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14 wholelifetimes.com healthy living Top Tips to Reduce Risk By Dr. Kristi Funk OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH D id you know that approximately 90% of all women with breast cancer lack both an inherited genetic mutation (like BRCA) and a family history of breast cancer? Hmm…. so it's not a matter of "running in the family"? No, ma'am. Research shows that perhaps more than 80% of all breast cancer could be eliminated from planet Earth if women (and men) understood that they make countless choices — every single day — which either bring them closer to cancer or farther away. Let's shimmy away, and embrace these daily must-dos: Eat. Phyto means plant. You just chew and swallow a broccoli floret, but you've actually unleashed an arsenal of plant-based phytonutrients that run around and take away what cancer requires. These nutrients fight against inflammation, squelch free radicals that damage DNA, stop growth hormones, block estrogens that fuel 80% of breast cancers, and halt angiogenesis, the ability for cancer to create new blood vessels to nourish and sustain itself. Consume whole plant foods: fruits and vegetables (especially broccoli, leafy greens, and berries), legumes (lentils, beans, peas), non-GMO soy (anti- estrogenic, anti-carcinogenic), healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, olives), and 100% whole grains. Avoid. Meat (red meat, chicken, turkey, fish), dairy (milk, butter, cheese), and eggs spike insulin-like growth factor (IGF–1), the chief cause of illness inside your body. Animal products ignite a cascade of inflammation and oxidative stress that stoke cancer's microenvironment. Minimize saturated fat, simple sugars, and processed foods. Lose. Overweight adult women have a 50 to 250% greater risk for postmenopausal breast cancer than normal- weight women. Are you one of the 68.8% of chubby American adults? Get to your ideal body weight and stay there forever. Move. Every week strive for five hours of exercise if you can chit-chat while working out, or 2.5 hours if you're super sweaty and can't carry on a conversation. Doing so yields 40% less breast cancer than sedentary women. Drink. Water moves toxins into the lymph system and then to the toilet, so sip 60 ounces/1.8L daily. Three daily cups of green tea slashes breast cancer in half. Minimize alcohol and favor red wine that contains the cancer-fighting phenol, resveratrol. Fast. Want to live longer and become healthier than those who eat a normal diet? Invoke mechanisms that increase longevity and wellness. Abstain from calories for 13-16 hours daily; twice a year, consider doing a five-day fast. Evidence strongly suggests this works. Clean. Environmental exposures such as radiation, industrial emissions, pollutants, pesticides, and synthetic compounds abound. Limit their impact: wash your hands frequently; dust and vacuum; replace plastic with glass and steel; filter water; hang detoxifying houseplants; choose organic food, household products, and cosmetics when possible. De-stress. How we handle life's struggles, large and little, directly impacts our physical well-being. Three hundred studies confirm that stress impairs immunity, so devote attention to these immunity-boosters: prayer, meditation, deep breathing, tai chi, yoga, sleeping well, forgiving others, being grateful, and smiling. Hormone-free. Hormone replacement therapy tempers menopause symptoms, but due to cancer-causing estrogens, risk often outweighs benefit. Rather than hot flash your way through moody days, consider herbs (ginseng, melatonin, black cohosh), non-psychotropic cannabinoids, soy, acupuncture, and exercise to alleviate symptoms. Love. Breast cancer patients with high levels of social support and religious/social participation are 58% more likely to be alive ten years after diagnosis than those with low levels of support. Seek out positive friends, family, faith- based groups, and social support networks. While it's not possible to prevent all breast cancers through optimal living, robust scientific evidence backs up all of the above assertions. Every choice toward health moves you farther from cancer, so start changing, one step at a time! Dr. Kristi Funk, an expert in breast health, is a practicing surgeon and doctor to many celebrities. Her latest book is Breasts: The Owner's Manual. For more info about her prod- ucts, community, and options, visit www.pinklotus.com. Had breast cancer? Check out pinklotus.com/breastbuddies. EVERY CHOICE TOWARD HEALTH MOVES YOU FARTHER FROM CANCER, SO START CHANGING, ONE STEP AT A TIME!