Practicing good breast health habits doesn’t require making significant changes in your life. Incorporating healthy breast habits is relatively simple and could be life-changing these regular routines are recommended by leading breast health experts and can improve your breast health, help you detect problems early, and allow you to enjoy better health and overall quality of life.
Ways to Promote Good Breast Health
Tip #1. Eat a well-balanced diet and stay hydrated.
Experts believe that good nutrition is one of the best ways to protect yourself against breast cancer, and it can slow or prevent the disease’s progression or recurrence.
A healthy, well-balanced diet involves eating vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.Fruits and vegetables full of cancer-fighting substances include broccoli, cabbage, kale, and watermelon. Consume foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, fish, soybeans and pumpkin seeds.
One food to incorporate into your diet is dark chocolate. It contains a compound that researchers believe may fight fast-growing cancers. Researchers believe that a particular compound in dark chocolate interacts with an enzyme, which causes cancerous cells to die but leaves normal cells alone. Depending on the ongoing medical research results, dark chocolate could be included in some cancer treatments.
Avoid refined sugars and fats, which cause you to gain weight and subject you to a higher risk of breast cancer. Get in the habit of reading food labels when you are grocery shopping. Look for sugars and fats in the product and avoid consuming foods loaded with ingredients that are bad for your health.
Drinking lots of water will keep your cells hydrated and it will help your stomach feel full, too. Ideally, you want to drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day.
Also, limit alcohol consumption to no more than one serving per day. One serving of an alcoholic beverage is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of hard liquor. Drinking more than that increases your risk of developing breast cancer. I if you have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past, you increase the risk that it will return by drinking just three or more drinks per week.
Tip #2. Maintain a healthy weight.
Following tip #1 will help you follow tip #2. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk of cancer and many other diseases.
When a woman becomes overweight, estrogen-sensitive breast cancer tissues are exposed to more estrogen than in women of a healthy weight. Over exposure to estrogen can stimulate the growth and progression of breast cancer.
Medical research has shown that obese women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher diagnosed with breast cancer often have more advanced disease when diagnosed than women with a BMI mass index below 25. Obese women also have a greater risk that the disease spreads and becomes fatal. They also have a greater risk that the cancer will return after it has been treated.
Tip #3: Exercise to keep your body fit
Regular exercise can prevent all types of cancer, including breast cancer. Exercise boosts the immune system, helps prevent obesity, and lowers estrogen and insulin levels. In fact, being physically active reduces your chances of getting breast cancer by as much as 25%.
Exercise gives you other health benefits as well. It can improve cardiovascular health and bone mass—h, Healthy bone mineral density wards off osteoporosis and bone fractures.
You do not need to engage in strenuous activities to reap health benefits. Strive to get at least thirty minutes each day for four to five days each week. Walking is the easiest type of exercise to get started with and is easy on your bones and joints.
Tip #4: Take vitamins, especially vitamin D.
Keep your vitamin D level up. Medical experts think that low levels of vitamin D can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Also, breast cancer survivors with low vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of disease recurrence.
The best way to get enough vitamin D is through sun exposure. However, too much sun can increase your risk of skin cancer. Ask your doctor check your vitamin D levels. If your levels are low, consult with your doctor about taking a good vitamin D supplement.
Consume spinach and foods fortified with folate such as cereals and grains. Folate helps boost your body’s ability to repair DNA. Damaged DNA has been linked to higher risks of cancer. Ideally, you should strive to consume 400 micrograms daily.
Tip #5: De-stress your life.
Take time each day to relax and consider mediation or yoga classes. Deep breathing exercises, a good book or and relaxing with friends are ways to de-stress.
Consult with the Women’s Breast Health Experts at Raleigh Gynecology And Wellness
If you follow the advice outlined above, you will be taking important steps to good breast health. Learn about what other steps you can take by talking with the experts at Raleigh Gynecology and Wellness. They can give you advice on breast health and schedule an appointment for a breast examination.