Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So you will see all kinds of pink ribbons all over the place.

So how aware are we? What do we really know?

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, second only to lung cancer.

The American Cancer Society lists these things as ways to lower your risk of breast cancer:

• Eat a healthy diet to help control weight, since being overweight or obese may raise breast cancer risk.
• Get regular physical activity. The American Cancer Society recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week. Forty-five to 60 minutes a day is even better for reducing breast cancer risk.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than 1 drink per day. Alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

At the same time, they are suggesting that more women should take drugs to keep from getting breast cancer. Tamoxifen and Herceptin, that the ACS is so proud of helping to fund the research to develop, have now been found to have side effects that include uterine cancer.

The American Cancer Society has awarded approximately $388.4 million to breast cancer research since 1971. But they still haven't been able to figure out that living a healthy lifestyle is the answer they are looking for.

Yes, as listed above, they do suggest eating well and exercising regularly. But you will only find that on their web site if you search for it. And only after reading about the drugs they suggest.

There are no suggestions of what foods to avoid, or what to eat. There is a recent news story that they have released a cookbook on what to eat while going through cancer therapy, but it is not to be found on their website. At least not easily.

They also make a big push for lots of mammograms. Studies of mammograms show them to be not only ineffective, but to carry there own dangers. But the ACS web site tells us that most doctors "feel" that it is best for women to get mammograms.

Here is a much better method of detection that is far safer and can detect problems earlier:
Thermography

They also talk a lot about drugs to overcome genetic anomalies that may lead to breast cancer. But as mentioned elsewhere on this site, genetics really is a very weak link and can be completely overcome by proper lifestyle.

Birth control pills up your chances of getting breast cancer, as well as other forms of estrogen hormone supplementation.

Breast feeding will lessen your chances of getting breast cancer, as will making sure that you get adequate levels of Vitamin D. (Get sunshine daily if possible.)

Using coconut oil instead of corn, soy, or canola will go a long way in helping your body to balance all of its hormone levels and stay cancer free.

Get your 9 servings of veggies and fruits daily. Reference here.

If you already have had breast cancer problems, and need to deal with the effects of chemo, here is a resource to help you recover. Click HERE.