health brief

• Perform a monthly breast exam the week following your period. Draw a breast map and record the presence of any lumps or changes in breast tissue. Follow up with a healthcare professional if you detect any changes.

• Perform light breast self-massage three times per week.

• Exercising four or more hours a week may decrease hormone levels and help lower breast cancer risk. Exercise will also help maintain a healthy weight and help improve circulation.

• Eat your veggies. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli may protect against breast cancer because they lower levels of estrogen, which is a hormone that plays a role in tumor growth. Additionally, isothiocyanates— the anti-cancer compounds found in broccoli— can help in the detoxification of your liver and can rid your body of carcinogens.

• Avoid the use of plastic food containers and wraps. Plastics can leech man-made estrogens and contaminate the food or beverage inside. Instead, use glass or ceramic containers to store food.

• Get some sun! Vitamin D is a hormone that your body naturally produces when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is essential to your body, but as many as 36% of us are deficient. Vitamin D may protect us from breast cancer by stimulating the production of a protein that prevents breast cancer cells from growing. If you let yourself get sunburned, though, you've overdone the sun exposure.

• Alkalize your blood. A healthy pH balance -- the ratio of alkaline to acid in the body -- is crucial to being cancer-free. Cancer thrives in acidic environments but is unable to survive in alkaline ones. Make sure your diet is rich in alkalizing foods such as green vegetables, beans, spices, herbs, seeds and nuts. Limit your consumption of alcohol, coffee, meat, fish, poultry and eggs.

Contributed by Irene's Myomassology Institute, Southfield, MI. For more information call 248-350-1400 or visit their website: Irenes.edu.  

Sources:
1. Breast Cancer Prevention: Lifestyle factors that can reduce risk http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-cancer-prevention/WO00091
2. Breast Cancer Prevention http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/Patient/page3
3. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer? http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bioidentical-hormones/AN01133
4. Breast Cancer Prevention: Us a Holistic Approach http://www.naturalnews.com/027233_cancer_brst_health.html
5. Holistic Breast Cancer Prevention http://www.naturallysavvy.com/womens-health/holistic-breast-cancer-prevention
6. Bras and Breast Cancer by Ralph L. Reed, Ph.D. http://www.all-natural.com/bras.html
7. Hormone-mimics in Plastic Water Bottles Act as Functional Estrogen http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326100714.htm