Eat balanced diet

 In this new chapter, we will be discussing how we can manage prostate cancer with our diet.

Prostate cancer, although rare in men under 40 years, is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in men of all ages. The prostate is a gland below a man’s bladder that wraps around the urethra (the passage that guides urine out of the body).

Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer may in­clude:

● Problems passing urine, such as pain, difficulty starting or stopping the stream of urine, or dribbling.

● Frequent urination

● Lower back pain

● Pain with ejaculation

The level of a substance called prostate specific antigen (PSA), is often high in men with prostate cancer, so doctors check the level of PSA as a way to screen for prostate cancer. Since the PSA test became common, most prostate cancers are found before they cause symptoms. Notwithstanding, a lot of people present late and little or nothing can be done for them. But be aware that PSA can also be high in other conditions.

In as much as the ultimate management is surgical and/or medical, lifestyle modification and nutrition can go a long way in preventing prostate cancer.

Foods to include

● Fiber rich foods such as; whole foods, fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts.

● Lycopene rich foods such as; tomatoes, water melon, sweet pepper, and red grapes.

● Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods such as; salm­on, flaxseed, anchovies, and sardines.

● Selenium rich foods such as; mushrooms, shrimps, Brazil nuts, salmon, and oatmeal.

● Vitamin E rich foods such as; spinach, al­monds, and asparagus.

● Vitamin C rich foods such as; oranges, tangerines, pineapples, and lemons.

Foods to avoid

● Red meat such as; beef, mutton, and chevon.

● Dairy products such as; milk, butter, cheese, yogurt and custard.

● Highly processed foods such as; sugary drinks, syrups and jams, and candies.

● Saturated fatty foods such as; pastries, deep fried foods, and lard.

● Highly salted foods such as; salted nuts, salted beef, salted fish, and potato chips.

Lifestyle modification

Modifying our lifestyle from a predominantly seden­tary lifestyle to incorporating exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles, as well as avoiding late-night high-calorie meals, excessive alcohol in­take, and cigarette smoking will serve to prolong our healthy life and prevent prostate cancer from being our burden.

In conclusion, our strength and zeal is highest in our youth and we should take full advantage of this by changing our lifestyle now for the better and incorpo­rating a healthy diet that will keep us free from such a diagnosis in our mid and elderly life.

The writer, Bernice Asare Korkor, is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult

“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”

E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@gmail.com

Kaaweku

 Kwaaweku is a staple food for royals in Ada. The name ‘Kaaweku’ is derived from two syllables – Kaawe which means crab in the Ada language and ‘Ku’ which is taken from ‘banku’ because of its preparation which is similar to that of banku.

In other languages, this food made from roasted corn flour and palm nut soup has different names with the most common being ‘Apa­pransa’ as it is called by the Akans. In the Ewe language, it is called, Dzemkpl3, and in Ga, it is called ‘Akplijii’.

Ingredients

-1kilogram of palm nut extract

-2 large onions

-4 large peppers

– 3 large tomatoes

-Two tablespoonfuls of grinded ginger

-Two tablespoonfuls of garlic

– Half cup of roasted corn flour

– Fish/meat

-Momone

-Two tablespoonfuls of powdered shrimps

-Smoked salmon

-3 large crabs

 Three tablespoonfuls of salt

Preparation

-Prepare the meat or fish to be used

-Season with your choice of seasonings, add blended onions, garlic, ginger if preferred

-Add salt to taste

-Allow fish/meat to steam for about 5-10 minutes

-Blend tomatoes and pepper

-Add to the steamed meat or fish

-Dilute palm nut extract with warm water and put on fire to boil.

– Dilute and melt the palm extract in warm water.

– Strain the palm nut extract to meat.

-Add crab after 5 minutes

-Allow soup to boil/ cook for 15- 25minutes (Normally ready when the palm oil separates to the top. Also, taste to see if the fresh taste of the palm is com­pletely gone).

When Palm nut soup is ready, pro­ceed to Kaaweku preparation

-Scoop about eight ladles into a separate saucepan

-Add about 9-10 tablespoonful of the cornmeal gradually and a spoon­ful at a time, stirring the mixture at the same time and continuously till desired pasty texture as achieved and all lumps are completely dis­solved.

-Add a scoop of soup and allow to steam for a couple of minutes.

– Serve into your bowl, gar­nishing with the crab on top, and enjoy. Soure: Ghanafoods.com