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The Pro-Active Protocol
For Breast Cancer Prevention
2. Guidelines for Better Breast Health
Our risk for breast cancer is directly related to our lifetime exposure to estrogen. Although we carry some additional risk if we have a close family relative who has had breast cancer, that risk is generally low; between 15-25%. That means that between 75-85% of our risk is due to lifestyle and environmental exposures. This is good news! It means WE have control!
This list is not comprehensive, but it is a starting place for you to begin to make changes and to do your own research. It is easy to become overwhelmed when you contemplate all the changes you may need to make in order to substantially lower your risk. Just take it a step at a time. The first step is to become aware and that is exactly what you are doing right now! The next step is to do a little homework. Pick a few topics and do some investigation on your own. Don't just take my word (or anyone else's)!!! Get on-line and do searches on topics that interest you. Then, in whatever way feels most appropriate or necessary, adopt a few changes. Give it time and let them become habits. When you are ready, try adding something else. Change needs to be gradual if it is to be permanent. I generally strive for 75%. This means 75% of my diet, lifestyle and the products I use are organic or non-chemical, healthy alternatives. The other 25% I save for margaritas and Mexican food, coffee and muffins, and some of my high-tech anti-aging creams! You'll drive yourself and everyone around you crazy if you try to consistently be 100%. Stay relaxed about it!
If you are currently battling cancer, you are probably feeling highly motivated to make positive changes more quickly. I encourage you to find strong social and emotional support during the process of change. It really helps, and makes it more fun, too. Ask a sister or a friend to make these changes with you. We need to pull together as "Sisters on the Path" and give love, encouragement and support to each other. Share this list (and the website) with the women you care about. Give them the information they need to make choices that support health, happiness and longevity!
Here is a list of foods, nutrients and supplements and habits that can help to reduce your risk for breast cancer:
(Items with an asterisk* please click link for more information)
1. Eat fresh, organic whole foods* produce, meats, eggs, dairy and grains. Avoid processed, canned, boxed and microwave foods.
Click here for more information.
2. Consume Health-Promoting Fats* Daily, such as the essential fatty acids found in flax, fish and krill oils (omega-3) and olive oil (omega-9). Avoid Health-Destroying Fats such as hydrogenated and trans-fats, Crisco, corn, canola and vegetable oils and margarines. Click here for more information.
3. Include dietary "super foods"* into your mealtime routines. Mushrooms of all kinds, but especially Reishi, Maitake, Shiitake and button varieties. Garlic, flax seeds, turmeric, and seaweeds all have breast benefits. These foods have been shown in studies to shrink tumors, boost immune function, protect and repair DNA and help the body detoxify itself. And they're so tasty, too! Click here for more information.
4. Avoid exposure to chemicals*. Use green household cleaners and natural health and beauty products. Don't minimize the danger of exposure to fumes, such as new carpet and paint off-gassing, nail polish, gasoline and home and garden sprays. Often, a molecule that is inhaled can be more "active" and dangerous than one that is swallowed. Make sure to have adequate ventilation when using any type of chemical. Click here for more information.
5. Include specific supplements* in your diet. Research has shown that Indol-3-Carbinol, DIM, Calcium-D-Glucarate, Folate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and vitamin B-12 are all powerful weapons in the fight against breast cancer. Click here for more information.
6. Avoid drinking alcohol.* Numerous studies have found that each daily drink you have increases your risk for breast cancer by 11%. Click here for more information.
7. Drink green tea. Green tea has been shown to be effective at fighting breast cancer, protecting against the side effects of radiation therapy and much more. It is anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It is also a thermogenic agent, helping the body to burn extra calories, making it useful for weight loss programs.
8. Use melatonin at bedtime.* Not only will you sleep better, but, melatonin boosts the immune system, is a powerful anti-oxidant, and is associated with lowering your risk for breast cancer. Click here for more information.
9. Try a low dose progesterone cream.* Progesterone cream slows proliferation of breast cells, alleviates PMS and menopausal symptoms, promotes calm moods and balances estrogen dominance. It builds new bone tissue. It has even been shown to activate P-53, a cancer-suppression gene on our DNA strands. Click here for more information.
10. Reduce or eliminate red meat.* Eating less red meat reduces your risk for inflammation, breast cancer, heart disease and obesity. Click here for more information.
11. Cook foods at low temperatures. Grilling, deep- frying, broiling and other high-heat methods activate carcinogenic substances. It also destroys life enhancing enzymes, which causes a depression in immune function.
