Fit-Twist Health: Healthy Lifestyle

My Healthy Habit
(New Photos on Flickr)

Per Cedars-Sinai - Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. 40-50% of all cancer cases diagnosed every year are skin cancer. There are 2 main types of skin cancer, nonmelanoma and malignant melanoma. That's why I love Sol Inspired clothing because it is UPF 50 and so versatile. I love the Apsara: It keeps me warm when it’s cold & cool when it’s hot. As an Asian woman, I know that (UV rays) can make me look older than I am.

Sun protective clothing is one of the most effective ways to prevent

sun-related skin disease & damage. There’s nothing like it!

Risk Factors

The greatest risk factor for skin cancer is frequent exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Sunlight is the main source of this exposure, but tanning lamps and tanning booths are aslo sources of UV radiation (tanning salons like smoking should be banned because they may cause cancer). Most people have moles, which are generally harmless. Certain types, however, can change in appearance, color or size and develop into melanoma.

Fair skin. Caucasians are 20 times more likely to develop skin cancer than African Americans. Fair-skinned individuals with red or blonde hair and skin that freckles (I have lots of freckles on my face because I used to swim almost every day and be in my high school swim team) or burns easily are also at greater risk.

50 years or older. Half of all melanoma cases occur in this age group; however, some melanoma cases also occur in people age 20 to 30 years. In fact the most common cancer among people under 30 years old is melanoma.

Family history. Individuals whose immediate relatives, such as a mother, father, sister, brother or child, have been diagnosed with melanoma are considered at

high risk. About 10% of melanoma cases show a family history of the disease.

Reduced immunity. (I have a Healthy Drink to start my day - Mix 1/2 cup of Pom with 1/2 cup of water, add Amazing Grass ORAC +Fortune Delight and stir. I take 1 Reserveage Resveratrol + 1 ViraLaurin Immune with my drink. It tastes great & is good for me). Individuals, such as organ transplant recipients, who have received medications that suppress the immune system are more likely to develop melanoma.

Male gender. Men are two times more likely than women to develop basal cell carcinoma and three times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma.

Exposure to chemicals. Arsenic (an ingredient in pesticides), paraffin, industrial tar, coal and certain types of oil may increase risk. (That's why I use mostly natural or green products & the reason I joined Sunrider).

Exposure to radiation. Individuals who have undergone radiation treatment are at risk to develop nonmelanoma skin cancer in the irradiated area.

Severe skin injury. Scarring from burns, bone infections and other severe inflammatory skin diseases are risk factors.

Psoriasis treatment. Patients receiving psoralen and UV light treatments (PUVA) may be at risk. http://www.cedars-sinai.edu