The Top Prostate Health Questions Answered

Transcript:

Melanie: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Melanie Beasley and I'm a Registered and Licensed Dietitian. I'm here today with Brandy Buro, who is also a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and today we're talking about a small gland with a big impact, the prostate. Now if you're a man in your thirties or forties and thinking, that's not something I need to think about until I'm older.

Well, not exactly. The truth is the foods you eat and the lifestyle choices you make in your thirties, forties, and fifties can have an impact on prostate health later in life.

Statistics surrounding prostate health issues & what are some of the prostate health issues that can occur?

So did you know that one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime? One in eight.

Brandy: That's a lot.

Melanie: That's a lot. So prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men with 99% of those cases in men over 50. I don't think we're surprised.

Brandy: Well, no, not at all. And it's not just the risk of cancer that we're concerned about when it comes to prostate health. Having an enlarged prostate is quite common for men as they age, and that can cause a lot of issues in and of itself.

According to Harvard Health, by the time you reach 60, half of men will have an enlarged prostate, and by age 80, 90% of men will have an enlarged prostate. So with that, this can mean frequent urination or having a difficulty urinating, or you could even lose control of your bladder, which of course all of these things are going to impact your quality of life.

So if you are a man over 60, or maybe you know somebody, you have a loved one that is over 60, you probably already understand the struggle of always having to map out every single bathroom.

Melanie: Where is the bathroom?

Brandy: Right? When you're like running errands or on a road trip because of that urgency, that frequent urination. Or it could be just the annoyance of like waking up multiple times a night to use the restroom. You know…

Melanie: So I’m sure when you're talking, there are wives that are listening to this saying, oh yeah, that's my, my husband.

Brandy: My husband wakes up. I can't get sleep. It's five times a night. And I do work with male clients as well. And I have one client I'm thinking of in particular, it's like four or five times a night, waking up to pee.

Melanie: Miserable.

Brandy: It's miserable.

What is going on physiologically with prostate problems?

Melanie: Okay, so what's going on physiologically? That's the question. When a man gets these prostate problems, we're going to do a little biology refresher. The prostate is a walnut sized gland that sits just below the bladder. Its job is to produce some of the fluid that nourishes and supports sperm.

Well, as men age, the prostate often enlarges a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, and then it presses against the urethra. That's where we get the urination frequency. Because it's, it can be urgent or difficult or sometimes a lack of urine flow.

Brandy: Right. And I learned while doing a little research for this show that a prostate can swell from the size of that walnut to about the size of a lemon.

Melanie: My goodness.

Brandy: Right? So imagine the impact that swelling can have. So as the prostate is enlarging, it is going to cut the flow of urine from the bladder to the urethra. So if you picture like a garden hose that you squeeze you’re essentially interrupting the flow and you can have blockage of urine that cannot get out. You can't completely eliminate.

Melanie: And I had a client several years ago who came and he kept getting the worst kidney infections. And this was his issue.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: And we did a few things and it cleared up the issue of being, getting his urethra blocked. But it's extremely painful.

Brandy: It is very painful, I imagine. But also, like you said, it can set you up for risk of infection, either bladder infection…

Melanie: Which then leads to a kidney infection if it is not addressed. Which can lead to kidney damage.

Brandy: Yes. Serious issue.

Nutrition strategies to calm inflammation & balance hormones

Melanie: So it sounds discouraging knowing that most men will have to deal with prostate issues as they age, but don't lose hope. Even if you are already dealing with these frustrating symptoms, there are things that you can do nutritionally to calm inflammation, balance hormones, and support that prostate naturally.

Brandy: That's right. And inflammation and hormone balance are two things that we do have some control over through our food and lifestyle choices. So that's what we want to talk about today. Chronic inflammation is kind of like a low grade fire in your body, and when that inflammation is concentrated in the prostate, that can cause that swelling, the pain, and the urinary issues we just talked about.

And as dietitians, we are always looking at ways to put out that fire. Reduce inflammation through an anti-inflammatory diet. And there are some key supplements that we can turn to as well.

Melanie: Oh yeah. Well, think of it this way. Every bite you take can either fuel the fire or help put it out.

Brandy: I love that.

Melanie: And anti-inflammatory foods like wild caught salmon, sardines, leafy greens, berries, nuts and seeds help cool down that fire, bring the inflammation down.

