According to the World Health Organization, Kenya has an estimated 47,887 new cancer cases and over 32,987 reported deaths annually. To reduce this risk, cancer specialists Dr Catherine Nyongesa and Dr Ahmed Komen share their top tips for a healthier lifestyle.
Dr Nyongesa, the founder, owner, and chief executive of Texas Cancer Centre in Nairobi, emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet in reducing cancer risk.
Healthy Eating Habits
- Focus on eating 80% of your diet as raw and organic produce to reduce cancer risk.
- Remove artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, and refined sugar from your diet.
- Choose organic, free-range meat and eggs, and limit your intake of red meat.
- Drink plenty of clean water and avoid sweetened drinks.
Other Lifestyle Changes
- Limit your intake of alcoholic drinks to one drink a day for women and two drinks for men.
- Avoid cooking meat over an open flame, as it can cause heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which increase cancer risk.
- Watch your water intake and choose trusted brands to avoid carcinogenic materials.
- Store cereals properly to avoid aflatoxins, which are linked to liver cancer.
- Avoid heating food in plastic containers, as it can leach carcinogenic chemicals into your food.
Additional Tips
- Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight and reduce cancer risk.
- Get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B virus to prevent cervical and liver cancer.
- Get enough sun exposure to boost your vitamin D levels.
- Protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by limiting your number of sexual partners and using condoms.
- Detox regularly to remove toxins and pollutants from your body.
- Clean up your beauty routine by choosing products that are free from carcinogenic chemicals.
