Here’s a guide to staying healthy and keeping your breasts cancer-free.

By Asiya Nayeem

Women across the world know about the scary statistics of breast cancer: 2.09 million cases and counting. We’re told about the treatments used to cure breast cancer, and to an extent, we know details about the stages and the side effects. Checking for signs of breast cancer is an activity that we either learned from a group of friends, our mothers, or in a seminar conducted for us in class. Occasionally, we’ve found ourselves grappling with the fear, and we rush to the bathroom to frantically check for signs. But most of us don’t know (nor practice) how to stay healthy to keep our breasts cancer-free. Maintaining breast health is always forgotten, and more often, rarely preached. By practicing healthy habits, it’s easy to keep yourself and your breasts healthy.

Here are the top 4 ways to ensure excellent breast health:

Eat foods that are rich in Omega 3 and antioxidant vitamins

Your diet plays a huge role in protecting your immune system from cancer. To ensure your body is equipped to fight off cancerous growth, pack your diet with foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower are not only rich in vitamins but also contain phytochemicals called indoles and sulforaphane. These antioxidants work against toxins and carcinogens, fighting cancer effectively. One particular food that is packed with benefits is oily fish. Since it is high in both Omega 3 as well as vitamin D, fish is power-packed to stop tumors from growing as well as ensuring your body has enough vitamins to fight off attacks. Another notable food item rich in omega 3 is flax seeds.

Flax seeds are rich in lignin, a source of antioxidant phytoestrogen which is proven to fight cancer, especially breast cancer. They inhibit all beginning signs of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer. This is why it is recommended to add flaxseed to your food.

Exercise for 30 minutes on a regular basis

Most of us don’t exercise, but it’s one activity that has uncountable studies to prove its effects. These effects are just as viable when it comes to aiding breast cancer prevention. Exercise ensures that your immune system is strong, decreases your body fat percentage and helps maintain a healthy weight. By spending half an hour every day exercising, you can reduce the level of estrogen in your body, causing your body to produce less estrogen. There are many ways you can set this habit in place. You can pick a High-Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIT) which is simple but highly effective in making your body burn fat and in increasing your metabolism. You can also choose to join a gym and hire a trainer so that you don’t back out or even join a group class like yoga or CrossFit to exercise with a friend.

Reduce and manage the emotional stress you face

The mental toll you face on a daily basis has harmful long-term effects. It is proven that stress has an indirect role in causing a risk of breast cancer in women. Stressful situations can cause a person to face physical ailments as well as weaken one’s immune system. Emotional stress can also cause chemical reactions that can alter the way your genes react to the onset of tumor growth. To tackle this, you can pick up positive habits and work towards minimizing external stress. Some recommended habits include meditating, journaling, and picking up a hobby. Practicing yoga can also be a great stress buster and has helped many women maintain their breast health. If you have been exposed to prolonged periods of stress or have trouble handling it, approach a counselor or a therapist to manage it and maintain good mental health.

Avoid or limit negative lifestyle habits like drinking

Your lifestyle habits contribute to bettering or negatively affecting your body. Habits like drinking and smoking are seen as unhealthy, mainly because of the effects they leave on our bodies. While indulging in a few glasses occasionally is okay, heavy drinking is sure to increase your risk of breast cancer. Since it is high in both omega 3 as well as vitamin D, fish is power-packed to stop tumors from growing as well as ensuring your body has enough vitamins to fight off attacks. Replacement Therapy since studies has found that It is also strongly advised to avoid Hormone risk of breast cancer increases when using HRT. Prevention is better than cure: the phrase rings true especially when it comes to your health. By keeping to these measures, you can avoid the worries and ensure a healthy life.