With prostate cancer being the second m ost common cancer in men worldwide, it’s definitely a topic worth talking about! If you haven’t heard of Movember, you might be wondering why you see so many men sporting moustaches in the month of November. In 2003, in the g reat city of Melbourne, Australia, two friends (Travis Garone a nd Luke Slattery) visit over a beer when the unfashionable, f orgotten m oustache becomes the cornerstone of conversation. H ere is where the Movember movement begins. They corralled 3 0 mates to grow a hairy upper lip with little foreshadowing of the m ajor impact their venture would have for men across the world. The following year they started the Movember Foundation in A ustralia and all funds raised were donated to the P rostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). Picking up m omentum, by 2006 almost $9.5 m illion was raised in Australia and New Zealand. By 2007 over $28 million was raised with the USA, Canada, UK, and Spain on board. Each raising money for their country’s p rostate cancer foundation. With new countries coming on board each year and awareness spreading on a global level, Movember has raised $677 million since 2003 and estimates growth. The Movember Foundation focuses on 2015 will see new
Movember Awareness four main areas of men’s health: Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Poor Mental Health, and Physical Inactivity. How does one participate? Register on the Movember Foundation website www.ca.movember.com to start your personal or group profile and fundraising page. Begin growing your unique moustache and raise funds that will go directly to Prostate Cancer Canada. Ladies, you can participate too! The 30-‐day MOVE challenge is for those who opt out of a hairy upper lip. Get your body in motion every day for 30 days whether you walk, cycle, dance, or play a game of tag with the kids. There is also a donation option on the website. With chronic disease prevailing, and our western medicine approach mainly symptom and disease-‐focused, we must branch out and be open to complimentary m eans of healing and prevention including, nutrition, movement, and m ental and emotional self-‐care. After all, these key areas are what greatly influence are gene expression and can send us down a pathway of chronic disease and illness or build a strong foundation for optimal health. >>