ssues & ideas EDITOR KAYLA ISOMURA THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 7 It's time to grab cancer by the nads The month of November brings forward discussions of cancer and other health problems Breaking bad habits: nutrition Talking food and cancer is a delicate topic says one nutritionist but there are some foods we should avoid By VANESSA SZPURKO cancer in your dinner, but watch- ing what you eat might play a part in prevention and treatment. The debate surrounding the link be- tween food and cancer is contentious, with hard-line scientists on one side and holistic diet devotees on the other. The answer could be somewhere in the middle ground. “Cancer is such a multifaceted dis- ease that to say ‘if you don’t eat this, you won’t get cancer’ is wrong,” said Monica Molag, a registered dietician and instructor in the nutrition and food service management department at Langara. However, eating produce can have cancer-related health benefits, she said. “Fruits and vegetables and high fi- bre diets have a strong correlation to reduction of cancers overall,” said Mo- lag. “Fruits and vegetables tend to come along with a lot of [compounds] which actually oxidize the cancer-caus- ing cells so that they are eliminated from the body.” This is especially true with stomach and intestine cancers, where food comes directly in contact with the area, said Molag. However, it’s also where carcinogens may be ingested through things like charred meals or a specific mould found on peanuts. Angela Wright is the lead nutrition- ist at InspireHealth, a local non-profit cancer care service. Y:: won't find the cause or cure for She said recent studies have shown some exist- ing cancer cells feed on refined sugars such as glu- cose-fructose and high fructose corn syrup. ANGELA WRIGHT “When we eat Lead nutritionist, : | InspireHealth sugars mM some thing like a_ ba- nana, its got the fi- bre to slow it down and come in nice and gradually,” said Wright. “But when we’re eating these hits of refined sugars that are coming in quickly, there are specific types of can- cers that have more insulin receptor sites on the cells so they take more sugar into them at a time. “It’s like they’re sucking up more fuel.” Wright said eating healthy to boost the immune system is key in potential- ly lowering your chances of cancer. “Because we’re making trillions of cells all the time, [a certain] percentage have a little bit of a defect,” she added. “Tt’s our immune system that comes along and clears out the cells that are defective. “If our immune system is depleted, those mutated cells are not kept in check, and then they can grow and be- come more of a problem and more of a mass.” More men need to engage in discussions surrounding health issues “below the belt,” says a Langara nursing instructor. ee & KAYLA ISOMURA photo illustration Answer to cancer: know your nuts Men’s health “down be- low” isn’t a common talk among people but it should be says one instructor By BILL EVERITT esticular cancer is most common among young men, but knowing how to check and what to look for can save your crown jewels, and your life. According to the BC Cancer Agency, men aged 20 to 39 are most at risk for testicular cancer. In 2011, there were 97 reported cases of testicular cancer in men aged 20 to 39 and 35 cases in men aged 40 to 59 in B.C. According to the BC Cancer agency, if testicular cancer is caught early enough, the cure rate is nearly 100 per cent. If left undiagnosed, it could result in having a testicle removed, or it could spread to other organs and put your life at risk. Langara students on stylin’ ‘staches Different ’stache styles shaking up school halls By ANDREA ANTHONY oustaches of varying styles can ME: seen all over Langara this month. This is part of Movember, a global charity raising money and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s mental health. Participating in Movember for the sixth year now, Teece Camporeale, a psychology student at the college, is planning to grow a full horseshoe moustache. He says it will have the most impact on people because of how bad it will look. “lm gonna take it disgustingly down However, according to nursing in- structor Peterson Masigan, awareness of this issue is not high among men be- cause there is not much dialogue about men’s health in our society. “There’s this notion in society that young men are supposed to be virile and strong,” he said. “[Men’s health] doesn’t get a lot of attention because it doesn’t fit that image in society.” The biggest thing is to develop healthy habits early on, he said. He suggests that right out of high school, once a month in the shower, men should feel for any unusual lumps or bumps. “This habit allows you to know your body so when something appears, you can catch it right away,” he said. A 2010 report by the BC Cancer Agency shows only one death from genital cancers among 49 total cancer deaths in men aged 20 to 39. According to the BC Cancer Agency, prostate cancer is less of a worry for men under 40, with only two cases diag- my neck as well. I really don’t care,” he said. “I have no dignity left. When it comes down to it, it’s for a good cause.” By growing a terrible moustache, Camporeale said he is essentially do- nating his face to the cause. “The more disgusting the better I feel,” he said. Last year Camporeale raised $600 for Movember, and his goal this year is to raise $1,000. Edwin Yee, an applied and urban planning student, said he plans to stay away from the razor completely for the month of November. Instead of just a moustache, Yee is growing a full beard. “T personally hate moustaches,” he said. “In any other day outside of Mo- vember, why keep that broom under your nose?” Usually clean-shaven, Yee said he sees moustaches as a place to store all nosed in this age range in 2011 and no deaths. Masigan agreed and said sexual health is a bigger worry than prostate cancer for young men. “There is a lot of research showing that erectile dysfunction is a very early sign of cardiovascular issues in young men,” he said. “The pipes in the penis are much smaller than in the heart, so problems in the penis can be a bad sign for the heart.” Langara College computer science student Rodrigo Santoro said he’s not aware of a self-test for testicular can- cer, and would attend a workshop if one were available at the college. “To anybody it would be important,” he said. Other than information available at Langara Health Services, there are no men’s health workshops or information sessions put on by the college. “Self-exams and safe sex are the keys to men’s health below the belt,” Masigan said. TESTES cancer facts HM Starts in the cells of a testicle HE The most common type of cancer in Canada found in young men HE One of the most curable forms of cancers ME Estimated in 2013: 960 Canadian men will be diagnosed ME 2009: 29 men died from testicular cancer in Canada Source: Canadian Cancer Society, Movember Canada for month of Movember sorts of food particles. Sina Naseri, an engineering student, said he is participating in Movember to learn more about prostate cancer and to raise awareness. Naseri said he will just be growing a moustache for Movember but is not yet sure what style he will be going for. Business student Moaad Homan said he is trying to grow a moustache for the cause just for fun. “T don’t have a hairy history,” said Homan. However, he wants to grow a goatee and moustache with connected sideburns, like Lebanese-Canadian singer Massari, he said. “Tt’s not as easy as you think, to grow a beard,” said Homan. “You have to go through two weeks of looking like a person who never takes care of him- self.” TEECE CAMPOREALE Growing a horse- shoe moustache MOAAD HOMAN Growing Massari- style facial hair