Happy New Year all! We wish you a happy, healthy and successful year ahead and thank you for all your support in 2014.

The Lake Foundation is still a fairly new charity having started in July 2013. Through all your support and encouragement we have been very productive and have made significant progress in working towards our mission of improving the health and wellbeing of the black community.

We are delighted to share our achievements for 2014 with you. Over the past year we have:

• Launched our African Caribbean Cancer Support Group which meets monthly at Mind In Croydon.

• Developed our hereditary cancer booklet which aims to raise awareness of inherited cancers, the importance of knowing your family’s medical history, what to do if you have a strong famly history of cancer and what preventative options are available for people at a high risk of developing cancer because it runs in their family.

• Launched our fibroids survey that aimed to explore the needs of women with fibroids and published the findings

• Established our Fibroids Ask the Expert to provide women with questions or concerns about fibroids with access to experts in the field that can provide them with accurate reliable information

• Started our cycling group which reconvenes in April/May of this year

• Delivered a range of health awareness presentations to the  community

• Consulted with Breast Cancer Care on their new PROWESS service

  “I can honestly say that having your input into PROWESS has been great and a massive benefit to me and the project, so I’m looking forward to working with you again in the New Year.”

• Obtained funding from Prostate Cancer UK as part of their engagement and empowerment pilot

• Secured office space

• Appeared on TV and radio.

• Launched our weekly blog enabling us to discuss health issues of concern to the black community

• Carried out our first annual aerobathon

We had a really enjoyable and productive year and look forward to 2015.

We get a lot of questions from women about what they can do to prevent fibroids. This week’s blog post follows our recent post on exercise and fibroids prevention. Today, we’ll look at diet.

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that develop in or around a woman’s womb. They can cause a number of symptoms including pelvic (tummy) pain, infertility, heavy and/or painful periods, back pain, anaemia, constipation, frequent urination and pain during sexual intercourse.

The exact cause of fibroids is unknown but research does suggest that they are caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and hormonal factors.  Those most at risk of developing fibroids are: black women, those who are overweight, women of child bearing age (particularly women who are 25-45 years old), those with a family history  and women who haven’t given birth.

Diet and Risk Reduction

When trying to understand what we can do to reduce our risk of developing fibroids diet is an interesting and important factor.  As obesity is a major risk factor then logically if we adopt a healthy lifestyle and lose weight then we can reduce our risk of developing this condition. But, are there particular foods that contribute to fibroids development and are there foods that are protective? Let’s take a look at what the research tells us about this.

Red Meat 

When it comes to foods that increase risk of developing fibroids, research suggests that red meat plays a major role. One research  study has shown that frequent consumption of beef and other red meat increases a woman’s risk of developing fibroids by 70%. This finding is similar to a study conducted in India which found that women who consume red meat are three times more likely to develop fibroids compared to vegetarian women or women who are mostly fish eaters.  This is in stark contrast to a recent  study that found no association between meat consumption and fibroids, although in this study researchers looked at all meat and didn’t look specifically at red meat.

Fruit and Vegetables 

The Black Women’s Health Study conducted in the US explored the impact of fruits and vegetables on a woman’s risk of developing fibroids. In this study, 22,583 black women were monitored from 1997 to 2009 and their food intake monitored.

This study found that overall fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a reduction in risk and the strongest reduction in risk was associated with a high intake of citrus fruit.  Additionally, they found that vitamin A from animal products (liver and dairy) was linked to  a reduction in risk too.

These findings were similar to that of a small Chinese study which explored the association of fibroids with diet, physical activity and stress.   This study took place between 2009 and 2011 and researchers found that fruits and vegetables significantly reduced risk of developing fibroids with women consuming the most fruits and vegetables (eating fruit and vegetables more than three days a week) being 60% less likely to develop fibroids.

Finally, a study conducted in 2009 found that a high intake of green vegetables  reduced the risk of developing fibroids by 50%  and fruit consumption reduced risk by 20%.

Vitamin D 

In 2013, one of the first studies looking at whether vitamin D is linked to fibroids was conducted and this study found that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D were 32% less likely to develop fibroids than women who are vitamin D deficient. Furthermore, another study published in 2013 found that women with fibroids had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to women not affected.  These studies suggest that vitamin D is protective.

