Know Your Enemy: How to Prevent Prostate Cancer

In order to protect your sexual health – and overall wellbeing – against prostate cancer, you need to be well-informed. By knowing your enemy, so to speak, you can get proactive with your treatment in the best way for you as an individual, or even guard your wellness against prostate cancer in the first place. So what exactly is prostate cancer, and what can you do to prevent it?

 

Prostate cancer is a tumour that grows in your prostate gland, which is the part of your reproductive system that stores seminal fluid (the substance that mixes with sperm to form semen). Sometimes, prostate cancer can grow slowly over a period of many years, while at others it may grow rapidly and spread swiftly to other parts of the body. Prostate cancer has been known to spread its cells throughout your lymph system or bloodstream and along nerve pathways. In some cases, men with prostate cancer experience no symptoms, which is why it is so important to have your prostate checked by a doctor on a regular basis.

 

Sometimes, however, prostate cancer does exhibit certain signs and symptoms. These include:

• Blood in your urine or semen


• Dribbling when urinating


• Erectile dysfunction


• Frequent urination, especially at night


• Painful urination and/or ejaculation


• A smaller stream of urine


• An urgent need to urinate


• Painful bony sites (if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body)


• Occasional nerve paralysis or loss of bladder function

 

Unfortunately, the cause of prostate cancer remains unknown, although it is thought that your hormones – such as testosterone – may contribute to the disease as they control the growth of your prostate gland. Viruses or chronic infections may contribute to prostate cancer, and there’s also a link between the disease and common cancer-causing substances in the environment. Plus, researchers have recently identified a gene that is linked to some cases of prostate cancer. While the exact cause of prostate cancer remains unclear, scientists have identified five key risk factors:

 

1. Advanced age: Prostate cancer is seen mostly in men over the age of 55.

 

2. Diet: While a high-fat diet may increase your risk of prostate cancer, fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish may lower your risk.

 

3. Ethnicity: Prostate cancer is less common in American Indian and Asian men, occurring most often in African and northern European ethnic groups.

 

4. Family history: If your father or brother has had prostate cancer, your risk for the disease is heightened.

 

5. Other risk factors: Men who have had a vasectomy, who smoke, or who have been exposed to a metal called cadmium may also be at an increased risk of prostate cancer.

 

So that’s prostate cancer, but what can be done to prevent the disease? While prostate cancer cannot be completely prevented, prostate screening with exams and blood tests helps with early diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a digital rectal exam should also be offered every year to men 50 years of age or older who have a life expectancy of at least 10 years. The ACS also recommends that a prostate-specific antigen test (a PSA blood test) be offered every year to these men. However, if you have one of the above noted risk factors for prostate cancer – such as a high-risk ethnic origin or family history of the disease – you should start getting screened for prostate cancer at the age of 45. Finally, make sure you make good dietary choices, as this lowers your risk for the disease. Your diet should be low in fat, while packed with fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish.

Categories: cancer, cancer remains, family history, fatty fish, fruits vegetables, prevention, prostate, prostate cancer, prostate gland, risk factors, Symptoms

Back to Basics: The What, How and Why of Nutrition

Keeping up with the latest nutrition news can fell impossible – why are the top tips always changing? Still, although wellness experts seem to always change their minds about the nitty-gritty of nutrition, there are some basic principles that you can take to the bank. In fact, having this basic knowledge in place will help you to sift through the latest research and advice more effectively – happy days!

 

In order to master the nutrition basics, you mainly need to get your head around food groups, calories and the roles that specific nutrients play in your health and wellbeing. If the basics aren’t enough for you, and you want to become a wellness expert in your own right (or near enough), talk to your GP or a dietician. While the internet is great and there’s a wealth of information out there, a doctor or dietician can give you personalised advice that takes into account your health status, lifestyle, and food likes and dislikes – much easier than doing it all yourself.

 

Still, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. In order to adopt a healthy diet, you need to set off on the right foot. A lot of diet plans that are outlined in magazines and cookbooks are similar, but you need to make sure you follow one that’s healthy. Firstly, your diet plan needs to include a variety of foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. It also needs to provide you with guidelines for how much food to choose from each group.

 

Moreover, your eating plan has to be practical; there’s no point following a programme that includes a load of weird, specialist foods, as you’re just not going to find them in your local shops. The foods on your eating plan need to fit your tastes, lifestyle and budget, or you’ll never keep up with it. Also, take a look at your personal health risks and needs. If you have cholesterol or high blood pressure, for example, you may need to make sure your diet is low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. Again, speaking to your doctor or a dietician can help you out a lot.

 

Once you’ve sorted out what to include in your diet, it’s time to take a look at your cooking techniques. There aren’t many pleasures in life that can beat good food; meals are at the heart of family life, fellowship and celebrations. This is why, on a personal level, it’s so important to make sure you’re making good food that’s good for you. Everyone wants to protect their family from heart disease and other health problems, so move away from calorie-laden, fatty and salty convenience items. Get creative and start experimenting with healthier, but still quick, cooking techniques, like baking, grilling and sautéing.

 

While you’re learning about clever and healthy ways to cook your food, make sure you get the skinny on food safety tips – after all, there’s no point eating your veggies if they’re laden with bacteria! Still, while giving your old recipes a health and safety makeover is a great way to get you and your family eating more healthfully, why not go the whole hog and try something new and adventurous? Get your juices flowing to plan healthy menus by browsing healthy recipes online and in cookbooks. Kids are less likely to be turned off to new meals than changes to their old favourites, especially if you make them part of the cooking process.

Categories: Cooking methods, cooking techniques, diet, Food, Food Groups, Food Safety, fruits vegetables, health, Healthy, Healthy Fats, nbsp