Fight Like A Girl

 October is Breast cancer awareness month and most of us either know someone who has been plagued by this disease or have gone through it personally.  Lowering your risk and early detection is essential to beating breast cancer.  Here are signs to look for when doing your monthly self-exams:

1. Lump, hard knot or thickening
2. Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
3. Change in the size or shape of the breast
4. Dimpling or puckering of the skin
5. Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
6. Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
7. Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
8. New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away

Be sure to seek a doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Your diet is also very important in significantly lowering your risk of getting breast cancer.  Some of the foods that have been shown to do just this include:

1. Flaxseed- the lignans present in flaxseed can drasticaly decrease your risk.  Grind some up and sprinkle on yogurt, cereal or salad.

2. Soy-  contains phytoestrogens which can also help in the prevention of breast cancer.  Try foods such as tofu and soymilk.

3.  Cruciferous vegetables--such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts are also great for prevention.

4.  Exercise- aim for about 30 minutes or more of moderate aerobic exercise everyday

Fight like a girl and take a stand against this fatal disease.