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7 Steps of Prevention
7. Lifestyle Improvements
What you can do:
The first and most important change you need to make is adopting the attitude of self-love. Love and accept yourself unconditionally. This is a lifelong process. Take it one moment at a time. It's okay to want to make self-improvements. That can be a healthy expression of growth and change. But are you coming from a place of self-hatred or self-respect in your desire to make changes? "I hate my breasts, therefore I want augmentation." Or "I hate my thighs, I'm going to get liposuction." Or "I hate my body, I'm going to starve myself thin." Have mercy! Be compassionate with yourself. Also, ask yourself WHY making this change will make your life better. Are you doing it to get more attention from others? Or, do you want to make a change that will better reflect whom you really are inside?
Culturally women have been taught to hate their bodies and to chronically perceive them as never quite good enough. Socially, most of us were raised in environments that did not foster self-love and unconditional acceptance of Who-We-Really-Are. To the contrary, we were raised in hypercritical, dysfunctional and unsupportive environments, which have left the echoes of condemnation ringing in our ears ever since.
Let the changes you are implementing in your life come from a place of love and self-nurturance.
For example, I know from personal experience, being overweight is not fun. It is really hard on our bodies as well as our self-image and self-esteem. But think carefully about the place you are coming from and your motivations for losing weight or any other changes you want to make. Although it is important for many reasons to keep our bodies in a healthy weight range, the most important thing we need to lose when we are overweight is self-recrimination and self-hatred! I'll never forget speaking with a man who had just come back from a nudist colony. He told me a story about the most beautiful woman he saw there. I was stunned when he said she had to weigh at least 300 pounds! He recounted watching her walk through a meadow. He said "She carried herself like a queen. I have never seen such a regal, self-possessed woman. She took my breath away." Wow. Can you see the power of the confidence that comes from loving and respecting yourself? Happiness and self-esteem are the most attractive qualities a woman can have, far more so than thin thighs or big breasts.
If, in your quest to make changes, you are only focused on the external appearance of your body, and the attention you will receive from others, you will probably not find lasting peace with the results you obtain. We have certainly all met women who appeared physically "perfect" and yet internally were chronically insecure, uptight, neurotic, unhappy people. What's the point? If you just get the gastric bypass surgery, or the liposuction or the boob job without addressing why you don't feel worthy on the inside, the way you feel about yourself won't change much in the long run. If you are willing to do the inner work of loving, accepting and celebrating your unique self, then the external changes you implement will be true reflections of internal changes you have made.
From the place of self-love and self-celebration we are free to make any changes in our lives and in our bodies that we choose. Ditch the guilt, the shame, the anger, the blame and all the negativity you might hold toward yourself. It's worse than useless, it's damaging to our self-esteem and our health.
That being said, if you are overweight, you will reduce your risk for breast cancer by losing weight, because fat cells produce estrogen and the more estrogen we have in our system, the greater our risk for breast cancer.
But if you approach weight loss as a way to show love and respect for your body, instead of a time of suffering and deprivation, it will be an empowering experience instead of a demoralizing one.
I encourage women to not even worry about weight loss initially. If you focus instead on loving, accepting and nurturing yourself in positive ways, by adopting healthy lifestyle habits, the weight usually begins to come off on its own. The focus on numbers (the scale, what size you wear) will simply distract and discourage you. Think in positive terms about all the good things you are doing for yourself instead.
The way we talk to ourselves is very important. Are you constantly judging and criticizing yourself? Or are you speaking kindly, comfortingly and reassuringly to yourself? When I confront something I don't like about myself, I try to talk myself through it in a way that is gentle and shows positive expectation for my ability to improve upon my current condition. A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at ourselves can help us move through moments of frustration and disappointment more easily.
So, in adopting lifestyle changes, I hope you will move away from vanity and into sanity. Worry less about how you look. In fact, just worry less, period! Focus more on how you feel, what you think, what you want, how you spend your time... and ask yourself if these things feed you, body and soul. If you're not feeling as nurtured and supported as you would like, be willing to put your needs first more often. Ask for what you want. It's okay to be direct, although its usually more effective if you are calm and matter-of-fact about it. Let the people close to you know you want to make changes and ask for their help and support. A happier, healthier you will be a joy and a blessing to everyone around you.
