Lifestyle tips for carers, cooks and astronauts
ARE TOO many v i e n n a s b a d f o r y o u ? T h e World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer has put processed meat on the group one list for “sufficient evidence” of cancer links — the same list that features tobacco, asbestos, arsenic and diesel fumes. The WHO stated that just 50g of processed meat a day increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 per cent.
It has been recognised for many years that vegetarians suffered fewer bowel cancers than meat eaters but it wasn’t clear why. People were advised to cut down on their consumption of red meats.
Further research suggested that processed meats might be carcinogenic. When the meat is processed, the chemicals involved could be increasing the risk of cancer, just as high-temperature cooking, such as grilling or barbecuing meat, can also create carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals are generally produced in higher levels in red and processed meat compared to other meats.
“A key finding from the World Cancer Research Fund analysis is that processed meat is more strongly linked to bowel cancer than red meat and is classified as a ‘definite’ cause of bowel cancer,” says Dr Garry Savin, medical director at Preventicum, a specialist screening centre in west London. Smoking and processed meat are not equally dangerous, he adds, as 19 per cent of all cancers are caused by smoking but just three per cent by processed and red meat.
Friday-night dinner is safe, anyway. There is no link between bowel cancer and chicken or fish.
DOWN’S AND UPS
Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week runs from March 20 to 26 — and the charity Norwood says that there is plenty to celebrate: “Increasingly people with Down’s syndrome are living independently, contributing to their communities, working and forming relationships.”
As with all learning disabilities, early intervention can play a crucial role in helping someone with Down’s syndrome to fulfil their potential, at home, in school and throughout life.
Norwood’sRainbowGroupisaimed at the parents of pre-school children with special educational needs. Along with yoga sessions for the children, it provides a space for families to receive emotional and practical support. Through Binoh, Norwood provides further individualised educational support, up to the age of 19.
A diagnosis of Down’s syndrome can carry a higher risk of dementia, with the age of onset typically 30 to 40 years earlier than for the general population. Norwood works with those in residential or supported living settings to promote good physical and mental health throughout life. People with Down’s syndrome are more likely to experience eyesight and hearing problems, depression
Happy families at Norwood. and diabetes than those without, so Norwood’s learning disability nurses ensure they can access good quality healthcare and regular screenings.
The charity’s life skills and learning services guide those with learning disabilities to identify their own learning needs and work towards their personal aspirations for education, training or finding a job.
Learning a new skill is an excellent way to connect with children who have special educational needs, agrees Deborah French, whose daughter has Down’s syndrome and whose son is on the autistic spectrum. With her husband Jonathan, French runs the Luck for Life programme in Israel, taking students from mainstream schools into special-education schools three times a year, to form bonds between the pupils.
French, together with illustrator Leah Ehrlich, have produced (available on Amazon for £14.99). The book shows how preparing nutritious meals can not only improve these children’s health but bring them closer to their parents, carers and teachers.
Another publication that children and their carers may enjoy is
a musical e-book about a gang of friends, the Genies, who all have differences in their abilities. The series is introducing two new characters — Pip, “a funny crazy curly girl who happens to have a condition called NF2” (non-cancerous tumours in the nervous system) and, especially for this awareness week, Freddie, who has Down’s syndrome. The Treehouse books are free to download. Join the fun at
Freddie
and a Treehouse friend