Full Strength LIFE

Study Shows Nutrients in Full Strength May Protect Men Against Prostate Cancer

MEN: Do Read This!

"Selenium and vitamin E may offer protection against prostate cancer by changing the expression of certain genes in prostates linked to tumors, says a new study from Texas." 

In the recent publication of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, scientists from the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center in Houston report that men with prostate cancer showed an altered gene expression and being given vitamin-E and selenium—a gene expression similar to that in men with no prostate cancer.

Over 500,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, and with this cancer directly causing over 200,000 deaths, preventive measures are critical.

While it’s not pleasant to think about cancer, especially your own, the unsettling facts are that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. I imagine that’s in part due to the fact that it’s harder to diagnose after your lifetime.

The optimism over the role that Selenium and Vitamin E may play in prostate cancer prevention are not new to this most recent study. There have been previous studies that showed a positive connection. These were put in question when another study failed to show conclusive connection.

This new data from Texas adds to the debate and appears to indicate that, at a gene expression level at least, vitamin E and selenium do offer protection against prostate cancer.

The Full Strength Boost of Selenium & Vitamin

When I created the premium nutrition shake, Full Strength, rather than just tossing in vitamins as label dressing—the common practice—I integrated a custom-tailored array of vital nutrients for a man’s optimal health. In addition to boosting antioxidants and mental focus factors, I beefed up the essential nutrients that support healthy testosterone levels, including zinc and selenium.

Selenium, like Vitamin-E, also functions as an antioxidant. When combined, vitamin-E and selenium, have been linked to anti-aging properties because it appears to inhibit physical and mental deterioration while supporting the metabolism by stimulating healthy thyroid functioning.

Selenium is also been shown to have promise in combating other forms of cancer. One study, for example, showed that people given 200 mcg of selenium for 7 years had a 50% decrease in cancer rate, and the men had a 65% drop in prostate cancer. For this reason, there's strong evidence to believe it may be anti-carcinogenic or, at the very least, instigate some additional research in this area.

Conclusion

The conclusion from this study, for me, is that I’m glad I have my Full Strength every day. For it assures I’m covered. For other men on the Full Strength Lifestyle, they can take comfort as well.

For all men, based on these studies, getting regular, effective intake of both selenium and vitamin-e looks to be a wise thing to do. You may choose to do this through supplements but personally, while there a lot of things I like supplements for, I prefer my vitamins and minerals come through food, be that off the vine or integrated nutrition like Full Strength.

You can find more on Vitamin-e and selenium by following each link, including list of the foods highest in each nutrient.

Here’s to your Strength… for Life.

Is the “G” boosting your “P” or just making you “F”?

Have you seen the hot, new super-performance energy drink called simple “G”?

What? It's not new at all!

Just the same ol’ "C"alorie packing, "S"ugar loaded, "Sa"lt lick of a drink formerly known as Gatorade!

That's right... The same tub of colored sugar water that many people pretend is a performance enhancing, energy drink when their performance is walking from their desk to the elevator.

The same Gatorade the millions of people rely on the neutralize their half hearted exercise attempts, as they consume more liquid calories in 10 seconds then they burned off in an hour.

Yep, it’s the same ol’ “G” pretending to give you “P” when it’s really just making you “F”[at].

GO Ahead, Drink One...

I know... "G" is such a powerhouse brand it's almost sacriligious to suggest it's not the sauce of the peak performer. Hence, in an attempt to mitigate any heavy backlash, I'll give you the same advice I offered readers in my latest book, Strength for Life. 

Go ahead, enjoy a Gatorade at half time of the Superbowl... that you're playing in. Fact is you can get away with ingesting these sort of calories when you're athlete active and 20-30 something... but for the typical fitness enthusiast or person trying to get in better shape, this brightly colored sauce is just the right size to ensure you stay the same size or larger.

About Eating Raw Eggs

Son, Where You Going With Those Eggs In Your Hand?

Early in my post, Energy and The Big Fat Egg-xaggeration..., I noted that I used to eat raw eggs.

I want to make that more accurate: The eggs were not actually quite raw.

