This month, Dr Cameron Schauer, Gastroenterologist and Interventional Endoscopist, offers a positive focus on harnessing the power of a healthy gut.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of colon or bowel cancer in the world – it’s the equivalent of the same number of Kiwis dying of breast and prostate cancer combined. But it shouldn’t be that way, for bowel cancer is not only preventable, but beatable and treatable if diagnosed early enough.
At Waitematā Endoscopy, providing exceptional endoscopy care is our purpose and what motivates our team. With two state-of-the-art clinics in Henderson and on the North Shore, we are dedicated to ensuring that timely and quality care is never far from where you live and work in Auckland.
Even with such startling statistics, more than 50% of bowel cancers are due to modifiable risk factors – things that are within your control that you can change to improve your gut health and overall health. Studies of immigrants show that when people move from a country with a low incidence of bowel cancer to one with a high incidence, their risk of developing the disease rises to match that of the host country within just one generation.
Other factors like age, male gender, family history, inflammatory bowel conditions are out of your control.
So, here are some things that you focus on, starting from today, to make sure you and your family stay safe and healthy.
Diet
It’s hard to lose weight. But this is the number one modifiable cause in New Zealand of excess colon cancer.
A way to start:
· Keep track of what you currently eat in a food diary.
· Reduce processed foods and focus on whole foods –food that has not been modified so much. This includes vegetables, meats, and grains.
· Eat a hearty breakfast with protein which will give you a full tank of petrol for the day. Think an egg with cheese or veggies that will keep you full and prevent snacking at morning tea.
· Reduce or remove liquid calories – this means the likes of soft drinks and coffees in cans. Even ‘healthy’ purchased smoothies have a lot of processed components and sugars. Substitute with water.
· Manage your portions – eat off a smaller plate, and stop eating when you are satisfied, not when you are full.
· Don’t aim for perfection straight away – choose realistic goals like starting with 10 minutes of walking after dinner, no fizzy drinks during the week, and takeaways only twice a month.
Reduce alcohol
In New Zealand, this is the second largest factor contributing to our high rates of colon cancer. Your risk increases by more than 44% if you are a heavy drinker.
Reduce red and processed meat
I love my barbecue – even in winter! I have to consciously cut down my consumption, and do my best by swapping this out 3-4 nights per week for beans, pasta, stir fries, and chicken!
Move!
Start by walking after a meal. Write down how much you did. Aim to increase this to 20-30 minutes every second day. Build this as a habit – it will take time, but it can change your life. People who exercise (regardless of what they eat) have a healthier, more diversified microbiome and healthier gut, and decreased risk of bowel cancer. You may also notice an improvement in bloating and regularity of stool, particularly if you were tending to pass firmer motions.
Be aware of your ‘normal.’
If your bowel habit changes (stool frequency or consistency), if you are developing abdominal symptoms such as bloating or pain, if there is blood or mucus when passing stool – get this checked out. Many cases in New Zealand are diagnosed when its too late. Be proactive – it may well save your life.
Early detection improves outcomes, and a colonoscopy should be seen not as something to fear, but as a proactive step toward safeguarding your health and ensuring peace of mind for you and your family.
At Waitematā Endoscopy, we are reducing wait times. By matching you with the earliest available specialist across our two clinics, we can offer most standard Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy appointments within seven working days of a GP or self-referral.
To view Dr Schauer’s talk about gut health, visit: waitemataendoscopy.co.nz/medical-conditions.
