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Guest blogger, Men's Health, My One Thing, November 14th, 2012

John Harrisons One Thing

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This week we are sharing a blog post from John Harrison, a community minded, passionate, self-professed health nut and member of the Canadian Cancer Societys Gay Mens Health Committee.

All [50] Youth [21] Guest blogger [28] Tanning [33] TIO Ambassadors [18] Men's Health [7] Blogger Bios [1] Jen [7] Women's Health [18] Survivor [4] My One Thing [9]

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Statistics show that more men than women will be diagnosed with and will die of cancer. In your opinion, what can we do to change this statistic? There is so much that men can do to reduce the incidence of cancer. Research is showing that simple things like an active and healthy lifestyle, knowing the symptoms of common cancers and regular medical check-ups go a long way in reducing the risk of dying from cancer. Have you always lived such a healthy lifestyle? I have always had a healthy lifestyle, particularly in being active and maintaining a healthy weight. In the last ten years I have focused my attention on eating lots of fruits and vegetables and dramatically reducing consumption of red meats. I no longer eat fast food and rarely eat unhealthy snacks. Currently, I am paying more attention to eating unrefined foods. Ive realized the benefits (and great taste) of eating whole grains and organic fruits and vegetable. What do you think is the biggest challenge or issue you see amongst your friends that prevents them from achieving the best possible health? I think the biggest challenge for my friends (who are generally very active and dont smoke) in achieving the best possible health is a lack of understanding about the importance of a
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healthy diet. Very few of my male friends eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and many regularly eat unhealthy fast foods such as burgers and fries. Whats the one thing you pledge to do this year to maintain your health? The one pledge I am taking this year is to eat less sweets. I love cookies, pastries and the like, but I know its very unhealthy regardless of the fact that I maintain a very active lifestyle and a good body mass index Do you have any lessons learned or words of wisdom to share with our readers? I used to believe that people couldnt do much to prevent many cancers because it was largely attributable to our genetics (and there is a lot of cancer history on my dads side of the family). However, Ive noted current research that clearly indicates that a healthy lifestyle and diet can play a much bigger role in cancer prevention than has ever before been realized.
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Tanning, Women's Health, November 8th, 2012

Brooke Ostendorfs One Thing

Brooke Ostendorf is a university student at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Abbotsford, BC. Brooke is a member and coach of the UFV varsity cheerleading team and balances a busy class schedule on top of multiple part-time jobs. We asked Brooke how she manages to incorporate healthy living into her life and what she will do to reduce her risk of cancer. How did you get involved in cheerleading? After an injury in gymnastics, I was invited to join a local cheer team and ever since then I have been hooked. I prefer the team element of cheerleading to the individual sport of gymnastics. What is the typical day of a UFV varsity cheerleader? The typical day in the life of a UFV team member would be to attend morning classes and then quickly grab some food and get ready to start cheer practice or go to work and then come to cheer practice.

Why is leading a healthy life so important to you? Leading a healthy life is important to me because I want to feel comfortable with myself and feel a sense of accomplishment when I realize that I am exactly where I want to be in my cheerleading and school career. I also get a sense of satisfaction from exercising and eating healthy and this is what motivates me to continue every day. How do you manage to fit physical activity into such a hectic schedule? I schedule it. As a varsity athlete, I need to stay fit for my sport. Besides practicing four days per week, I schedule extra conditioning at the gym and remember to give myself a break every Monday! What are your favourite tips for eating healthy on the go? The key to eating healthy on the go is planning ahead. I pack a lunch when I go to school its healthier and cheaper! A sandwich and an apple to eat between classes and I carry a water bottle that can be refilled. When eating on campus I choose healthier options such as Booster Juice, Jugo Juice or Subway. I do not eat fast food. This fall, we are asking British Columbias to do one thing towards reducing their cancer risk. Whats your one thing? My one thing would be to properly apply sunscreen and not to fake n bake. This summer I spent a lot of time at Cultus Lake and while I always applied sunscreen, I missed spots and got burned, so I want to better protect my skin.
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Women's Health, November 2nd, 2012

Randi Melnicks One Thing

As part of our Mens and Womens Health Awareness Initiative, we are asking, Whats your one thing? Randi Melnick, a volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life, shared her one thing with us and is challenging you to pick yours!

