One of the biggest myths regarding breast cancer is that it is caused primarily by genetic inheritance of a breast cancer gene. This myth causes many women to simply give up and accept the attitude that they might as well not worry about something they can’t control. The truth is that the majority of breast cancer cases are a direct result of environmental factors, such as diet, weight and lifestyle. Given this knowledge, women should realize that there are many small changes that they can make in their daily lives that will dramatically reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
Fight Obesity by Keeping Weight within Acceptable Limits
Women who are overweight should immediately get their weight down to an acceptable range. Although not fully understood by researchers, it is believed that excess fat cells trap pollutants in the body, thus giving the cells more time to turn cancerous. In addition, fat cells produce estrogen and overweight women have more estrogen. This increased estrogen production is directly linked with increased risk for breast cancer.
Once one has arrived at an ideal weight, it is critical to maintain it. The best way to prevent regaining the weight is through regular exercise. In fact, getting regular exercise is another recommend method for prevention of breast cancer. At least 30 minutes of physical activity a day is ideal to stay physically fit and healthy.
Reduce Meat Intake and Don’t Overcook It
With regards to breast cancer, there are certain foods that women should limit in their diets. One of these foods is red meat, which should only be consumed once or twice a week.
In addition, women should avoid eating meat that has been burned black. Although this is most often caused by overcooking items on a grill, some item such as “blackened chicken” fall into this category as well. The charring in these meats has been directly linked to increased risk of cancer.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
To help build up the immune system, make sure to increase the number of fruits and vegetables in the diet. The daily recommended servings of vegetables is five to nine servings per day.
Ideally, women should choose vegetables by color. Dark green vegetables are the ideal foods to provide much need antioxidants. However, the more brightly colored a diet is, the healthier it is.
Stop Bad Habits that Negatively Affect Health
One of the biggest risk factors for any type of cancer is smoking. Although traditionally known to cause lung cancer, it has more recently been linked to both breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer as well. Women who smoke should begin a smoking cessation program immediately to improve their overall health as well as reduce their risk of breast cancer.
Another bad habit to break is that of consuming too much alcohol. Women should drink no more than two glasses of alcohol per day. Drinking just one extra glass has been shown to increase breast cancer risk by up to 50%.
References
http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/everyone/lower_risk.jsp
 |
