Congratulations to all the Breast Cancer Survivors. May you continue to be blessed with excellent health.
My first encounter with breast cancer was when I was in 3rd grade. My best friend’s mother died from breast cancer that year. It was truly horrible. I remember feeling sad and crying. I did not know that I could hurt like that.
I could not understand how mothers could die. I thought they had some special powers that would not let them die when we were young. We would have to be at least 20 years old for that to happen.
Just thinking about it now breaks my heart. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I became a Naturopathic Physician.
Breast cancer has claimed the lives of so many mothers, daughters, sisters, not to mention fathers, sons, and brothers.
My most recent experience was my cousin. I stayed with her for a week a few years ago after she finished chemo treatment.
It was not easy seeing her go from an independent woman being a top performer in her company, a pillar in the community to someone who could barely lift a piece of paper.
It was a long road but thankfully she was able to slay cancer like the dragon it is.
All cancer survivors are awesome. You truly are the original Dragon Slayers.
So today in honor of breast cancer awareness month I would like to discuss some breast cancer prevention tips that everyone can benefit from,
let’s start by looking at how to prevent breast cancer naturally and help boost our immune systems so that we can be in the best fighting form.
1. Diet, Diet, Diet
Many times we take for granted our youth and what were able to eat. Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers, ice cream, cakes, and pies.
You cannot be a 40 year old and eat like a 10 year old. The math just does not work. The foods that you ate 40+ years ago is not the food of today.–You know this don’t you?
At 10 years body has only been on this planet for 10 years. You can do all kinds of things to it and it usually bounces back.
But at 40 your digestive system has been around for 4 decades. 3 meals times 7 days a week times 52 weeks times 40 years is 43,680 meals. Now that does not include snacks.
Let’s start to incorporate balanced meals, lots of fruit and veggies, some whole grains and sweet potatoes, small amounts of dairy, poultry, meat and fish. Dairy, fish and any animal protein should be organic and once a week. Yes I wrote it. You ate it for 40 years!
Certain fruits and veggies should also be organic because of pesticides. Drink lots of water and try to drink alkaline water please!. Sorry no juice, but you can have tea and smoothies are good as long as the fiber is still in the fruit and veggies.
Avoid list— Anything with added sugar. Bar-b-que or blackened meat. artificial anything– dyes, flavoring, and GMOs. Animal fat, trans fats, snack foods, fried foods, and alcohol. Finally if you are a smoker the best thing you can do is to quit smoking –please!
Get creative with vegan and vegetarian meals and desserts. You can do this I know you can!
2. Below 35 inches
That means workouts should be apart of your daily or nightly routine. Your waistline should be below 35 inches for optimal health.
Yoga, walking, chair aerobics, boxing, jogging, anything that will get you moving. It’s always easier if you can make exercising a habit. Find an exercise you enjoy doing.
Regular exercise accelerates the passage of toxins from the body. All healing programs must include some type of exercise.
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3. Stress, stress go away
Start by looking at “the stress symptoms checklist” If you find that you have the stress symptoms then go back to number 2 on this page.
Exercise is a great reliever of stress. Work addiction is the disease of our times. We want to keep up with the Jones or should I say Kardashians and we are willing to work extra long hours to make it.
Take a breath on a regular basis ( try the 4-7-8 breathing) and a break. Strengthen family and friendship ties, and remove toxic relationships from your life.
Celebrate your families rituals. Get adequate rest. Develop creative pastimes that does NOT require the use of a computer.
Learn to delegate at home and at work. Meditate. Neck rolls are excellent. Don’t forget to take short vacations and/or long weekends.
4. Shiitake mushrooms
There are several breast cancer prevention foods and herbs that are immune boosters and used in the fight against breast cancer. One in particular is shiitake mushrooms.
Shiitake mushrooms are a fungi they mostly come from China but we are seeing more farmers in America growing the mushroom.
They contain antioxidants that inhibit stress and they discourage inflammation, tumors, “bad” bacteria and harmful viruses.
Shopping —Look for certified organic mushrooms when purchasing. Shiitakes should be firm and kept refrigerated in a paper bag until time for cooking no longer than 1 week.
Cooking —-One of the bet ways of cooking is sauteing and then adding to a good soup. I like them in ratatouille over cauliflower rice with pilau seasoning.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, its an opportunity to evaluate your health. A time to look at ways to prevent breast cancer for yourself and for your loved ones.
If you have breast cancer or your a survivor we salute you dragon slayers as you continue to slay the dragon that is cancer!
We want to hear from you! What are you doing for Breast Cancer Awareness Month?