Well, on the flip side, ultra processed meats, refined carbs, sugary drinks, manmade fats, can fan those flames. And that's why one of the best things you can do for your prostate is to swap out that deli sandwich, chips and soda, maybe something like a salad with real protein like chicken or salmon, some natural fats like avocado and pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

And then instead of soda, you want to sip on maybe like, you know, a bubbly flavored drink that doesn't have sugar in it. So, and we can talk about more food choices in a bit. I know you've got some great ideas, Brandy.

Diving into the hormone connection with prostate problems

Brandy: Yeah, definitely. We, we'll circle back to food, but I do want to address the hormone issue because hormones play a role here too. And this is something not a lot of men expect to hear, that estrogen can play a role in prostate problems.

Melanie: Men don't think about estrogen.

Brandy: They do not think about estrogen. I think a lot of men don't realize that they have estrogen too. And too much estrogen can cause issues and some of that excess estrogen can come from our environment. So we refer to this as xenoestrogens.

So these are synthetic estrogens that can be in plastics, pesticides, even personal care products. And these xenoestrogens disrupt that natural balance between testosterone and estrogen.

Melanie: You know, and honestly, when you think about something that you do on a regular basis is if you wake up in the morning, you shower and maybe you spray cologne on your chest. Or maybe you put some sort of aftershave on your cheeks. All of those are xenoestrogens.

Brandy: That’s right.

Melanie: I tell clients if you really have to have that cologne, at least spray your clothing while it's laying on the bed. So it's not directly on your skin. And something that's most men, if they realize it's going to affect their prostate, are willing to kind of give up some of those xenoestrogens. But something that surprises my male clients is when I tell them that weight gain, especially around the middle usually leads to higher estrogen.

Brandy: That's right.

Melanie: Or even when you start developing more of breast tissue. So men can have excessively high levels of estrogen, not even be aware of it, because of the extra belly weight that they carry. And actually obesity is linked to more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. So we know that belly fat has an enzyme called aromatase, and this converts testosterone to estrogen.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: And we did a podcast on testosterone in women. And we talk about this, is that when you have too much of that aromatase, and that testosterone is converted to estrogen, that you can develop estrogen dominance in men, not just women.

Brandy: Right.

Melanie: And so the more belly fat that men have, the more they lose their testosterone and convert it to estrogen, and they become more estrogenic, which leads to inflammation of the prostate. So more and more clinics are opening for testosterone treatment because men are developing low T. It's kind of a buzz conversation in the men's magazines because of this phenomenon.

Brandy: That's right.

Melanie: And then once we eliminate or metabolize these estrogens out of their system, the pituitary gland picks up that more testosterone is needed to be made and responds.

How to best detox estrogen & increase testosterone (dietary strategies & nutritional supplements)

So the best way to get estrogens out and increase your testosterone is a good estrogen detox using some different dietary strategies and nutritional supplements. So we should dig into that.

Brandy: Yeah, I want to talk more about this because this is something as dietitians we can help with. And when we think of that estrogen detox or ways to eliminate that excess estrogen, I encourage that you load up on those cruciferous vegetables; things like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, the smelly ones, right?

Melanie: Yes. And even arugula, people don't realize arugula is cruciferous.

Brandy: Yeah. One of my favorites.

Melanie: Yeah.

Brandy: All of these cruciferous vegetables help your liver metabolize excess estrogen. So I really encourage all of my clients, men and women, try to include those cruciferous vegetables in their meal every day, several meals a day if you can, because it is so important to help our liver metabolize estrogen.

Melanie: The liver is detoxing for us.

Brandy: That's right. That's its job.

Melanie: So we have to support it.

Brandy: So couple easy ways that I like to add these things to my meals would be, you know, I'll throw some kale or cauliflower rice in a smoothie. Lately I've been making a lot of cabbage slaws, which are really great for meal prep for lunches.

Melanie: Yeah. My favorite. Yeah.

Brandy: Yes. And then egg roll in a bowl. Another favorite recipe, quick dinner idea.

Melanie: We have that on our website, I think.

Brandy: Yes. Great recipe on our website. Simple, fast to make.

Melanie: Nutritional, so weightandwellness.com.

Brandy: Yes. Weightandwellness.com. Lots of great recipes.

Melanie: Yes. Yep. So all of those are good. A simple thing that I do is I buy a purple cabbage. They never really go bad. I feel like cabbage lasts forever in your fridge. I slice off a, a thin slice for every salad I make and chop that up. I like the purple cabbage because it's a double whammy. It's cruciferous.

Brandy: Yeah.

