Breast cancer is one of the fiercest ailments that a lot of women face
today. In many cases, it turns out to be fatal as it is not detected in
its early stages. But if one pays a little heed towards protecting one’s
own health, simple steps can wave off the risk of breast cancer. It
sure is a difficult disease to fight but if taken care of well in
advance, anyone can survive it. All it takes is a little effort and a
cautious lifestyle! So, take a look at few best ways you can prevent the
risks of breast cancer..
Try being fit, not over weight In women, cancer becomes a bigger threat especially after menopause. Although, with today’s lifestyle changes the onset can be even earlier as well. Being obese or overweight increases the chances of getting breast cancer at that post-menopause age. Try maintaining a body mass index prescribed by a fitness expert that is according to your age, height and weight. Also, eat healthy and exercise well.
Eat right and healthy Some right kinds of food can prevent you from the risk of developing breast cancer disease. Foods like berries, pomegranates, fish, pluses, etc. are rich in antioxidants and many more vital nutrients that can help you to keep breast cancer risk at bay. So, know about these foods and include them in your diet.
Stay physically fit Just maintaining a weight is not enough, you have to stay physically active as well to lower the risks of this disease. Regular exercising strengthens your body’s immunity system and reduces the risk of breast cancer by 10 to 30 percent. Exercise does not mean going to a gym or doing a strenuous workout, even a 30 minutes’ walk can do a lot of good for your body.
Stay away from alcoholic drinks and smoking Having alcohol once in a blue moon will do you no harm as far as breast cancer is concerned, but for those who come with a family history of the disease should avoid it completely. Alcohol is also believed to increase the estrogen levels in the body. Also, quitting smoking not only lowers the risk of breast cancer but is good for your overall health as well.
Breastfeed your baby It is now a proven fact that those women who breastfeed their child for a longer time, lower their risk of getting breast cancer at any stage after that. Estrogen is a hormone present in women that can increase the risk of this cancer, but breastfeeding hampers its production in the body. Also, after a certain age, women who have had a family history of breast cancer can consult their doctors and ask them to prescribe estrogen blocking drugs.
Detect the symptoms, be aware It is a well-known fact that by being a little aware of how your breasts feel and look, one might be able detect the disease. Try to feel your breasts at regular intervals to see if you feel any lumps or something else that is unusual. If so, visit your doctor at once. It not necessarily means that the lump is cancer. And if it is, you will at least have the time to treat it properly and get rid of the disease for good. Also, keep a check on your family’s medical history.
Five leading medical professionals share their top healthy living tips for preventing cancer. Shape magazine.
Eat Dark Chocolate: Flavonoids like pentamer, present in cocoa, has cancer-fighting properties. Dark chocolate is rich in cocoa and is certainly one of the tastiest ways to help you stay away from cancer. Pollution, radiations and bad living habits pave the way for various kinds of cancer. To effectively combat cancer, adopt a way of living that is pure and simple.
Avoid Processed Foods: Numerous studies have shown that processed foods and sugar can significantly increase the risk of cancer. Maintaining a healthy diet rich in all nutrients and supplements is one of the basic steps to fight cancer.
Steer Clear of Carcinogens: It is quite obvious that to prevent cancer, you need to strictly avoid all things that can cause cancer. Alcohol, cigarettes and other recreational drugs are among the top causes of cancer.
Get Some Exercise: An inactive lifestyle with no exercise can drastically increase the odds of cancer. Regular exercise strengthens the immune system and helps in the regulation of chemicals, enzymes and hormones in the body.
Sleep Soundly: The human body requires a minimum of 8 hours of sleep to regulate all of its functions properly. Regular sleep helps in maintaining a healthy endocrine system and its ability to fight cancer. It is also essential to sleep in complete darkness to promote a healthy endocrine system.
Add Garlic to Your Meals: Garlic has very powerful antioxidant properties. It also strengthens the immune system and helps to prevent cancer. Various studies have shown that garlic can exponentially decrease the odds of stomach cancer.
Reduce Hazardous Interactions: There are a variety of environmental factors that can cause cancer. Radiation from mobile phones and other electronic devices can increase the chances of cancer. Limit your exposure to the minimum to combat cancer.
Eat Broccoli: Broccoli is one of the super foods which can help you effectively prevent cancer. However, it is not recommended to microwave broccoli as it destroys its anti carcinogenic flavonoids. It is best to boil broccoli or eat it raw as a snack.
Pick power fruits: "I make smoothies with pomegranates and blueberries because my research shows that both these fruits contain compounds that can slow the growth of certain types of cancer cells." -Shuian Chen, Ph.D., director, Tumor Cell Biology Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
Keep the scale steady: "More than 90,000 cancer deaths a year occur due to being overweight. Carrying as little as 10 extra pounds may increase your production of sex hormones like estrogen, raising your risk for breast and uterine cancers. I step on the scale every few days. If the number creeps up, I try to exercise a little more or eat a little less to get back on track." -Ann Kulze, M.D., director, Prevent Cancer Foundation
Go Greek! "My diet is mostly Mediterranean-plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. People who eat this way, exercise regularly, and don't smoke cut their odds of getting cancer by at least 60 percent."-Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., director, MD Anderson Cancer Center's Integrative Medicine Program
Watch your mouth: "Oral cancers are on the rise among people ages 20 to 40, which we believe is because of HPV spread through oral sex. I always look for unusual changes in my patient's mouth, like sores or blisters on the cheeks, tongue, or lips. It usually takes less than two minutes. If your dentist doesn't already do this, ask her to start." -Gigi Meinecke, D.M.D., a dentist in Potomac, Maryland
Spice things up: "Cooking meat over high temps creates carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines, or HCA. I marinate meat and add herbs before grilling. Our studies show that doing this can slash levels of HCA by 40 percent." -J. Scott Smith, Ph.D., chair, Kansas State University's Food Graduate Program
Try being fit, not over weight In women, cancer becomes a bigger threat especially after menopause. Although, with today’s lifestyle changes the onset can be even earlier as well. Being obese or overweight increases the chances of getting breast cancer at that post-menopause age. Try maintaining a body mass index prescribed by a fitness expert that is according to your age, height and weight. Also, eat healthy and exercise well.
