October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You know, for women, every month is breast cancer awareness month! It is our awareness that could possibly save our lives. It is much easier to work on the prevention of breast cancer than to find a cure, not that we should stop research for a cure, but it is not something we can personally do to make a difference.
Breast cancer, like any disease, comes into play when the body’s immune system becomes weakened. If you can eliminate what the body does not want and give the body what it wants, health can be achieved.
So what is it that the body does not need or want? Toxins! Toxins are things like heavy metals, such as mercury, iron and the like. Toxins are also things like food additives, preservatives, food colorings, nitrites, and GMO foods. Watching your diet by eating healthy, fresh, organic foods and minimally processed foods can help you avoid some of these toxic materials. You can also increase you glutathione intake which will help eliminate some of the heavy metals that may be lurking undetected in your body. Glutathione is the master antioxidant that directly relates to our longevity. Also, eating foods that are high in antioxidants can help speed the process of elimination. Since glutathione is a combination of amino acids it is often important to supplement with a precursor like acetylcystine.
To increase your antioxidants look for foods with a high ORAC rating. ORAC is the acronym for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It tells us the value of certain foods and or supplements to guide us in maintaining sufficient levels so that we may utilize the benefits of antioxidants. ORAC is expressed as units, the higher the number the greater the antioxidant power. We should eat at least five serving of high ORAC foods such as maqui berry, turmeric, acai berry and dark chocolate. If you are not getting enough ORAC foods you can supplement for that.
There have also been several studies on low vitamin D3 levels and breast cancer. This is a pretty easy one to remedy. Since most of us cannot spend a half hour naked in the sun on a daily basis it is necessary to supplement with a vitamin D3 supplement. Most regular doctors will tell you that you only need 400 iu’s a day and that more than that is toxic. Don’t believe them! That amount of vitamin D3 is enough to keep from getting rickets but not enough for prevention. Most everyone does well with 5,000 iu’s a day. I look at a lot of lab tests and the clients that I have on 5,000 iu’s a day maintain a healthy level in their blood.
Exercise is another important key to prevention. Exercise is good for calming the mind and keeping a healthy body weight. Studies have shown that women with higher BMI increase their risk of breast cancer. You don’t need to go to the gym or run every day to keep healthy. Walking has the same benefit of other more strenuous exercise and it is something most of us can do. Just 30 minutes a day can make a big shift in your health.
Lastly, and just as important, is a positive mental attitude. Surround yourself with positive books, music and people. Too often we spend our days complaining about what is wrong in our life instead of what is right. The old adage, count your blessings, is something we should all do.
I love this quote by Melody Beattie:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
We also know that we can do everything right and still be diagnosed with breast cancer. This is where the positive mind set can make a difference in whatever the outcome is. Use this month to become more aware, remember those you have lost to breast cancer or those who have struggled with this horrible disease. And open up and share here, it may help others.
What’s Your Breast Cancer Story? Contest
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, OVitaminPro.com will be giving away a $30 gift certificate to our site. To enter, simply leave a comment with your name, your email address, and a story of how breast cancer has touched your life. Do you know someone who has experienced breast cancer? Were you diagnosed? Do you have an inspirational story to share with those affected by this disease? Leave a comment and you could win. Giveaway runs until November 9th.
- What’s Your Breast Cancer Story?
- Prize: $30 gift certificate to OVitaminPro.com
- When: contest ends November 9
- To enter: leave a comment with your name, email address, and your breast cancer story.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago. Up until this time, I pretty much was in control of my own life(I thought) and was confident that I could handle the events that happened to me. Being told I had breast cancer brought my life to a screeching halt as I had to re-evaluate many of my beliefs and look at my choices for taking care of my body.
I can now look back over these last 12 years and say that I have grown in so many areas of my personal life.
1.Acceptance-learning to accept what happens in my life instead of complaining and realizing that the difficult events have helped mold me into the person I am today.
2.Humility-not being able to control the events in my life has helped to not be as controlling in the way I treat others or as critical in the way I thought of them.I don’t have to be right all the time.
3.Having a thankful attitude-I was able to start noticing my cup being “half full” instead of “half empty” and pay more attention to what I did have instead of what I didn’t.
4.Living in the day-I quit planning my future and purposed myself to “take no thought for tomorrow” as much as I could. I have been pleasantly surprised at how meaningful my days are when I don’t try to live by my “to do” list and take time for the interruptions that pop up.
5.Recognizing that most people do not relate well to those who live on the mountaintops. My struggles in the valleys have given me a compassionate spirit and a listening ear to many who are suffering and in pain.
6.Learning about the many way I could restore my health without causing more harm to my body with the help of alternative doctors healthy supplements, organic foods, etc.
In each of these areas I am still growing and learning!
The Answer to Cancer
The Answer to Cancer: Is Never Giving It a Place to Start. This catchy book title seems too simplistic to be true. But it is revealing, and it confirms what the Canadian Cancer Society tells us: “About 50% of all cancers can be prevented through healthy living.” Prevention can include simple changes in diet, regular exercise, and – since stress has been undeniably linked to many illnesses – stress management.
In their book the authors remark: “Cancer: There may be no more terrifying word in our language. ‘Shark’, ‘tsunami’, ‘tornado’, or ‘incoming’ might be other candidates, but they hardly surpass ‘cancer’ in striking fear to the heart.” Fear and trepidation often follow the diagnosis of cancer or any life threatening disease. Being able to reduce stress and apply lifestyle changes are essential for a speedy recovery.
Research has shown that some types of meditation reverse stress-related illness. In a published study, practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation program had lower sickness rates in all 17 categories of disease, including 87% less hospitalization for heart disease and 55% less for cancer [Psychosomatic Medicine: 49: 493–507, 1987]. In another peer-reviewed journal, a study showed that women with breast cancer reduced stress and improved their mental health and emotional well-being through Transcendental Meditation [Integrative Cancer Therapies: Vol. 8, No. 3: September 2009]. “I believe this approach should be appreciated and utilized more widely,” 3. said Rhoda Pomerantz, M.D., study co‐author and chief of gerontology, Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago.
One of the lifestyle changes we may have to adjust is diet, which plays a key role in cancer prevention. The all important phytochemical fruits, veggies, grains, and beans are said to protect our cells from damage that might cause cancer. Fruits and vegetables are also high in fibre, which leads to a healthy digestive system.
Exercise and weight management are also critical components of cancer prevention and healthy living. According to the Canadian Cancer Society: “Regular physical activity helps protect against cancer. It’s also one of the best ways to help you stay at a healthy body weight, which reduces your risk of cancer.”
We’re all familiar with prevention-oriented advice to a degree, but it’s always good to be reminded before we fall ill: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Or more. Don’t give cancer a place to start.
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Helen Foster-Grimmett writes on issues of health, education, and stress management. Her mother showed her how gracefully one could beat the odds of breast cancer.
Thank you so much Debbie for your thoughtful post. I love the fact that you can list the things you have learned on your journey and how breast cancer brought about those changes. I am certain this will help others!
I agree wholeheartedly with your post! We must do are very best to keep our bodies healthy so they may fight whatever disease may come our way.