Useful Information for Better Health from the Western Maryland Health System

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Free Cancer Prevention Festival & Cancer Fighting Foods

Every day, we seem to hear mixed messages about how eating one food will cause cancer while eating another will cure it.  This can be quite confusing and discouraging. It doesn’t help that many in the media often report the most sensational part of a research study without including all of the important details. It’s good to have trusted resources to help interpret the research.
To help answer your questions, WMHS is hosting a free
Cancer Prevention Festival
When: Next Thursday, February 20, from 5-6:30 pm
Where: The WMRMC on Willowbrook Road in auditoriums 1-4.
Information includes:
  Let’s Get Physical-Health and Wellness Coaching
Eat Clean, Get Lean-BMI, Body Fat Analysis, Nutrition Tips
Smoking Cessation-Quit For The Health Of It
Skin Cancer Awareness-Spot Watch
Stress Management-Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Local Cancer Resources-You Are Not Alone
Pharmacology-Preventive Medicine
Clinical Trials-What Is On The Horizon

Exhibitors include:  Community Health & Wellness, Food & Nutrition, Schwab Cancer Center, Pharmacy, and McCagh, Roberts and Herring Dermatology

Also, Dr. Blanche Mavromatis, Medical Oncologist, will present on Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention at 5:30 pm and Dr. Matt Alloway, Urologist, will present on Prostate Screening and Prevention at 5:45 pm.
There is no cost to attend and we hope to see you there!
For more information, call Community Health & Wellness at 240-964-8424.

Cancer Fighting Foods
Although we can’t control all the factors in our lives that may increase cancer risk, there are three areas we can control. These are:
1.    How much we move
2.    How much we weigh
3.    What we eat
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, carrying excess body fat can increase cancer risk. So it is important to be lean and as close as possible to our healthy body weight.  Exercise helps us achieve this goal, as does eating a healthy diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends we fill at least 2/3 of our plate with plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. The USDA recommends we fill ¾ of our plates with plant based foods, so the message is clear: eat plenty of plant-based foods.  These are rich in nutrients and low in calories.  For more information on cancer fighting foods, visit the AICR website at www.aicr.org  

Hope to see you at the Cancer Prevention Festival on Thursday, February 20 at 5:30!