Breast Cancer in Both Women and Men
Since it is Breast Cancer Awareness month I thought it apropos to do a blog on breast cancer prevention. Many times we think this is a female problem but men develop breast cancer as well.
Lifestyle choices can increase risk, but genetic factors play a powerful role in development of breast cancer even with healthful living.
Let’s focus on things we can do to help prevent and help reoccurrence of breast cancer.
Research has consistently linked high insulin levels to development of inflammation and cancer. A high glycemic carbohydrate diet can increase production of insulin, which in turn can increase cell growth or tumors in the body. When insulin levels are high, tumor cells can get the food they need to divide and multiply.
How do we keep insulin levels normal?
1 Eating foods close to the earth that do not come with in a package or have a label – Â such as fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, avocados, etc.
2.Eating animal products from animals that eat what they were designed to eat – cows that eat grass, chickens that eat grass and insects and fish that eat food from the sea. Many of our animals are eating corn which increases inflammation and insulin levels. The exact terms are “grass-fed beef,” “pastured chicken and eggs,” “grass-fed or European cheese” and wild fish.
3.Making sure you have omega 3′s every day – best sources are ground flax seed and fish oil that is concentrated in DHA and EPA.
4.Optimize your Vitamin D levels – many of us have low levels since we wear sunscreen, are indoors much of the time, and our diets do not contain adequate amounts. Have your physician check your vitamin D. Keeping your level above 60 ng/dl is a good form of prevention.
5. Limit alcohol. Alcohol is linked to breast cancer since it increases estrogen levels in the blood, increases blood triglycerides levels and lowers the liver’s processing of excess estrogen besides decreasing the immune system.
6.Do some form of physical activity for 30 minutes per day. Exercise lowers insulin resistance by 40-50% – an unbeatable statistic for a short amount of time.
These 6 steps may not prevent breast cancer but can dramatically lower your risk of developing it. And it can set the stage for health in many other arenas of your life.
October 11, 2010 @ 2:31 am
Check out "The Pink Ribbon Diet" by Mary Flynn RD – she says to avoid all meat, fish, and chicken – that an ideal diet for avoiding cancer would be vegetarian = citing meat increases inflammation. But I think she misses your point about grass fed meat, eggs, dairy, etc.