12. Reduce your sugar consumption. It elevates your risk for insulin-resistance, diabetes, obesity and it feeds a cancer if you already have one. It depresses immune function, pours gasoline on the fires of inflammation and promotes tooth decay. To add insult to injury, it makes you fat!
13. Add more fiber to you diet. Fiber binds to estrogen in the bowel and allows it to be excreted from the body. It is also essential for heart health and helps bind cholesterol to keep it from forming arterial plaque. It is also essential in maintaining a healthy colon and avoiding colon cancer, another hormonally sensitive cancer. Plus, it fills you up, and helps to prevent overeating, thus aiding weight loss.
14. Enjoy sunlight daily in small doses. Vitamin D from sunlight is converted in the body to D3, or "Super D". Brief exposure without sunscreen is linked to reduced risk for breast cancer. 15- 20 minutes per day of exposure to the arms or legs, without sunscreen, is all you need. Avoid the harsh rays of the sun between 10am and 3 pm.
15. Practice stress management. Cortisol, the stress hormone released by the adrenal glands, wreaks incredible havoc on our immune system. It contributes to inflammatory conditions, insulin resistance, estrogen dominance, chronic fatigue and much more. Touch, laughter, play, exercise, deep breathing, hobbies and meditation are all ways to relax and turn off cortisol production.
16. Keep your urine Ph between 6.4 -7.0 An acid body Ph predisposes you to numerous health problems and diseases. An alkaline Ph is a pre-requisite to good health.
17. Take good care of your teeth. There is a direct correlation between oral health and the health of your body. Don't underestimate it! If you have old silver fillings, especially if you also have gold crowns in your mouth, you should seriously consider looking for a holistic or health-conscious dentist to advise you on the safe removal of old amalgams. Mercury and other heavy metal toxicity is often the source of mysterious and hard to resolve illness. Chronic, low-grade infections can deplete the immune system of its power to destroy the cell mutations that can lead to cancer. Flossing every day is important.
18. For heaven's sake, don't smoke! Gosh, what more can I say?
19. Maintain a healthy weight. Fat cells produce estrogen. The more of them you have, the more estrogen your breasts are exposed to.
20. Adopt an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.* Not only will you reduce your risk for cardio-vascular disease (the NUMBER 1 KILLER OF WOMEN), you will lower your risk for cancer. Click here for more information.
21. Have an emotional support network. People who feel emotionally supported have stronger immune systems and tend to fare much better psychologically and physically than people who are more isolated.
22. Eliminate sodas and junk foods. These are filled with chemicals, sugar, fats and sodium. All of which destroy health. They are not just empty calories, but are actually anti-nutrients, which rob us of our wellbeing.
23. Exercise daily. It reduces stress, builds immune function, prevents osteoporosis, releases feel-good endorphins and makes you look and feel great! You don't have to run to the gym or wear a special outfit. Just get out and walk 20-60 minutes a day. Its good for your head, too.
24. Take supplemental minerals. Mineral deficiency is a widespread and usually completely unrecognized problem. Minerals are essential to health and wellbeing. Some mineral deficiencies, such as selenium, are directly correlated with increased risk for breast cancer.
25. Do not use synthetic vitamins. Synthetics do not behave the same way in the body or carry the same benefits as naturally derived supplements. A supplement from a whole food source comes with the essential co-factors and synergists that allow it to work as nature intended. Taking large doses of isolated synthetic nutrients (such as vitamin A) can be dangerous and harmful to health. All supplements should be derived from whole foods and other once-living sources.
26. Avoid birth control pills and HRT. These synthetic hormones carry a high risk for cardio-vascular events (deep vein thrombosis, embolisms, heart attacks, strokes) and breast cancer. Besides, do you really want to take a pill made from horse urine? Also avoid synthetic patches, implants and injections. If you need help dealing with menopausal symptoms, first try COMPLETELY eliminating sugar and EXERCISING VIGOROUSLY every day. This clears up most symptoms for most women. Consider then estrogen herbs such as Vitex and Black Cohosh. Lastly, look into bio-identical hormones. There are MANY alternatives. As far as birth control goes, the first step is to get to know your body and your cycles. Self-awareness of fertility cycles is a beautiful and empowering thing. There is a lot of information and many tools to assist in fertility awareness.
27. Rest adequately and sleep in the dark. The adrenal glands require at least 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep to rejuvenate. Our immune system requires adequate rest at night, in the dark, to receive the benefits of melatonin, a breast-protective natural hormone. Herbs such as Valerian and Kava can also help as occasional sleep aids, as can a magnesium supplement or hot Epsom salt bath before bed.
