How To Prevent Breast Cancer

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Risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, moderate exercise and diagnostic testing.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. According to the CDC, more than 220,000 women and over 2,000 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Of those diagnosed, 41,150 women and 405 men died from the disease. Lifestyle changes and diagnostic tools can help to decrease your risk of breast cancer. Doing breast self-exams, maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising moderately and visiting your physician annually can help decrease your risk.

A healthy body begins with a healthy body weight. Those who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Research has shown that those who gain weight after menopause are at an even greater risk of developing breast cancer. For this reason, it is important to eat a sensible diet and get moderate exercise.

Exercise

Physical activity can decrease your risk of developing breast cancer. Most research agrees that women should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise weekly. Additionally, include strength training as a part of your exercise routine to decrease your risk of developing breast cancer.

Stop Smoking

Everyone has heard about the danger of cigarette smoking. There is well documented research showing that smoking, especially in premenopausal women, increases the risk for breast cancer. If you smoke, talk with your physician about how to stop smoking. There are many wonderful options available to help you kick this life destroying habit permanently.

Healthy Diet

In order to remain healthy, our body must receive ample nutrition. Eating a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats can help prevent and destroy free radicals in the body. Free radicals and oxidative stress destroy healthy cells and causes mutations in the body. This can increase your risk of developing a number of illnesses, including cancer. Couple a healthy diet with a multivitamin and mineral supplement to help ensure your body is getting the nutrition it needs.

Diagnostic Testing

There are a number of tests that can catch lumps in the breast before they turn into cancer. Talk with your physician to learn how to perform monthly self-exams of your breasts. If you notice any changes in your breasts, contact your physician immediately. Additionally, annual breast exams by your physician will help catch lumps early. These coupled with diagnostic tools, such as ultrasounds and mammograms can catch changes in the breast. Early prevention is the key to beating breast cancer.

Toxin Exposure

Did you know that toxins can cause cancer? Research has suggested a link between toxin exposure and breast cancer. There are many ways to limit toxin exposure, including air purifiers, water purifiers and eating organic products. If you work in a toxic environment, talk to your physician about ways to limit toxin exposure. Finally, completing a detoxification program will help pull toxins from the body, which can help decrease your risk of breast cancer.

Although some risk factors, such as heredity, cannot be changed, there are numerous ways that you can help lower your risk of developing breast cancer. A healthy diet, moderate exercise and diagnostic testing can help lower your risk of breast cancer. Additionally, avoid smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting toxin exposure are effective ways to decrease your risk.

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