Eating Healthier is an Important Defense
CENTRE, Alabama, March 5, 2025 – While many people might consider colon cancer something that just comes with age or family history, there are actions you can take to lower your risk. Most of these tools are important for your overall health anyway.
“Nobody should think there isn't anything they can do to lower their risk of getting colon cancer," said Maranda Posey, FNP-BC, with Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center Rural Health Clinic in Centre, Alabama. “There are actions you can take that can help."
Maybe your grandmother told you to chew your food so many times before swallowing. That might sound antiquated, but Posey said that can help ease the digestive process.
“You should chew until it has nearly dissolved in your mouth," she said. “This aids enzymes in your digestive system when breaking down food."
How you cook your food can also play a role in your digestive health. Southerners love a good barbecue, but that isn't the healthiest way to prepare meat.
“Burning or charring meats creates carcinogenic substances," Posey said. “It's not like you can NEVER eat something grilled over wood or charcoal, just try to limit it. “Avoid eating any charred areas of the meat if you can."
Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and grain. Cutting down on the amount of fat you consume is also advisable.
“Watermelon, squash, sweet potatoes, okra, grapes and mushrooms can add to your colon health," Posey said. “Whole grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, add important fiber and protein to your diet."
It should come as no surprise that drinking plenty of water is also a factor in good digestive health. Toxins can build up in your body if you don't stay hydrated. While health experts might disagree on how much water you should drink on a daily basis, eight glasses a day is a good goal to aim for unless contraindicated.
Even if you maintain a healthy regimen, a colonoscopy is an important tool in fighting colon cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45. That age drops to 40 if you have a family history.
Visit
bit.ly/3DiufyX to determine your colon cancer risk and to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.
About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd strategically combined with Harbin Clinic in 2024 and employs more than 5,200 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at four facilities: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 361-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; and Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health, also in Rome. Together, Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic provide primary care, specialty care and urgent care throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names
Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and
Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with
Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation's largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.