For the Girls
Big or small, save them all. For the girls. Thanks for the mammaries. I pink I can. Save the tatas...Every October, we think for a month about our chests. We bring attention to a disease that currently affects or will affect 1 in 8 women. If you are reading this right now, you probably are doing so because you know someone close to you that has been affected by the disease.
Luckily, as time marches on, and more awareness and money is raised, we get closer to improving outcomes for those that receive the diagnosis. Take the time this month to learn a little more about what you can do to educate yourself or a woman you care about taking steps to help prevent breast cancer.
Here are some prevention strategies:
1. Get routine physicals, every year. As with any disease, early detection is key and can result in stopping the disease in it’s tracks. Every woman should have a regular family physician and gynecologist. Regular mammograms should start at 40.
2. Maintain your weight at a healthy weight. Not only a good prevention idea for breast cancer, but other cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke as well. Being overweight increases the risk of cancer, especially if your weight increases after menopause.
3. Eat a healthy diet. The jury is still out on how much this affects your risk of cancer, but a healthy diet keeps your immunity strong, prevents other disease, and helps maintain your weight at a healthy level. Emphasize healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and limit high sodium, processed, and fried foods.
4. Move more. Being physically active, like a healthy diet, helps you maintain a healthy weight and increases your immunity. Current recommendations are for 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week. Try a class at your local Y or get a walking buddy to help motivate you. Find something you truly enjoy doing. If you are just starting an exercise program, start slow and gradually build up to prevent an injury.
5. Breastfeed. Women who breastfeed are less likely to develop breast cancer than those that don’t. The longer you do so for, the less risk you are at. The bonus here is that it is also great for the baby.
6. Moderate your alcohol intake. A high intake of alcohol increases your risk of cancer. If you are going to drink, be sure to limit yourself to one drink a day.
These are just some of the guidelines. Sure, a lot of women who were diagnosed, were healthy individuals that followed all of these rules. Breast cancer can affect anyone. However, the more we know and the more conscious we are about our health and vigilant about it, the more we decrease our risk of breast cancer and other diseases as well.
