About 32 people from Humboldt and area went to the Bella Vista Inn on Sept. 26 for Spice up Your Life: Learn to Eat Healthy with More Flavour to learn different techniques of preparing food in order to decrease their cancer risk. The event was organized by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and sponsored by Safeway.
“We’re trying to encourage people to think outside the box and use herbs and spices to flavour food, rather than using a lot of salt because we know using a lot of salt is linked to developing stomach cancers and other diseases and we want to help people reduce their risk,” said Diana Ng, cancer control co-ordinator with the CCS.
The day started with a talk about how to stay healthy and reduce the risk of cancer, followed by a chair yoga demonstration from Kim Hergott and a live cooking demonstration from chefs Alexander Wilson and Nickolle Thoms with the Bella Vista Inn.
“We’re trying to give back to the community and increase their level of awareness and prevent cancer before it starts,” Ng said.
This year, the CCS has 12 similar events across Saskatchewan, which is up from eight last year.
The main thing Ng wanted the audience to take away was finding easy ways to decrease their cancer risk. She said that the risk of developing 1/3 of cancers can be prevented simply by eating healthy, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body weight. The following are ways to be healthier and mitigate cancer risk:
Reduce salt and sugar intake. “Both of those have been linked with various things and can also increase risk of cancer and other diseases,” Ng said.
Exercise regularly. Ng said even 30 minutes a day can help.
Eat fruits and vegetables and follow Canada’s food guide.
Reduce red meat consumption. “A high amount of red meat has been linked to developing cancer,” she said. She also said it’s healthiest to have no more than three servings a week.
Reduce alcohol intake. For women, that means less than a drink a day, while men should have fewer than two drinks a day.
And the main takeaway from the day was to flavour foods with herbs and spices rather than salt. Ng said those herbs and spices have phytochemicals, which research is showing have natural cancer fighting properties.
“So far, from the audience feedback, they’re really enjoying the event,” Ng said. “I think it’s a huge success.”
