Best Practices For Breast Health

Discover best practices for breast health. From dietary tips to hormone testing insights, empower yourself with the knowledge to nurture your well-being. Dive into actionable steps for maintaining breast health and reducing risks. 

Best Nutrition and Lifestyle for Breast Health

Breast health is vital to overall well-being, and adopting certain lifestyle practices can significantly contribute to its maintenance. While genetics play a role, lifestyle choices also have a considerable impact on breast health. 

Hormonal imbalances and breast cancer have been on the rise. The “Support for the cure” is everywhere and persists. You see it in the commercials on TV, bumper stickers, walk for the Cure, commercial items with pink ribbons, and more. The reality of this movement is that they don’t promote any prevention. It saddens me that the energy they put into this movement is not addressing what we can do to avoid the problem.

By incorporating these best practices for breast health into your daily routine, you can promote breast health and reduce the risk of various breast-related issues.

When it comes to breast health, we can do many things to prevent it. Indeed, a healthy diet is one of them. Eating whole, fresh, natural, organic food prepared at home can reduce chemical exposure from food. We must make conscious choices to change our diet, reduce inflammation, reduce excess insulin, improve methylation and detoxification, balance our hormones, strengthen our immune system, get sufficient sleep, and manage our mental and emotional stress. Here you will learn how to avoid breast cancer.

Healthy Diet- Food For Healthy Breast

A healthy diet for promoting breast health focuses on consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. No fast food, sugary drinks, excessive alcohol consumption, and diet low in sugar.

Eat Anti- Inflammatory Diet

A low-sugar, high-fiber diet, along with an alkalinizing diet, will make a big difference.

Sugar is one of the leading causes of cancer, and it depresses the immune system. Tumors require sugar for survival. A low glycemic index diet to stabilize hormone levels and blood sugar is best. Sugar also increases estrogen levels, elevating estrogen-dependent cancers like breast cancer. Sugar is stored as fat in our body, and fat produces estrogen. Nutrient-rich food, a whole-food diet balances insulin and glucagon and also decreases inflammation. Eliminate refined carbohydrates like sugar and refined flour – cookies, cakes, chips, crackers, etc. Reduce grain products (because they can be inflammatory) to no more than two servings per day. The diet should consist mainly of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, fish and healthy fat.

Eat Lots of Vegetables

Eating vegetables means a lot of fiber. A high-fiber diet stabilizes blood sugar, which positively affects any cancer. A high-fiber diet based on low-carb fresh fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, raw nuts, legumes, and seeds is preferable. Fiber is essential in hormonal balance because it helps bind excess estrogen and removes it from the body. This helps prevent a lot of issues and, most importantly, prevents estrogen dominance, which can lead to breast cancer. Fiber is also essential in promoting a healthy weight and is another guard against breast cancer. Fiber slows the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. This process lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, denying a growing tumor the sugar and insulin it needs to thrive. Taking extra fiber will help move toxic waste to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Eat Cruciferous Vegetables

Eating cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, horseradish, kohlrabi, radish, and turnips helps modulate estrogen levels. They contain glucosinolates, which help to detoxify carcinogens. They contain indole-3-carbinol (A compound formed when the vegetables are cooked or crushed), which has a protective effect against oxidants and estrogens in the body. They are excellent detoxifiers and stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body. Detox is critical in preventing cancer. Indole-3-carbinol helps convert estrogen from cancer-producing to nontoxic breakdown products. The enzymatic process, which takes place in your body, hydrolyzes (breaks down) glucosinolates and isothiocyanates – which are released, including sulforaphane, that help fight cancer and promote apoptosis (cell death) and help with phase 2 detoxification.

​Include garlic and turmeric in your diet. They offer protection from cancer, reduce inflammation, and inhibit tumor growth.

