 1. Lose weight
There is a bigger reason for losing those excess pounds than just to look better. Being overweight can increase your chances of getting breast cancer. Obese women produce more estrogen than lean women and high levels of estrogen in a woman’s body have been identified as a major risk factor for breast cancer. In fact, a 30-year-old woman who is 10 pounds overweight has a 23% higher risk of developing breast cancer. Add 20 more pounds and the risk is increased 52%. Lose those unwanted pounds. One of the best ways to do that is to eliminate or cut back on the “bad stuff” in your diet and increase the “good stuff.”
2. Cut the bad stuff
It’s not food that makes you fat. It’s the fat in the food. But unwanted pounds are not the only reason to avoid a diet high in animal fats. Excessive iron in the body activates the production of free radicals which can damage DNA and change normal cells into cancer cells. The most readily absorbed form of iron is found in red meat. Meat is also a source of cholesterol. High levels of blood cholesterol mean high levels of cholesterol epoxides in the breast fluids a substance known to cause cancer in animals. High-fat foods are also primary source of chemical toxins, including cancer-causing pesticides and herbicides which attach themselves to fat, first in the food, then in our bodies. If you choose to eat some meat, stew or roast it. Grilling or frying releases a variety of cancer-causing substances. The longer you cook the meat and the higher the temperature, the more cancer-causing substances are produced. While animal fats pose the greatest problem, vegetable fats processed into cooking or salad oils can also promote cancer. All vegetable oils can form free radicals which damage DNA. Eliminate or reduce the animal and processed vegetable fats and oils in your diet.
 3. Add the good stuff
The best cancer fighting tool we have is a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables, fruits, legumes and natural grains. These natural foods contain important dietary fiber and phytochemicals that work to deactivate cancer-causing chemicals, block estrogen effects, suppress cancer cell growth and enhance the production of cancer-fighting proteins. Our best line of defense against free radicals, the powerful antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E are also found in plants. And if you have been struggling with a weight problem, here’s more good news. Because of their bulk, it is virtually impossible to overeat on a diet of natural foods. Eat a low-fat diet rich in green and yellow vegetables, fruits, legumes and natural grains.
4. Exercise
Besides its positive effect on weight loss, exercise also reduces the risk of breast cancer by lowering estrogen and progesterone levels. Forced exercise, however, can have the opposite effect. In a research project, laboratory rats that were forced to exercise actually showed an increase in cancer. Stress can trigger the secretion of a hormone that increases the risk for breast cancer. That’s why it’s important to find exercise that you enjoy – or learn to enjoy. Excess exercise, however, can suppress the immune system and cause problems. Find a form of exercise you can enjoy and exercise regularly.
5. Avoid alcohol
While some health professionals argue that the moderate use of alcohol reduces the risk of heart disease for a woman, the price may be too high. Alcohol raises the levels of cancer-promoting estrogen in a woman’s body. As little as two drinks of alcohol a day, regardless of the beverage, will increase the risk of breast cancer by 25%. Alcohol may also damage the liver and interfere with its ability to detoxify cancer causing substances. There is also some evidence that the function of the immune system, as well as the ability of the body to repair its DNA is impaired by alcohol. Don’t drink alcoholic beverages.
6. No smoke–1st or 2nd hand
A Swiss study shows that the more tobacco a woman smokes, the greater her risk of breast cancer. Women who smoked less than half a pack a day doubled their risk. For those who smoked more than a pack a day, the risk was four times greater than for non smokers. The study also found that women exposed to secondhand smoke increased teir chances of developing breast cancer threefold! Stop smoking and keep your working and living area smoke free.
7. Avoid radiation exposure
Many medical procedures involved radiation. But be aware that the risk of breast cancer increases in proportion to a woman’s exposure to radiation. And the damage is cumulative with repeated exposures. Radiation damages the DNA and high dose ionizing radiation exposue to the chest, as seen with strong x-ray examinations and radiotherapy to the chest, is known to cause breat cancer. Exposure to electromagnetic radiation from video monitors, electric blankets ad power lines may also cause breast cancer. Avoid exposure to radiation unless absolutely necessary. All radiation causes damage to cells. There is no safe threshold below which an increase in cancer risk does not occur.
8. Minimize medication
Among the chemicals considered to cause cancer nearly one-half are prescribed medications. A 50% increase in the risk of breast cancer is associated with the use, for more than five years, of hormone replacement therapy to prevent osteoporosis. Birth control pills are associated with a 22 times greater risk for breast cancer for women who use the pill for four or more years before the age of 36. Many other commonly prescribed drugs, including some blood pressure medications (calcium channel blockers increased breast cancer risk by 65%) and cholesterol lowering medications, are suspected of increasing cancer risk. Use prescribed medications with caution, carefully weighing the adverse effects against the benefits.
 9. Breast feed
If you have been wondering whether or not to breast feed your child, you should know that research shows a positive correlation between breast-feeding and a reduced risk for breast cancer. Women who breast feed after a full-term pregnancy have a lower risk for breast cancer than women who do not breast feed. If you are a new mother of a full-term baby, you can reduce your chances of breast cancer by breast-feeding your child.
10. Control stress
Studies have shown a strong association between adverse life events and the development of breast cancer. One reason is that stress produces adrenal hormones that can depress the immune system. So, aside from making your life more pleasant, removing stressful situations may decrease your chances of getting breast cancer. Learn to avoid or manage the stress in your life.
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