October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What does this mean? Now is a good time to schedule important screenings such as mammograms, ultrasounds and MRIs. But it’s also a good time to simply check in with yourself. Are you doing everything you can to ensure that you have the healthiest breast tissue possible?
The good news is, there’s a lot that you can do! Your diet, lifestyle and even supplements you take can not only help with overall health but breast health, specifically. Here are some of the most important steps you can take:
Live healthy. Be sure to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise, get plenty of sleep and take steps to better manage stress. All of these actions support whole-body wellness and breast tissue health.
Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a known stimulator of fibrocystic breast changes. Instead of coffee, drink flavorful and antioxidant-rich herbal teas. Or try coffee alternatives, such as brewed chicory root.
Exercise. Stay active to promote healthy circulation. When you exercise, you support the natural detoxification of every cell, making your body more like a flowing river – able to remove toxins efficiently from your tissues – rather than a stagnant pond.
Choose organic. Make sure your diet is made up of primarily organic foods to avoid xenoestrogens, synthetic compounds and pesticides that can mimic estrogen in your body and “turn on” estrogen-sensitive cells. Your breast tissue is responsive to estrogen; you want your own estrogen, not environmental chemicals, to be stimulating your breast tissue.
Eat cruciferous vegetables. Support your liver’s ability to break down estrogen by ingesting lots of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. These foods support the detoxification of estrogen, or the healthy metabolism and excretion of estrogen. There are also supplements that contain the active ingredient, called indole-3-carbinol (also known at I3C), found in these foods. Indole-3-carbinol is a powerful antioxidant. Another similar nutrient derived from cruciferous vegetables is diindolylmethane (also known as DIM).*
Consider taking calcium d-glucarate. A compound that your own body naturally produces, calcium d-glucarate is being studied for its ability to promote natural hormone balance and detoxification in the body.*
Make a point to get regular screenings. Be sure you’re up to date with your mammograms, and do a self breast exam at least once a month. You also want to make sure your doctor checks any new lumps or unusual changes in your breast tissue, such as changes in your nipples, puckering of the skin on your breasts, and any rashes or moles on your breasts. If you have any fluid leaking from your nipples, have your doctor check it to make sure it’s benign.
With a healthy lifestyle and good breast surveillance, you’re taking a positive stand and being proactive in maintaining your breast health and the vitality of your whole body!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.