Promoting Breast Health
By Georgene Lockwood

Breasts are like faces -- no two (sets) are alike! Yet most women have some sort of idealized picture of what their breasts should look like. In our breast-conscious culture, where the mammary glands have become hugely sexualized, most women have "stuff" about their breasts. But that "stuff" shouldn�t keep you from knowing and loving your breasts and, above all keeping them healthy.

What�s the first step to breast health? Knowing your breasts intimately! Start by touching your breasts regularly � every day at first � so you know their landscape exactly. That way you'll notice any changes from month to month. If you�re not sure how to do a Breast Self-Examination (BSE), learn how. There are several good sites on the Internet that give detailed instructions. I�ve listed an excellent one below. Or ask your health
practitioner to show you how. Even simply massaging your breasts periodically will go a long way toward learning your particular breast landscape and helping you note any changes.

Although the information on preventing breast cancer and maintaining breast health seems to change, and new studies are being done all the time, there have been some constants. One is to reduce dietary fat. Countries with a low incidence of breast cancer invariably have a diet low in fat and high in plant foods. Some foods that are especially beneficial are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Also dark, leafy green vegetables and orange and yellow produce. Some other healthy additions to the diet generally that also have been found to prevent breast cancer are flax seeds and garlic. I simply grind up flax seeds whenever I can in my little spice grinder and sprinkle them on my breakfast cereal or salad and eat raw minced garlic in a little olive oil over pasta, in spreads or in salads.

What are some other worthwhile general breast health "dos and don�ts?" Here are the tops on my list:

• Don't do Hormone Replacement Therapy. The evidence is mounting that HRT has little benefit and some serious risks.
• Do examine your breasts regularly.
• Do reduce stress using whatever techniques are proven effective for you. My favorites are making music, dancing and meditating. What are yours?
• Do develop a positive image of your body and especially your breasts. You ARE a goddess!
• Do get regular exercise in whatever form most gives you enjoyment. Make it something you can do on a regular basis for life.

The Case Against Mammograms

In 2000, the results of a Canadian study were published that suggest strongly that mammograms are no more effective in preventing deaths from breast cancer than periodic breast examinations. In fact, some alternative
health practitioners feel that mammograms can actually do harm. To quote Alternative Medicine magazine "Their ionizing radiation can mutate cells, and the mechanical pressure can spread cells that are already malignant (as can biopsies)."

If that's not enough to cause one concern and to reconsider the wisdom of mammography, the interpretation of mammograms is often wrong and can lead to unnecessary breast biopsies. What are the alternatives? Careful, regular breast self-examination and advanced thermography seem to be the answer. According to the experts, thermography can detect the signs of breast cancer years earlier than mammograms or physical exams. It's also true that the vast majority of cancerous growths in the breast are detected by women
themselves. So regular BSE and periodic thermography seem to be a winning combination.

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