28. Detoxify on a regular basis. The older we get, the more cumulative exposure to toxins we have suffered and the more imperative it becomes to detoxify our systems. Toxic exposures are directly linked to increased risk for breast cancer.
29.Limit exposure to EMFs. Electro-Magnetic Frequencies disrupt our own natural bioelectrical fields. Cell phones, computers, blow dryers and other commonly used appliances should be used with protective devices to neutralize their impact.
30. Have a spiritual practice. Meditation, prayer, chanting and belief in a Higher Power can raise our spirits, our outlook, and our ability to resist illness.
31. Balance your hormones. You will feel so much better! Hormones are huge players in women's wellness. Excess estrogen is directly linked to an increased risk for breast cancer and causes other problems like fibroids, weight gain, and moodiness. It can also lower thyroid function, making you feel fatigued, cold, dry and constipated. A balanced endocrine system is essential for optimal health.
32. Take a Co-Q-10 supplement. Fatigue is one of the most common complaints women have. Co-Q-10 helps to improve energy at a cellular level, which leads to systemic improvements. It improves circulation and helps to lift "brain-fog" too. It has been shown in research to help shrink breast tumors.
33. Don't drink from plastic water bottles. The chemicals in plastic water bottles can become active when the plastic is warmed, such as occurs in microwave or even in the car on a hot day. These chemicals leach into the water and into YOU when you drink it. Switch to glass bottles.
34. Drink fresh vegetable juice often. This is truly a healing elixir. Packed with phyto-nutrients and enzymes, fresh veggie juice detoxifies the liver and provides a real energy boost.
35. Install a shower filter. Chlorine, fluoride and other harmful substances are inhaled as stream in the shower in addition to being absorbed through our pores.
36. Avoid metal underwire bras. The constriction they impose on the lymphatic system may not be healthy for breast tissue. A sports bra is a better alternative.
37. Use all-natural deodorants and avoid anti-perspirants. The proximity of the armpits to the lymph glands is at issue here. Although some experts have dismissed any connection between breast cancer and anti-perspirant use, other experts claim the aluminum and other toxic elements may be an aggravating factor in the development of malignant tumors. Switch to an all-natural brand like Tom's, or the deodorant crystal.
38. Consume anti-oxidants. These are the first line of defense for protecting DNA from the damage of free radical molecules. Phyto-Nutrients are naturally occurring anti-oxidants that also deliver life-giving enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Best choices are fruits and vegetables with rich, deep colors such as all berries, yellow squash and carrots, dark green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. Click here for more information.
39. Limit dairy consumption. Non-organic dairy is loaded with hormones, growth enhancers and antibiotics. Even organic dairy stimulates the release of arachidonic acid, a powerful inflammatory agent. Plus, dairy is irritating to the immune system and can suppress immune function. Limit your consumption ideally to fresh, raw kefir, a fermented drink rich in friendly bacteria to assist in digestion.
40. Put yourself first. Most of the time. There are times when other's needs must come first. Most of us have families and friends that depend on us. But think about it, if you are worn-out, exhausted or ill, how much can you really offer to your loved ones? Not much, right? And when you don't feel well, giving to others can be more of a burden than a joy.
It is absolutely imperative that you protect or restore your health and vitality. Otherwise, others will be taking care of you! If you are already at that point, take heart. There is a solution to every problem. You can get well again.
First, we must absolve ourselves of all guilt. Let it go! Please do not feel guilty about taking care of yourself! Guilt is such a destructive emotion. Next, ask yourself "Am I willing to do whatever it takes to be healthy?" Please say "Yes!" Turn it into an affirmation "I am willing to do whatever it takes to be healthy!" Every day, keep repeating this. Write it down and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Come up with your own affirmations, such as "It feels so good to take care of myself!".
Inform your family of your decision. Let them know you will be taking more time to take care of yourself. Reassure them it is because the better you feel, the better life will be for the whole family. As the old saying goes "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"
Much illness and disease can be prevented by self-care. There is a "Breast Cancer Personality Type", a pattern many, but not all breast cancer patients reflect. It is exemplified by a woman who represses her own needs and deep feelings. She is very busy caring for others. She takes little time for herself. She is not living her life authentically and being true to herself.
I urge you to find balance in your life. Strive to create what I call "pink moments". Small chunks of time where you focus on peace, relaxation, love, joy and pleasure. 20 minutes of consciously directed time is enough for a walk around the block, a hot bath, lying down with your feet elevated, meditating, a quickie, dancing in the bedroom to your favorite music, writing in your journal, or a phone chat with a friend. Try to create a "pink moment" at least once a day!
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the food and Drug Administration. This Product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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