Skip to main content

5 Lifestyle Tips to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Everything She Wants is urging women to take control of their health.  By changing our dietary and lifestyle habits, we can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Photo: Breastcancer.org
According to Breastcancer.org -- the world's top-rated online breast health and breast cancer resource -- the overall incidence of breast cancer is projected to double globally by the year 2040 and occur more frequently in younger women.

Here are a few helpful lifestyle tips from "Think Pink, Live Green," a booklet published by Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA in conjunction with Breastcancer.org that will reduce the risk of developing breast cancer:

  1. Avoid taking extra hormones: It's best to avoid exposing your body to extra hormones, such as estrogen and progestin, which are contained in birth control pills and menopausal hormone replacement therapy. Instead, consider non-hormonal solutions such as an intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception, lubrication for vaginal dryness and meditation and acupuncture for hot flashes. Talk to your doctor if you feel you need hormonal medication to improve or maintain your quality of life.
  2. Maintain a healthy weight: Keeping to a healthy weight is mandatory for breast cancer risk reduction. Ask your doctor what is considered a healthy weight range for your height and body type.  A recalculation is needed during and after pregnancy.  If you're within the range, proper diet and exercise can help you maintain it.  If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor for safe ways to modify your diet and increase your physical activity level.  Cutting calories makes the biggest difference.
  3. Exercise regularly: Try to get at least 3-4 hours of exercise a week, but 5-7 hours is better.  Consider working with a certified trainer.  Mix it up in order to keep it fun.  Something as simple as walking with a friend is a great way to socialize and get the benefits of exercise.
  4. Limit alcohol use: The risk of breast cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.  It's best to reduce consumption to 5 or fewer drinks per week. Less is better.  All types of alcohol count: wine, beer and hard liquor.  Drinking less will also help you maintain your weight.
  5. Quit smoking: If you smoke, stop!  If you're a non-smoker, limit exposure to second-and-third-hand smoke.  Avoid smokers and stay away from areas and clothing that smell of smoke.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enter to Win a $219 Handkerchief Top from SA VA!

Three lucky Everything She Wants' readers will win a feminine, flirty "Indy" handkerchief top from SA VA in Philadelphia .  Voted by Philadelphia Magazine as the city's best new boutique, SA VA is one of my favorite places to shop whenever I'm in Philly.   Owner and designer Sarah Van Aken stocks the cool, two-floor shop with garments that are "locally made, globally inspired, socially conscious, and community based." Indy top by SA VA The store near Rittenhouse Square recently launched its online store, Shop by Ethiquette.   Click here to learn more information about the SA VA Indy top (a $219 value) .  It's a great transition piece that can be worn under a blazer or cardigan. To enter: 1. Leave a comment below with your name and email address that says "I want this top!"  Also, let me know if you've followed the next three steps for extra entries. 2. Want a second entry? Follow @SA VA on Twitter, tweet the conte...
66 comments
Read more

Conway Discount Clothing Chain Closing in New York City

(Tracy E. Hopkins) It's the end of a budget shopping era. Conway discount stores are closing in New York City . As of this weekend, a sign on the sole Herald Square location (34th Street btwn 7th and 8th Ave) says the store will close in "7 Days." Before I relocated to the Big Apple, I was introduced to the discount chain while on a bus trip from Baltimore.  I recall the first time I saw Conway's signature pink bags carried by hurried shoppers in midtown. And Miss Foster, the trip organizer and a bargain hunter from way back, took me to the store for the first time. Conway store in the Fulton Mall./Tracy E. Hopkins When I moved here in 1994, my love affair with Conway continued.  I furnished my first apartment with discount knick-knacks and home goods from the store.  And much to my chagrin, in hindsight, I curated most of my wardrobe for my first full-time job from the long-shuttered 42nd Street and Third Avenue store. One regretful ensemble: Lime green and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Graces Brooklyn Academy of Music, June 4-9, 2024

Dance is expression. Dance is spiritual. Dance is activism. Dance is life. I feel most alive when I am listening to music and dancing.  As a spectator and fan, some of my fondest moments of watching dance performances have been witnessing the dignity and grace of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Every time I see the Ailey company, I am inspired, moved, and grounded in the beauty and complexity of the African American experience.  Photo by Paul Kolnik For me, the highlight is always "Revelations," Mr. Ailey's three-part ode to his upbringing in the Black Baptist church. The three sections -- "Pilgrim of Sorrow"; "Take Me to the Water"; and "Move, Members, Move" -- tell the story of African American faith and persistence from slavery to freedom. Over the weekend,  I had the pleasure of taking an outdoor Community Workshop in downtown Brooklyn, where we learned some of the choreography for "Revelations." I beamed from ear to ear...
Post a Comment
Read more