Natural ways to prevent breast cancer from one of our naturopathic doctors, Naomi Whelan.
7 Tips to Prevent Breast Cancer
- Eat a diet high in antioxidants – this should include plenty of brightly coloured vegetables and fruit. Antioxidants are great for preventing cell damage associated with the development of cancer, and can be useful in the treatment of breast cancer.
- Avoid high sugar foods, high fructose corn syrup and unhealthy fats and maintain a healthy body weight. Blood sugar imbalance and excess body fat can interfere with hormones and breast health. Check out our blog for some healthy recipes!
- Optimize your iodine levels – Iodine can be used to treat and prevent fibrocystic breasts, and may be beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. These habits can significantly increase your risk for breast cancer. Regular acupuncture sessions can help you quit smoking and manage stress.
- Get your blood and lymph moving, and break a sweat – healthy circulation means that nutrients get to delivered to keep your tissues healthy and metabolites and toxins get carried off for detoxification. Lymphatic breast massage can be helpful to get things moving. Sweating through exercise or sauna use can also help with detoxification. Be sure to towel off during and after.
- Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about hormone balance. You may be experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance such as irregular periods, heavy menstrual flow, PMD or breast tenderness. There are many natural ways to improve these symptoms and some have the added benefit of reducing your risk of breast cancer. Contact us to tlak about getting a female hormone panel test.
- Avoid exposure to toxins – The food you eat, products you put on your skin, and cleaning products you use may contain compounds that are known carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Avoid using chemical pesticides in your garden and tell your Naturopathic Doctor if you have had significant toxic exposures in your workplace or at home. Environmental Working Group is a great consumer resource to help you avoid toxins.
