Breast Health

Nutrition Tips

• Your diet should consist of 50 - 80% fruits and vegetables; eat a wide variety including spinach, broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, onions and tomatoes.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
• Consume fibre-rich foods: ground flax, vegetables and fruits, beans, large flake oatmeal and bran.
• Reduce your intake of carbohydrates, especially sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
• Increase consumption of omega-3 fats, found in wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, flax and walnuts.
• Reduce consumption of omega-6 fats, found in vegetable oil, peanut oil and Canola oil.
• Avoid trans fat, found in some margarines, vegetable shortening, hydrogenated oils and processed foods (check labels).
• Avoid barbecuing and charbroiling meats, especially for long periods of time.
• Consume moderate amounts of soy, especially from tempeh and miso.

Lifestyle Tips

• Exercise regularly to reduce your risk by 60%.
• Maintain a healthy bodyweight; obesity is a risk factor.
• Implement stress management techniques such as meditation, exercise and down-time.
• Get more sleep.
• Perform breast self-exams - get to know your breasts.
• Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.
• Reduce exposure to xenoestrogens: avoid pesticides and plastics
• Choose organic as much as possible.
• Diminish pesticide residue on produce - soak all produce in a sink of water, vinegar and salt.
• Never heat food in plastic; use glass containers.
• Store food in glass whenever possible.
• Drink water out of glass or anodized aluminum bottles, instead of plastic.
• When possible, buy jarred instead of canned foods, to avoid bisphenol A in the plastic can lining.

If You Require Surgery
An ND can help you prepare for surgery to make it as successful as possible

• Reduce intake of foods and supplements that can thin blood and increase bleeding.
• Increase intake of foods and supplements that promote healing and reduce inflammation.
• Avoid foods and supplements (such as grapefruit) that can interfere with medication.
• Surgeries scheduled during the second half of the menstrual cycle (if premenopausal) are shown to be morre successful.