I must say that Im not typically the most health conscious person. I love the winter season not just for the beautiful colors but mostly all the tasty comfort foods. We all know these delicious dishes arent the best for us, but they are a part of our cultures, traditions and, in my opinion, the consolation prize for having to say goodbye to summer. My new favorite sweet potatoes baked with marshmallows on top. Like I said, I dont come across as a very health conscious person! This is why the My One Thing initiative by the Canadian Cancer Society fits so well into my life. I dont need to change everything about how I live and what I eat. I dont need to strive for perfection. I just make a small change that is pretty easy and manageable and it may have a huge impact on my health. My choice was to have a meat-free day once a week. As a native Albertan, this originally sounded somewhat like punishment, but I took the challenge anyway seeing it as an opportunity to learn some new recipes with which I could impress my vegetarian friends. I must say, so far I have been honestly enjoying it. Im discovering new foods and fun new twists to old favorites that are still delicious but now are meat-free as well. Research has shown that a diet high in red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. So making this change may reduce my risk of cancer as well as improve my health in many other ways. Not to mention that Im also reducing my carbon footprint. Strangely it has been good for my ego as well. I now feel like Im saving the world a little every week. I enjoy trying new recipes, tweaking them to suit my tastes and being a gracious hostess. It certainly makes me feel great to see people feeling happy and full of great food (at least I hope my dishes are great!). Id like to challenge you to pick your one thing. Remember, small things can have a huge impact!
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Women's Health, October 26th, 2012

Miss Chinese Vancouvers One Thing

We had the opportunity to chat with Miss Chinese Vancouver and Canadian Cancer Society Ambassador of Hope, Erica Chui, about her perspective on health and her one thing. Here is our interview with her:

Congratulations on being awarded the 2011 Miss Chinese Vancouver! What does being Miss Chinese Vancouver mean to you? Being Miss Chinese Vancouver is like a fruitful journey to my life experiences. Not only were there ups and downs in finding myself and being who I am, but I got to walk this journey with nine unique girls with the same dream. Winning the Miss Chinese Vancouver allows me to make my family proud. It is also an honour to take on this responsibility and to contribute my education, knowledge and positivity to the community in promoting awareness of cancer prevention. When you are taking a break from your duties as Miss Chinese Vancouver, what do you like to do for fun? I love to be around children, no matter if I am on or off duty. Children recharge my energy and give me new inspiration in life. I have a fun time playing with them I can just never get enough of it! What are your favorite spots in Vancouver and why? My favorite spot is the Vancouver Airport. I can sit there for hours just to watch the planes land and depart, or stare at the line of lights flashing endlessly along the runway. This spot also has a great view for a sunrise, sunset, or starry night sky. With this view, I am able to quietly review myself and calm my mind. With your busy schedule how do you manage to keep health a priority? I tend to feel stressed when I have a busy and tight schedule. I have learned to have a calm mind and heart when dealing with stress. I have to be organized with the tasks I have to complete, and I must fit in enough rest and stable meal times in my schedule. Both help to keep my immune system strong. Then, I can keep my mind and body healthy. This fall we are encouraging men and women to make their own Game Plan to defend themselves against cancer. Doing just one thing can make a difference to your cancer risk. What is the one thing you will commit to doing to help reduce your risk? I came up with a SMILE as my one thing because smiling is something simple and easy to do, so there is no excuse not to do so! Smiling can also have a positive effect on the people around me. So I am committed to keeping a happy and positive energy to help reduce my own or someone elses stress. Anything else you would like to share? Let your smile change the world. Dont let the world change your smile. KEEP SMILING!
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Guest blogger, Men's Health, My One Thing, October 23rd, 2012

Patrick Levesque and Tyrell Witherspoons One Thing

We recently hung out with Patrick Levesque, co-founder of Homorazzi.com and Masc Skin

Care and his partner Tyrell Witherspoon, entertainer and performer, to get their perspective on staying healthy.

Lets start off with the all-important question if you could spend an afternoon with any of the Real Housewives of Vancouver, who would it be and why? Tyrell: Hmm. I have always had a little bit of a fascination with Ronnie. I think shes so mysterious and I would love sit down with her for an afternoon and pick her brain. Patrick: Haha, great question. I would spend an afternoon with Mary Zilba. Ive gotten to know her over the past year and I think shes such a sweetheart so I already know Id have a good time with her. We could make it a doggie play date for our little ones! As a trendy young couple, who are both active in your careers and in Vancouvers social scene, how do you fit maintaining good health into your busy schedules? Patrick: You just have to make it a priority and get into a good routine. Its really easy to let work take over your life but you soon realize that balance and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is necessary. We encourage each other and try to keep each other on track. We make a good team that way. Tyrell: I think its really important to keep active no matter how busy you are. I am lucky that my professional career allows me to always be on my feet and active, but I think its important to hit the gym, go for a run, hike the Grouse Grind whatever. But as Patrick said, its important to maintain that balance. Cancer is serious and making one small change can make a big difference in reducing your risk. Can you share with our readers the one thing you will both commit to in order to stay healthy? Patrick: The one thing that I commit to is exercise and clean eating. I was one of those people that was starting to let work takeover my life and soon found that I was putting my health last, not making time for exercise and preparing healthy meals. Over the last several months, Ive changed that and made specific fitness commitments (a workout partner and regular bootcamp classes), in addition to grocery shopping twice a week and setting aside time to make healthy meals. It took some effort at first, but its all about making it a lifestyle. Tyrell: Living with Patrick, I too commit to exercise and clean eating. Exercise is really important and I really feel the effects on my health when I dont keep up my fitness routine. I think setting out a weekly plan for your fitness along with your meal plan, you can really commit to healthy lifestyle. Trust me it doesnt happen over night but if you stick to it and stay committed, you can see major results in a short period of time.
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Women's Health, October 15th, 2012

