October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! This international campaign is aimed to help increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research. Check out my latest article for Anton Newspapers/Long Island Weekly on breast cancer prevention tips. Below is a short excerpt from the article:
Did you know that about one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime? As of January 2018, there are more than 3.1 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. Research on diet and breast cancer is ongoing and there is no one perfect strategy to prevent breast cancer. However, some foods and lifestyle habits can make your body the healthiest it can be and keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible.
Get screened regularly
While mammograms may not help prevent breast cancer, it can help find cancer when it is early and most treatable. For most women, regular mammograms can begin at age 40.
Stay lean
Overweight or obesity dramatically increases the risk of breast cancer and other chronic diseases; this is especially true if obesity occurs later in life. If you are not sure what an ideal weight is for your body type, calculate your body mass index online using a BMI calculator. A healthy BMI range falls between 18.5 to 25 kg/m².
Follow a plant-based diet
This consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains. Aim to eat 8 to 10 colorful fruit and vegetable servings daily; this will also help you meet your daily fiber goals and keep your body in peak nutritional state.
Avoid processed and refined carbohydrates
High sugar foods tend to be very processed, low in nutritional value and appear to increase serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor that can stimulate cancer cell growth. Try to limit white bread, pasta, and rice (opt for whole grains). Be careful with white sugar in items such as cakes and cookies and use moderation when it comes to sweets.
Focus on healthy fats
Research has found a protective relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and breast cancer. Some studies even show that omega-3’s can inhibit breast cancer tumor growth and ...
Read the full article here:
Xoxo,
Stef