October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Do You Know How To Protect Yourself?
In fact, I have been all too aware of breast cancer.
In the past year, two people close to me have been diagnosed with breast cancer, gotten mastectomies, and gone through chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
And then a few weeks ago, another person I know was found to have pre-cancerous calcifications in her breasts. She will have a double mastectomy to avoid cancer altogether.
Anyway, I’m telling you all this to let you know that we can do something to avoid cancer.
I came across an article that was empowering, because it gives us many different ways to reduce our chances of getting breast cancer. They all boil down to avoiding cancer-causing toxins in our food and environment:
- Avoid weed killers.
- Use natural pesticides.
- Choose BPA-free baby and water bottles.
- Avoid canned food.
- Minimize car exhaust.
- Eat clean fish.
- Use natural sunscreens.
- Drink safe water.
- Eat soy (but not too much).
- Choose truly “microwave-save” containers.
- Check older toys.
- Be wary of dry cleaning chemicals.
- Use non-toxic cleaning supplies.
- Cook with stainless steel.
While we cannot control our genes, we can most certainly control our buying behaviors to reduce our exposure to cancer-causing toxins in our environment. That’s good news!
The bad news is, these toxins are ubiquitous. Aside from the items mentioned in the list above, these hormone disruptors and carcinogens are also in the products we use on our bodies every day: soaps and shampoos, cleansers and lotions, even makeup and nail polish.
If you want to know more about these toxins, also known as the Dirty Dozen, then fill in the form below to get your complimentary copy of my report, “Don’t Get Sick for Beauty’s Sake: 12 Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics and Beauty Products”:
I’d like to add a couple more things we can do to cut our risk of breast cancer, in fact all cancer:
- Eat more plant-based foods
A plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk, not only for cancer, but also for cardiovascular disease. And you don’t necessarily have to buy organic to get the benefits. If you can’t afford to buy organic fruits and vegetables, realize that the benefits of eating them far outweigh the risks of contaminated produce.
- Exercise regularly
Regular exercise, even something as simple as brisk walking several times a week, has been known to significantly reduce cancer risk. Really, there’s no excuse for not moving more. When the weather is too bad for me to walk outside, I walk up and down the stairs, over and over. It’s boring as hell, but much better than sitting on my bum all day.
Knowing what you know now, what can you do starting TODAY to protect yourself and your loved ones from breast cancer?
Share them in the comments below.
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