Melanie: But because it's a purple food, it helps build the bacteria, Akkermansia.

Brandy: Ah yes. Smart.

Melanie: Akkermansia is your GLP one producing bacteria in the gut. Which helps lower your blood sugar, which in turn lowers that estrogen dominance.

Brandy: Ooh.

Melanie: So it's a win-win.

Brandy: It is win, win, win.

Melanie: So if you followed that, purple cabbage…

Brandy: Yeah, takeaway: eat purple cabbage.

Melanie: Eat purple cabbage. So, when I'm working with someone focusing on detoxing excess estrogens for both men and women, I like to recommend a product called Estro I-3-C. Which sounds very scientific. What I like about it is it's, it's like eating, you know, 14 cups of cruciferous vegetables all concentrated in a capsule.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: Be aware it can sometimes turn your urine a little different color. Nothing to be alarmed about. That's just the metabolite.

Brandy: That's a good heads up.

Melanie: Yeah, and it has Indole-3-Carbinol and DIM, which are the cancer fighting compounds in cruciferous vegetables that support estrogen detox through our liver. And we typically see something that says “estro” and think it's for women. Not so.

Brandy: Right.

Melanie: But I like to use it on men. And I know you do too.

Brandy: I do, definitely.

Melanie: Because we both see men and women showing signs of estrogen dominance. So it's really protective of that prostate from getting an estrogen dominant situation.

Brandy: Absolutely. And the compounds in that Estro-I-3-C can also help the liver detoxify those environmental estrogens that we talked about earlier, those xenoestrogens.

Decrease/eliminate pesticide exposure (xenoestrogens)

So things that you could be exposed to, even from pesticides sprayed on your vegetables or the herbicides used on your lawn. One great example that I like to give my clients is that you know, if you're into golf, think about all the chemical treatments used on that lawn.

Melanie: To keep it beautiful,

Brandy: To keep it weed free. Right? You are breathing all that in, you're touching that grass.

Melanie: You’re touching the golf ball.

Brandy: You're touching the golf ball.

Melanie: And please tell me you're not licking your fingers when you touch the golf ball. I've seen golfers do that.

Brandy: Oh my gosh.

Melanie: Don’t do it.

Brandy: Don't do it.

Melanie: It's like a, it's a pesticide snack. Don't do it.

Brandy: So here, that's your warning, because every time you touch the grass, breathe it in, you are exposed to those xenoestrogens and they get into your system. Because they are so molecularly similar to the estrogen our body makes that it's going to raise your total estrogen levels.

Melanie: So a good practice if you're a golfer is leave your golf shoes in the garage, wash your clothes immediately. Don't hang out in them, you know when you come home. So that you're not sitting there, you know, exposing yourself all day long.

Brandy: Right. Harm reduction.

Melanie: You don’t want to bring it in the house.

Brandy: That's right. If you can, you know, do what you can. And when I'm working with a male client who is an avid golfer, or even if I'm working with somebody who lives in more of like a farming community, is exposed to some of the herbicides on the farm; crops.

Melanie: Yeah. Yeah. Some people don't think about.

Brandy: Right. So that's something we have to think about. And I want to make sure that they are taking precautions, like loading up on the, those cruciferous vegetables, considering supplementing with Estro I-3-C and the tips you just gave about, you know, thinking about your clothing and your shoes and not bringing them into the house. All good tips.

Melanie: So when you, you came from a farming community; you grew up in a farming community. Did you see um, more cancer risk?

Brandy: I mean, that's interesting. I would have to say yes. And something that's interesting is our family dogs, you know, we have a long history of family dogs. They all died from cancer.

Melanie: Wow.

Brandy: Some form of cancer: bladder cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer.

Melanie: Yeah. And my sister was a farmer's wife. And she died from breast cancer, so the pesticides really can have an impact on your health. Sometimes we can't avoid it if your profession is farming. But you can take some of these precautions that we're talking about to not only protect prostate but your entire body.

Prostate Pro supplement: how it helps with prostate health

So let's talk about one of my go-to supplements for men over 50, which is called Prostate Pro. I love it. It has a very high concentration of saw palmetto, and what that does is it inhibits the conversion from testosterone to the harmful form of DHT: Dihydrotestosterone.

When testosterone gets converted to DHT, that's a very aggressive androgen and that's what stimulates the prostate to swell and ultimately can lead to prostate cancer and other prostate problems. So basically saw palmetto, which is in Prostate Pro, is a strong anti-inflammatory factor in reducing chronic inflammation of the prostate, but we'll go to break and we will pick this up when we come back.

