Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in the United States. Nearly 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with more than 40,000 ultimately succumbing to the disease. Unfortunately, these statistics show no signs of abating. While cancer treatments continue to improve, the best medicine remains prevention. There can be no guarantees where anyone’s health is concerned, but there are a number of completely natural proactive steps that women can take to reduce their risk for developing breast cancer. These steps are easy to implement, and provide the best defense women have against this life threatening disease.
Common Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
There are a number of factors that place women at a greater risk for developing breast cancer. It is clear that genetics plays some role, and women from families with a history of cancer may be more prone to developing the disease. But genetics alone cannot explain the increasing number of breast cancer diagnoses over the last half a century. Environmental toxins, including pollutants, pesticides and industrial chemicals also contribute to the occurrence of all types of cancer. Whether or not a woman has given birth, and whether or not they choose to breast feed, also plays a part in increasing the risk for breast cancer. Few, if any, of these risk factors can be avoided, but there are ways to naturally enrich the body and make it an unwelcome host for cancer cells.
How Your Environment Affects Your Breast Cancer Risk
Cancer and all disease is a product of your environment, your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual environment. When you change these then you will change the course of any disease and be able to return to health. If you think your genes are going to give you cancer then you deny the latest in molecular biology research which shows that your genes do not dictate your health but the environment those genes are in that controls your health. This is empowering because you cannot change your genes but you most definitely can change your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual environment.
Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk Through Lifestyle
Lifestyle choices play a key role in all cancer prevention. A healthy diet and regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy body, making it an inhospitable host for cancer. Women at risk for breast cancer should transition to a low fat diet, rich in organic fruits and vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, kale and broccoli, help to decrease the levels of estrogen in the body. Tumors require estrogen to grow, and by reducing estrogen levels in the body it is possible to deny cancer cells the ‘food’ they need to develop.
It is also important to maintain the body’s pH balance, the ratio of alkalinity and acidity, at optimal levels. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment, but struggles to survive in an alkaline environment. Maintaining a healthy pH balance is crucial to remaining cancer free. Women at risk for breast cancer should concentrate on a diet that is rich in alkalizing foods such as green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, garlic, onions and lemon.
Exercise also plays a large part in cancer prevention. Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease which weakens the body and can lead to the development of cancer. Exercise also helps to oxygenate the blood, and to circulate that highly oxygenated blood to organs and tissue. Cancer cells perish in highly oxygenated environments, so regular exercise can help to keep the body cancer free.
Make Changes to Your Environment
Exposure to environmental toxins and pollutants has been linked to the development of not only breast cancer, but cancer in general. It is difficult to entirely avoid the toxins and chemicals that have become so prevalent in modern society, but there are some steps women can take to reduce their level of exposure. Avoid using commercial weed killers and chemical pesticides, and switch to wholly organic products. Minimize the use of dry cleaning. The chemicals used in the dry cleaning process are highly toxic and full of carcinogens. Use only all natural sun screens when exposed to the elements for long periods of time. Switch to wholly organic household cleaners whenever possible.
Breast cancer prevention should begin early, and mothers should teach their daughters at an early age the basic natural steps that can be taken to make the body inhospitable to cancer cells and tumors. It is impossible to avoid all of the risk factors associated with cancer, but by making some fundamental lifestyle changes, and by embracing a natural approach to their continued health, women can greatly reduce their chances of developing breast cancer.
Stress a Major Factor in Breast Cancer
What you do to your mind you do to your body. To prevent and if necessary overcome breast cancer or any cancer you must bring balance into your mind and emotions. Breast cancer can be triggered by stress especially traumatic loss of a spouse, child or partner. Although you cannot always control these factors you CAN control how you respond to these. The correct response in all things is to trust God and to know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength. In life it is not about the things that happen to us but how we react to these things that show what we are made of. If we are created in God’s image then we need to become the sons and daughters that God created us to be. Be still and know that I AM God.
