Eating fruit every day is one of five habits that cut your cancer risk.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Five lifestyle choices can greatly reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancers, particularly among men, according to a study in the upcoming May issue of The European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

THE DETAILS: Using published studies, British researchers sought to estimate how incorporating lifestyle changes could reduce the amount of colorectal cancers in the U.K. over the next 24 years.

They found that following these lifestyle recommendations could lead to a 31 percent decrease in cases of colorectal cancer in men, and an 18 percent reduction in women:

1. Eat less than about 2.8 to 3.1 ounces total of red and processed meat a day, on average (about the size of a deck of cards).

2. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits, vegetables, and fiber a day

3. Exercise for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week.

4. Drink fewer than 3 alcoholic drinks a day, fewer than two if you’re a woman.

5. Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese.

WHAT IT MEANS: Preventative action is the best prescription: It doesn’t cost a thing. Researchers also found that making these healthy adjustments also protects against breast cancer, upper GI tract cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Here’s how to turn your bad habits into healthy choices:

• Make do without meat (at least sometimes). Cutting back on red meat consumption seems to provide all sorts of health benefits. For example, another recent study found that eating lots of red meat, and any processed meat, raised the odds of dying, while those who ate chicken and fish were less likely to die. Stay away from hot dogs and beef jerky, and if you want an occasional slab of red meat, look for grass-fed, organic beef; it’s higher in nutrients than factory-farmed beef. Avoiding factory-farmed meat is good for the environment as well as your body.

• Break it up. You may think there’s not enough time in the day for a 30-minute block of exercise. But you don’t have to do it all at once: Take a 10-minute walk before and after work, and squeeze another one in during your lunch break, and you’ve done it.

• Think before you snack. Before you indulge in comfort foods loaded with carbs, processed ingredients, and nasty fats, pause in front of your fridge to find out if you’re truly hungry in the first place. Focus on what you’re feeling in your stomach: Is it burning with an honest need for calories, or are you upset about something else? If your belly is telling you it’s time to eat, choose whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible.