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Breast Health and You

What You Need to Know: Breast Cancer Prevention

If you are a woman, your breast health is in jeopardy. As unfair as that may seem, being at risk for developing breast cancer is just a fact of womanhood, but certainly not one that you that have to succumb to. With any illness or disease, including cancer, your #1 defense is you. The choices you make every day – like what to eat or if you should try to lose weight – affect your risk for developing breast cancer. While no single prevention tool is guaranteed to work for everyone, you can still lower your risk with these simple tips…

Breast cancer affects nearly a quarter of a million women each year, as well as a small percentage of men. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes.

With odds like these, it’s important that you take breast health seriously. You can reduce your odds of developing breast cancer simply by making better food choices, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and getting regular breast check-ups.

Foods that Fight Breast Cancer

Developing a healthy attitude toward food benefits not only your waistline, but every single aspect of your health as well. On the other hand, processed foods that are laden with chemical preservatives and artificial additives do nothing for your health. These low-nutrient, high-sodium junk foods are high in saturated fats and especially damaging to your heart.

Foods that fight breast cancer are those foods that come from the richness of the earth. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the body with antioxidants and phytochemicals that combat DNA mutations from free radicals and protect all the cells in your body. To nourish your body from the inside-out, eat a balanced diet rich in fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. And don’t forget to focus on fiber – high fiber foods are directly linked to a decreased risk in colon cancer and may also be important for protecting against other forms of cancer.

Being Overweight Affects Breast Health

Believe it or not, your weight can also affect breast health, especially after menopause. The Nurses’ Health Study, which followed the health and lifestyle habits of more than 5,000 women, found that women who packed on the pounds after a breast cancer diagnosis increased their risk of dying from the disease. A six-pound weight gain was linked to a 35% increased risk of dying from breast cancer while a 17-pound weight gain increased the risk of death to 64%.

The excess fatty tissue in overweight and obese women affects estrogen production, which is linked to an increase in the risk for breast cancer. Not only does maintaining a healthy weight reduce your risk factors for breast cancer, it also positively benefits heart health and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Achieving a healthy weight means eating right, which we just covered, and exercising daily. The same Nurses’ Health Study determined that women who exercised moderately three to five hours every week reduced their risk for developing breast cancer by 50%. Going for a 30-minute walk every day will easily add up to three and a half hours of moderate exercise in a week. If you need help losing the pounds that just won’t budge, contact a local gym or personal trainer in your area for a motivational and educational boost.

Be Aware of Alcohol

Limiting your alcohol intake may lower your risk of developing breast cancer. Too much alcohol takes its toll on liver health and can render the liver unable to regulate estrogen levels effectively. Drinking just 3-9 alcoholic beverages per week has been shown to increase the risk of developing breast cancer by 30%. However, many other studies have shown that one drink per day, such as a glass of red wine, is good for the heart. With all this conflicting information, who should you listen to? Common sense – don’t overdo it, keep drinks to a minimum and don’t drink to get drunk.

Early Detection of Breast Cancer: Self-Exams and Mammograms
The odds of surviving breast cancer decrease the longer the cancer goes undetected. Early detection of breast cancer increases the five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients to more than 95% – that’s time that you get to live your life, knowing how to make the most out of every day and taking nothing for granted. Mammograms and self-exams are two of the very best tools you have for detecting early signs of breast cancer. Self-examination is something you can do at home by yourself, and it’s free – no expensive doctor’s visit necessary. Move your fingertips around the area of your breast in a circular fashion and get to know the feel of your breasts.

Although 70% of all breast cancer occurrences are found regularly through self-exams, not all cancers can be felt this way and eight out of 10 lumps that women feel are actually benign (non-cancerous).

No matter what your age, contact your doctor and request a mammogram if you feel anything suspicious. The mammogram will be able to distinguish between benign and malignant lumps and can detect breast cancer much sooner than self-exams – up to two years in advance, in fact.

There are some risk factors for breast cancer that you can’t control, such as having a family history of breast cancer and growing older, but you certainly can take care of your breast health and body with proper nutrition, daily exercise, moderate use of alcohol, and regular breast exams. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you!

Source:
Healthy Living
LifeScripts
http://www.lifescript.com