Eat right and healthy Some right kinds of food can prevent you from the risk of developing breast cancer disease. Foods like berries, pomegranates, fish, pluses, etc. are rich in antioxidants and many more vital nutrients that can help you to keep breast cancer risk at bay. So, know about these foods and include them in your diet.
Stay physically fit Just maintaining a weight is not enough, you have to stay physically active as well to lower the risks of this disease. Regular exercising strengthens your body’s immunity system and reduces the risk of breast cancer by 10 to 30 percent. Exercise does not mean going to a gym or doing a strenuous workout, even a 30 minutes’ walk can do a lot of good for your body.
Stay away from alcoholic drinks and smoking Having alcohol once in a blue moon will do you no harm as far as breast cancer is concerned, but for those who come with a family history of the disease should avoid it completely. Alcohol is also believed to increase the estrogen levels in the body. Also, quitting smoking not only lowers the risk of breast cancer but is good for your overall health as well.
Breastfeed your baby It is now a proven fact that those women who breastfeed their child for a longer time, lower their risk of getting breast cancer at any stage after that. Estrogen is a hormone present in women that can increase the risk of this cancer, but breastfeeding hampers its production in the body. Also, after a certain age, women who have had a family history of breast cancer can consult their doctors and ask them to prescribe estrogen blocking drugs.
Detect the symptoms, be aware It is a well-known fact that by being a little aware of how your breasts feel and look, one might be able detect the disease. Try to feel your breasts at regular intervals to see if you feel any lumps or something else that is unusual. If so, visit your doctor at once. It not necessarily means that the lump is cancer. And if it is, you will at least have the time to treat it properly and get rid of the disease for good. Also, keep a check on your family’s medical history.
Five leading medical professionals share their top healthy living tips for preventing cancer. Shape magazine.
Eat Dark Chocolate: Flavonoids like pentamer, present in cocoa, has cancer-fighting properties. Dark chocolate is rich in cocoa and is certainly one of the tastiest ways to help you stay away from cancer. Pollution, radiations and bad living habits pave the way for various kinds of cancer. To effectively combat cancer, adopt a way of living that is pure and simple.
Avoid Processed Foods: Numerous studies have shown that processed foods and sugar can significantly increase the risk of cancer. Maintaining a healthy diet rich in all nutrients and supplements is one of the basic steps to fight cancer.
Steer Clear of Carcinogens: It is quite obvious that to prevent cancer, you need to strictly avoid all things that can cause cancer. Alcohol, cigarettes and other recreational drugs are among the top causes of cancer.
Get Some Exercise: An inactive lifestyle with no exercise can drastically increase the odds of cancer. Regular exercise strengthens the immune system and helps in the regulation of chemicals, enzymes and hormones in the body.
Sleep Soundly: The human body requires a minimum of 8 hours of sleep to regulate all of its functions properly. Regular sleep helps in maintaining a healthy endocrine system and its ability to fight cancer. It is also essential to sleep in complete darkness to promote a healthy endocrine system.
Add Garlic to Your Meals: Garlic has very powerful antioxidant properties. It also strengthens the immune system and helps to prevent cancer. Various studies have shown that garlic can exponentially decrease the odds of stomach cancer.
Reduce Hazardous Interactions: There are a variety of environmental factors that can cause cancer. Radiation from mobile phones and other electronic devices can increase the chances of cancer. Limit your exposure to the minimum to combat cancer.
Eat Broccoli: Broccoli is one of the super foods which can help you effectively prevent cancer. However, it is not recommended to microwave broccoli as it destroys its anti carcinogenic flavonoids. It is best to boil broccoli or eat it raw as a snack.
Pick power fruits: "I make smoothies with pomegranates and blueberries because my research shows that both these fruits contain compounds that can slow the growth of certain types of cancer cells." -Shuian Chen, Ph.D., director, Tumor Cell Biology Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
Keep the scale steady: "More than 90,000 cancer deaths a year occur due to being overweight. Carrying as little as 10 extra pounds may increase your production of sex hormones like estrogen, raising your risk for breast and uterine cancers. I step on the scale every few days. If the number creeps up, I try to exercise a little more or eat a little less to get back on track." -Ann Kulze, M.D., director, Prevent Cancer Foundation
Go Greek! "My diet is mostly Mediterranean-plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. People who eat this way, exercise regularly, and don't smoke cut their odds of getting cancer by at least 60 percent."-Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., director, MD Anderson Cancer Center's Integrative Medicine Program
Watch your mouth: "Oral cancers are on the rise among people ages 20 to 40, which we believe is because of HPV spread through oral sex. I always look for unusual changes in my patient's mouth, like sores or blisters on the cheeks, tongue, or lips. It usually takes less than two minutes. If your dentist doesn't already do this, ask her to start." -Gigi Meinecke, D.M.D., a dentist in Potomac, Maryland
Spice things up: "Cooking meat over high temps creates carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines, or HCA. I marinate meat and add herbs before grilling. Our studies show that doing this can slash levels of HCA by 40 percent." -J. Scott Smith, Ph.D., chair, Kansas State University's Food Graduate Program
