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Harlem Word: Dr. Carlton McGregor talks about how changes in how you live your life may prevent prostate cancer

Article posted by Publisher 19 weeks ago

In fall 2024, New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Dr. Carlton McGregor, MD, was diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer.  Based on his experience, he wants to raise awareness about prostate cancer so that other men can get screened for the disease early.  In this article, he talks about the lifestyle changes that men can make to possibly avoid getting prostate cancer.

Q: Is there anything men can do to prevent prostate cancer?

A: I think there are some dietary and lifestyle changes that one could do to reduce his risk of prostate cancer, such as choosing a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. It’s not always easy to maintain these changes forever, but you need to be willing to change your diet to maybe prevent prostate cancer from coming earlier. If at all possible, people should stay in the best shape possible because you never know what’s going to happen to you. I think the key thing is maintaining the lowest fat diet possible (To learn more about low-fat diets and prostate cancer, GetHealthyHarlem.org suggests reading this article from New York Times!).  This will be useful to avoiding many diseases like prostate cancer and diabetes. If it stops you from having a disease, it’s worth it.

Another important thing to do is talk to your doctor about prostate cancer, especially if you have a family history of prostate cancer.  You might not be able to prevent it, so it’s important to detect it early.With early detection, the prostate cancer might not advance to a worse stage.

Q: Are there any changes in your life that you have made?

A: Well, I had my prostate removed in surgery so I needed to lose weight before I had my surgery to avoid complications.  It also helped my recovery because the surgeon had to go through less fat to remove the prostate.  If you are not healthy before the surgery, the surgery is only going to make you unhealthier and you will be bedridden longer.

To read more about prostate cancer, Dr. McGregor recommends visiting the Mayo Clinic Prostate Cancer website

Read more from Dr. McGregor by clicking the links below:

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with Harlem health experts, written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.

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Comments

Posted 18 weeks ago

CalStriver wrote

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I already have diabetes. I always eat vegetables with my meals but even until now, I' not used to not having any dessert with my meals (I'm on medication though). I also eat a lot of rice (half-Asian). My question is, is a little dessert from time to time still okay? Is eating 2 cups of rice per meal, bad for people with diabetes?

Thanks.

Posted 17 weeks ago

Kathleen.Keller wrote

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Hello! I am a nutritionist with experience helping patients who have diabetes. To answer your question, you do not have to give up all desserts when you have diabetes, however, it's important that you eat them as 1) small portions, and 2) in moderation. Small portions should be no larger than a deck of cards and in moderation means about once per week or less. It's also important that you monitor your blood sugar levels and make sure they are kept in good control. Desserts that are high in sugar will raise your blood sugar, so if you take insulin, you might need to take some with your dessert in order to bring your blood sugar down. You also asked about whether 2 cups of rice at a meal is okay. Your body does not make that much of a distinction between regular white rice and sugar. Both will raise your blood sugar, although rice is a complex carbohydrate, so it will not raise it as quickly. However, you are much better off eating 1 cup of brown rice at dinner or with a meal, instead of 2 cups of white rice. Brown rice is a good source of "whole grains" and it is absorbed more slowly than white rice. It will also make you feel fuller because it takes longer to digest. It is a good idea to replace most of your white breads, cereals and pasta with "whole grain" versions. These need to actually say "whole" on the package (e.g. "whole wheat bread" instead of "wheat bread). These are much better for everyone, but are especially important for people who have diabetes because they keep your appetite under control and better regulate your blood sugar.

Remember, if you have diabetes, you can eat most foods, but you have to remember to monitor your blood sugar levels regularly, maintain a healthy weight, exercise 30 minutes per day, and have whole grains instead of refined grains and sugars when you can. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables daily and keeping your salt intake down are also important to maintain your weight and keep your blood pressure in check.

Good luck!