Conclusions

It is clear that diet is very important in the development of fibroids. By adopting a healthy diet we can reduce our risk and women should pay attention to their fruit and vegetable consumption, reducing their red meat intake and making sure they have enough vitamin D.

It’s important to note that surveys conducted in the US have found that African Americans consume less fruits and vegetables than their white counterparts, it is important that we change our lifestyles and work on increasing our fruit and vegetable intake, our health depends on it.

If you missed our ‘Understanding Prostate Cancer’ event on 20^thDecember, have no fear, we will be holding another event on Saturday 10^th January 2015 at Trinity Baptist Church in West Norwood.

This event is a collaboration between The Lake Foundation, Trinity Baptist Church and Prostate Cancer UK and is part of an engagement and empowerment pilot which aims to determine the best methods of reaching black men with the key messages about prostate cancer.

The event will cover: what is the prostate, prostate conditions, prostate cancer, signs & symptoms and risk factors ensuring that men have the information they need to take quick action should they notice any of the symptoms.

For more information about this event please email us: events@thelakefoundation.com

The Lake Foundation would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

You can still indulge today whilst being healthy. Remember to include lots of vegetables with your Christmas dinner – try Brussel sprouts, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes and  baked/grilled plantain – and for dessert try a lovely vegan cashew cheese cake.

Additionally, select white meat and fish instead of red meat and keep active – try taking a walk regularly throughout the two week Christmas and New Year period

NHS England has announced the start of their new project, the 100,000 Genomes Project, in early 2015. The project aims to sequence 100,000 genomes within three years to determine the genetic mutations that lead to various cancers and rare diseases. This will enable targeted treatments to be developed for a wide range of conditions.

Doctors will be able to refer patients with relevant diseases, who are interested in taking part, to one of 11 Genomic Medicine Centres for inclusion in the project. Samples will be collected, genetic sequencing carried out and the data analysed.

NHS England are hoping to recruit 75,000 patients and The Lake Foundation is encouraging members of the African Caribbean community to take part to ensure that minorities are well represented and any ethnic genetic differences are identified.

We were delighted to be featured in this week’s Six Weeks to Fitness podcast where we were interviewed by the Vincent Ferguson, the president of Body Sculpt of New York, a not-for-profit health and fitness organisation.

In this 30 minute podcast we discuss the work of  The Lake Foundation and our plans for the future.

You can listen to our interview below.

Today, we had a great time at Croydon Tabernacle raising awareness of prostate cancer. This event was part of Prostate Cancer UK’s Engagement and Empowerment pilot which aims to reach black men with the key messages about prostate cancer and prostate conditions.

The event took the format of a presentation followed by a Q&A. Abi Begho delivered the presentation covering: what is the prostate; prostate conditions; symptoms; risk factors; and know your rights

We then moved on to what symptoms men should look out for and these included:

• Needing to pee more often, especially at night
• Difficulty starting to pee
• Straining or taking a long time to finish peeing
• A weak flow
• A feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly
• Needing to rush to the toilet
• Dribbling urine

It was stressed that these symptoms are associated with non-serious prostate conditions as well as prostate cancer so if men do experience any of these symptoms it could be due to a number of reasons.

Furthermore, we gave an overview of the risk factors for prostate cancer, which are:

• Increasing age (prostate cancer is more common in men over the age of 50),
• Ethnicity (black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer than other men)
• Family history (men with father or a brother with prostate cancer are 2.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men who don’t have a family history)

We explained that if  attendees ever experience any symptoms they should visit their GP who will conduct a series of tests to determine if there is a prostate problem. These tests will include a urine test, a PSA blood test and a digital rectal examination.

We finished the presentation by informing attendees that they have the right to more information if they are concerned and they have the right to have a PSA test if they are 50 and over.

The Q&A after the presentation led to discussions on prevention, differentiating serious symptoms from non-serious symptoms, the PSA test, diet and prostate cancer and why prostate cancer is more common in black men.

After some mingling and refreshments the presentation was repeated in a more informal format for late comers – more of a roundtable discussion.

We had a great day, the audience was very receptive and engaged and we’d like to say a big thank you to Croydon Tabernacle and Prostate Cancer UK for their help in making this event a reality.

Fibroids are benign tumours that develop from the smooth muscle cells of the womb. They are the most common tumour amongst women with an estimated 30 – 40% of women between the ages of 25-45 expected to develop them.

