June is the month we celebrate our Dads. And because we want them to live forever, we have to keep them happy and healthy. One topic Dads don’t like to talk about is prostate cancer; it’s a sensitive topic about a sensitive area – just ask Dad.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among Canadian men. According to the Canadian Cancer Society; one in seven Canadian men will develop the disease.

We can help make sure it doesn’t happen in our Dads by being sensitive (there’s that word again) to his needs, and helping him make simple lifestyle and dietary changes.

Choosing foods that provide a variety of key nutrients is an excellent way to prevent disease and promote overall health - but eating to prevent disease doesn't need to feel like a prescription! Take these cancer fighting foods and add a dollop of Summer Fresh Dips and you can create nutritious, delicious combos to serve Dad this Father's Day and for many more.

• Poached Salmon with Summer Fresh Bruschetta: Eating fatty fish like salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to reducing cancer risk and improving overall health.

• Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower with Summer Fresh Five Cheese Dip: Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale contain anti-carcinogenic compounds called phytochemicals.

• Grilled Whole Tomatoes with Summer Fresh Artichoke & Asiago Dip: Slow-cooking tomatoes over low heat on a foil-lined grill enhances the bioavailability of lycopene, a cancer fighting, naturally occurring pigment that has been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk.

• Devilled Eggs with Summer Fresh Sweet Curry Dip: Replacing the mayonnaise with this dip jazzes up this traditional favourite. Egg yolks provide vitamin D, a nutrient being studied for its role in disease and cancer prevention.

• Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Summer Fresh Mexicali Dip: Shrimp are low in fat and provide selenium, a nutrient that has been shown to play a protective role against prostate cancer.

Beyond eating nutritious foods, maintaining a healthy body weight also reduces the risk of many cancers. So, eating a balanced diet and including physical activities are also great strategies for living a long and healthy life - not just for Dad but for all of us.

Sources:

A Prospective Study of Plasma Selenium Levels and Prostate Cancer Risk, NCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2004 96(9): 696-703

Prevention of Prostate Cancer: What We Know and Where We Are Going, American Journal of Men's Health, Vol. 2, No. 2, 178-189 (2008)

A Prospective Study of Tomato Products, Lycopene, and Prostate Cancer Risk Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 94, No. 5, 391-398, March 6, 2002

Prospective Study of Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Risk of Prostate Cancer, NCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2007 99(15):1200-1209

Fatty fish consumption and risk of prostate cancer: The Lancet, Volume 357, Issue 9270, Pages 1764-1766 P.Terry, P.Lichtenstein, M.Feychting, A.Ahlbom, A.Wolk

Prostate cancer risk and prediagnostic serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (Finland) Cancer Causes and Control, Vol. 11,#9, 2000