Eat Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Eat omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish. They show a beneficial effect on breast cancer prevention. They reduce inflammation, one of the most important things to do to prevent and fight cancer. You ideally want an omega-6: the omega-3 ratio of 2:1, which can be challenging to obtain in a modern standard American diet. Eat fish two or three times a week. Salmon is excellent, as it has lots of omega-3s. Seafood is also the richest source of chromium, selenium, iodine, zinc, and copper – vital for healthy blood sugar metabolism. Remember, always buy wild fish from a reputable source. Plant sources of omega-3s include chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, sacha inchi seeds, walnuts, and their oils, especially flax seeds.

Eat Flax Seeds

Eat ground flax seeds and flaxseed oil, which are breast cancer-protective. They contain twice the level of omega-3 fatty acids than fish. However, they are a smaller chain of alpha-linoleic fatty acids than fish, which contain longer-chain fatty acids like DHA and EPA. They contain lignans, fiber components binding to estrogen to interfere with its cancer-promoting qualities on breast tissue. They also help with the production of sex hormone-binding globulin. This protein helps regulate estrogen by excreting estrogen from the body. Ground flax seed is easy to digest. Cooking with flax seed oil is not recommended because it contains polyunsaturated fat that is damaged by heat.

Eat Phytoestrogens

Get enough phytoestrogens in your diet because they are cancer-protective. Phytoestrogens are plant substances that help weaken estrogen, and because of that, they prevent cancer. Their weakening estrogenic activity tends to block estrogen receptors on the cells from excessive estrogen stimulation from other sources. If you want to eat soy foods, eat only mostly fermented and organic, like tempeh, miso, or natto, a couple of times a week. They contain isoflavones, genistein, and daidzein, inhibiting cancer by decreasing circulating estrogen levels.

Superfood- Booster Food

Add booster food to your diet: nuts, seeds, sea vegetables and nutritional yeast. They will add extra minerals and will help with detoxification. Eat vegetables like spirulina, chlorella, kelp, and microalgae. They are great for detox. Kelp and other seaweed contain lots of minerals, including trace minerals. They are a great source of iodine essential for cancer protection. Spirulina and chlorella provide cellular protection with a lot of beta-carotene and chlorophyll. They stimulate immunity. Spirulina is rich in phycocyanin, a pigment with anti-cancer properties, and rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a fatty acid that strengthens immunity. Make sure that it is organic and non-GMO.

Fermented Food

Eat fermented food for healthy digestion. They contain beneficial bacteria crucial for healthy immunity, hormone balance, inflammation control, protection, and digestive tract repair. They boost NK cell production, which kills bad cells. They will help you to maintain a healthy immune system. Eat sauerkraut, coconut kefir, pickles, and coconut yogurt. Lactobacillus acidophilus helps metabolize estrogen properly (Northroup, 2010). Lactobacillus acidophilus also helps reduce glucuronic acid, which is associated with increased cancer risk. The body attaches glucuronic acid to estrogen in the liver and removes it through bile excretion. Bacteria produce an enzyme called glucuronidase, which breaks the bond between glucuronic acid and estrogen, resulting in rising estrogen levels. The activity of this enzyme is higher in people who eat SAD diet.   This activity is reduced by eating lots of vegetables.

Healthy Fats

Eat healthy fats. It is best to reduce the intake of saturated fats from meat and dairy and increase the intake of nuts, seeds, and cold-press oils or fish. Flax seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil are good to use. Walnuts, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds contain omega-3’s three fats. Remember to soak or sprout them to reduce phytic acid. Use only cold-pressed oil. Eat herring, wild salmon, and sardines. Avoid any seed oil because it has too much inflammatory omega 6, and it is highly processed. Avoid any processed fat and trans fat, like vegetable shortening, baked goods and fried foods (Bauman, 2015).

Herbs

Use lots of herbs for cooking. They have anti-tumor properties and contain antioxidants. Black pepper, lemongrass, and cumin contain farnesol, which inhibits tumor growth. Lots of herbs have anti-cancer properties. They are anti-inflammatory, enhance digestion, and protect DNA. Use turmeric, ginger, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and more.

