Choices That You Can Control
Modern medicine has taught us that it is not just the unlucky few who get cancer, and not only those who have a genetic predisposition to it. It has been made clear that our lifestyle choices that can also significantly enhance our chances of getting cancer. And only lifestyle choices are within our control.
While making different, healthier lifestyle choices cannot guarantee that a cancer diagnosis isn’t in your future, informed choices now can impact the overall lifetime risk. The following are five healthy lifestyle decisions you can make today that may help reduce your risk of breast cancer tomorrow.
Reducing The Risk of Breast Cancer Tip #1: Keep A Healthy Weight
Both men and women can be diagnosed with breast cancer, but it is more commonly diagnosed in women than men. As a general rule, keeping your weight at a healthy level will improve your overall health and wellness, but it will also reduce the extra fat tissue that increases estrogen levels. A higher lifetime exposure to estrogen has been shown to increase the risk of breast and other types of cancer. Body-fat, especially fat around the mid-section is biologically active and actually produces estrogen in both men and women! Luckily this type of belly-fat responds well to even small increases in physical activity, but aim for 30 or more minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
Reducing The Risk of Breast Cancer Tip #2: Quit Smoking and Drink Less
For premenopausal women, there is increasing evidence that shows the risk of breast cancer goes up if you are a smoker. Quitting altogether is recommended for everyone, but particularly those who are at increased risk of cancer. Studies are suggesting that limiting your intake of alcohol to one per day, or one any time you drink, poses less risk than consuming multiple alcoholic beverages at a time.
Reducing The Risk of Breast Cancer Tip #3: Move More & Limit Chair Time
Getting regular exercise can be difficult, especially for anyone who sits at a desk all day, and for those who have kids and other commitments after work. As we age, it can become increasingly difficult to get up out of bed early and exercise before work as well. Getting at least 300 minutes of exercise each week is the recommendation to reduce your risks of cancer, but there are other things you can do to make sure sitting all day isn’t unnecessarily harming your health.
If your situation would allow for it, try a standing desk instead of a sitting one. Standing desks are much better for your overall health and will keep your body a little more active during the day by engaging the core muscles. You could also try sitting on a yoga ball instead of a chair. This also keeps your core engaged and your muscles engaged and can even increase your concentration.
Reducing The Risk of Breast Cancer Tip #4: More Plants, Less Meat
A good rule of thumb when adjusting your diet is to incorporate a wide variety of colorful vegetables and fruits. These color pigments are actually called flavonoids. They contain anticancer properties. So the more colorful your plate is at each meal, the better you are doing to reduce your risk of breast cancer naturally.
Limiting your overall consumption of meat, especially grilled red meat or processed meat, is highly recommended. Both grilled red meat and processed meat products have been shown to contain carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties. Here are some more helpful suggestions for risk-reducing dietary changes:
Eat These Foods More:
- Variety of colorful fruits and vegetables
- Foods rich in fiber such as whole grains, legumes, and beans
- Low-fat dairy, or nut-based milk
- Vitamin D rich foods (fish, eggs)
- Spices with anti-inflammatory properties (turmeric, etc.)
- omega-3 fatty acids (reduce Omega-6)
Eat Less of These Foods/Drinks:
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Bad Fats (hydrogenated oils, trans fats)
- Red meat (especially grilled)
- Soybean-based products (contain estrogen properties)
For more information on natural ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer, call the doctors at South Orange Chiropractic Center. They will be happy to help you find ways to improve your overall health and wellness.
