If you’re concerned about breast cancer, you may be wondering if there are steps you can take toward breast cancer prevention. Some risk factors, such as family history (which is only 10%), can’t be changed. However, there are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk. Lifestyle changes have been shown in studies to decrease breast cancer risk even in high-risk women. The following are steps you can take to lower your risk:
Be physically active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, helps prevent breast cancer.
Breast-feed. Breast-feeding may play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
Control your weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
Limit dose and duration of hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy for more than three to five years increases the risk of breast cancer.
Reduce alcohol consumption. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer.
Avoid smoking. Accumulating evidence suggests a link between smoking and breast cancer risk, particularly in premenopausal women.
Avoid restrictive bra, aluminum deodorant and start hand massage or dry-brushing in the armpits to stimulate lymph systems.
Choose organic vegetables, fruits, and fish oils or flaxseed oil for Omega-3.
Avoid red meat and chicken with hormones; white flour and sugar; Sodas, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners.
Establish a sleep routine and reduce stress (yoga, meditation, massage works).
Avoid exposure to radiation (as much as possible) and environmental pollution. Medical-imaging methods, such as computerized tomography, use high doses of radiation, which have been linked with breast cancer risk.
Schedule an annual physical examination by a doctor and perform monthly breast self-examination. Establish a routine annual breast screening, including Thermography.
Early Screening
Other than lifestyle changes, the most important action a woman can take is to screen for early detection. Early detection will not prevent breast cancer, but it can help find it when the likelihood of successful treatment is greatest.
Being able to see the very first beginnings of a possible disease process before it becomes a medical problem is essential to living a long and healthy life. Thermography is an important imaging tool of prevention. Natural health and Ayurvedic medicine all focus on a proactive approach to your health. Thermography helps guide us to the areas in your body that are asking for help; often times long before traditional tests or other imaging techniques can detect a possible problem.
With thermography as your regular screening tool, it’s likely that you would have the opportunity to make adjustments to your diet, beliefs and lifestyle to transform your cells before they became cancerous – a true prevention strategy.
MazharShaik,M.D. (Ay), CCT
MazharullahShaik,M.D. (Ay), CCT – Doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Certified Clinical Thermographer, Green Health Thermography, 1900 W. Stadium Blvd., Suite C, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103. www.greenhealththermography.com. 734-845-4294.