Medicinal Mushrooms

Eat medicinal mushrooms. Japanese shiitake, reishi, and maitake are mostly used in the treatment of cancer and cancer prevention. They contain beta-glucans- long-chain polysaccharides which strengthen the immune system and inhibit tumor growth. They are an excellent source of immune-boosting minerals, essential amino acids, and enzymes. Their ability to stimulate disease resistance and enhance immune system response is to the fact that the fungus causes the release of interferon and, at the same time, increases the number of macrophages in the blood, thereby increasing the number of blood lymphocytes. That means mushrooms strengthen the body’s first line of defense against infection. Hot chocolate with medicinal mushrooms recipe.

Avoid Alcohol

Avoid alcohol intake because it is a potent carcinogen (Bach, 2000). Alcohol can also damage the liver, prevent it from excreting excess estrogen, and increase hormone levels in the blood. It destroys intestinal bacteria and increases the proliferation of cells in the colon. Imbalances in gut bacteria can worsen the situation because it can lead to estrogen reabsorption from the gut back into your blood, even after your liver has tried to get rid of it. Alcohol also compromises liver function by lowering B vitamin levels, reducing its ability to break down excess estrogen (Page, 2000). Alcohol has been linked to breast cancer. The more a woman drinks, the more substantial her risk of getting breast cancer. Alcohol also depletes the body of many essential nutrients, like the Vitamin B family (Murray, 2002).

Avoid caffeine. 

Caffeine increases symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease. It increases levels of adrenalin and cortisol, which are the stress hormones. It increases substances that cause inflammation, like interleukin-6, C- C-reactive protein, and homocysteine. Caffeine is also a diuretic and can deplete the body of many essential nutrients. Caffeine can cause overstimulation of breast tissue in some women but not in all. Drink green tea instead, which is associated with cancer prevention. It contains antioxidants, such as catechins. They will protect the body from free radicals. Drink dandelion tea because it inhibits cancer growth and is a great herb to help with liver detoxification.

Red Meat or Not?

Avoid red meat (unless it is grass-fed or grass-finished – this kind provides B-carotene, omega 3, vitamin E, and cancer-fighting glutathione) and processed meat; it contains compounds called N-nitroso, which damage  DNA, and the high cooking temperatures produce additional carcinogens. Grilled and Broiled meat also contains lipid peroxides and heterocyclic amines, which are extremely harmful to the breast tissue. Choose lean meat, especially wild game, at least organic if not grass-fed, and free-range chicken. Avoid burned meat, whether grilled, fried, or barbecued.

Dairy or Not?

Avoid dairy food besides whey if you are not allergic to it. Milk is linked to cancer. Milk contains growth hormones and insulin-like growth factor IGF-1, a naturally occurring hormone in cow’s milk, breast milk, and our blood. This hormone stimulates growth. The peak occurs during adolescence, and the levels drop when you get older, but not if you eat cheese and milk daily. It also stops cells from committing suicide (apoptosis). When the body overgrows, cells are not good news. IGF-1 is also found to be a direct stimulator of growing cancer cells, and it has been linked to an increase in breast cancer.

Best Practices and Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Breast

Care strategies to prevent breast cancer:

