1. Choose a diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods.
2. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active.
4. Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all.
5. Select foods low in fat and salt.
6. Prepare and store food safely.

And, ALWAYS remember …… Do NOT use TOBACCO in any form!

By making a few, simple changes in your daily routine, you can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

The following tips will help you to get started :

• Take a look at your plate….Are most of the foods on your plate plant-based? Fill your plate with 2/3 (or more) vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans and 1/3 (or less) animal protein.

• Keep fit with a variety of activities you enjoy to make exercise a lifelong habit and maintain your weight. Try walking, dancing, cycling and gardening!

• Shop for a variety of veggies in the supermarket or farmers market. Select some that you haven’t tried in a while. Tri mango, jicama, leeks, kale and others.

• Steam vegetables lightly in the microwave. Try Brussels sprouts or asparagus again, or try some interesting unflavored frozen combinations and season with a bit of light soy sauce, ginger, balsamic vinegar or parmesan cheese. Or lightly sauté a combination of red peppers, carrots, broccoli and yellow squash. Or lightly stir fry some fresh spinach in olive oil with a bit of chopped garlic.

• Add sliced peaches, chopped apples, strawberries or raisins to your whole grain cereal in the morning.

• Cut down on portion sizes of meat and poultry. Remove half the filling from an overstuffed deli sandwich. Update a favorite casserole by changing the meat to vegetable ratio. Chicken and brown rice casserole with broccoli can become a brown rice and broccoli casserole with chicken. Use animal protein as a condiment rather than the major focus of your meal.

• Add red kidney beans or black beans to a salad, soup or stew instead of meat. Or mash some garbanzo beans with some chopped garlic, olive oil and freshly ground pepper and sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds. Spread on whole grain bread as a sandwich filling or enjoy with green pepper strips and carrot slices as a dip.

• Work to maintain a healthy weight! If you are overweight now, remember that losing just 10% of your weight can have a healthful effect on your body!