November, or Movember, is Men’s Health Awareness Month, which is highly focused on Prostate Cancer Awareness. I know many guys out there are beyond excited for an excuse to let their staches’ loose. I don’t know if I can say the same for the ladies out there, who will have to put up with their mans dirty stubble for the month! But, you have to admit, Movember is a hilariously fun way to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer, and the overall health of our mates.
Besides growing a mustache, all you fellas out there should be taking notice of your diet this November. Diet is one of the major environmental factors that accounts for 40% of all cancer risk. Some of the most convincing evidence that shows the relationship between diet and cancer, actually comes from the studies of people migrating to other countries. These studies show that people who move from Eastern areas such as Asia, then to North America, have a dramatic increase in cancer rates. This is mainly due to our Westernized diets and lifestyle.
Let’s be honest here, we are all accustomed to our Westernized diet that is high in saturated fats. On almost every street corner you can find some sort of fast food empire. All of us, ( especially you mustache-men ) need to start being more health conscious and start to realize that we actually ARE what we eat. We cannot continue to keep eating crap, without expecting our bodies to go down the toilet along with our diets!
Leading the list of cancer preventing diets are those HIGH in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans. These foods contain an array of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants that participate in protecting the body against cancer. Fruits and veggie play a big role in cancer prevention, due to their high content of the antioxidants vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium. Much of the damage to DNA related cancer initiation, is thought to be from our exposure to oxygen and other oxidizing substances. If you’ve ever left an apple out for a long period, I’m sure you noticed how it eventually turns brown. Well, as gross as it is, our body is just as susceptible to this type of oxidization. Antioxidants, however, are actually proven to repair this damage! As well, the phytochemicals in these foods appear to participate in cancer prevention by protecting our cells from oxidation, along with stopping the multiplication of abnormal, and possibly cancerous cells!
Ok boys, so along with the mustache, I challenge all of you to look at your diet this month. Please, try to cut back on high intakes of saturated fats from meat and dairy products, charred and nitrate cured meats ( hot dogs, luncheon meats ), and try to cut back on your alcohol consumption. Now, I’m not telling you to do a complete 180, just try to incorporate something new and healthy into your meals every day. Change doesn’t happen overnight, the trick to changing your diet is to do it slow and gradual. If you try to make too many changes at once, you’ll get sick of the change and it won’t last. So, instead of the side of fries, get a side salad. Not only will your prostate thank you, but the rest of your body will also reap the rewards a healthy diet has to offer... and who knows, it may even help that mustache to grow in nice and thick!
HERE ARE SOME TIPS IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SERIOUS CHANGES TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER AND HEART DISEASE:
1). Consume a diet that is highly plant based:
- 5+ servings of fruits and veggies daily
- 3+ whole grain products daily
- Regular consumption of dried beans, nuts and seeds
2). Eat foods that are low in saturated fat
- Focus on lean meats, low fat dairy products and fish
3). Exclude charred and nitrate preserved meats
4). Exclude smoking
5). Exclude excessive alcohol consumption
6). Include 30 mins of physical activity, 5+ times per week
Please visit http://ca.movember.com/ for more information the Movember movement!
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