Exercise, not to the point of exhaustion, or in some desperate attempt to attain the "perfect body", but as a means of self-love and self-healing. Exercise should be an enjoyable and energizing event. A time to be outdoors enjoying fresh air, nature and sunshine, thrilling to the simple joy of movement and feeling our hearts pounding with life. Or indoors, perhaps in deep awareness during the stillness of a yoga stretch, connecting with and expanding our edge. Or dancing with complete abandon, feeling the rhythm and beat of the music in every cell of our being. Maybe lifting weights and focusing intently on the strengthening of muscle and bone, and being aware in our daily lives of how much easier it is to bend, lift and climb as a result.
Regular exercise feels good. Statistically, studies show phenomenal gains in health and immune function as a result of regular exercise. Women who exercise regularly have half the risk of breast cancer as their more sedentary counterparts. Exercise not only strengths muscles and bones, but also releases neuro-chemicals in the brain that improve mood, reduce our perception of pain and combat depression and anxiety. It keeps our arteries free of plaque, and helps keeps them elastic, two important components for preventing heart disease, the number one killer of women. Exercise improves circulation and thus improves oxygenation and delivery of nutrients and removal of waste and toxins from our cells. It is one of the best stress reducers available to us. Just taking a twenty-minute walk every day is a great help and a fine place to start if you haven't been very active. Ask a friend to go with you and make a commitment to one another to show up. It will be more fun and help keep you motivated.
Practice Conscious Stress Reduction. Stress is definitively linked as a causative factor in almost all illness and disease and breast cancer is no exception. Physiologically, stress suppresses immune function, contributes to chronic inflammation, infertility, indigestion, chronic fatigue, fibromayalgia, hormonal imbalances, insomnia, depression and anxiety and so much more. It is a miserable state of existence, which robs us of the joy of being alive. Stress is a normal, healthy response to external or internal triggers, which give us the awareness or perception of danger. It stimulates the release of certain stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol by the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. If we are suddenly confronted with a life or death situation, this sudden surge of stress hormones gives us the impulse and the energy for fight or flight. But being caught in traffic when we are late for an appointment does not constitute a life or death situation!
Yet most of us ALLOW our bodies to respond with a surge of stress hormones that make us feel anxious and uptight and flood our body with adrenaline and cortisol, eventually causing deterioration and breakdown of our health. It is important to realize and to REMEMBER in the moment of stress, that we are AT CHOICE in our response to any given situation. It is not the situation actually, as much as our RESPONSE to the situation that causes the release of stress hormones. It is initially the PERCEPTION OF STRESS, something that takes place within our own minds, and not an external event, that triggers the adrenals to release damaging stress hormones.
We must train ourselves to respond differently to the external stimuli that seem to trigger our stress reactions.
A reaction is something you don't think about. It's automatic. Most of us react to stressful stimuli with the fight or flight response. But we have a choice. When we choose to RESPOND thoughtfully instead of REACT thoughtlessly, we become empowered in the situation.
Take a few deep breaths. Begin to engage in empowering self-talk, such as "Its cool. I can deal with this. Lets just re-group now and figure out a different way to be in this moment. Take a deep breath and just let it go. Losing my head isn't going to help. Everything will work out."
Engage in Regular Meditation and/or Prayer. 15 minutes once or twice a day of quiet time just focusing on your breath and allowing the mind to be quiet and still can become a powerful "Peace Bank" from which you can draw emotional reserves in a stressful situation. It is amazing how much easier it becomes to sail through difficult situations with humor, grace and perspective when you give yourself the gift of a quiet, spiritual peace practice daily.
Take Time to have FUN! Hobbies, sports, social time with family and friends, rest and relaxation, massage, lovemaking, time in nature, whatever floats your boat! These activities turn off the stress hormones and release health promoting endorphins, natural feel-good chemicals released by the brain when we engage in pleasurable activities. A healthy life is characterized by balance. Make sure to include lots of life-affirming activities in your busy schedule!
Be True to Yourself. This is so important! Studies have revealed a "Breast Cancer Personality", which, while not true for all, creates a generalized portrait of many women who get breast cancer. It is often a woman who is not authentic with her true self. She has deep emotions, which are not expressed. She may suppress rage, sadness, grief, creativity and her own needs and dreams in order to take care of others needs. She feels very responsible for making sure everyone else is okay, but she doesn't make time for her self and doesn't ask others to help her to fill her needs. The breasts are symbolic of nurturing and nourishment. We must love and nurture ourselves to remain healthy and enjoy life to the fullest. We have to be clear with ourselves about what we want and what we need and then communicate this clearly with others. Your greatest priority should rightfully be YOU. There is no need to apologize or feel guilty about taking care of yourself or putting your own needs at the top of your to-do list. The better you feel, the more whole, fulfilled and healthy you are, the more you have to offer everyone around you.
