Minimizing Your Risk of Breast Cancer

I've done some posts in the past about breast cancer, specifically in regards to soy and breast cancer. I tend to get drawn into any research I see on the subject, as my grandma had breast cancer and I'm determined not to get it myself. This month's Nutrition Action Healthletter contained an article focusing on what the latest research says about how you can lower your risk of breast cancer. Here are some of the important points;


1) Watch your weight. Estrogen plays a large role in breast cancer, specifically it promotes it. Women who carry more fat also produce more estrogen. I was startled to learn that your risk for breast cancer can increase significantly if you gain 20 to 30 pounds after age 18. When I was 18 I weighed 95 pounds (I am naturally very small, but I also had an ED at that time). Now at age 27 I weight 105 pounds, so I've already gained 10. My goal is to not go far beyond 115 pounds, which I think is doable (not counting pregnancy weight!).


2) Avoid taking hormones! I think this is a no brainer. In July of 2002 it was clear that women taking hormones (mainly postmenopausal women) had an increased for breast cancer! Bottom line, find hormone alternatives, such as soy.


3) Get moving! There is plenty of research out there that suggests women who are active have lower blood levels of circulating estrogen (probably due in part to less body fat!). Exercise also helps decrease insulin (high insulin is also positively correlated with breast cancer) and may help decrease whole-body inflammation. How much exercise do you need? Most studies show that 30 minutes of brisk walking is sufficient, but many women aren't even getting that!



4) Minimize alcohol. This was the one that really shocked me (and made me very sad). While one drink a day for women, and two drinks a day for men might be good for heart disease, it's definitely not good if you're trying to prevent breast cancer. For postmenopausal women, even one alcoholic beverage a day can increase your risk for breast cancer by 12 percent, according to this article. Alcohol hasn't been shown to correlate with breast cancer only, but in fact it has been associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, rectum, and liver.

MAYBES

- BPA (Bisphenol A) is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that has been found in many plastic containers. It's not 100% clear if it has an effect on cancer, but it may be a good idea to watch your use of plastic in the kitchen, especially when pregnant or going through puberty.

- Pesticides were once thought to had a negative effect on cancer, including breast cancer, but data is still very unclear. The article reported that pesticide use has decreased in the past several years. I thought this was good news!

- Soy was once thought to help prevent breast cancer, then for a while many women were afraid to go near it after studies showed the opposite effect (especially in women with a history of breast cancer). The bottom line is that it's safe to consume soy, but stick to soy in the form of food (tempeh, soy milk, tofu, miso, etc.) not supplements. Twenty five grams per day may be beneficial, but it's a good idea not to consume too much more, especially if you have a history of breast cancer.

(After eating the tofu above, I vowed to never eat it again. It tasted delicious, but my body does not respond well to the carbohydrates found in tofu....)

Question: What have you learned about breast cancer prevention that I may not have mentioned? Which of the above ways to prevent breast cancer would be most difficult for you? (If you're a male, feel free to give your opinion as well! What do you do to prevent prostate cancer? Eating cooked tomatoes is a great start!).

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back on Tuesday :)

Less Protein, More Muscle?

During my time in Pittsburgh I noticed that my abs and arms were really toned, more so than they had been prior to my trip. I thought this was strange since I was working out a bit less while away from home (although my training had me on my feet quite a bit), and I was eating less protein.

See what I mean?!....I'm ripped!

When I posted "A Candid Look At My Diet" several months ago, I recorded how much protein I consumed and it was about 1.1-1.4 grams/kg. Lately I think I've been closer to .8-1 gram/kg body weight (.8 grams/kg is the amount of protein required for a sedentary person). I've read research before that has indicated too much protein (>2 grams/kg body weight) can have the opposite effect on our muscles (our muscles will atrophy instead of hypertrophy). Perhaps I was getting too much before, and my 1.1-1.4 g.kg estimation was way off?


Ironically I also found this article a couple weeks ago, which reviewed a study that had indicated the more meat (and poultry) men and women consumed, the more they weighed (and it wasn't from muscle weighing more than fat)! I realize this isn't saying that too much protein causes weight gain, but I still thought this was interesting, considering all the recent interest in high protein diets, which focus mainly on meat and poultry.

As I thought more about why my abs and arms were all of a sudden really ripped (haha, not quite....) I came up with a few more possible reasons:


Elliptical: I had quit using the elliptical for a month because I no longer had our gym apartment's elliptical. For the month of June I had been power walking, lifting, and doing yoga and pilates. Then in mid-July we got Nick's sister's elliptical, and I had an elliptical at the hotel. It's an amazing workout and I think it's helped me get back my toned figure ;)

Moving a lot during the day: I never sit anymore. When I was working from home I did a lot of sitting (although it was on a stability ball, and sometimes I stood and used my ironing board as a desk). Now I am walking back and forth across the very large grocery store, all day!

No ice cream: The whole time I was in Pittsburgh I didn't eat any ice cream. It was rough. Could this have something to do with my increased muscle mass?? I'm skeptical because I still ate dessert every night, even though it was never ice cream (mainly Lindt's Dark Chocolate and some M&M's). I don't think I was consuming any less sugar, but perhaps I was!




Less Stress: From April through May, and even into June, I was stressed to the max. I had lost my job, and had a mortgage to pay. My rent had tripled, yet my income had plummeted. I can safely say I have never been so stressed in my life. Not to mention all the work we had to do on the house (and of course, money that needed spending). Stress causes the release of stress hormones, which can actually cause us to gain weight and lose muscle (especially women, and especially in the mid-section). Today I am much less stressed and feel 100 times better about life. I really think this has played a large role in my increased muscle mass.

Right now my goal is to stay toned and keep up with my healthy lifestyle changes. I believe the combination of the elliptical, the walking I do for my job, the decrease in stress, and the decrease in animal protein consumption is really helping. I'll ignore the ice cream theory, because I am not giving it up.

Question: Have you ever unconsciously made a lifestyle/health and wellness change?

What was your last major lifestyle/health and wellness change?