[Photo Credit: AussieGall]
The famous Movember movement is upon us and I really do love how much awareness this has created for men’s health over the last several years. Based on a little research I did from the Movember official website, they state that prostate cancer is the third leading cause of death in men in Canada, and 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. That is a pretty high statistic if you ask me! Too high of a number for us to not do anything about it.
Since it’s prostate cancer awareness month, let’s really dig into prevention. That’s what we aim for right? Disease and illness is not something we need to be faced with, so creating awareness and living as healthy as possible is vital for overall health. I absolutely love and am passionate about holistic medicine because it’s practices are rooted in prevention! How empowering is that? To know you have the power to prevent a potential illness based on your decisions today. I know that is a scary concept for some, but that’s really what holistic nutrition is all about!
So, let’s talk prostate cancer prevention…
There is so much convincing evidence on the role of diet in prostate cancer that Dr. William Fair and colleague from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre went so far to suggest that prostate cancer may be a nutritional disease. Wow! A nutritional disease that can be prevented if we put a bit of effort into what we choose to consume most of the time. Remember, it’s what we do most of the time, not ALL of the time. I too have my days, but it’s important to not beat yourself up over it and simply commit to choosing the healthiest options MOST of the time.
So gentlemen (and loving wives, girlfriends, partners and daughters), here are 8 tips to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of prostate cancer:
- Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids- wild caught fish, hemp seeds, chia, quality fish oil supplement
- Increase intake of isothiocyanates from vegetables in the brassica family – such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, chard
- Increase intake of grape seed extract or other sources of proanthocyanidins – grape see extract is a great anti bacterial and strengthens immunity
- Increase intake of green tea polyphenols – simple, just drink some green tea!
- Introduce more Mediterranean-style foods – such as wild caught fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, quality olive oil, lots of herbs and spices
- Increase intake of lycopene rich foods – easy! Enjoy some delicious tomatoes
- Eliminate or reduce intake of processed, grilled or broiled meats – unfortunately charred meats can increase cancer risk
- Eliminate or reduce intake of dairy products – unless you can get your hands on organic raw sources, go for it. Otherwise, most dairy today is loaded with antibiotics and hormones, so it’s best we avoid it.
If you have an important male in your life, share this short blog with them and maybe it will inspire them to practice prevention instead of reaction. I truly believe if we put as much effort, time and resources into prevention as we do with finding a cure, those statistics mentioned earlier would be a heck of a lot lower!
Check out our delicious Prostate Cancer Prevention Tomato Sauce recipe with mushrooms and swiss chard! It’s easy to make and loaded with cancer protective nutrients.
If you would like more detailed information on prostate cancer and further tips for cancer prevention, check out The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael T. Murray N.D and Joseph Pizzorio N.D.
Happy Movember!
Stephanie xo
