat clean foods- GOOD. We're better at this when overseas, as the produce and meats in Turkey are still produced (mostly) ethically and locally.
  15. Read food labels for folic acid- BAD. I don't check for that, and wasn't aware that synthetic folic acid can be harmful to the colon.
  16. Up your calcium intake- GOOD. I drink a fair amount of milk normally, and cheese makes up a ridiculously large amount of my diet while here in the US. :)
  17. Commit to whole grains- BAD. I need to change this. I enjoy whole grains when I think of it, but I don't always reach for it, and don't have a "commitment" to it. I'd like for that to change.
  18. Pay attention to pain- NEUTRAL. This is one I need to remember. When I experience pain, I tend to downplay it and push through.
  19. Avoid unnecessary scans- GOOD. I haven't had any CT, MRI type scans. I had x-rays when I was a teenager, for dental work, but don't recall any in the last 15 years.
  20. Drop 10 pounds.- GOOD. I have already dropped 3, and am committed to my plan with Weight Watchers.
SO, HOW AM I DOING OVERALL? Good: 10, Neutral: 4, Bad: 6
WHAT ONE CHANGE DO I INTEND TO FOCUS ON & IMPLEMENT? Committing to whole grains.



This was a productive meme for me, and I feel even more resolved to work to make healthy choices after completing it.

Feel free to participate! Here's a linky where you can leave a link to your blog:

9 comments:

Conn Family said...

Praise the Lord He is sovereign... because according to that list I'll die of cancer. :) And since I'm just getting out of my 1st trimester, whatever good habits I had are now gone- need to find again!
jerilyn

Jess Connell said...

Well, I certainly wasn't trying to inspire fear! :) And obviously this list isn't complete or even a list of the most common causes (like smoking!). These were just some less known ways to prevent cancer, I think.

Anonymous said...

What do you do for folic acid when you are pregnant? Just make sure you are getting it from food?

bethany

Jess Connell said...

I personally take folic acid during pregnancy (when I can remember)-- I think despite this report, it's still advisable for pregnant women. But I think this report is about folic acid in, say, multivitamin tablets, taken by those who are not expecting a baby. Apparently, it can be harmful to the colon, over time.

Neen said...

You are never to young for a mammogram! My sister died of breast cancer at age 32! Just me two bob worth. :)

Cat said...

As a mom to 5 (youngest 18 months, oldest 10) diagnosed with thyroid cancer in January who does most of the things on the list already, I'd like to add a couple more. On the filter your water one, I'd suggest making sure the filter removes fluoride. Thyroid cancer is on the rise in the US. Two doctors I've seen attribute this at least in part to the fluoride and chlorine in our drinking water. These both compete with iodine in our bodies, and low iodine can contribute to many forms of cancer, particularly thyroid and breast. We also filter our shower water now, since the skin absorbs chlorine even more in warm water.

Jess Connell said...

Thanks for adding your thoughts from experience, Cat!

Lidia said...

I found your blog via the Sonlight forums and have enjoyed reading it for the past few months!

One thing I would like to add about taking folic acid is that it needs to be in your system at least 3 months BEFORE pregnancy to actually help prevent neural tube defects. This is according to my family doctor.

Sanders said...

Hey Jess - that was a great exercise for me. Thanks for posting it - my paternal grandmother died of cancer and many other women in my family have had varying kinds. I just try to work on the weight issue most! And flax - just can't say enough good about flax!
But I needed to be reminded of several other things!!