It’s finally here! Experts are now admitting that living healthier helps protect you from developing cancer. In this case, though, they’ve only admitted it about colon cancer recurrence – but it’s a huge step in the right direction.

Remember when people tell you that what you eat doesn’t have anything to do with your health (except when it comes to heart attacks and strokes)? And if you have cancer, acne, or mostly any disease that isn’t directly connected to cholesterol or sugar, your doctor won’t advise you to eat healthier. He’ll just prescribe meds.

Well, now doctors are finally admitting that eating and living healthier can actually prevent and protect your body from developing diseases – well, at least for colon cancer recurrence. Researchers found that following the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) lifestyle recommendations lowers your chances of getting colon cancer again by up to 51 percent.

They took about 1000 patients who had colon cancer and were in remission and had some go on the ACS’s guidelines, while others didn’t. They found that patients following the ACS’s guidelines were more likely to stay in remission for 7 to 10 years. That’s legit evidence – and now doctors will officially recommend colon cancer patients to adopt these healthier lifestyle guidelines as part of their medical advice.

The Official American Cancer Society’s Lifestyle Guidelines

So what exactly does the ACS recommend to keep colon cancer patients in remission for up to a decade? Well, it’s something you’re probably already doing if you’re health-conscious and reading my blog: Not being overweight or obese, eating mostly veggies, whole grains, and fruits, not drinking alcohol, exercising about 2.5 hours every week, and including tree nuts into your diet.

Other researchers recommend eating fish because it lowers your risk for colon cancer by one-third.

Some studies also found that eating red meat increases your risk for developing colon cancer by one-third. They studied the colon cells of people who ate lots of red meat and found that these cell samples had DNA damage.

These studies also found that eating chicken is like the Switzerland in the war against colon cancer. People who ate chicken neither had an increased or decreased risk of developing colon cancer. So it’s safe to eat – but it doesn’t protect you from colon cancer either. Neutral territory!

So basically, stick to a healthy routine that you’re probably already doing. Also stop eating red meat, and if you really can’t, then substitute it with chicken. Ideally you want to choose seafood over red meat or chicken.

I’m really happy that doctors will be instructing their colon cancer patients to change their eating, exercise, and alcohol habits. It brings mainstream medicine closer to healthier, natural medicine. Maybe one day doctors will completely get their heads out of their butts and actually admit all the evidence about natural remedies and a healthier lifestyle. Then the two fields will merge and the population’s overall health gets boosted.