October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if I’m being super honest with you, I’ve never done much to promote this month and here’s why: 1. It’s not been until recently that I’ve fully understood the importance and power of PREVENTION and 2. I haven’t known anyone close to me that’s gone through the struggle or even had a family member with breast cancer. Until now.
One of our small group members recently lost her sweet mama to breast cancer. We had brunch together this past weekend and we saw her for the first time since she lost her mom. My heart aches beyond words for her and the challenge she now faces learning to do life as a young woman without her mama. Her life will never be the same because of her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis.
Honestly, one of the emotions I experience when I hear about cancer diagnoses, whether it be breast cancer, brain or the next, is anger. I’ve found myself asking the Lord, “Why does anyone have to deal with this!?” There is so much fear, sickness, nausea, life altering meds, weight loss, heart ache and for some, painful loss, associated with cancer.
It breaks my heart. Every. Single. Time.
So, the enneagram 6 in me has always wondered how I can avoid this diagnosis and how I can support my family, clients and those who follow along here in doing the same. Season Johnson has actually been a big educator and encourager in my life around the topic of cancer prevention and care (check out her website, her not-so-little-anymore Kicker fought acute lymphoblastic leukemia and WON combining the western approach to cancer care as well as alternative and holistic support).
Is there something we can do in our day to day lives to power up our bodies to eat up cancer cells and ultimately, stay as healthy as possible?
Absolutely.
Did you know that about 85% of breast cancers are not related to family history?
It’s the truth and outside factors like chemical exposure from personal care products/water/lawns and gardens/plastics/etc., eating unhealthy foods, alcohol intake, smoking, unhealthy weight and lack of exercise are all on the list of established risks.
Do you know what’s so encouraging about that list?
YOU have the ability to control most of those factors in your life. YOU have the ability to take your cancer risk and smash it into the ground. YOU can do so many things to help lessen your chances of developing breast cancer and other types of cancers.
That’s pretty damn encouraging if you ask me.
So what can you do today to prevent breast cancer (and all the others)?
Here are 5 simple tips to make it happen...
Up your cancer fighting foods
It’s estimated that diet is responsible for 30 to 40% of all cancers. Yes, the food you eat plays a huge role in your chances of developing certain cancers and also your body’s ability to smash cancer cells, turn bad genes off and good genes on. My best recommendations?
Kick the sugar as much as possible. Sugar depresses your immune system and feeds cancer cells.
Up your colorful veggie intake. Those colors that make fruits and veggies so dang beautiful are the very compounds that help your body prevent and fight off cancer. Plus, there are tons of other nutrients within fresh, organic produce that help support your overall internal and external health (hello glowy skin!).
Avoid unhealthy fats like processed vegetable oils and hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). A European study of 25,000 women showed that the women with the highest amounts of trans fats in their blood were twice as likely than women with the lowest amounts of trans fats to develop breast cancer.
Choose organic whenever possible. Pesticides and other chemicals used on commercially/conventionally grown crops have been linked to several health issues in women specifically and their estrogen mimicking effects may be a real concern for breast cancer risk.
Make beauty + skincare swaps that matter
There are several chemical ingredients used in personal care products (like deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, makeup, perfume, etc.) that are linked to increased breast cancer risk. Many of these chemicals are known endocrine disruptors that can affect how estrogen and other hormones work in the body, either by blocking them or mimicking them. This can throw off your body’s precious hormonal balance and create a host of issues, including an increased breast cancer risk.
This used to freak me out, but here’s the deal–you have the ability to make swaps that matter. If you’re a non-toxic skincare newbie, begin by swapping out the products that sit on your skin the longest like deodorant, lotion and foundation. My favorites for these items–Primally' Pure’s deodorant and body butter and Beautycounter’s Tint Skin Foundation.
If you’re already a clean beauty pro, double check that your products are the real deal as many companies hopping on the “natural” bandwagon are making claims that are not backed by third-party ingredient testing for safety and contamination (this is coined “greenwashing”).
Here is yet another reason I stand alongside Beautycounter and the products they’re creating: Beautycounter is leading the way on product and ingredient testing. They screen each ingredient using 17 research databases evaluating 23 different endpoints for human and environmental health—reproduction, carcinogenic, endocrine disruption, etc. They also test their skincare products 5 times and makeup products 6 times during production for potential heavy metal content. Their batch testing methods are huge for ensuring that the product you end up using is free and clear of ingredients and contaminants that can affect your health. You can learn more about Bc’s mission here.
Skip out on plastics
Research has clearly shown that chemicals found in plastics, like the commonly known bisphenol-A (BPA), have a direct link to breast and other cancers. Many companies have taken a stand against using BPA, but are using other, very similar chemicals that have the same purpose and may affect health as well. Think of these as BPA’s cousins. It’s safe to say that whether an item is labeled “BPA-free” or not, you should avoid using plastics as much as possible. It is especially important to avoid heating plastics (like blending a hot soup or liquid in a plastic blender or washing plastic storage containers in a hot dishwasher, for example) as this will increase the chemical content leached into food and drinks.
Opt for glass or stainless steel storage containers like these and these and water bottles to help lower waste and decrease your exposure to plastics and their not-so-healthy chemies.
Choose safer cleaning products
Most people don’t realize that even when cleaning products sit locked up under a sink or in a closet, their chemical ingredients can transfer through the container and into the air you breath, day in and day out. Don’t believe me? Have you ever walked down the cleaning/chemical aisle at your grocery store or Target? Yah, it’s nasty. And when you breathe that in, those chemicals reach your bloodstream via your lung tissue.
Your best bet is to choose a truly safe, non-toxic cleaning product like Branch Basics (my personal favorite and the ONLY cleaning solution we use in our home) or make your own cleaning products using simple ingredients like organic white vinegar, essential oils and baking soda. What I love about Branch Basics is that their cleaning concentrate is rated “0” on the Think Dirty app, a great resource for checking the safety of your current products (plug your product into the app and viola! You’ll get the details on the ingredients in the product and how safe or not safe they are.)
Practice gentle, daily detox
Oh how important this piece of the puzzle is. Our bodies are made to detoxify, but they weren’t made to handle the onslaught of toxins we’re faced with today. If our detox organs are overloaded with junk and aren’t able to neutralize and clear toxins, those chemies can wreck havoc on your organs system and create unwanted symptoms, illness and even cancer.
We want our bodies to clean up and clear out the junk effectively so it’s important to work to remove the toxins from your daily life as well as support your detox organs with gentle, daily detox practices. Here is a list of some of my favorites:
Organic, whole food diet (detox is nutrient dependent!)
Rebounding (like jumping on a trampoline) and movement
Dry brushing
Detox baths using epsom salt, baking soda and essential oils
Castor oil packs
2-4 oz beet kvass first thing in the morning
Lots of clean water throughout the day
What I love most about these prevention tips is that they not only help to reduce your risk for developing breast cancer, but they also support your fertility and overall well being. And that is a win-win.
Lots of healthy love!
xo
Justine
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