Don’t Fear Your Breasts
As women, we have been conditioned to believe that our breasts are two pre-malignant lesions sitting on our chests about to kill us at any moment. The medical community and the media use words such as “detect”, “screen” and “special populations”. This implies that you will inevitably get cancer, so you need to plan for it.
Buying into fear tactics and supporting corporations who profit from them, is not something we should do.
Instead, focus on how you can create breast health.
Why Women Buy Into The Fear Around Breast Cancer
There are many factors that contribute to a woman’s fear regarding her breasts. First, there are all the new screenings and treatments that are continually added into protocol, such as 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography. And, once screenings and treatment regimens become “standard” it is hard to remove them from practice, even when the evidence supports discontinuing them.
The reality is, if you buy into the cultural fears around breast cancer, you may be subjecting your breasts to harmful therapies and end up being diagnosed with, and treated for, something that would never harm you in the first place, such as DCIS
Another major factor that contributes to women’s fears about breast cancer is family history. We have been led to believe that if someone in your family has had breast or ovarian cancer, you will too. Genetic testing for everything under the sun has become commonplace and women are voluntarily removing their healthy breasts and ovaries in an attempt to “save themselves.” When in reality the science of Epigenetics shows that most health problems stem from misperceptions we have learned or acquired, and anyone can change their genetic “blueprint” with their consciousness. We do not have to live the same lives as our parents, we can choose differently.
How All Women Can Create Healthy Breasts
It’s important to remember that your body’s immune system is set up to recognize and destroy cancer cells in the right environment. Here are some health and lifestyle tips that I recommend for creating healthy breasts:
- Get Enough Sleep. Sleep restores the body and it’s during sleep that our bodies metabolize stress hormones. Aim for 8 hours per night. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Sleep in a dark room. Turn off your cell phone and household WiFi.
- Exercise regularly. The benefits of regular moderate exercise are innumerable and studies show that physically active women have a decreased risk of cancer. You don’t have to join an expensive gym. Keep it simple with activities that you will stick with such as walking with a friend or dancing to music in your home.
- Eat a healthy diet. Aim for a diet that keeps your insulin, estrogen and eicosanoids balanced. Include lean protein at every meal. Reduce or eliminate sugar in all forms, including alcohol and packaged foods. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Include a good source of iodine from food or as a supplement, as well as Omega 3 fatty acids.
- Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels. The best way to get your vitamin D is from safe exposure to sunlight.
- Get Social. Get off your cell phone, computer, tablet or whatever, and get out with friends. Volunteer in your community or at your church. Take up a new activity, such as dancing or yoga. Having a fulfilling social life improves your immune system. When your immune system is healthy it naturally kills off pathogens and rogue cells that can lead to disease.
- Cultivate a Practice of Self-Care and Self-Love. This is the most important factor in creating health because carving out time to care for and love yourself unconditionally feeds your cells the positive thoughts and emotions they need to reproduce in a healthy way. There are many things you can do to cultivate this type of practice, such as meditate, say positive affirmations in front of the mirror, use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT, or Tapping), keep a gratitude journal, walk in nature, or simply take time to breathe in and out through your nose fully (this stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system). Do whatever supports you. And, remember, every emotion you have is associated with a biochemical process in your body. So, allow the emotions of pleasure, receiving, and generosity to flow through you regularly.
- Lovingly massage your breasts. This is an extension of self-love. Regular, pleasurable breast massage is a perfect way to promote breast health! I suggest 2 minutes per day where you lovingly touch your breast without looking for any perceived abnormalities. And, go bra-less as much as possible. This helps stimulate lymph flow, which releases toxins from breast tissue. It can also feel wonderful!