We all share one common trait that puts us at risk for breast cancer- we are women. While that is one risk factor we can not change, there are many places in our lives where we can take steps to prevent breast cancer.
7 Ways to Decrease Breast Cancer Risk
- Add More Fruits & Vegetables To Your Diet: Vegetables found in the brassica family have been shown to be beneficial cancer fighters. These include broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and many more. Berries, cherries, kale, tomatoes and spinach contain nutrients that promote cellular health and protect the cell from damage.
- Maintain A Healthy Weight: Being overweight not only increases your risk for breast cancer, but it also increases the likelihood of reoccurrence in those who have had breast cancer. A BMI greater than 25 increases your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
- Exercise: Aim for 45-60 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. The American Cancer Society has interactive tools to help you start getting active today.
- Limit Alcohol Drinks: In one prospective study, involving 320,00 women, having 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day was found to increase the risk for breast cancer by 41%.
- Reduce Your Exposure To Estrogen: Estrogen is the female hormone found in oral contraceptives (the birth control pill) and hormone replacement therapy drugs. Estrogen can promote the growth of cancer cells and when in excess, may increase your risk.
- Stop Smoking: Smoking puts you at risk for breast cancer and many other cancers.
- Heal Your Gut: Both your digestive tract and liver health are important to breast health. Excess estrogen is processed by the liver and removed from the body via the gut. Eating fiber rich foods, taking probiotics and healing leaky gut or infections will enable your gut to remove toxins, hormones and waste, protecting your body and enabling you to get the most nutrients from your food.
Learn More About Gut Healing:
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Digestive Disorders
And don't forget…
Check Your Breasts Monthly: A monthly self breast exam can help you become more familiar with your breasts, which is important for detecting early changes to your breast tissue. Many women are only visiting their doctor for clinical breast exams every 1 to 3 years, making self breast exams that much more important. Routinely screening your own breast while working with a health care practitioner can be an effective tool in early detection.
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