Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

You may see a little more pink in the windows of department stores in October as the “pink ribbon” usually becomes the must-have accessory for fall. That’s because it’s breast cancer awareness month- a month where fashionistas and survivors come together to show their support for the cause. But besides donning a yourself out in pink, you can also educate yourself and others about essential breast cancer prevention methods.

Balancing a healthy lifestyle with healthy choices is key in all cancer prevention. According to the American Cancer Society, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. There are many things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a statistic.

Lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, increasing vitamin D intake, and eating a low-fat diet can help reduce your risk of getting breast cancer. All the prevention methods listed here can all help you live a well-balanced life – one full of energy and vitality:

Alkalize your blood. A healthy pH balance – the ratio of alkalinity to acidity in the body – is crucial to being cancer-free. Cancer thrives in acidic environments but is unable to survive in alkaline ones. Edgar Cayce, typically referred to as the “father of holistic medicine,” consistently emphasized the importance of maintaining a proper acid/alkaline balance in the body. Cayce said that “a normal diet is about twenty percent acid to eighty percent alkaline-producing.” Make sure your diet is rich in alkalizing foods such as green vegetables, beans, spices, herbs, seeds and nuts. Limit your consumption of alcohol, coffee, meat, fish, poultry and eggs. You can measure your pH levels with litmus strips to be sure your body is more alkaline than acidic.

Go braless! Or at least limit how many hours a day you wear a bra. Bras restrict the flow of lymph within breast tissue which hinders the breast’s natural cleansing process. Multiple studies done on bras have shown some astounding results. Women in Figi who don’t wear bras have almost no incidence of breast cancer. In a Harvard study researchers found that women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer compared to women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day and had a 1 out of 152 risk.

Eat your veggies. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli may protect against breast cancer because they lower levels of estrogen which is a hormone that plays a role in tumor growth. Additionally isothiocyanates- the anti-cancer compounds found in broccoli- can help in the detoxification of your liver and can rid your body of carcinogens.

Get some sun! Vitamin D is a hormone that your body naturally produces when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is essential to your body but as many as 36% of us are deficient in Vitamin D. According to Science Daily, Vitamin D protects us from breast cancer by stimulating a protein that prevents breast cancer cells from growing. Fair-skinned individuals need just 15 minutes of sun a day while 20 to 30 minutes is needed for darker skinned people. In the winter months make sure to get your Vitamin D from fish oil, mushrooms and Vitamin D supplements.

Get regular exercise: The Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina has done multiple studies showing that moderate exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Exercising promotes the circulation of oxygen in the blood and floods cells with enough oxygen to get rid of cancer. Cancer cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-6 times a week.

Drink green tea. According to a study published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry the EGCG in green tea aids in preventing breast cancer. The polyphenols-powerful antioxidants found in green tea- can prevent cancer cells from growing. Drink 1-3 cups of caffeine-free green tea per day.

Eat a low-fat diet. A diet high in fat significantly increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concluded that women with high-fat diets had a 32 percent higher risk of getting breast cancer than those who followed a low-fat diet.

Try Black Cohosh. This is an herb used typically to treat the side effects associated with menopause. A recent study showed that extracts from Black Cohosh may stop breast cancer cells from forming.

The true cause of cancer can depend on a number of factors. Diet, environmental factors, and genetics all play a role. By making healthy lifestyle choices you can dramatically tip the odds in your favor and enjoy a vibrant, healthy, cancer-free life.

Myth 1: Cholesterol is harmful, low-fat diet is recommended.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver. We all need cholesterol in the blood because it helps to form cell membranes and the production of vital hormones. In addition there are two types of cholesterol: “good” cholesterol and harmful cholesterol. Saturated fats found in foods such as meat, cheese, butter or pastry increase the level of harmful cholesterol in excess.

Myth 2: severe diets are good for losing weight.

In short term may be true, but may have undesirable effects on cholesterol levels. Severe diets, not only removes fat but also reduces the tone of the tissues, so feelings of dizziness and weakness. So it is more appropriate for a long-term weight loss diet to be completed with an exercise program.

Myth 3: Eat more fat in the evening.

Many diets recommend not eating anything after a certain hour at night, thinking that the body will store more fat because it is no longer involved in any activity. However, recent studies do not agree. It is true that those who do not eat anything during the day and evening consume a significant amount of food are prone to weight gain, but this is due to the lack of a regular meal. Regular meals help regulate appetite and food consumption in general.

Myth 4: Vegetarians are unable to make muscles.

Vegetarians can be as muscular as those who eat meat, procuring vegetable proteins like soy and corn products. Protein is needed to form muscle, but excess protein can lead to kidney damage.

Myth 5: A weight loss slows down your metabolism.

It is the myth circulated among overweight people trying to keep their weight under control. Studies have shown that the metabolism tends to be accelerated with weight gain. But the reason why people fail to lose weight is actually not a sedentary lifestyle and decreased metabolism.

Myth 6: Fatty foods cause rapid weight gain

Even though it’s hard to believe weight gain is a slow process. You need to eat 3,500 extra calories to gain 0.5 kg (and vice versa for losing). If it looks like you took some weight after a meal, this is due more than the amount of fluid is reabsorbed anyway.

Myth 7: skimmed milk has a lower calcium content than fat.

In fact, studies have shown the opposite: partially or completely skimmed milk contains a larger amount of calcium. Semi-skimmed milk is the best solution for those who want to maintain their weight, following a healthy diet.

Myth 8: Low-fat foods help losing weight.

“Low fat” or “fat free” does not necessarily mean “low calorie” or “calorie-free.”