In my youthful days of hyper-intense training, before there existed anything like a reasonable protein supplement, let alone a strength-food like Full Strength, I consumed A LOT of eggs. And I do mean "consumed" for I didn’t cook them but rather simply heated them in very hot water to kill anything that might kill me and then blended the whites, usually a dozen at a time, with a couple yokes and some OJ. And drank them!

This was my primary source of quality protein for a good ten years. I don’t think the nice lady at the local Safeway ever quite got used to me rolling through the check-out with 8-10 dozen eggs. The dialogue was all to familiar. The check out lady (it was 90% of time a lady in those days) would look at the eggs, glance back at me, back at the eggs and I could see the wheels turning. Then, as she was ringing them up, without ever looking up, she'd casually say, “Baking, are you?”

To which I’d say, “Baking?” as if I didn’t know what the f%&$ she was talking about.

“The eggs?” She’d say, “What you doing with all the eggs?” To which I'd crisply say, “Eat them.”

That was the end of that interaction. I’m certain most the time they would assume me to making some sort of weird joke or just being an ass. And maybe that’s where I found the humor in that I gave them a straight, honest answer and it wasn’t my issue if it didn’t fit in their paradigm and hence they were left to struggle with it.

Fortunately, I don't do that any more... have to eat all those eggs or be a smartass... although I'm not above either.

Energy and The Big Fat Egg-xaggeration...

I love eggs. I love ‘em soft, over, up, scrambled, hard boiled and even *raw.

I’m a fan of eggs the way some people are a fan of U2. Hence, it’s hard for me to rough them up like this but they’ve got this one coming... 

I just watched a new advertising campaign for the Egg about eggs being “Energy for Body and Mind” and I think it’s rotten.

Seems the Egg Council —who came up with the winning, “the incredible edible egg”—is hitching their white wagons to two the mega-trend of Energy. It’s all about energy these days. Doesn’t matter if your selling energy drinks, pills or laundry detergent—everyone would have you believe their product is going boost your energy.  

Eggs are a brilliant source of protein. Dang right. They’re packed with vital nutrients, and healthy fats (Omega 3’s and 6’s) and are a great food, even with the yolk.

Got it. But energy? Yeah and beer has protein.

Come on folks.

In marketing, “energy” is the sexy word used in place of CARBS, CARBS… carbs for sale. And while carbs do provide cellular energy, at the rate most bring them in they turn you into a fat storage tank.

Eating more carbs doesn’t give you more energy any more than
adding 5 gallons of water to a 1 gallon bucket will give it more water.

While an egg does have a fraction of a carb (~ 0.3 - 0.5 gm) they’re no more a source of energy than a piece of salmon. And even if they’ve opted to leverage the relatively high fat content of the whole egg as the energy source, we both know it’s a major stretch.

I appreciated when the egg council made protein a case—for I knew that they too were supporting the awareness of protein as a part of a diet. But “energy?” It’s bad enough that every sugar peddling mega-company is pushing energy down American’s throats to the point that we have the largest reserve of excess energy on the planet around our waistlines.

What’s wrong with some nice version of the truth? Something like, “Eggs are a wonderful source of protein and when consumed as a part of balanced meal, they help you sustain your energy longer, and keep you going stronger.”

There I go again expecting the high-road when it’s all about trends and reacting to gain market share at all costs. Perhaps I’m disappointed that one of my nutritional hero’s is for sale—that the egg has stooped to the lowest form of nutritional prostitution. It says we’ll do anything to move one.

Coming Clean on Egg Whites

While I’m on the egg rant, I’ve got a confession to make. I made an error in my book, Strength for Life. In the nutrition section, Chapter 11, I list foods that are “approved” or good foods and in this list it notes “egg whites.” This statement seems to support the myth that it’s only the whites that are good for you.

That is wrong and I know it. I’ve mentioned this error before but it’s worth noting that it’s an oversight. I let one slip. In the vast depth of wisdom in this book, it’s not much of a slip but I’ve been reminded of it a few times and want to keep on correcting it.

Eggs, the Right Way

When I eat eggs, which is no where near what it used to be, I usually go for 3 whole eggs and 3 whites—a 50-50 blend whites and whole yolkful eggs.