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Welcome back. So we were talking about DHT and the toxic form for the prostate and the supplement. Just to wrap up, the supplement that I like to use, for men over 50 is Prostate Pro.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: And you can reach out to one of the nutritionists or the dietitians. We'd be happy to go through dosing depending upon your specific situation.

Brandy: Right. And I just want to add something that I love about Prostate Pro is it also has stinging nettles, so that's another important anti-inflammatory. That's something that can help reduce PSA, or the prostate specific antigen. So that's basically, it's a test you can run to kind of gauge the level of inflammation in the prostate.

Melanie: I highly recommend that, especially men, 50 and above, that you should always check the PSA. Sometimes men are a little more resistant going to the doctor.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: Just had a client whose wife insisted.

Brandy: Yep.

Melanie: Because he was having some other difficulties and they found prostate cancer.

Brandy: That is my dad's story as well.

Melanie: Is it?

Brandy: Yeah. My mom insisted that he get his PSA tested when he went in to kind of re-up on blood pressure medication. Lo and behold, you know, that was the first sign that he had prostate cancer.

Melanie: Hmm.

Brandy: I don't know that we would've caught it that soon, otherwise.

Melanie: Yeah. Yeah.

Brandy: So test your PSA. And stinging nettle, if you find that you do have elevated PSA, the stinging nettles in Prostate Pro can help lower it. It's also a natural diuretic and that can help with bladder elimination. So it helps you completely eliminate what's in your bladder. And that can reduce some of the urgency.

Melanie: And frequency.

Brandy: Yep. And the frequency. And that can also help prevent some of those UTIs and bladder infections we talked about earlier.

Melanie: So in the Prostate Pro you have the saw palmetto, you have the stinging nettles, and then there are a few other components like zinc. We know zinc's important for suppressing prostate cells from converting to malignant cells. And is also very immune enhancing. And there's also a little lycopene in the Prostate Pro.

The amount you'd be getting if you ate a tomato. And that lycopene is an antioxidant, supports a lot of processes in the body, but the prostate being one of them. So those are some main components of the Prostate Pro. It's not really a mystery. But it's very effective. And we've gotten some reviews about how it, certain gentleman wrote in how much it helped him with his frequency and night trips to the bathroom. So if you or a loved one is suffering with this frequency, I really highly recommend it. It's an easy thing to do.

Vitamin D: important for prostate health

Brandy: Yeah. I second that. I also want to bring up another one of my favorite supplements for everybody, but especially when we're thinking about prostate cancer, cancer risk, and that's vitamin D. I love stressing the importance of vitamin D for pretty much every area of health, especially because here in the Midwest we're often deficient in vitamin D. So when somebody is trying to prevent cancer, making sure you are getting adequate vitamin D is an absolute must.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: That's a non-negotiable.

Melanie: I remember reading a study I think it was over six years ago.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: So I can't recall where I read this, that you were at a 40% risk of prostate cancer if your vitamin D level was low.

Brandy: Right. And would you say like low being less than 50?

Melanie: 50. Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's what I'm, I'm seeing in the literature even now. So the reason this is so important is that vitamin D can help regulate prostate cell growth. It reduces inflammation and encourages healthy cell function. So that's going to potentially lower the risk of developing aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

And most men that I see in clinic do have low vitamin D levels. So I always recommend that they get their levels tested and we do want to see that level at least 50. So if they're below 50, we supplement as needed to bring their levels up to that optimal range.

Melanie: Yeah, I know it's trending to say that; I'm seeing more and more clients where the doctor is saying you're at toxic levels.

Brandy: Yeah.

Melanie: So it's new to me. I've been practicing for 40 years. I've never seen anyone who has a toxic level of vitamin D or any side effects from it.

Brandy: Right?

Melanie: So I don't know what's driving that necessarily, but, just so you know, I believe in the literature that I read, you have to be over 350 before you ever exhibit toxicity symptoms. Yeah. Which I've never seen in my career.

Brandy: Same.

Melanie: Don't be afraid of the vitamin D. And if you were somebody who's in the sun, and you think, well, it's summertime, I'm in the sun. If you're living in a northern latitude, you still are not getting enough vitamin D from the sun. We used to be able to get it from our food source, but it seems our food source does not supply the vitamin D that we require anymore. So don't be afraid of the tiny little supplementation pill.

Brandy: Right.

