- Why this tradition needs to be supported
- How March is the month for men
- Discover three greenhouse plants that everyone needs
Todays letter concerns prostate cancer, but first I need to ask you a question…
Did you have your pancakes yesterday?
It is one of my favourite traditions, and one that I always celebrate.
Plainly dressed with honey and lemon, I can easily scoff my way through my share.
And anybody else’s too!
But it is not all good news, because after Shrove Tuesday comes Ash Wednesday… the start of Lent.
Traditionally when Christians commit to 40 days of abstinence from food luxuries such as chocolate, cake or alcohol.
So, will you be giving up anything until Easter Day?
This year I will be making an effort, for a very good cause.
A savings jar with a purpose
As well as being Shrove Tuesday yesterday heralded the start of Prostate Cancer UK’s March for Men month – details here.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the UK accounting for 27% of all newly diagnosed cancers each year. (Cancer research UK, 2021)
Please don’t stop reading at this point, whether you are male or female this is an issue we all need to think about.
It took a while for me to understand the implications of this condition because I’m the same pig headed, stubborn ostrich most men are when it comes to issues that affect just us.
For years I’ve been sticking my head in the sand and ignoring the news and views of those around me…
…until my daughter pointed out that I was entering an age when my risk was increased – that meant I wouldn’t be around to see her children if the worst happened.
That’s what it took for me to take note chaps.
Make sure that you, or the man in your life, do the same.
If you need further food for thought read the account of Stephen Clemence, son of goal keeping legend Ray Clemence.
This Fathers Day will be the first that the family will spend without Ray, who died of Prostate Cancer in November last year.
It’s a sobering read.
That’s why I will be taking Lent seriously this year.
My plan is to use the money I would have spent on my Friday night bottle of wine and put it into a jar, along with any other ‘saved’ money I get from avoiding the occasional treat over the next forty days.
Over Easter I will then donate this money to Prostate Cancer UK.
Something worthwhile I believe.
Getting the greenhouse in order too…
Undoubtedly the money donated will help in research and development of treatment, but I also want to do what I can to increase the anti-oxidants and vitamins in my diet.
These are proven to stop cancer cells developing and making sure I get as much fresh fruit and vegetables on my menu is way to boost my intake.
For me this means a bit of work in the greenhouse to get my home grown super three health tonics off to a good start.
Tomatoes
A humble fruit rather than a vegetable, the tomato is one of the most versatile of all the summer salad crops – it turns out it probably has more health benefits than the scientific community has the space to write about. For instance;
- The principle reason people talk about tomatoes as healthy foods is because of a very high level of lycopene, the compound which gives the fruit its deep red flavour. Well it turns out that it is one of the most powerful natural anti-oxidants helping prevent cancers, such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer.
- Recent research has also shown that tomatoes can significantly lower serum lipid oxidation and therefore can reduce the incidence of macular degeneration diseases which are the most common cause of visual impairment in the western world.
- Due to high levels of Vitamin A tomatoes are great for keeping hair strong and shiny, as well as looking after your teeth and nails. You can even use the skins as a tonic for your own skin!
- Heart conditions can benefit from a diet rich in tomatoes which is due to the amount of potassium and vitamin B in them, which act to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels.
Green Peppers
Always seen as the bridesmaid in a salad, these crunchy additions actually are real nutritional powerhouses in their own right, and probably deserve to get a better press than they do.
- Just one green pepper actually contains over twice your daily requirement for Vitamin C alone, and we know how many benefits we get from this: Reducing the impact of aging on cells; improving the health of our lungs, skin, gums and teeth and even reducing cancer causing free radicals in the body are just a few.
- Peppers can also legitimately be thought of as brain food due to the high levels of Vitamin B6 which supports the nervous system and is in high demand from the brain. You may recall that I discussed this in a letter from September last year where new research had been published showing that the effects of Alzheimers could be delayed by this vitamin.
- Colon cancers are prevented by a double pronged attack, firstly because of very high levels of folic acid (which is also helpful for mums-to-be) and secondly as a result of the amount of fibre present which aids gut motility.
- Again smokers can be protected from some lung dysfunctions such as emphysema from a diet rich in peppers, which is due to their ability to help tissue healing (Vitamin C) in combination with their anti-oxidant properties and Vitamin A content, which has proven to be deficient in smokers due to a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzoapyrene.
Chillies
I can’t deny that my love of curries and other spicy food tends to make me biased towards this firebrand fruit – indeed that is why I grow so many of them each year, and why I made them the star of my book The Spice Healer.
- Chillies are excellent source of Vitamin, A, B, C and E with minerals like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium, thiamin, and copper. Chilli contains seven times more vitamin C than an orange.
- The antioxidants present in the chilli wipe out the free radical bodies that could build up cholesterol causing major heart diseases such as atherosclerosis, as well as cancers.
- Chillies can also help to dilate the airways to improve breathing function, and can be very useful to help sufferers of asthma and even hay fever.
- A natural painkiller they can be used to reduce the discomfort of arthritic and joint pain, muscle spasms and even toothache.
- Diets rich in chillies encourage gut health and also help the body rid itself of waste products.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a garden or greenhouse, but even if you grow one of these in a window box you will benefit from it.
So there you have it, from pancakes to chillies all in one newsletter.
Who says that the good Life Letter lacks variety!
P.S. Don’t forget this popular and effective natural supplement to help maintain prostate health.