Sarah Jamiesons One Thing

Sarah Jamieson is a local Movement Coach, FMS 2 Coach and YogaFORM founder, with Vancouver-based Fit to Train Human Performance Systems Inc. Sarah is also the founder of RUN4ACAUSE; an idea that empowers youth and people of all ages to harness their own potential through the power of sport philanthropy. Her goal is to raise 1 million dollars before the age of 35 by connecting great people to great causes. She has raised well over $807,000.00 for over 40 charities. She has a passion for health and shared her one thing with us.

This morning I received a call from my family doctor notifying me that I am overdue for my yearly wait for it physical, otherwise known as the PAP. Yes, that time when women all over the world flock to the doctors office to get poked and prodded, swabbed and sent on their way, crossing their fingers, reciting their own internal monologue; You better be all good down there. Quickly followed by pondering the conundrum of our modern and technological age: How come they havent invented the warm speculum yet? or Why cant they make them pink at least? Nonetheless, the truth of the matter is that if we can work to overcome five minutes of unbearable agony and being uncomfortable, in exchange for a lifetime of cancer-free living, well then, its a no-brainer. Cancer is in my DNA - my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer when I was six years old and four years ago I had my own cancer scare. My doctor found abnormal cell formation in my cervix, and the next several tests would show the same thing ABNORMAL. Since I am an Optimist-Prime, I believe that there is a clear relationship between our thoughts and our health, and being a NegaTron (obvious Transformers pun intended) directly impacts the health of your body and every system in it. As a health professional, I coach my clients on how to lead a healthy, happy lifestyle that can be free of (dis)ease. The moral of the story is that we each play an active role in accelerating the application of our own cancer-free living, simply by making practical and ethical choices. I include exercise into my daily routine. I eat clean nourishing food 90% of the time, with 10% in moderation. I meditate and make time for myself. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. Why? Because one of the hardest things on this earth to do is to learn to love yourself, and when you achieve this you realize that you will do anything in your power to treat yourself and your body with the value and respect it deserves even if that means braving the dreaded speculum (which I still think should be pink). This is why I believe

early detection and treatment, as well as public health campaigns promoting physical activity and a healthier dietary intake are the BEST ways to live a cancer-free life. Now, go get your PAP. To learn more about Sarah, visit her blog: Sarah M Jamieson
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Women's Health, October 10th, 2012

Krista DuChenes One Thing

Shes known in the running community as Marathon Mom, 35-year-old mother of 3, Krista Duchene. On October 14, 2012, she will be attempting to break the Canadian womens marathon record at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. We were lucky enough to receive a guest blog post from Krista about her one thing.

My one thing: lead by example Losing your parents to cancer as a young adult forces you to make many important decisions early in life. As a child, I always had a great interest in health and activity; I wanted to be a nurse and enjoyed playing many different sports. Throughout high school, I narrowed my focus to running and ice hockey. During this time my moms health started to fail after having leukemia for five years, and my dad was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. My five siblings and I knew wed soon be without parents. My older brothers put their lives on hold to run the farm and care for our ailing parents. It was grim. But my parents were thrilled to see me continue doing what I loved: running track, playing ice hockey, and choosing a career. My athletic passion and new understanding that nutrition played a major part in both the prevention and treatment of cancer sparked my interest in pursuing a career to become a Registered Dietitian. More than a decade later, I am happily balancing the jobs of a Registered Dietitian, elite marathon runner, and mother of three. My husband and kids never met my parents but they are spoken of often. So, what is my one thing? Simply put, it is to lead by example. As a dietitian, I tell my patients to eat half a plate of vegetables at lunch and dinner, as I do. I consume next to no alcohol and fatty meat and implement many other chronic disease preventing diet recommendations, and encourage them to do the same. As an elite marathoner, I inspire others to set high goals and get active every day, even if it means starting with only five minutes at a time. I lead by example by getting up at 5:00 a.m. some days, always wearing my hat that protects me from the sun. As a mom, I teach my kids that although others have different lunches at school, we make choices based on our familys values. Even when it means not buying the convenient, store-bought cookies due to cost, packaging, and poor nutrition, I make them at home. I explain that smoking is not good for our bodies and we are responsible for our choices. Again, leading by example. I explain to and show my patients, community, co-workers, and family that it takes

