As many of you may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of this terrible disease, educate on the importance of early detection and provide support for those affected. With the help of this campaign, there is now earlier detection, education and support services for those who suffer from this terrible disease. It is estimated that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women today.
Prevention
Although there is no precise cause of breast cancer, studies have shown that there are preventative steps you can take to decrease your risk of developing breast cancer:
- Control your weight. Excess weight can increase your risk of breast cancer, along with many other different cancers.
- Quit smoking. There is evidence that shows a link between smoking and breast cancer risk.
- Get active! Getting physically active is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health. Just 30 minutes of physical activity together with a healthy diet can help to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
- Drink less alcohol. Limit yourself to 1 alcoholic drink or less.
- Adopt a Mediterranean Diet. A diet rich in plant-based foods, whole grains, healthy fats, and fish has been shown to reduce the risk of cancers, diabetes, heart disease and stroke!
To find out more about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and ways to get involved, click here: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month
1 http://www.cancer.org/healthy/morewaysacshelpsyoustaywell/breastcancer
