***Breast Cancer? Breast Health!

Worried About Breast Cancer?

Hormones, especially estradiol and progesterone
o Sources: Your ovaries, commercial meat and milk, hormone pills, progesterone creams, steroids, cortisone.
o Reduced by: Strenuous physical activity, pregnancy and lactation, menopause, wise lifestyle and food choices, high levels of phytoestrogens in the diet..

Organochlorines, pesticides, herbicides, bleach, plastics
o Sources: By-products of bleaching paper, drinking and bathing in chlorinated water, use of bleached tampons, chemical farming practices, water pollution.
o Reduced by: Eating organically-grown food, filtering drinking and bathing water, using unbleached paper, using less plastic, buying fresh (not canned) food.

Radiation, especially when young
o Sources: Mammograms, fallout, x-rays, cell-phones.
o Reduced by: Avoidance. Doses are cumulative.

EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields)
o Sources: TVs, hair dryers, microwave towers and ovens, computer monitors, all electrical appliances and lines.
o Reduced by: Distance; shielding does little.

Vegetable oils, hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated fats
o Sources: Corn, sesame, canola, sunflower, soy, flax, and other seed oils; margarine, commercial baked goods and snacks.
o Reduced by: Avoidance; read labels. Use organic butter and olive oil exclusively.

Excessive use of alcohol / Excessive calories in the diet
o Sources: Easy availability, peer pressure, convenience.
o Reduced by: Wise food choices, herbal infusions, hugs.

Growing older
o Source: Living long.
o Reduced by: Dying young. (Not worth it.)

Think Breast Health!

Consumption of phytoestrogens
o Sources: Red clover infusion, lentils, miso, tamari, roots.

A diet rich in cabbage family plants, grains, and beans
o Source: Semi-vegetarian diet.

High dietary intake of carotenes
o Sources: Dark leafy greens, orange and yellow produce.

High dietary levels of vitamin C complex
o Sources: Six to eight servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
o Reduced by: Oxidation from washing, heating, aging.

High dietary levels of vitamin E
o Sources: Olive oil, nut butters, freshly-ground flax seeds.
o Reduced by: Heat, light, time.

High dietary levels of selenium
oSources: Organically grown garlic, onions, mushrooms.

Sufficient production and absorption of vitamin D
o Sources: Sunlight, 10 minutes daily; sardines, tuna.

Adequate levels of melatonin
o Sources: Darkness, low-calorie diet.
o Reduced by: Alcohol, beta-blockers, lights on at night.

Regular, significant exercise throughout one's life
o Sources: Active lifestyle, yoga, dance, moving!

Important: Supplemental vitamin C and E are known to promote cancer. Avoid pills. Get nutrients from whole foods, weeds, and herbs.

Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way copyright 2000, Susun S. Weed