Omega-3’s are important for prostate health

Melanie: And we've talked about some key supplements, but now let's talk about the nutrition all stars for prostate health. First up are omega-3 fatty acids. Well, these are kind of a no-brainer because these healthy fats are really powerful anti-inflammatories. That's what we need.

Brandy: That's what we need.

Melanie: So you'll find them in fatty fish, like wild caught salmon, sardines. Even grass fed beef is a good source of omega-3, which surprising, which I love. Yeah, we always think beef is inflammatory. For some reason we resold that bill of goods, but grass fed beef has a really good source of omega-threes.

Brandy: And pasture raised eggs.

Melanie: And pasture raised eggs. Yes; the deep, dark, yellow yolk.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: Good source of omega-3. So we want the animal sources of omega-threes more than the plant-based sources, which aren't as readily usable by the body. So if you're not eating fatty fish at least two or three times a week, you really should be supplementing with a good quality fish oil like Nutrikey Omega-3 Extra Strength; either gel caps or liquid. It has a higher EPA and DHA per capsule, so you only need to take two capsules per day.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. I love that.

Melanie: Or a teaspoon of the liquid to get the same amount of three capsules of the omega-3 1000. But even better, if you can get your omega-threes through food, that's ideal. I eat salmon I think three times a week. I still take two omega-threes.

Brandy: Yeah. Same. I eat salmon when possible.

Melanie: Yes.

Turmeric provides anti-inflammatory benefits

Brandy: I still supplement every day for those anti-inflammatory benefits. Another food that I want to call out for it's anti-inflammatory benefits is turmeric.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: Yeah. So I love to add this to soups and stews, curries. There's an egg salad recipe that I love with a little turmeric. There's also a supplement form: Curcumin.

Melanie: This is one of my favorites.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: Because I don't love the turmeric.

Brandy: Yeah. Turmeric does have a very distinct flavor. It's very earthy. So if that's not your thing, consider curcumin. So that has the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: In capsule form.

Melanie: My favorite all time when someone is really inflamed is Nutrikey has a Curcumin 400.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: And if you take one of those with each meal, it drops that inflammation so fast. So people that have chronic pain, people have come in and feel inflamed. I think it's a magic pill.

Brandy: I would agree. It's helped me quite a bit personally.

Melanie: Has it?

Brandy: Mm-hmm; take it every day. Yeah.

Melanie: Yeah. Do you do one?

Brandy: I do two up to three a day.

Melanie: Yeah. Same.

Zinc’s importance for prostate health

Brandy: Yep. I also want to call out zinc. We mention that as part of the formula in Prostate Pro, but you can actually get a good amount of zinc from foods like pumpkin seeds, grass fed beef again, and shellfish.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: So few more real foods to incorporate more regularly.

Chronic alcohol use is linked to BPH symptoms

Melanie: So let's take a minute to talk about alcohol. Chronic alcohol use is linked to those increased BPH symptoms. So that's the benign prostate hyperplasia symptoms that we had mentioned earlier, and the urinary problems like frequency and urgency, waking up several times in the night to urinate; well, that heavy alcohol intake, meaning three or more drinks per day for men is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer and more aggressive forms of it too.

So alcohol of course, increases oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Unfortunately, our bodies perceive alcohol as a toxin. So it alters your hormone metabolism and it can influence your prostate cancer risk.

Brandy: Yeah. I think the nightcap is so common. And for men especially, it's not just one, it's maybe a couple, but unfortunately that alcohol is stressing your liver no matter how little or how much you drink. So the liver is going to prioritize, metabolizing that alcohol first because it is a toxin, it is a poison. And then it's going to put hormone metabolism on the back burner.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: So that is going to mess with your hormone balance.

Melanie: And lower the testosterone.

Brandy: Lower the testosterone. That estrogen is not going to get eliminated from the body fast enough. And that's going to impact your prostate risk factors. So if you are trying to prioritize hormone balance, we really want you to be mindful of how much alcohol you're drinking, reduce it as much as possible, switch to pure water as your main beverage. Alcohol and caffeine both, they're irritants to your bladder, so it's not going to help things. It's just going to make those trips to the bathroom even more frequent.

Melanie: I would say one of the biggest irritants to the bladder is beer.

Brandy: Oh yeah.

Melanie: Because it carries a double whammy. One, it converts rapidly to sugar. Two, it's alcohol and even three, it's a heavy source of gluten.

Brandy: Yes.

