7 Natural Ways to Boost Breast Health
It is no secret that breast disease is on the rise and especially in younger women. Just while watching TV or going shopping we are constantly bombarded with images of pink ribbons and pink ribbon messages asking for donations to find the cure for breast cancer.
It’s funny how often the focus for breast disease is not prevention. Women are asked biannually to cross their fingers while they have their breasts squashed and radiated in the hope that a lump hasn’t developed. But many are now taking a more proactive approach? A more self educated, self empowered approach that then enables them to confidently have regular checks without so much fear, self doubt and self loathing. This can be achieved by taking the following steps…
- Diet
A diet full of real food prepared at home will have far less chemicals, toxins and sugars. Eating a freshly prepared, whole-foods will also help avoid estrogen like compounds that are found in food packaging, plastics, food additives, canned foods and drinks, and soy products. You even have to be aware of estrogen mimicking compounds in your town water. Yikes! Might be time to invest in a reverse osmosis filter.
- Supplements
There are a great many studies emphasising the importance of Vitamin D and breast health. Lifestyle factors these days may mean you miss out on sufficient sunlight to synthesise necessary vitamin D, so you may need a supplement. Also gentetic defects preventing UV light’s conversion to active D3 is common and again requires supplementation. Blood levels are easily tested at your local doctor’s office. It is also important to note that even with adequate sun exposure showering at night with lots of soap can affect our vitamin D synthesis and absorption.
Iodine is another essential nutrient to breast health. Dr Sherri Tenpenny advocates its ability to reverse fibrocystic breast disease and other more serious breast diseases. This can be easily measured within as little as 3 months using thermography.
- Deodorants
It is no secret that deodorants are bad for your health. Spraying those deodorants with aluminium on your sensitive under arm area increases not only the toxic chemical levels within the breasts, but it also creates lymphatic congestion in the lymph nodes under the arms and as a result inflammation builds up in your breast tissue.
- Bras
Or more importantly lack of them. Using thermal imaging it is clearly seen how constant wearing of underwire bras impedes lymphatic flow and increases inflammation in the breast tissue. As little as 2 weeks of not wearing underwire bras along with lymphatic massage to encourage lymphatic channels to re open, and inflammation in breast tissue can be completely gone.
- Hormones
When we are talking about hormones and breast health we are specially talking about estrogens. It appears that estrogens and estrogen mimicking compounds in breast tissue create inflammation that leads to breast tenderness, changes in breast size and even lumps. Blood levels can easily be checked by your health care professional.
The contraceptive pill is very convenient when trying to stop pregnancies or to control the time of your period, but studies show that continual use over a prolonged time increases the risk of hormonal disease Other natural contraceptive methods like the billings method may be tried as an alternative.
- Exercise
Now we aren’t talking weight lifting or marathon running, just simple walking, maybe a light jog or jumping on the rebounder. Gentle exercise helps to pump lymphatic fluid around the body. Lymphatic fluid is the garbage collection system of the body and it doesn’t have a pump within the body, so it needs us to move. By keeping this system flowing, less wastes and inflammation build up in the breast tissue which reduces risk factors for developing breast disease.
Of course Pilates, vigorous walking, cycling, yoga and strength training also help to stabalise sugar levels and reduce cortisol levels making the body healthier throughout.
- Lifestyle choices
Whilst eating a healthy diet to maintain a healthy weight and regular exercise can decrease your risk of breast disease, so too can breast feeding your child for as long as possible 6 months to 2 years, and having more than one child. The hormone changes that occur during pregnancy and breast feeding can not only prolong life but increase breast health.
Smoking, regular alcohol consumption, being overweight, eating a chemically laden diet, not having children or having children late in life (after 32) are well known risk factors of breast disease.
So in short to reduce breast disease:
- Eat a whole, fresh food diet
- Supplement with iodine and vitamin D, always consult a health professional
- Start using a natural, aluminium free deodorant
- Ditch the bra
- Have your hormones tested and treated accordingly
- Start exercising
- Stress less and enjoy your wise and wonderful female body.