23 steps you can take to prevent Breast Cancer

Can you prevent Breast Cancer… no one really knows.  But everyone knows you can do a lot to catch it early and prevent it becoming a terminal disease.

But do you take these steps?  

1.  Check your breasts once a month, a few days after your period finishes so that any cysts in the breast that come and go with the period do not cause unnecessary concern. Post – menopausal women can check their breasts at any time of the month.

2.  Go through the same routine every month so you can spot changes. First look at your breast in the mirror to make sure there are no changes in shape, size texture, or colour of the breast. Then lie down and feel each part of the breast with the flat of your fingers for any lumps or bumps or changes in skin texture.

3.  Do not smoke.

4.  Keep your alcohol intake low. Not more than one drink a week. It is best to not have alcohol at all.

5.  Make sure you eat healthily. It should mostly be made up of fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organically grown, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses, oily fish and olive oil.

6. Avoid fatty food, keep your meat intake as low as possible.

7.  Avoid junk food and refined carbohydrates especially sugar.

8.  Keep away from well known carcinogens such as smoked meats, sausages, peanuts, additives, saccharine and hydrogenated oils.

9.  Make sure you have plenty of vitamins A, E, C and D in your diet. These have been shown to help abnormal cancer cells back to normal healthy cells. They also improve the function of the immune system in its battle to destroy abnormal cells.

10.  Beta carotene in carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli for example has been extensively shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

11.  Vitamins C and E help to protect the stomach, bowel and bladder from the carcinogenic effects of certain foods. Vitamins A, C, and E and selenium have antioxidant properties.  These vitamins inhibit deterioration of cells caused by ‘free radicals’ which contribute to the development of cancer and in this way help prevent it.

12.  Add in plenty of essential fatty acids to your diet.

13.  A high fibre diet, with plenty of whole grains and vegetables not only prevents constipation, but also hastens the removal of carcinogens from the bowels and diminishes their chances of absorption into the system.

14.  Fibre also enhances the elimination of estrogen via the bowels, thereby helping to prevent excess estrogen in the system from contributing to breast cancer.

15.  Avoid contaminants in water by drinking filtered water and bottled water.

16.  Avoid taking the contraceptive pill and the use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).

17.  Exercise and make sure you get fresh air, rest and relaxation and adequate sleep.

18.  If you are overweight. Seek the help of a qualified nutritionist to bring your weight under control.

19.  If you are stressed, take time off to relax and let go of tensions and anxieties.

20.  Now is a time to release unresolved emotional problems. Try to deal with them and let them go.

21.  Yoga, Tai Chi, psychotherapy or sharing the troubles to a caring friend may all help.

22.  Avoid putting yourself under any unnecessary pressures. Try to let go of them and spend at least one hour daily doing or being just what you want to.

23.  Give that one hour to yourself, put yourself first for a change, even if it means just lying on the couch listening to music or reading a good book or enjoying a warm bath infused with your favourite essential oils.

Which of these preventative activities do you do regularly?