Dr. Yolanda’s 7 Ways to Protect Yourself from Breast Cancer
KNOW THE FACTS & FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!
As many of you already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and here are a few facts that you should be aware of…
- About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime
- In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer
- About 40,920 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2018 from breast cancer
- For women in the U.S., breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer (second only to lung cancer)
- Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women (second to skin cancer)
- Most breast cancer is found in women who did not have symptoms
- In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women
Despite the facts above however, there are at least SEVEN WAYS that you can protect yourself from Breast Cancer.
- Consume a healthy diet, including foods rich in protein, whole grains, and lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc.), and limited sugar
- Maintain regular exercise (at least 3 days a week of moderate to vigorous)
- Limit alcohol consumption (alcohol can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer and may further increase breast cancer risk by damaging DNA in cells)
- Avoid excess harmful chemicals like carcinogens or estrogen hormones which increases risk of breast cancer
- Avoid excess weight (being overweight or obese after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer because increased fat tissue can potentially raise estrogen levels)
- Obtain adequate rest (lack of sleep can increase hormones like cortisol and decrease melatonin and this combination decreases immune cells that would fight off abnormal cells and results in increases estrogen levels)
- Participate in appropriate screening for breast cancer with yearly mammograms for women aged 45-55 (low to normal risk) and every two years for women over 55
Of the above suggestions, consuming a HEALTHY DIET can help more than almost anything else because it will also help maintain a healthy weight as well as result in limited alcohol and other sugars. There are several healthy foods that could help achieve a balanced diet, but studies show that the most effective of these are; high-protein, low-carbohydrate (HPLC), low-calorie, low-carbohydrate (LCLC), Paleocentric (also known as clean eating), and the ketogenic diet.
There is a great deal of information on all of these lifestyles and effective guidebooks to help you navigate your way to good health through good nutrition. In fact, one such source that I highly recommend is my own book, Dr. Yolanda’s S.O.U.L.TM Food Diet: 10 Secrets to Lose Weight, Burn Fat and Stop Food Cravings for Good! and you can get your copy of both my book and the accompanying journal on my blog www.bodydocpro.com.
Whatever you choose to do, I just urge you to get started sooner than later and I wish you all the best on your weight loss and weight maintenance efforts. Keep up the great work!
Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, MD, FAAP, FABOM
Double Board-Certified Physician,
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
Medical Director of Bariatric Services
