Eat your vegetables (and fruits)! Eating at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day will supply your body with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. You'll get the most protection from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower), dark leafy greens (collards, kale and spinach), citrus fruits, berries, cherries and pomegranates.
Choose the right fats. Today, our diets contain a lot of unhealthy fats-omega-6's (found in sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats-and too few healthy fats (omega-3's from fish and monounsaturated fats in nuts). Reverse the trend! Decrease your consumption of the bad stuff and start eating more heart-healthy fats to protect your breasts.
Keep moving! You know exercise is good for you, but did you know it can also reduce your risk of breast cancer? Studies by the Women's Health Initiative found that women who walked briskly for just 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours each week reduced their risk for breast cancer by 18 percent. University of Southern California researchers found that women who exercised more than five hours a week cut their risk of invasive breast cancer by 20 percent and their risk of early stage breast cancer by 31 percent, compared to women who exercised less than 30 minutes a week. When it comes to cancer prevention, experts agree that duration (length of your workouts) and consistency are more important than intensity.
Know when to see your doctor. Besides your annual gynecological checkups, visit your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms in your breasts: a lump, hard knot or thickening tissue; swelling, warmth, redness or darkening; dimpling or puckering of the skin; an itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple; a pulling in of your nipple or other area of the breast; sudden nipple discharge; or new pain in one spot that doesn't go away.
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