Breast health goes hand in hand with our health in general. Now is the best time to take care of your breasts and the good news is, most of these tips help not only augment breast health but boost our overall health and helps us feel good about ourselves. Lets look at some tips that we can implement or watch for in our daily lives to keep our breasts healthy.
1.Increase Veggie and Fruit intake: Vegetables and fruits are rich in anti oxidants and may have a role in lowering risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. This kind of breast cancer is aggressive and resistant to traditional treatment modalities. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends eating at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables helps control calorie intake, consuming too many calories (overeating) has been shown to increase risk of breast and other cancers. Processed meat (bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and lunch meats) has been shown to be carcinogenic – so avoid it at all costs!
2. Exercise and maintain body weight: Lack of physical activity and obesity have been clearly linked to breast cancer. While you work on eating healthy, add physical activity to your daily routine. Fat cells in our body are storehouses for estrogen. Exercise reduces fat cells and therefore reduces estrogen levels and thus potentially protecting from breast cancer. ACS recommends adults should get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity, or an equal combination, in addition to normal activities of daily living. You can add a brisk nature walk 30 minutes 5 days a week or choose an activity that you can stick to, on a consistent basis. Check out ACS guidelines here.
Keep an eye on your weight – maintaining a healthy weight is a key factor in breast cancer prevention. A simple measure called Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on weight and height. Normal BMI is between 18.5–24.9. Eating healthy and staying active will help you stay in this range. You can use this link to calculate your BMI and keep track of it.
3. Avoid or limit alcohol intake: Alcohol consumption is clearly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. This risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Avoid alcohol or stick to ACS guidelines for safe consumption limits.
4. Hormonal contraception: There’s some evidence that hormonal contraception, which includes birth control pills and IUDs that release hormones, increases the risk of breast cancer. But the risk is considered very small, and it decreases after you stop using hormonal contraceptives.
5. Breastfeeding and having children: If you are in the reproductive age group, having children before age 30 years and breast feeding at least for 6 months, reduces the risk of breast cancer slightly.
6. Sunscreen: The skin around our chest and neck is very thin and prone to sun damage. It contains less sebaceous glands and fewer melanocytes (cells that give color to our skin and protect it from harmful ultraviolet sun rays). Keep yourself covered or apply sunscreen. Avoid exposure to x-ray radiation as well, some research suggests a link between breast cancer and cumulative exposure to radiation over a person’s lifetime. Reduce your exposure by having x-rays only when absolutely necessary.
7. Get familiarized with your breasts: Know your breasts – in case of a change, consult your physician.
8. Breast size and bra fit: Get yourself measured for a comfortable bra fit to avoid poor posture, back pain and above all discomfort. You can read more about bra types and fit on Voicebowl.
9. Sleep and rest well: Not getting enough sleep at night/night shift work might have an increased risk for breast cancer. Light exposure at night, reduces melatonin levels, which may interfere with estrogen regulation. Get your eight hours of sleep every night.
10. Relax and don’t forget to breathe: Stressful events are real; stress is a part and parcel of fast paced lives we live these days. An ongoing exposure to stress has been linked to negative changes in body homeostasis, therefore it is crucial that you take time out to de-stress. Do things you truly enjoy and feel uplifted doing them, spend time with loved ones and above all don’t forget to breathe. Check out this wonderful story on Voicebowl about “feeling our presence and being present in every moment”.
Some other important tips on breast health, that I will elaborate in future articles:
1. Keep up with breast cancer screening
2. Know your family history/genetics
3. Limit dose and duration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT for post menopausal symptoms).
Which tips you find most useful and practical? Which tips were most surprising for you? And which tips are hard to practice? Share your thoughts and experiences with us!
