Copyright (c) 2011 Ann Sandretto
First the good news, your cancer risks are very low if you have a healthy lifestyle. As many as 70% of known causes of cancers are avoidable and related to lifestyle. Your first line of defense, as expected, is avoidance of tobacco products but recent research has uncovered many small, surprising ways you can reduce your cancer risks.
14 Ways To Reduce Your Cancer RisksFilter Your Tap Water - You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals. A new report from the President's Cancer Panel on how to reduce your cancer risks suggests filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water.
Water Down Your Risks - Drinking plenty of water and other liquids may reduce the risk of bladder cancer by diluting the concentration of cancer-causing agents in urine and helping to flush them through the bladder faster.
Marinate Meat Before Grilling - Processed, charred, and well-done meats can contain cancer-causing heterocylic amines, women's coats which form when meat is seared at high temperatures, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which get into food when it's charcoal broiled. If you do grill, add rosemary and thyme to your favorite marinade and soak meat for at least one hour before cooking. The antioxidant-rich spices can cut HCAs by as much as 87%.
Caffeinate Every Day - 5 or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 40% decreased risk of brain cancer. It also reduces the risks of cancers of the pharynx and mouth almost as much.
Decaf had no comparable effect.
Load Up on Really Green Greens - Choose the darkest varieties. The chlorophyll that gives them their color is loaded with magnesium, which has been found to lower the risk of colon cancer in women. Just ? cup of spinach provides 75 mg of magnesium (20% of the daily value).
Snack on Brazil Nuts - They're a great source of selenium, an antioxidant that lowers the risk of bladder cancer in women. Other studies have found that people with high blood levels of selenium have lower rates of dying of lung and colorectal cancers. Researchers think selenium not only protects cells from free radical damage but may enhance immune function and suppress formation of blood vessels that nourish tumors.
Stop Topping Your Tank - The EPA and President's Cancer Panel say pumping one last squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump's vapor recovery system, which is designed to keep toxic chemicals out of the air.
Skip The Dry Cleaner - A solvent known as perc (short for perchloroethylene) that's used in traditional dry cleaning may cause liver and kidney cancers and leukemia, according to an EPA finding backed in early 2010 by the National Academies of Science. The main dangers are to workers who handle chemicals or treated clothes using older machines, although experts have not concluded that consumers are also at increased cancer risk.
Find Out Your Breast Density - Women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75% or more have a cancer risk of 4-5 times higher than that of women with low density scores. One theory is that denser breasts result from higher levels of estrogen, making exercise particularly important.
Burn Off Breast Cancer Risk With Exercise - Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking 2 hours per week, cuts risk of breast cancer by 18%.
Head Off Cell Phone Risks - Use your cell phone only for short calls or texts, or use a hands-free device. The point is more to preempt any risk than to protect against a proven danger. Evidence that cell phones increase brain cancer is "neither consistent nor conclusive," says the President's Cancer Panel report.
Block The Sun With Color - Choosing your outdoor outfit wisely may help protect against skin cancer. Research has found that blue and red fabrics offered significantly better protection against the sun's UV rays than white and yellow. And, don't forget to wear a hat - although melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, its 'more common in areas the sun hits.
Eat Clean Foods - the President's Cancer Panel recommends buying mean free to antibiotics and added hormones, which are suspected of causing endocrine problems, including cancer. The report also advises that you purchase produce grown without pesticides or wash conventionally grown food thoroughly to remove residues. The foods with the most pesticides are celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, and blueberries.
Switch to Powerhouse Foods
Instead of carrots, eat sweet potatoes, which have double the beta-carotene.Instead of Oranges, eat papaya, which has 11 times more beta-cryptoxanthin.Instead of Spinach, eat cooked kale, which has 7 times the lutein/zeaxanthin.Instead of strawberries, eat raspberries, which have 3 times more elilagic acid.Instead of Broccoli, eat brussells sprouts, which contain 4 times more cancer-curbing compounds.Cancer risks are well documented on the internet and every other information source; i.e. keep alcohol intake to a minimum, exercise every day even if it's just going for a walk, and meditate or find some other stress relief mechanism.
Do you love your breasts? Our fascination with the female breast is strong. They are the butt of many jokes, the desire of many men and their health the obsession of many women. The female breast is revered which most likely starts in infancy; after all it is also our first source of sustenance. This fact alone makes women's breast health a number one concern for many. But do you love your breasts? Are they too big? Or maybe they are too small? Have they held up over time? Or do they need a little help? In many respects women's breast health starts by first simply loving what you have.
Tips for women's breast health include:
Practice monthly self breast exams. Gently massage the breast tissue looking for small, hard lumps that weren't there the month before. If you find anything unusual, schedule a follow up with your doctor immediately.Visit your doctor regularly. Make sure to schedule your annual visit to the gynecologist for your regular check-up to complete your yearly pap smear and have a more thorough breast exam performed by your doctor.
Embrace the mammogram.
Don't put it off, don't be afraid. When it is your time for the mammogram, embrace it. There is no fooling, it will pinch, it will be uncomfortable, but it will be a lot quicker than you might expect and any discomfort will go away quickly.The above tips are all very important parts of every woman's breast health plan. As easy as it is to get caught up in the aesthetics of your bust line; the pros and cons of plastic surgery, the latest and greatest in lingerie, make sure you love your breasts the best way you can and treat them to a regular check up.
