Oh Yeah #Winning, Get in The Prevention Game!

Isn’t it great when you find out your hard efforts have paid off? It’s all the little things that add up to success regardless of if we are talking about keeping up a household, career and education, rearing kids or in most cases for me and this blog it’s your health and preventative wellness.

Energy Fitness has found a great cause to get behind in the Greenville, South Carolina area. It’s Prisma Cancer Institute – Center for Prevention & Wellness. It’s only 20 minutes from the studio. I went last week because one of our clients Gina Franco, is the Director for Integrative Oncology & Survivorship (Cancer Genetics). Gina asked if I wanted to be a participant in a Breast Cancer Study they’ve be doing for 6 years called PREVENT CANCER GREENVILLE. Since I LOVE research and they give you all this cool information and education I signed up. I completed my appointment last week. The appointment lasted a little over two hours. Before I went I had to fill out a ton of questionnaires digitally as well as not eat anything two hours before the appointment. I also go back annually for follow ups since it’s an ongoing study.

During the appointment they took blood and urine samples, height, weight, waist measurement, asked a ton of family history and lifestyle questions and had me stand on a bioelectrical analysis machine called SOZO. This is such great technology. The report gives you hydration levels, muscle mass, body fat, fat free mass, basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn if you were to lie in bed and do nothing) and so much more.

As many of you know but most don’t because we haven’t promoted lately, Energy Fitness has a BIA machine but we use the electrodes. It’s a $3k machine so it’s a good one. Should you wish to make an appointment with us for this quick test call or email us for more information or to schedule 901-466-6242.

The Cancer Prevention Nurse Navigator as her title says was doing my intake and going over my risk factors and education on prevention. She put my information into the computer and she was amazed with my results on one part of the assessment then had to confirm with the research coordinator staff member that I was the winner. Winner of what you may ask? Check out the video below with staff voice dictating proof so you don’t just think I’m tooting my own horn. I didn’t even know I was competing! Aren’t we all just competing with ourselves or we should at least for trying to build good healthy habits and being the best YOU can be? For those that know me I’m always in competition mode for good health, sports and it even extends to board games! I included my test results below. Energy Fitness can help you build muscle and burn fat too!

The Foundation Director for fundraising for the PREVENT CANCER GREENVILLE STUDY which has 1130 participants and counting sent me this information. Many participants have six years of data collected. Equally if not more important we caught cancer in 37 participants who would have been under little or no surveillance.

Make a donation in support of the Center of Prevention and Wellness. Your gift will make a lasting impact by funding research and programs through Prisma Health Cancer Institute. To make a tax-deductible donation now – click here! Thank You!

My father died of esophagus & stomach cancer over 11 years ago. Granted he was a smoker, drank alcohol, didn’t regularly exercise and had some occupational risks associated with cancer. His history puts me at higher risk which means I have to get colonoscopy test every year now. I’m sadly 5 years past due and need to get that scheduled. FUN! Not!

Also, based on my family history of members getting skin cancer that risk is higher as well as having extremely dense breast tissue which makes it hard to detect on regular mammograms.

As the study appointment went into the education component for nutrition it just validated why I don’t drink alcohol, eat processed meats. I also regularly use sunscreen, hats and sun shirts. We all have modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors. I wouldn’t be honest in the post and especially about breast cancer if I didn’t admit that I have breast implants and that certainly puts me at risk. Sorry, I do so many things that are healthy I’m keeping them!

Here’s a few CANCER PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS AS AN OVERARCHING PACKAGE
(Reference:American Cancer Society, Cancer Basics: Cancer in the U.S. (May 2024 cancer.org)

• Avoid smoking and use of all tobacco products
• Avoid excessive sun exposure, use sunscreen and avoid tanning beds
• Maintain a healthy weight throughout life within BMI range 18.5-24.9
• Be physically active and avoid sedentary behaviors
• Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetable, fruits and beans
• Limit consumption of red and processed meat
• Limit consumption of “fast foods” and other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugar
• Limit consumption of sugar sweetened drinks and snacks
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Do not use supplements for cancer prevention
• After a cancer diagnosis: follow all of these recommendations, if you can

Alcohol—-The latest reports analyzing the research show that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, colorectum, stomach and liver. Even small amounts of alcohol consumed regularly can increase the risk of breast and other cancers.

HOW MUCH IS 1 STANDARD DRINK?

12 fl oz of regular beer (about 5% alcohol)
5 fl oz of table wine (about 12% alcohol)
1.5 fl oz shot of 80-proof spirits (about 40% alcohol)

WHAT ABOUT ALCOHOL AND COOKING?

Alcohol has a relatively low boiling point and evaporates when heated. In general, dishes that simmer for several hours will leave about 5% of the alcohol; the shorter the cooking time, the more alcohol remains.

Just another reason I rarely drink and why YOU may need to re-examine YOUR habits and see what you can do to clean up and get in the prevention game.