Week 8

There are a lot of things that can be done in order to live a healthy lifestyle and some of them can help prevent breast cancer. Taking these measures will not guarantee that you will not get breast cancer but it could possibly help to prevent it. Diet and exercise is a really important aspect in living a healthy lifestyle. Not only can it help prevent breast cancer, but it can also prevent a lot of other things. Keeping a steady weight and not being obese can be crucial for women. Excess weight may lead to higher levels of the hormone estrogen which has been linked to breast cancer.

"Research suggests that greater total fat consumption (about 40 percent or more of daily calories) poses a greater risk for breast cancer than lower total fat consumption (about 20 percent of daily calories). With that in mind, try to limit total fat intake to less than 30 percent of daily calories in order to help in the prevention of breast cancer.

Saturated fats found in marbled meat and high-fat dairy products are more likely to increase risk of breast cancer than unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds and avocados, as well as olive and canola oils. Try to limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories (if you’re following a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s no more than 15 grams). Produce provides numerous phytonutrients and antioxidants — substances which help prevent cellular damage throughout the body. One well-designed study found that regular consumption of five or more servings of veggies a day was associated with lower risk of breast cancer; however, according to a recent study published in JAMA, consuming more than five servings doesn’t seem to have any preventative effect. So when it comes to breast cancer prevention, I say aim for at least five daily servings of colorful produce. Phytoestrogens are a group of plant-derived compounds that are structurally and functionally similar to the hormone estrogen, which is found naturally in our bodies. There are several different groups of phytoestrogens; the most widely studied are the isoflavones, present in highconcentrations in soy products such as soybeans, tofu, tempeh and soy milk. When it comes to breast cancer, there has beensome evidence that soy can play a protective role; however, its effects may depend on when in life it’s consumed. For example, Japanese women eat soy throughout life, whereas most American women may have only started eating soy as adults. It’s been proposed that isoflavones act as anti-estrogens in premenopausal women who have high circulating hormone levels. But after menopause, when estrogen levels are low, they may act like estrogens and any estrogen boost, even if weak, may at least theoretically be harmful in such women. The optimal amount of dietary soy is unknown — and different forms of soy may have different effects. For example, highly processed soyfoods(meat analogues and energy bars) may have less biological activity than whole soybeans or soy milk. What’s the bottom line? A moderate amount of soy consumption can be part of ahealthy diet(1-2 servings daily), particularly in premenopausal women. A serving = ½ cup tofu, tempeh, edamame (out of the pod), ¼ cup soy nuts or 1 cup soy yogurt or soymilk. **However, if you have or have had breast cancer, or you’re at high risk, it’s important you speak with your personal physician and follow their expert advice when it comes to soy consumption. This remains a controversial topic and you may be instructed to completely avoid. Important:Always avoid soy supplements — they may contain higher levels of isoflavones than present in soy foods without the other potentially healthy components. Long-term effects are not yet known."

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21564819/ns/today-today_health/