As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems like everyone has been affected by this terrible disease in one way or another. While it’s important that people are searching for a cure, prevention should be on top of everyone’s mind. There are things that women can do every day to help prevent and decrease their risk of getting breast cancer. It will give them a sense of empowerment to know that they are making lifestyle changes to help keep themselves as healthy as possible.
Tips for Breast Cancer Prevention
• Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables every day.
• Cut out sugar and simple carbohydrates as much as possible.
• Avoid processed foods and fast food.
• Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.
• Don’t smoke cigarettes.
• Limit alcohol intake to one drink or less per day.
• Drink green tea which contains antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals that can cause disease.
• De-stress to help maintain a healthy immune system and hormonal balance.
• Avoid GMOs (genetically modified foods) which are treated with herbicides that are carcinogenic.
• Maintain optimal vitamin D levels which research has shown helps decrease your risk of cancer and boost your immune system.
• Avoid synthetic hormones, such as Premarin and Prempro. They increase your risk of breast cancer.
• Use paraben-free cosmetics and personal care products. Parabens are chemicals that can mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone balance.
• Avoid xenoestrogens, commonly found in plastic water bottles. Xenoestrogens disrupt hormone balance and can lead to breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer.
• Detoxify your body – do a good detox program regularly.
• Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
• Exercise regularly.
• Don’t use antiperspirants or deodorants that contain aluminum.
• Avoid birth control pills, especially in young girls, because they increase your risk of cancer.
• If you are a mom, it is important to breastfeed your baby.
• Maintain a healthy body weight. Excess weight can increase your risk of cancer.
• Eat grass-fed meat raised without hormones.
• Take vitamins:
- DIM helps promote healthy estrogen metabolism. It’s the compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
- Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and can have anti-cancer effects.
• Antioxidants such as vitamins C, E, A, Selenium, and Glutathione.
• Avoid electromagnetic fields such as radiation produced by cell phones, x-rays, and electric blankets.
• Do regular self-breast exams monthly.
• Maintain hormone balance and optimal hormone levels.
A Word About the Protective Effects of Progesterone
Progesterone plays a critical role in protecting women against breast cancer because balancing estrogen with progesterone is crucial. Some risk factors associated with breast cancer are directly or indirectly related to excess estrogen, or estrogen that is not balanced with progesterone, a condition called estrogen dominance. This hormonal imbalance can be easily corrected with bioidentical progesterone, which is identical to the progesterone made by your body.
Share this with all the women in your life so that they can be proactive and take charge of their health today.
To schedule a Free Wellness Consultation with the Hotze Health & Wellness Center—call us at 281-698-8698 or visit hotzehwc.com. Click here to take the symptom checker to find out if you could be experiencing symptoms of allergies or hormone decline.