Research has shown that fibroids are more common in black women with an estimated 55-80% of  black women affected . In addition, black women are known to develop fibroids at a younger age, are more likely to develop larger and multiple fibroids, and tend to develop more severe symptoms.  The reason for this is unknown but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

Through our interactions with black women we have anecdotally found that whilst fibroids are very common there seems to be a lack of information and support for women who are affected.  To explore this issue further we conducted a survey that aimed to explore the needs of women with fibroids, determine if there is a need to develop information and support and if so,  the survey aimed to inform our development of a fibroids information and support programme.

The survey explored four areas:

• The level of knowledge of fibroids prior to diagnosis
• Treatment and diagnosis
• The effect of fibroids and its treatment on quality of life
• The availability of support and information

The key findings from  our survey were:

Awareness of fibroids prior to diagnosis

• There was a general low level of awareness of fibroids amongst participants prior to their diagnosis
• There was a good level of awareness of some of the main symptoms of fibroids but a low level of awareness of other symptoms
• Participants were aware that ethnicity was a risk factor for fibroids but less aware of other risk factors

Pathway to Diagnosis

• The majority of participants delayed seeing their GP for six months or more after first noticing symptoms
• After visiting their GP, most women received a confirmed diagnosis within 4 weeks but over a quarter stated it took 12 months or more to receive a confirmed diagnosis

Treatment

• Despite 79% of participants having a discussion with their GP about treatment, 63% stated they didn’t feel they had enough information to make an informed decision about their treatment
• The majority of participants (42%) had surgery to treat their fibroids
• A quarter of respondents were very happy with their follow-up and aftercare whilst 33% stated that they were not at all satisfied.

The Effect of Fibroids and its Treatment on Quality of Life

• Participants reported that fibroids and its treatment significantly affected their quality of life, affecting them not just physically, but emotionally
• Many participants did not feel they had enough support  to assist them in managing or overcoming the  emotional, physical  and medical impact of fibroids

The Availability of Information and Support

• The biggest gaps in the availability of support were in information and peer support with a small gap in emotional support

Conclusions from the Survey and Next Steps

The survey suggests that a significant number of women with fibroids do not have access to the support and information that they require. The Lake Foundation will focus its efforts on addressingthe gaps in the availability of information and support by developing a relevant support system for women, particularly black women, with fibroids.

We have started this process with the launch of our ‘Fibroids Ask the Expert’ in October. This resource provides women with the opportunity to obtain accurate reliable information from experts in the field. In 2015 we will begin to develop a range of publications and explore a support programme for women with fibroids.

In January 2015 the Barbados Diabetes Reversal Study, a pilot study aimed at reversing type two diabetes, will begin. It will explore whether type two diabetes can be reversed by patients adopting a low calorie diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

Participants will be given a low calorie liquid diet for eight weeks with non-starchy vegetables making sure that they receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals. This will then be followed by a 6 month period where participants will resume a normal healthy diet.

The study will be funded by Virgin Unite and builds on research conducted in the UK by Prof Roy Taylor.

If you’re from Barbados and would like to take part in this study you’ll need to have been diagnosed with the condition within the past 6 years.  For more information and to register please contact reversediabetes246@gmail.com or 1 246 266 5673

On Saturday, we were back on the set of ABN TV’s Family time to film a four-part series on belly fat, healthy eating and exercise. This was a follow-up to ourrecent appearance on Family Time in the summer.

We joined the host of the show, Nana Akousa Boateng, as well as Lillian Lartey, founder of I Want My Body Back, Eunice Adu-Appiah, a Health Promotion professional and Evelyn  Asante a behavioural specialist.

Over the course of the four episodes we recorded yesterday, we covered belly fat, its link to various health conditions and strategies for tackling belly fat through fitness, nutrition and a reduction in stress levels.  And, we also discussed belly fat, young people and body image.

Ready for the episode on the diseases linked to belly fatWe had a great time on the set of Family Time and would like to say a big thank you to ABN TV, Nana Boateng and the film crew for inviting us to take part in this series and for their very warm welcome.

Family Time’s series on belly fat will air in early 2015 so please tune in to ABN TV, Sky channel 290 or visit ABN TV’s website for more information.