If you avoid mammograms, or at least try to cut them down, then you do need some advice on how to care for your breasts.
I apologise to all men readers, as this is a very female-oriented article, but you can help your other half by reading and understanding it.
Let’s start with an interesting fact. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the UK was started by a company that manufactures and sells mammography machines. Women are taught to be constantly vigilant through regular mammograms.
However, Christiane Northrup offers alternative ways to keep your breasts healthy (Northrup’s new book: Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality and Wellbeing, Hay House, 2015). These are ways which will not pressure women to think their breasts are more likely to become malignant tumours rather than being a beautiful, feminine part of their bodies.
Another preconception is that to be attractive, a woman’s breast should be as large as possible, the reason why the number of women having breast implants has ballooned from 101,176 in 1997 to 330,631 in 2012 in the US, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Breast implants also render a woman 18 times more likely to develop a rare form of breast cancer called ‘anaplastic large-cell lymphoma’ (JAMA, 2008).
Regardless of size, shape breasts represent nourishment and the deep bonds love can create. Here are a few ways to take care of them yourself.
Without waving a feminist flag, going without your bra as much as you can enables the lymphatic fluids to flow freely. For someone with large breasts this may be painful over a long period of time and definitely when exercising.
Going without your bra as much as you can enables the lymphatic fluids to flow freely. At the end of the day, a bra is a fashion accessory, a super-addition to your wardrobe, not a medical device
However, take the opportunity when relaxing at home and throughout the night to avoid a bra. There is no evidence that not wearing a bra causes breasts to sag earlier than they normally would.
Apparently, requiring a bra for training or support is simply a cultural myth, probably circulated by a corset manufacturer. At the end of the day, a bra is a fashion accessory, a super-addition to your wardrobe, not a medical device.
Pay attention to any breast symptoms that suggest the need for hormonal balancing. Sore breasts are often a sign of suboptimal levels of iodine or oestrogen levels that are too high. The breasts require about 3mg of iodine a day for optimal health and the body itself requires another 9mg.
The safest food sources for iodine are kelp and organic eggs. Iodised salt, though better than nothing, is not the best source, as the iodine tends to evaporate out of the salt. If you have thyroid issues, increase your iodine levels gradually, ideally under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner who is familiar with iodine and thyroid conditions.
Sweat is part of the body’s natural system for shedding toxins and reducing cortisol levels. Exercise helps you to maintain healthy levels of oestrogen and other hormones. Regular exercise decreases the risk of breast cancer, probably because it decreases total body fat, and fat can produce excess oestrogen.
According to one large study, women who were lean and exercised for hours a week had a 70 per cent reduction to their risk of breast cancer (Dishman, R. et al, Physical Activity Epidemiology, 2nd edition Champaign, 2012). Opt for thermography rather than mammography.
As mammography exposes the chest and breasts to radiation, thermography detects heat in the breast tissue which may be due to cellular inflammation.
The results change as blood flow to your tissues changes. When blood vessels are being formed to support a cluster of abnormal cells with DNA mutations, the process releases heat that can be picked up on an infrared imaging camera.
Basically, you are seeing potential problems long before they become diagnosable as a disease. You can then respond by taking action to improve your breast health and doing another thermogram three months later to see if the inflammation has reversed. There are more than 40 years of research studies and more than 800 peer-reviewed studies supporting breast thermography.
Diet is important. High-fibre vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, turmeric, garlic, onions, tomatoes, kale and collard greens. Nuts, flax, hemp or chia seeds are also important. Eat fish or take fish oil supplements so that the body gets plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. These are antioxidants and lower the risk of breast cancer.
A high glycaemic index diet causes insulin resistance over time, which is a risk factor for breast cancer. The answer is to cut down on sugars, while including healthy fish, meats, cheese and eggs. Add healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, macadamia nuts and flax oil.
Two other lifestyle issues are smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation. By drinking just one or more alcoholic beverage per day, you are at a 60 per cent higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Alcohol consumption inhibits the ability of folic acid to repair DNA. If you do drink, take a B complex supplement. Remember, taking a glass of wine with your meal is very different to reaching for the wine bottle to suppress anxiety and stress.
kathryn@maltanet.net