Take Charge Of Your Own Breast Health

In North America, the incidence of Breast Cancer has increase almost three-fold in 40 years, going from 1 in 20 in the 1960’s to 1 in 8 today. From the age of twenty, women should do monthly breast self-examinations. Breast cancers tend to grow significantly faster in younger women under age 50. Despite billions of dollars raised for research to "Find the Cure," the risk of breasts cancer today is greater than ever before. It's critically important for women to take charge of their health through these screenings and to understand that survivability is greatly enhanced when breast cancer is found early.  

Because when it comes to breast health, knowledge is more than power–it’s confidence. Women can help with the early detection and treatment of breast cancer by playing an active role in their own health care. While there are some different recommendations from medical organizations on the value of breast self-exams, all women's health organizations agree about the value of annual clinical breast exams, and the importance of regular mammograms after the age of 40. Breast health is more than just luck, genetics, where you live or what you eat.  

Staying healthy is a challenge that engages our body, mind, and spirit.  No matter what your age or position in life, understanding the connection between a healthy lifestyle and healthy breasts is vitally important. Breast health is on a continuum with normal healthy breast tissue at one end and cancer at the other. You can certainly go from no pathology to cancer and you can slide down the continuum and never develop breast cancer, but not accepting unhealthy changes in your breasts is proactive and may very well prevent cancer. Also, you may lower your risk of breast cancer by living a healthy lifestyle, including eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercising.  

Most people are familiar with the antioxidant process, and many include this in there daily routines, but not many are aware that this is just the first step to a healthy body. Antioxidants are beneficial because they affix themselves to free radicals while absorbing the elements before they have the ability to infiltrate healthy normal tissues. It is in everyone's health interests, to include regular daily amounts of the best antioxidants in their diets, in support of healthy lifestyles.  

Only 10% of breast health issues are attributed to family genes, the higher percentage due to environmental, dietary or lifestyle issues. Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage -- the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. Antioxidants are key elements in preventing cancer, because they stabilize highly reactive free radicals that can otherwise damage our DNA and begin the process of cancer development.