Improving Your Odds

It may seem inconceivable that a healthy lifestyle could protect anyone from breast cancer, but scientists have done hundreds of studies that tell us that some women can. They don't know which of us can hope to stop this dreaded disease, but we don't need to wait for all the answers before we use what they've learned about reducing breast cancer risk and recurrence:

• Eat wisely. Base your diet on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Limit fats, sugar and anything made with white flour.
• Get moving! Moderate physical activity is enough to reduce breast cancer risk and recurrence. It can be as simple as brisk fifteen-minute walks twice a day, but any amount of exercise helps.
• Keep your weight under control. Eat moderate portions of healthy foods and exercise regularly to keep weight down.
• Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day -- less is better.
• Breastfeed for six months or more, if possible.
• Avoid hormone replacement therapy. The hormones in these pills are known to fuel the growth of some types of breast tumors.
• Guard your environment. Avoid exposure to chemicals like pesticides and some ingredients in cosmetics and toiletries that might play a role in increasing breast cancer risk.
• Control stress. It dampens your immune system, and there's nothing like stress to make you eat and drink more than you should.
• Don't smoke. And avoid second-hand smoke.
• Get regular mammograms and breast exams. Treatment is more likely to be successful when breast cancer is caught early.

Of course, there are some women who do everything on this list and still get breast cancer. But there are some who can hope to stop this disease. Isn't it worth a try?

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