Prostate Cancer Prevention
There are so many conflicting opinions and ideas about the causes of, treatments, drugs, supplements, and best diets to lower the risk of prostate cancer.
In the middle of all that differing information what can you do in your daily life to prevent this problem? Here you are going to find a few ready to do tips.
Prevention brings us back to the fundamentals or pillars for a good and balanced health that are: eating a nourishing and nutrient dense diet, exercising, managing stress, sleeping well, finding pleasure, and reducing toxins exposure. Let’s give a quick look at some of these:
. Your diet - If you don’t have gut issues, I recommend a diet based on a variety of fresh colorful vegetables (including all cruciferous), fruits, fat wild fish (sardines and salmon), grass-fed pasture raised beef, organic free-range chicken and eggs, lots of fermented foods (to guarantee K2 vitamins). In those foods you are going to find the majority of nutrients your body needs.
Something extremely important to consider is how you are digesting and absorbing your food. Keep in mind that a disrupted gut microbiome is associated with a long list of conditions from acne to dementia, and from neurological disorders to cancer.
Then, if you have gut problems, as the majority of my clients have (including the ones with prostate issues), you should know that gut problems prevent you from digesting properly your food and absorbing the nutrients you need to thrive.
To combat these problems, you should look to fix your gut issues. There are great gut tests available in the functional medicine world (as doctor’s data comprehensive stool analysis). You can do that at home and uncover what is going on in your gut flora. Look for a good functional doctor to help you.
. Stress management –reduce your stress levels by meditating, doing yoga, tai chi, listening to music, journaling, etc. Don’t underestimate the power it has in your life and good health.
. Exercise - Do whatever physical activity you enjoy doing. Have fun. If exercising is not what you enjoy doing, buy a standing desk for your office, care for a dog and go for a walk a few times a day. Be active and try standing most of your day.
. Quality sleep is extremely important. 7 to 9 hours of continued sleep is needed to release essential hormones and fix the body. If you are having trouble sleeping, try limiting exposure to electronics, reducing exposure to light at night and getting adequate amounts of sun exposure during the day to regulate your circadian rhythm.
. Toxins. Reducing exposure to toxins is crucial. Change what is needed to a greener life. Remember that toxins are endocrine disruptors and avoid toxic personal care products, cleaning products, synthetic supplements, etc.
. In addition to these basic recommendations, ask your doctor for an Iron panel. Check all iron markers in order to see your iron levels. Men tend to accumulate iron from the time they are born to the time they die. Iron overload causes many health problems and can be fatal. However, iron deficiency also can be overstressing the body and creating symptoms.
. Keep an eye on your blood sugar levels. Controlling your blood sugar at a healthy level (between 75 to 85) is crucial in order to not feed bad cells with high blood sugar levels.
. Sun exposure will help with vitamin D3 that is crucial for prostate health and for good health in general. Optimal levels are between 35-70. Less is deficient, and more is toxic!
. In the case you do already have an enlarged prostate or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) there are innumerous scientific studies on saw palmetto (one of the first prostate drugs in the U.S. used since 1870s). Instead of jumping to a drug with lots of side effects why you don’t first give it a try? Look for a good source of saw palmetto and see what happens.
These recommendations are going to help tame inflammation and prevent not just prostate problems but balance your health overall.