It was also sobering to learn about all our classmates who were not able to be there because they had already died. We had an In Memorium Board to “Take a Pause” and Honor them as our classmates. I wondered, as always, what made the difference between those who were still able to wake up and celebrate life each day and those that did not and, in the midst of that thought, glean the ways in which we can put together the positive, hopeful messages in the midst of the challenges.
After many years of experiencing the best and sweetest moments of my life when I was raising my daughter against the contrast with the most painful, challenging situations that I have experienced through my patient’s eyes, I have come to believe that it is so important to focus on what we want to happen, what we dream for our life. As my mentor has expressed, what we focus on magnifies. So, in this month of October, I would like to focus on how we can develop strategies for vibrant health, especially Breast Health and reduced risk of breast cancer.
First, for any of you that may have a personal or family history of breast cancer, know that your genes are not your destiny. They are only one marker, but it is not set in stone! As with any dis-ease, it is best to honor our body and nourish it and power it with good, better, best health habits. I like to think of good health habits as choosing one healthful strategy and incorporating that into your routine every day. Maybe it is exercise. Find what you really enjoy which could be swimming, jogging, hiking, playing tennis, team sports or even a good power walk. Do this for 20-30 minutes per day and, if possible, find a friend, neighbor, or maybe your spouse so that you can double the fun and hold each other accountable. If you have any children or teens, encourage them to do the same because we do know from the research that teens who are involved with team sports whether soccer, tennis, cross-country sports, etc have lower rates of cancer, including breast cancer, over the course of their lives.
Second, for better breast health, combine two health habits into your day. You may consider coupling your exercise routine with a primarily plant-based diet with colorful fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits on half your plate as each color signifies a different phytonutrient that helps your body to function well. Round out your diet with whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, farro, or bulgar in another quarter of your plate and add some beans, legumes, or lentils onto the other quarter of your plate. For variety and additional nutrients add seeds and nuts such as pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, pecans or olive oil or avocado that have healthy fats in them. It has also been found beneficial to include soy in your diet such as soymilk, tofu, miso, or tempeh as these can lower your risk of breast cancer. As always, drink filtered water which removes all the metals or toxins that are unhealthy for your body. Many have asked how much water is enough. It is recommended that we drink a quantity of water each day that equals about half our weight in ounces. So, a 150-pound woman benefits her health by drinking 75 ounces of water a day whereas men need a little more or about 104 ounces per day which may need to be adjusted based on the overall temperature or how much one is sweating while exercising. In addition, pregnant women need about 80 ounces of water per day and women who are breastfeeding need about 104 ounces per day. As always, it is best to check with your doctor for individual guidance.
By far, the greatest way to reduce one’s risk of breast cancer is to avoid or limit alcohol and, for cancer in general, to avoid smoking. What we have been finding is that for anyone with a personal or family history of cancer, it is best to limit alcohol intake to no more than 3-4 glasses of alcohol per week. Alcohol has been found to correlate with higher risk of breast cancer.
For best breast health, each day keep your mind focused on what you would love for your life in terms of wellness and combine your daily exercise routine with sound nutrition that fuels your body with phytonutrients along with clean water as well as your favorite stress management practice, a community of support and a sense of purpose. Together these will provide the well-rounded nourishment your body, mind and spirit need to stay well and have the best chance of being healthy and more resilient for the long term. Of course, in our current environment, it is helpful to surround ourselves in a clean and non-toxic environment. As one of my patients commented in 1995, with so much breast cancer in young women, she wondered if there was something in the environment. It was a brilliant question, and she had strong intuition as the rates of breast cancer have been going up since WWII. There are things in our environment contributing to the cancers that we see, including breast cancer, whether the cleaners we use, the nail polish we put on, the lead, mercury, asbestos, etc in our homes or glyphosate on our lawns or gardens, there are a number of toxic chemicals and products which put our bodies at increased risk of breast cancer It is so important that we have an awareness of the environment that we live in day to day to protect our epigenetics. We will discuss more about this later. In the meantime, try incorporating some of the good, better and best good health habits into your day!
Having a North Star of health habits can make a difference in how we create nourishing habits in our lives. It also helps us to feel better, as well as our kids to feel better and a greater chance of living a longer healthier life, doing more of what we love and spending less time being sick. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalWellnessParenting/
For those that are interested in learning more about how our environment can impact our health or our risk of cancer, I hope you will join us Virtually on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 7:30pm-9:00pm EST when we will discuss Clean Living and Detoxing Your Environment for Good Health through the Needham Community Education Program. We will discuss our homes including our yards, work and play environments for ways in which we can have a greater awareness minimizing toxins in our environment.
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Here is to your good, better, best health thru Intentional Wellness©™ Parenting!
Winning Every Living Day through Love, Nutrition, Exercise, Serenity & Spirituality!