On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness

Happy Wellness Wednesday everyone!

It is October which means it is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is very important to me because members of my family have had this disease that effects so many women. In fact, it touches almost everyone I know. One in 8 women are affected by it and environmental exposure is responsible for almost 90 percent of cases! Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am going to discuss some quick ways to help decrease your risk from getting cancer.

Eat organic animal products. I cannot stress how important this is. If you have cancers that run in your family, decrease the amount of grilled meat as it has heterocyclic amines that are linked to many types of cancer. Also if you have breast cancer in your family either lower or avoid red meat.
Drink clean water. A simple filter like Britta can reduce the amount of chemicals in your water. We have seen so much in the news with contaminated water from different cities within the United States. Make sure you are drinking filtered water and enough water as well. Just because water is in a bottle doesn’t mean it isn’t contaminated. Water in glass bottles is the safest. Also, do not leave plastic water bottles in hot cars where the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the water from the heat. Consume at least 64 ounces of clean water a day.
Eat organic fruits and vegetables. If you are on a budget, please refer to previous posts regarding the ww.ewg.org clean fifteen and dirty dozen. The phytochemicals present in vegetables and fruit are some of the best way to protect yourself from cancer.
Eat 25-40 grams of fiber a day. Fiber can be found in vegetables, fruits, grains, roots and beans. Fiber has be demonstrated to decrease cancers and cardiovascular disease, another increasing health issue with women.
Do not smoke. Smoking increases the risks of cancer dramatically.
Use sunscreen.
Avoid chemical exposure. Last week I wrote about the dirty dozen of endocrine disruptors. These are paramount to avoid because there is a direct link with these and increased risks of cancer.
Use organic or healthy cleaning products for your home. The same goes for body products and cosmetics. Just like food, what when breathe and touches our skin goes directly into our body!
Exercise can decrease the risk of getting cancer. Sitting is the new smoking.
Keep your cell phone away from your bra! Studies are now showing that cell phone radiation has been linked to other types of cancers. Many young women store their phones in their bras. This practice can have cumulative effects. Use a Bluetooth device or headphones. Try and keep your cell phone away from your body.

Thank you to my mom, Dr. Elizabeth Trattner for allowing me to interview her on this very important subject. You can visit her website www.elizabethtrattner.com . Also visit www.ewg.org to learn more about ways to protect yourself.

Remember to wear pink for Breast Cancer Awareness! on-wednesdays-we-wear-pink