Question

Cancer can seem unavoidable, but we luckily know that certain behaviors and health choices are correlated with a higher risk of cancer. In this part of the course project, you will create an action plan based on the strategies you learned in this module to minimize cancer risk that is applicable to your own life. Next, think about your current lifestyle and habits. Given the ideal behaviors for minimizing cancer risk, what changes could you make to the way you live now?

Potential changes fall into three broad categories: lifestyle changes, eating habits, the way you prepare your food. Select five specific changes that you can make and write them in the “Anti-Cancer” section of the table on page 4 of this document. Then, explain the science behind why each one may have an impact on your risk for cancer.

Action Plan Table

Tip: Make each action step as specific and personal as possible. Don’t just repeat the strategy—tell us how you will incorporate it into your routine. Here are a few examples:

• Bad Example: I will exercise more.
• Good Example: I will do 20 jumping jacks before breakfast every morning.

• Bad Example: I will eat more fruit.
• Good Example: I will replace my morning doughnut with a citrus fruit 4x per week.

	Action Step	Rationale
Anti-Cancer	Lifestyle change 1.	Science says these changes will make an impact by…
	Lifestyle change 2.
	Eating habits 3.
	Eating habits 4.
	Food preparation 5.
Anti- Osteoporosis	Sources of Calcium	Science says calcium is important because...
Anti- Hypertension	Relaxation strategy 1.	Science says these changes will make an impact by…
	Stress management strategy 2.
	Lifestyle change 3.
	Dietary change 4.

Answer 1

Lifestyle change 1- will change my sleeping habit and try for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

Rationale- This improves your health, coping ability, mood, weight control, memory and attention, and more.

Lifestyle change 2- Will exercise regularly. This will include walking and a short burst of exercise throughout the day.

Rationale- This can help reduce fatigue, weight gain, and loss of strength.

Eating habit 1- will Replace the grains with high-protein items such as fish, chicken and Greek yoghurt.

Rationale- A diet sufficient in high-quality protein and calories may help reduce muscle atrophy a side effect of cancer.

Eating habit 2- Will focus on more fruit, such as berries and cherries, and fewer low-calorie vegetables.

Rationale- Fruit and vegetables are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, which help to protect your body against cancer.

Food preparation-

will try to eat less oil in the food preparation i.e will avoid fatty foods such as finger chips, pizzas etc.

Rationale- oily and junk food offer no benefit. In fact, such foods increase the risk of cancer and obesity.

The main foods rich in calcium are dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Calcium plays an important role in muscle contraction, transmitting messages through the nerves, and the release of hormones. If people aren't getting enough calcium in their diet, the body takes calcium from the bones to ensure normal cell function, which can lead to weakened bones.