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Texas Women, Take Action Against Breast Cancer!

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Eight Healthy Steps for Breast Cancer Prevention

Breast cancer occurs primarily in women. In fact about one in eight women (12%) will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The following steps are critical to helping you take action to prevent breast cancer:

Watch your weight - Women who are overweight or obese, especially later in life (after menopause) are at a higher risk.

Exercise – Studies show than living an active lifestyle can help reduce your risk. The exact amount of exercise needed daily is not yet clear, but even moderate exercise such as a brisk walk will help. While the wrong types of exercise can be hard on bones and joints, learn to know your body and what effects exercise will have on it. Remember to always start slow and work your way up to more strenuous exercise, depending on your age. Of course, exercise also contributes to maintaining an ideal weight.

Eat healthy - A balanced diet may help reduce your risk of cancer. It is debatable whether being vegan or vegetarian helps prevent breast cancer, but there’s no question that adding more fruits and vegetables and cutting back on meat improves your overall health. When possible, avoid eating meat that contains added hormones. Limiting consumption of red meat and eating more fish, which contains nutritious Omega 3 fatty acids, is recommended.  Also, limit your intake of processed foods and instead, opt for natural and organic ones.

Don’t smoke – Everyone knows smoking is detrimental to your overall health, and numerous studies have linked smoking with breast cancer risk. This is especially true for smokers who start early in life, before their first pregnancy.

Drink less - Studies have shown a strong link between drinking alcoholic beverages and breast cancer. Limit your alcohol intake or don’t drink at all. Research shows that women who consume three or more alcoholic drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who don’t drink at all. Additionally, experts estimate that the risk of breast cancer goes up another 10% for each additional drink per day.

Breastfeed, if possible - Whether or not you have children is a personal decision. Just know that studies have shown that having children earlier in life and breastfeeding them for at least twelve months can have life-long benefits in protecting you from breast cancer.

Self-examinations - Early detection is the best way to ensure you get the right treatment while breast cancer is in its initial stages. Get acquainted with what’s normal for you and check both breasts regularly for anything unusual, including lumps, dimples, discharge, or discoloration. Remember that in most cases, changes to the breast are not symptoms of cancer. But if you do notice changes, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Screening - Early detection of cancer saves lives. The sooner breast cancer is found and treated, the better the chance of surviving it. Clinical examinations, mammograms, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasounds, and biopsies are the primary ways breast cancer is detected today. Talk with your doctor to find out what options are best for you.

Risk factors such as family history/genetics unfortunately can’t be changed. While lifestyle changes may not entirely eliminate the possibility of getting breast cancer, they have been shown to significantly lower the risk. So Texas women, take action now to prevent breast cancer. It could save your life.

 

Eight Healthy Steps for Breast Cancer Prevention

Breast cancer occurs primarily in women. In fact, about one in eight women (12%) will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The following steps are critical to helping you take action to prevent breast cancer:

Watch your weight - Women who are overweight or obese, especially later in life (after menopause) are at a higher risk.

Exercise – Studies show than living an active lifestyle can help reduce your risk. The exact amount of exercise needed daily is not yet clear, but even moderate exercise such as a brisk walk will help. While the wrong types of exercise can be hard on bones and joints, learn to know your body and what effects exercise will have on it. Remember to always start slow and work your way up to more strenuous exercise, depending on your age. Of course, exercise also contributes to maintaining an ideal weight.

Eat healthy - A balanced diet may help reduce your risk of cancer. It is debatable whether being vegan or vegetarian helps prevent breast cancer, but there’s no question that adding more fruits and vegetables and cutting back on meat improves your overall health. When possible, avoid eating meat that contains added hormones. Limiting consumption of red meat and eating more fish, which contains nutritious Omega 3 fatty acids, is recommended.  Also, limit your intake of processed foods and instead, opt for natural and organic ones.

Don’t smoke – Everyone knows smoking is detrimental to your overall health, and numerous studies have linked smoking with breast cancer risk. This is especially true for smokers who start early in life, before their first pregnancy.

Drink less - Studies have shown a strong link between drinking alcoholic beverages and breast cancer. Limit your alcohol intake or don’t drink at all. Research shows that women who consume three or more alcoholic drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who don’t drink at all. Additionally, experts estimate that the risk of breast cancer goes up another 10% for each additional drink per day.

Breastfeed, if possible - Whether or not you have children is a personal decision. Just know that studies have shown that having children earlier in life and breastfeeding them for at least twelve months can have life-long benefits in protecting you from breast cancer.

Self-examinations - Early detection is the best way to ensure you get the right treatment while breast cancer is in its initial stages. Get acquainted with what’s normal for you and check both breasts regularly for anything unusual, including lumps, dimples, discharge, or discoloration. Remember that in most cases, changes to the breast are not symptoms of cancer. But if you do notice changes, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Screening - Early detection of cancer saves lives. The sooner breast cancer is found and treated, the better the chance of surviving it. Clinical examinations, mammograms, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasounds, and biopsies are the primary ways breast cancer is detected today. Talk with your doctor to find out what options are best for you.

Risk factors such as family history/genetics unfortunately can’t be changed. While lifestyle changes may not entirely eliminate the possibility of getting breast cancer, they have been shown to significantly lower the risk. So Texas women, take action now to prevent breast cancer. It could save your life.

 

Sources:

http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/alcohol

http://nbcf.org.au/

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/breast-cancer-fish-oil-omega-fatty-acids-reduce/story?id=11112520


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