Wellness Guide: Colorectal Cancer

Reclaiming Wellness: What You Can Do

There are many things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancer.

• Nutrition: Eat a well balanced diet. This means foods that are low in fat content. Limit your intake of red meat and increase your fruit and vegetable intake to five or more per day.

• Water: Drink lots of water. You should drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.

• Exercise: Moderate exercising for 30 minutes a day for five days a week (can be broken into 3 -10 minute segments each day), will help reduce your risk.

• Limit Alcohol: High alcohol consumption increases your risk of developing colorectal cancer. Eliminate or limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day.

• Stop Smoking: For many, smoking is one of the ways we handle stress. The best way to reclaim your wellness is to quit altogether but quitting can be hard. Sometimes you have to quit more than once to quit for good. Many programs exist to help you quit smoking, including many that are lesbian friendly.

• Get Screened: Develop and stick to a screening plan for colorectal cancer. Regular screening will help you find problems early while they are still treatable.

  
  
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