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LYNNE BRICK'S TOP TEN FITNESS TIPS- Breast Cancer Prevention
1. 5-9 a Day helps to keep Breast Cancer away!
Increase your fruits and vegetables to a minimum of five servings a day. Include leafy green and dark yellow vegetables, they're high in vitamins C and E and have protective anti-oxidant properties. |
2. Just say "No"
... to fats that are solid at room temperature, especially animal fats. Make the switch to olive, canola and peanut oils instead of oils derived from animal fat, like butter and margarine. Also, choose leaner cuts of meats or chicken and grill or broil instead of frying. |
3. Good Fat is where it's at!
Increase your intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Found in salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines, walnuts, soy and flaxseed oil, this "good fat" is an essential part of the body's normal growth and development. These essential fats also have protective properties against heart attacks, stroke, and cancer.
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4. Aim for the "whole"!
Whole grains, whole wheat cereal, rice and wheat pasta, which are high in vitamins and minerals, are also known to prevent other forms of cancer. |
5. Get Active!
Research proves that exercising 4 times /week during child-bearing years lowers your breast cancer risk by 60%. Exercise also helps you to keep your weight in check, especially if you're post-menopausal. A woman's risk of breast cancer increases if she is overweight after menopause. |
6. Moderation is the key.
If you drink alcoholic beverage, do so in moderation. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one alcoholic drink a day for women — more than that may increase the risk of breast cancer. |
In addition to the tips mentioned above, Brick Bodies also advises the following more common preventive measures against breast cancer:
- Get a yearly mammogram if you're 40 or older, as recommended by the ACS. If you're under 40 and at increased risk for breast cancer — for example, breast cancer may be in your family history — talk to your doctor. Perhaps, your physician may recommend screening before age 40.
- Get a clinical breast exam yearly if you're age 40 or older, and every three years if you're between the ages of 20 and 39, advises the ACS.
- Perform breast self-examinations monthly. Doing the exam regularly can teach you what "normal" versus "abnormal" feels like. (For self-examination "how-to" examples, visit the ACS website www.cancer.org.)
- Quit smoking. The prospect for developing breast cancer is dramatically increased by smoking.
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