Model Health for Men
- Legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, 83, is a model of health for men of all ages, having lived a sober lifestyle for 34 years now, along with being vegetarian for around the same time.
- While many people believe in a life of moderation with an occasional splurge, and there’s nothing wrong with that, reducing inflammation in your body is a science-backed way to help avoid cancer and other serious health issues.
- Staying up on your health screenings (prostate cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and skin cancer) is another way to keep rocking like Ringo into your 80s, as catching any disease early tends to result in a better prognosis. Speak with your doctor today about your family health history and lifestyle risks.
“I watch what I eat. I’ve been vegetarian for the last 25 years,” Starr told The San Diego Union-Tribune in an earlier interview last May. “I think it’s important and I’m always promoting proper eating.”
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Though the English musician said his former lifestyle was made up of Coca-Cola bottles in his pocket “loaded with cognac,” it’s evident Starr has been intent on reversing any damage from his younger years.
Starr also suffered health issues earlier in life, as his appendix burst when he was 6, then in his teens, the Liverpool native contracted tuberculosis, a disease caused by bacteria that affect the lungs. Starr spent two years in a hospital, which is where he really started getting into music and his love for drumming began.
70 years later, Starr still lives his passion, which is great for the mind, and overall physical health.
The father of three also has a healthy love life, and proudly speaks of his wife Barbara Bach and their 40-year marriage.
Alcohol and Cancer Risk
If you’re contemplating reducing or stopping your alcohol consumption, like Ringo Starr has done for over three decades, you should consider how this can impact your cancer risk.
The American Cancer Society warns that alcohol consumption can increase your risk for many different types of cancer, with cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus, for example.
RELATED: 6 Tips to Help You Avoid Alcohol When Faced With Stress of a Cancer Diagnosis
The ACS notes that drinking and smoking together puts you at a much higher risk for these cancers than drinking or smoking alone.
“This might be because alcohol can help harmful chemicals in tobacco get inside the cells that line the mouth, throat, and esophagus,” the ACS website states. “Alcohol may also limit how these cells can repair damage to their DNA caused by the chemicals in tobacco.”
When it comes to liver cancer, “long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk.” When you regularly drink a lot of alcohol, liver damage can occur and lead to inflammation and scarring a possible explanation for the increased risk.
Eating Healthy Food Reduces Inflammation
A diet that reduces inflammation in the body can help reduce cancer. Take it to the bank. That’s what the Cleveland Clinic says.
Normally, when your body recognizes something as being foreign or potentially dangerous alcohol, bacteria, or pollen inflammation helps the immune system fight off these invaders. What actually happens is that damaged cells start releasing chemicals like histamines that sound off an alarm. They cause blood vessels to leak fluids into tissues. The tissues start swelling. Then white blood cells rush toward the damaged cells and help get rid of the toxins and dead tissue.
Cutting ‘Pro-Inflammatory’ Foods From Your Diet Can Reduce Cancer Risk
But if your body stays inflamed this way, it can be a problem. Chronic inflammation is linked to several diseases. It can lead to cancer. It also causes heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s, according to Krista Maruschak, a registered dietician at Cleveland Clinic.
The encouraging news here is that you can reduce inflammation by reducing your intake of foods that cause inflammation. These so-called “pro-inflammatory” foods include white breads, pastas, pastries, sodas, red meats and processed meats.
You’ve heard it before, but the science is there.
Eat more “anti-inflammatory” foods instead, Maruschak recommends.
- Incorporate as many fruits and vegetables as you can throughout the day.
- Replace refined carbohydrates with whole grains like whole wheat bread and brown rice.
- Replace high-fat red meats with lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish.
- Incorporate more plant-based proteins, like beans and lentils,
- Add spices to your diet that have various anti-inflammatory properties, like cinnamon and turmeric.
Staying Up on Your Health Screenings
Seeing a doctor regularly and sharing your family health history is important so they know what health screenings to order for you and when.
For prostate cancer, the current recommendation is to begin screening at age 50 if you have an average risk. Those that are at a high risk of developing prostate cancer, should start screening at age 40 or 45, depending upon your specific circumstances.
Communicating with Your Doctor to Determine Cancer Risk
Colon cancer screenings are done via colonoscopy, which is a procedure doctors use to look inside your colon.
This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” which is a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
RELATED: Colon Cancer—Introduction to Prevention and Screening
Once your colon is cleared out, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.
The American Cancer Society recently recommended that beginning at age 45, patients undergo a colonoscopy every 10 years. However, more frequent colonoscopies are recommended if a polyp (a sort of pre-cancerous growth) is found. While most major national organizations put no maximum age limit on colonoscopy screening, government guidelines suggest people 76 and over talk to their doctor about whether further screening is needed.
What to Expect During a Colonoscopy
Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
To stay ahead of a potential lung cancer diagnosis, one very effective way to find lung cancers early is with a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. This test uses a very small amount of radiation to create highly detailed pictures of your lungs. It can reveal cancer long before your very first symptom appears.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — an independent expert panel that makes evidence-based recommendations about screenings and other preventive services — recommends yearly low-dose CT scans for people who:
- Are between 55 and 80 years old
- Have a history of heavy smoking, and
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years
“In about 70 to 80% of patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer, unfortunately the cancer has spread outside of the lung and is not suitable for surgery,” Dr. Patrick Forde, thoracic oncologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
CT scans are able to pick up cancer “at an earlier stage and potentially cure them at a higher rate than not doing screening,” Dr. Forde added.
It’s also important to get in for annual skin cancer screenings where doctors can scan your body for anything out of the ordinary.
Be sure to speak with your general practitioner who can steer you in the right direction to stay up to date on your overall health — so you can rock like Ringo into your 80s and beyond.
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