Most of the people in my life have had some form of cancer or another. It seems like no one is going to be able to avoid having a least one type of mild cancer in their lifetime, thanks to the way the world is today. With the endless amounts of toxins in the air, water, food, and soil, it’s no wonder people are encountering so many forms of cancer lately. Breast cancer tends to afflict women more than men. Women shouldn’t think they are immune to breast cancer, even if no other woman in their family has had it. Here are 8 steps to prevent breast cancer from being what stops you in your tracks.
I know not everyone is able to or wants to do this, but it is beneficial to both Mom and Baby. While Baby gets all her nutrients and antibodies from Mom’s breast milk, Mom is fighting breast cancer. The percentage may only drop by 4 percent, but this still means you have less chance of getting breast cancer than before you began breast feeding your baby.
Smoking tends to be more of a cause for lung cancer than breast cancer, but studies still show that smoking actually puts some women more at risk for breast cancer. It never hurts to take a healthier route and not smoke at all, just in case you are one of the few women who end up with breast cancer because you smoked.
Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are basically compounds found in soy that block estrogen from connecting with individual receptors. This means women who are pre-menopausal won’t have to worry about getting too much estrogen and will have a smaller chance of getting breast cancer.
Receiving too much estrogen is never good for women of any age group. It can become even more detrimental to women who are post-menopausal. Women who are past the age of menopause have a higher risk of getting breast cancer as it is. Most post-menopausal women take estrogen supplements, due to their lower levels of estrogen, but it is possible to still get too much.
You don’t have to start paying monthly fees to the 24 hour gym in town to prevent breast cancer. Taking a walk in the evening or early morning will do the trick. It isn’t the intensity of the exercise that only does you some good, it’s doing the exercise on a regular basis that matters the most.
Cruciferous veggies are well-known cancer-fighting foods. Vegetables included in this food group include; cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. If you can’t stomach any of those, then try to consume some dark leafy greens, tomatoes, or carrots. Even blueberries, cherries, and most citrus fruits are excellent additions to add to your daily diet for cancer prevention.
Eating oily fish will enable you to get all the omega-3 fats you need. Fish considered to be high in omega-3 are sardines, tuna, salmon, and lake trout just to name a few. If you aren’t a huge fan of fish, then take an omega-3 supplement and use monounsaturated oils as your main source of fat in your diet. Use olive or canola oil instead of vegetable oil or lard. Snack on seeds and nuts and try to squeeze in an avocado from time to time.
While having regular check ups might not actually prevent you from getting breast cancer, you might end up being able to prevent the spread of any cancerous spots detected during your check up. I think this is an important step to add to this list. Without proper a proper check up each year, detecting early stages of breast cancer is near to impossible.
Using these 8 steps to prevent breast cancer should keep you healthy and happy as well as helping you keep breast cancer at bay. Out of the steps listed above are there any you already do?
Top Photo Credit: akirsa