Gluten is inflammatory for the prostate

Melanie: So all of that is very inflammatory to the prostate. I do want to touch on gluten because gluten is a direct inflammatory component of food that affects the prostate.

Brandy: Yeah. I mean, gluten, so many people are sensitive to gluten and it's really irritating to your gut.

Melanie: Yes.

Brandy: And when the gut isn't happy, your inflammation is going to go sky high.

Melanie: Yes. And it so many of my clients that are struggling with prostate issues, when we remove gluten, caffeine, and alcohol, oh my gosh.

Brandy: Game changer.

Melanie: It's transformative for their, the way they feel, how many bathroom trips seeking out the bathroom all day.

Brandy: Yeah.

Melanie: The urgency, the urine flow, all of that improves.

Brandy: Well, wouldn't you do away with beer if that's what it meant for you?

Melanie: 100 percent.

Prostate-friendly foods

Brandy: Mm-hmm. Well, should we talk more about some prostate friendly foods, some meal?  

Melanie: Let’s talk about what you can eat.

Brandy: There's, because there's plenty to eat. There's still lots of good options.

Melanie: There’s plenty to eat.

Brandy: So what, what, what would an example of a prostate healthy breakfast look like?

Melanie: A prostate healthy breakfast would be of course, eggs, slices of avocado, slices of tomato, scrambled eggs. You could put some cottage cheese on there if you want if you're not dairy intolerant. It's a good protein boost. Because not only do we want to protect the prostate and the prostate cells, but your muscle tone as you age. It's not high in concentrated carbohydrates. You can put some berries in there for the antioxidants. Some dark, colorful berries like blackberries or blueberries. You've got this delicious, wonderful prostate supporting breakfast.

Brandy: And that sounds delicious.

Melanie: Easy. You can, you know, and if you don't want to go through all that, an egg bake.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: A couple slices of avocado and some salsa on top. You've got the lycopene, you've got the egg bake, you've got the healthy fats.

Brandy: Yep.

Melanie: We have an egg bake on our website, weightandwellness.com. Everybody loves it.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. Use pasture raised eggs for a little more omega-3.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Fantastic.  

Melanie: Yes. Pasture raised always the best.

Brandy: Yes. Something I love as a snack, which I think would be a good prostate health situation: some smoked salmon maybe on some seed crackers.

Melanie: Yum.

Brandy: A little avocado. And then, the tomatoes right now are so good. A handful of cherry tomatoes, so you're getting, again, omega-threes from the salmon, some lycopene from the tomatoes. And I just think that's really seasonal and easy to put together. And then I want to think about a way to incorporate some cruciferous veggies of course.

Melanie: Oh yeah. Well, a, a big, lovely salad.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: …is always a win. But if you're not a, you know, if you don't love salad, you can always just, you know, steam broccoli, you can stir fry some shredded Brussels sprouts in bacon fat and crumbled, crispy bacon on top.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: That's a win with men to get them…

Brandy: I would sign up for that too.

Melanie: And, don't forget that there's always, you know, if you, arugula, I love to stir fry arugula in bacon fat. I don't just use it cold. And it takes some of the arugula bite. But arugula is a good cruciferous green.

Brandy: Easy to grow too for any gardeners.

Melanie: Easy to grow. Yeah. So if you have arugula in your refrigerator and you think, oh, I don't know if we're going to get through all this arugula, stir fry it in some bacon fat almost to the point of crispy; fabulous. So tasty.

Brandy: Good. Yum. I'm just thinking one other recipe on our website that I think would be worth checking out. People love this one. It's the Sheet Pan Asian Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Melanie: Yum.

Brandy: So sheet pan meals; super easy to make. And we're getting the omega-3 from the salmon. And again, a good hit of cruciferous vegetables with those Brussels sprouts.

Melanie: Yay. I have not made that. So now you've given me an idea to food prep.

Brandy: Good.

Melanie: If you take one thing away from today, let it be this: prostate health isn't just about aging, it's about every day choices starting in your thirties, forties, and fifties. Reduce inflammation, balance your hormones and nourish your body with real food you can find in the farmer's field.

Brandy: Yes.

Melanie: So we went over a lot of information today. So if the topic of prostate health hits close to home for you or a loved one, please reach out to make an appointment with one of the dietitians here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

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We are here to walk beside you on your health journey, not to finger wag, not to scold.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: But to help you. To learn more, you can visit weightandwellness.com or give us a call at (651) 699-3438 and we hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for listening and have a great day.

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