Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It is breast cancer awareness month and therefore we are going to give some advice on how to aim at balancing hormones and what symptoms you should be aware of.

Breast cancer is more common in woman over the age of 50.  1 in 8 women have breast cancer  in their life.

To know how to examine yourself order a free booklet from www.breastcancercare.org  

Most changes to breast tissue are natural changes that may be linked to hormonal changes at certain times of the month, however, If you experience any tenderness that lasts longer than a month or if you notice any lumps appear of any size you should seek medical advice.

Common causes of breast tenderness

• Poor liver function
• Toxins from the environment
• High sugar diet
• Caffeine
• Poor circulation
• High fat to muscle ratio

Reasons why you should not wear a bra

Wearing a bra all the time really is not kind to you. Some people are uncomfortable about this but it is so important to have a break:

·         Wearing a bra for more than 12hours per day does not allow circulation and detoxification of any toxins that may accumulate in the breast tissue.  Your lymphatic system lies under the right breast which goes to the liver and gall bladder.  The one under the left breast goes to the stomach.

·         Wearing a bra may also disrupt sleep as the restriction is believed to block your sleeping hormone; melatonin production

What to do

·         If you feel self-conscious or it is not appropriate to be bra free during the day, aim to at least sleep without one or go bra free when lounging around at home.

·         Include foods that support lymphatic drainage such as sea plasma

·         Exercise with a supportive bra that is not underwired to allow some circulation

Cleaning up your diet

Plastics and toxins in the environment

Xenoestrogens are harmful toxins that mimic oestrogen in the body. These toxins can be ingested through having foods that are stored in plastic containers, non- organic meats, unfiltered water and medication such as the pill.

What to do

·         Filter your water and follow a predominantly vegan diet

·         If you must be on the pill for contraception ensure lengthy breaks at least every couple of years with regular gynaecological and hormonal level check- ups

·         Juicing your vegetables  -A few compounds that have been classed as anti-cancerous over the last few years are sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol (I3C). These ingredients are obtained from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cabbages. Boiling can damage some compounds and therefore it is best to juice them instead and aim to have them on a daily basis.

·         Follow a predominately organic vegan diet is beneficial to avoid hormones from animal produce and chemicals from non-organic produce that may cause oestrogen dominance.  

·         Phytoestrogens are friendly ingredients found in plant foods such as red clover sage, soya and broccoli. that have the positive effect on female hormones.

·         Ground linseeds contain sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) that bind to harmful oestrogen and remove them from the body

Excess weight

Fat cells contain oestrogen and toxins that can cause oestrogen dominance and insulin resistance.  The two in combination cause an imbalance in your hormone response and inflammation.

What to do  

·         Weight-bearing exercise to improve the muscle to fat ratio

·        

Vegetables encourage detoxification of toxins in the body and encourage fat cells to breakdown

Cleanse the liver

You don’t want excess oestrogen circulating the body that should be detoxified by the liver and excreted from the body.  If it is not detoxified it ends up being reabsorbed into the body, recirculating the system causing havoc.

What to do 

·         To aid the liver pathways and digestion dandelion coffee can be used alongside other liver supportive foods artichoke, pomegranate and beetroot.