  1. Engage in Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight and plays a crucial role in breast health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. Activities like brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and strength training improve cardiovascular health, help regulate hormone levels and reduce breast cancer risk.
  2. Practice Breast Self-Exams: Regularly self-examine your breasts to familiarize yourself with their standard look and feel. Perform these exams simultaneously each month, preferably a few days after your menstrual cycle ends when your breasts are less tender and swollen. Look for any changes in size, shape, texture, or the appearance of lumps or bumps. If you notice any abnormalities, consult a healthcare professional for further evaluation.
  3. Hormone Testing: Hormones play a vital role in various aspects of health, including breast health. Imbalances in hormone levels can contribute to the development of breast-related issues such as breast cancer, fibrocystic breast changes, and hormonal imbalances. There are various methods for hormone testing, including blood tests, saliva tests, and urine tests. Blood tests commonly measure hormone levels, providing information about circulating hormones in the body. Saliva tests measure the levels of free, unbound hormones, which may offer insights into hormone activity at the tissue level. Urine tests can assess hormone metabolites, offering a comprehensive view of hormone metabolism. Hormone testing provides valuable information that can guide personalized approaches to breast health.
  4. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for overall health and can positively impact breast health. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly after menopause. Aim to achieve and maintain a body mass index (BMI) within the recommended range for your height and build. Focus on gradual, sustainable weight loss through healthy eating and regular exercise.
  5. Get Regular Screening Tests: Regular screenings, such as thermography, ultrasound,  and clinical breast exams, are essential for the early detection of breast cancer. Follow the recommended screening guidelines based on your age, family health history, and individual risk factors. Make sure that you do not have a higher risk of breast cancer because of teh family history. Early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes and survival rates. 
  6. Manage Stress: Chronic stress can harm overall health, including breast health. Practice stress-reducing techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or spending time in nature. Engage in activities that promote relaxation and well-being to help mitigate the negative impact of stress on your body.
  7. Limit Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Reduce exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals that may disrupt hormonal balance and increase the risk of breast cancer. Choose organic produce to minimize pesticide exposure, avoid using plastic containers for food storage, and opt for natural cleaning and personal care products free of harmful chemicals.
  8. Healthy Habits: Jumping on a trampoline helps with your lymphatic drainage, ensuring your teeth are healthy, and controlling your insulin resistance. If you see any nipple discharge, immediately go to the doctor, 

Prioritizing breast health through lifestyle practices is essential for overall well-being and longevity. By adopting the best practices for breast health—a balanced diet, regular exercise, breast self-exams, maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular screenings, managing stress, and limiting exposure to environmental toxins—you can proactively reduce the risk of breast-related issues and promote optimal breast health for years. 

Seed Cycling Moon Milks for Hormonal Balance

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Hormone Balancing Dandelion And Chicory Root Latte

References:

Balch, P. A. (2010). Prescription for nutritional healing. New York: Avery.

Bauman, E. M., & Waldman, H. L. (2012). The whole-food guide for breast cancer survivors: A nutritional approach to preventing recurrence. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Breast Cancer: Beyond Convention: The world’s foremost authorities on complementary and alternative medicine offer advice on healing. (2002). New York, NY: Pocket Books.

Epstein, S. S., & Gibson, A. (2013). Stop breast cancer before it starts. New York, Seven Stories Press.

Extension, L. (2013). Disease Prevention and Treatment Fifth Edition. Cork: BookBaby.

Gerson, C., & Walker, M. (2006). The Gerson therapy: The proven nutritional program for cancer and other illnesses. New York: Kensington Books.

Holford, P., & Efiong, L. (2010). Say no to cancer: The drug-free guide to preventing and helping fight cancer. London: Piatkus.

Kaelin, C. M., & Coltrera, F. (2005). Living through breast cancer: What a Harvard Doctor and Survivor Wants you to know about getting the best care while preserving your self-image. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Katz, R., & Edelson, M. (2009). The cancer-fighting Kitchen: Nourishing big-flavor recipes for cancer treatment and recovery. Berkeley: Celestial Arts.

L., & Lam, D. (2012). Estrogen dominance: Hormonal imbalance of the 21st century. CA, Adrenal Institute Press.

Murray, M. T. (1996). Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements: The Essential guide for improving your health naturally. Rocklin, CA: Prima Pub.

Murray, M. T., Pizzorno, J. E., & Pizzorno, L. (2005). The encyclopedia of healing foods. New York: Atria Books.

Murray, M. T. (2002). How to prevent and treat cancer with natural medicine. New York: Riverhead Books.

Northrup, Ch, 2010, Women’s bodies Women’s wisdom, NY, Bantam Books.

Rector-Page, L. G. (2000). Linda Page’s Healthy Healing: A Guide to self-healing for everyone. California: Traditional Wisdom.Vukovic, L. (2000). Herbal healing secrets for women. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall.Yost, D. (2010). The anti-cancer food and supplement guide. New York: St. Martin’s Paperbacks

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