Reduce Exposure to Electromagnetic Frequencies and Geopathic Stress. In a comprehensive review of all the published studies on breast cancer and EMF exposure, a definitive link was found. A German study published in 2002 found that 50-HZ EMFs caused breast tumors to grow and accelerated their growth. Be sure to stand several feet away from appliances while they are in use, such as microwaves (although I discourage the use of microwaves altogether) and toasters. Turn off ALL electrical appliances, lights, clock radios, etc. in your bedroom before you go to sleep or make sure they are no closer than 10 feet from your bed. There are products available, which you can use to help reduce the amount of EMF exposure you receive in your home. Additionally, there are necklace type devices that can be worn for personal protection. Do not neglect to place a protective device on your cell phone or portable phone as well as on your computer and television.
Geopathic stress may be created from aspects of the earth that are imbalanced or disturbed where we live or work. This can have many causes. Living near giant power lines is well known to have a detrimental effect on health. The ancient art of Divining was used to detect areas of geopathic stress, such as water running under the earth, a typical cause of health disturbances when one has built a home on such an area. Another geomantic science called Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is built around the ancient knowledge of geopathic stress as it relates to human habitation and the wisdom that some places are inherently suitable or unsuitable for life and health. There are many books and websites now available which explain the science and application of Feng Shui for improved health, wealth and comfort in life.
Put a Filter on Your Shower Head to reduce inhalation exposure to chemicals like chlorine in shower water. Plus, while in the shower, our pores really open up and trans-dermal (through the skin) absorption of these harsh chemicals is increased many times over.
Get Regular Health Monitoring. One of the best aspects of modern medical care is its diagnostic capacity. Getting regular check-ups and health monitoring can catch potential problems in their earliest stages, while it is possible to cure or reverse them with minimal intervention. Annual pap smears, blood tests, colonoscopies, dental exams, mammograms and thermograms can give us peace of mind that we are well and provide the earliest possible treatments when if we need them. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself with knowledge!
Have a Strong Social Support Network. This cannot be overstated. Friendship and social bonds make a big difference in our health and wellbeing. People who feel emotionally and socially supported have much lower incidence of chronic disease and have better survival rates than those who feel isolated and alone. We all need to have people in our lives we can lean on from time to time, people we know we can count on to be there for us. We need to be able to share and confide our ups and downs with someone who will not judge us, but offer support and understanding. If we don't have this, our health suffers. It helps to have not only a handful of close friends, but also, a sense of our place in the community as well. Belonging to a group, such as a church group, knitting circle, ski club, or other social group is an important and enjoyable way to support your wellbeing.
Take Responsibility for your Wellbeing
This is a lot of work! It means doing a lot of reading, perhaps joining support groups, spending time on the Internet and doing all kinds of research to understand yourself better. If you have PMS, a thyroid condition, breast cancer, headaches, whatever, it is YOUR job to know everything you possibly can about this condition (and what triggers it, aggravates it, diminishes it, heals it). It is your responsibility to know the risks, benefits and alternatives to any proposed plans of treatment.
In a perfect world, you could count on your doctor to give you all this information. SORRY!!!
More realistically, you need to go to your doctor's office with a well-prepared list of questions and stand your ground until you get them all answered. Good luck!
Your doctor isn't God. He or she cannot possibly know everything there is to know about you and your condition.
You must become an active participant in your own care. Just showing up at someone's office and expecting them to "fix you" will not yield optimum results. Sooner or later you must step into the drivers seat and assume control of your life. Trust your instincts. Do your homework. Get multiple opinions. Do not stop until you find what you truly believe is right for YOU. What is right for you may be very different from what is right for someone else. That's okay. You are an individual unlike anyone else, with your own unique mind, body and outlook on life. Be strong, stand up for yourself and don't let your doctor or anyone else bully you into doing something that doesn't feel right to you. Just remember, taking responsibility for your life means forfeiting putting the blame on the others! (No more "He won't let me... blah, blah" or "He made me... blah, blah") It also means giving yourself the power and the freedom to do things you never dared to do before. This kind of courage can be scary at first. But it is also invigorating, euphoric and incredibly empowering. You go, girl!
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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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