discipline, dedication, planning, balance, and focus. I go for routine check-ups with my health-care provider, not because my choices increase my chance of cancer but because of my family history. But most importantly, leading by example comes from passion. Passion to be the best I can be and take the best care of this body Ive been given.

Proud Mom We wish Krista all the best towards achieving her goal! You can follow Kristas running on her blog: Kirsta DuChene Running.
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Guest blogger, My One Thing, Women's Health, October 4th, 2012

Councillor Selina Robinsons One Thing

Guest Blog by Selina Robinson, City Councillor, Coquitlam B.C. Selina Robinson is a City Councillor for Coquitlam, B.C. and an active member of her community. When she is not engaged in council business, she runs a small private counselling practice, works with community groups to plan and organize a variety of community events and enjoys staying active. She is well-known for your commitment towards health and creating healthy environments. We asked Selina to share her one thing with us.

I know the realities of hearing the words you have cancer. As a survivor I know the fear, the worry and the anxiety that comes with every surgery, treatment and CT scan. Many survivors can point to the possible causes of their cancer: smoking, poor diet, sun exposure. For some of us, the cancer just appeared. In my case the cancer was not due to smoking, sun exposure, diet or lack of exercise. It just happened. The physicians and researchers dont have all the answers for what caused my particular cancer a genetic mutation is all they can say. But they dont know what causes this particular mutation. Given that we dont always know what causes some cancers (including my own) I think its important that we dont expose ourselves to unnecessary risks, like exposing ourselves to cosmetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. We have enough evidence to know that pesticide exposure may cause some cancers. Given

that we use these potentially harmful products for cosmetic purposes, there is no sufficient reason to expose ourselves, our neighbours and our children to their toxic effects. My one thing has been to champion a cosmetic pesticide ban in Coquitlam where I am a City Councillor. I started the process shortly after getting elected in 2008 and successfully implemented a local ban in 2011. It took three years of engaging the community and educating my colleagues on Council in order to bring the cosmetic pesticide ban to fruition. But the work is not yet done. A province-wide ban on the sale of these products will achieve better compliance and better results. I plan to keep at it, but I wonder if that will make it two things?
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Guest blogger, Men's Health, My One Thing, Survivor, September 27th, 2012

Ryan Steeles One Thing

This fall we are encouraging men and women to make their own Game Plan to defend themselves against cancer. Doing just one thing can make a difference to your cancer risk. We sat down with cancer survivor, comedian and all around loveable guy, Ryan Steele, to hear about his one thing.

Who is Ryan Steele? And what do our readers need to know about you? I am a Vancouver based sketch comedian who is one half of the super hilarious Ryan and Amy Show. I have been doing sketch around the city for over 5 years now and am currently working on my first television show. I am also a cancer survivor! I was diagnosed with testicular cancer when I was 19 years-old and have been clean and healthy for 15 years now. I underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy and 2 large surgeries that have made me the strong well rounded man I am today. If I gave you an elephant where would you hide it? If I was given an elephant I would hide it in my bed because nobody ever goes there. Ba dum ching. If you could describe yourself with only one word what would it be? If I could describe myself with one word it would have to be determined. You survived cancer and know first hand how important staying healthy is. What advice do you have for men to keep themselves healthy? My advice for men to keep themselves healthy is always being aware of their body. Go for check-ups regularly and see your doctor immediately if you have the smallest worry that something might be wrong. Its very important to exercise regularly. I suggest running the Also, balance your seawall shirtless (with sunscreen, of course). Great for head turning. eating habits. Fast food is okay occasionally but not everyday. And of course, dont smoke. Its very embarrassing to do so these days. Were encouraging people to get a game plan to defend themselves against cancer. Doing

just one thing can make a difference to your cancer risk. Whats your one thing that you will commit to? My one thing I will commit to is cutting down my drinking! Im known to have a good time but I need to limit myself to reduce my chances of cancer in the future. A huge thank you goes to Ryan for sharing his advice and his one thing! You can check out Ryans comedy on the Ryan Steele Show!
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