According to Colleen Doyle, the American Cancer Society’s Director of Nutrition and Physical Activity, women can become healthier and lower their risk of developing cancer simply by incorporating 5 strategies in their every day life: (1) not smoking; (2) eating a healthy diet; (3) increasing their physical activity; (4) maintaining a healthy weight; and (5) reducing their stress levels.

Kicking Out the Smoking Habit

Heart disease has been pinpointed to be the leading cause of death among women, and smoking is one of the things that can adversely affect the heart. Women who smoke can stop the habit by taking FDA-approved drugs like Zyban as well as using skin patches.

Eating a Healthy Diet and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Diet can positively or negatively affect the health. Thus, women should start making wise and healthy food choice so that their body receive the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed.

To get started in making better food choices, Doyle recommends recording everything you eat  during the day as doing so can help you determine just how many calories you are consuming. The next step is identifying and analyzing your eating habits, which includes asking yourself how frequently you eat high calorie foods, how much dressing you put on your salad, how many sodas or sweetened beverages you drink every day, and such.

Once you identify your eating habits, you can start cutting back on the sugary drinks and high calorie foods. According to Doyle, one of her obese clients lost 17 lbs in 30 days after she stopped drinking sugary drinks and sodas alone. Sugary beverages and sodas are truly high in calories so if you cut back on how much you drink can and will make a difference in your waistline — and on your general health — in just a few weeks. So if you want to lose weight, avoid sugary drinks; and if you’re already at the weight you want, you can maintain it by not consuming high sugar drinks and unhealthy foods.

Increasing Physical Activity

Being physically active not only helps women lose weight, but also reduces their risk of developing a number of diseases. According to the American Cancer Society, women who are physically active have a lower risk of developing breast cancer and colon cancer. This is actually supported by research: physical activity lowers the risk of breast cancer by 10% to 25% and colon cancer by 25% to 50%.

What type of physical activity is most effective? It differs from one woman to the next. You can try out several physical activities and see which one works for you. Some physical activities you can try include jogging, biking, yoga, pilates or brisk walking. Exercising at least 10 minutes a day three times a week can do wonders for your health.

Reducing Stress Levels

Stress, when unmanaged, can lead to strokes. It is important that women find some “me” time for themselves. This is the time when they can relax and pamper themselves for a few minutes. Women who stay at home taking care of the children and keeping the house well run tend to be under a lot of stress. Some of the things you can do to take away some of the stresses you are feeling include taking warm baths, window shopping, meeting with a friend once a week to chat, lounging around and reading a good book.