1. Exercise. Even a small amount of exercise can offer substantial protection. Men who exercise just once a week lower prostate cancer risk by 30%. Other studies suggests that the more active you are the lower your risk of colon and breast cancers (the biggest killers after lung cancer). One study showed regular physical activity reduced risk of colon cancer by 25-40% while another showed even a few hours of vigorous activity per week compared to non reduced breast cancers by 30-40%.

• Don’t smoke and avoid as much secondhand smoke as possible as well. Smoking causes more than 1 in 4 cancers. Nonsmokers who worked in a smoking workplace had three times the amount of carcinogens in their urine compared to those working in a smoke-free workplace.

• Sleep 7 hours a night. A large 2012 study showed that those who sleep about 7 hours a night were less likely to die of cancer and other causes than those who slept either substantially more or less than that. The reasons are unknown but the statistics seem clear enough.

• Foods to eat: Add broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage to your diet. This family of veggies contains chemicals that help cells repair DNA, which may help prevent them from becoming cancerous. Eat blue blueberries as they help protect against colon cancers. Drink pomegranate juice as studies show it may inhibit the growth of lung cancer and delay growth of prostate cancers. Seaweed sheets, used to wrap sushi, may protect against skin cancer so try some sushi. Dr. Culveyhouse suggests vegetarian types if you worry about raw fish.

• Avoid fat and red meat: A major study of half a million Europeans, focused on 13,000 women and found those who ate the diet highest in saturated fat (over 3.2 ounces a day) were twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who ate the least (less than 1.4 ounces/day). Saturated fats include full fat dairy products and fatty meats, especially sausage, bacon, and most processed meats. The same study found bowel cancer risk a third higher for those who ate more than two small servings (2.86 ounces each) of red meat or processed meats a day compared to those who ate less than one serving a week. Red meat included beef, pork, lamb, or veal.

• Take supplements: Men who took a daily selenium supplement (200mcg) for 4.5 years cut their prostate cancer risk by 49% and if their initial levels were abnormally low the protection was even greater. Women who took 1000IU of vitamin D daily lowered risks of all cancers by 42% compared to those taking a placebo over a four-year study. Vitamin D causes early death of cancer cells. The body makes vitamin D in the sunlight but low light in winter, dark skin, or sunscreens use prevents most people from getting enough so we suggest at least 1000IU a day in supplements.