October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the CDC, breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer found in American women (skin cancer is #1) so it is incredibly relevant! Let’s not forget about the men! Although breast cancer primarily affects women, several hundred men are diagnosed every year. The good news is that the survival rate for breast cancer is increasing and we are constantly learning more about this disease. New treatment options are being developed and our understanding of the role that big lifestyle factors (stress, diet, and physical activity) play in its prevention is ever-evolving!

Unfortunately, what you will not get from most physicians these days, is a discussion on lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, that are proving to play such a critical role in the development of many types of cancers. Breast cancer is no exception. Let’s take a closer look…

There are different types of breast cancer that all behave differently, the specifics are outside the scope of this article. However, the basic tell-tale sign of cancer is cells within the body growing out of control. It was once thought that breast cancer is mainly genetic, meaning that our genes determine our fate. You can’t change your genes, right? Right. However, with new advancements in the field of epigenetics, we are learning that genetics likely play a much smaller role in the development of many cancers. Epigenetics is the study of turning genes on and off which essentially means that we may have the ability to turn diseases on and off. This is amazing news! There is a lot that each of us can do to help our epigenetics!

Can you guess how we can turn those diseases on and off? If you said diet and lifestyle changes, ding ding ding! Pat yourself on the back! In fancy terms, epigenetics can be modified through two mechanisms: DNA methylation and histone modification. Now, I could go all science nerd on you here, but I won’t. All you need to know is that the food we put into our bodies, stress levels, sleep, and physical activity are amongst some of the things that can quite literally stop many cancerous cells in their tracks. Isn’t that cool?!

Again, it is important to note, some cancers will continue to grow and develop despite someone’s best efforts to eat healthily and live a healthy lifestyle. Cancer is not always fair, and it doesn’t play by the rules all the time. We are at the very early stages of research into epigenetics and we may never fully understand how all cancers progress and develop. But this information on using diet and lifestyle is so promising because it gives us a fighting chance. There’s no downside to eating healthy and living a healthy life. The only side effects may include increased energy, better sleep, less stress, and more fulfilling relationships. I love the sound of those side effects! How about you?

It is important to follow your healthcare professional’s guidance, along with the CDC, for preventative testing. Diagnostic testing that we have available to us right now, detects cancerous cells after they have been living, and multiplying, in us for a while. Most cancers take a very long time to develop (as in 10 years or more in many cases!) and to be detected on most imaging, so you have plenty of time to do something about it! This also means that if you are serious about wanting to prevent cancer and other diseases or you have a family history, you need to start taking steps now because you may not know a tumor is developing for quite some time. You can take control of your health! Here are some tips to get you started:

• Get to know the ladies! Yep! You need to know your body. Breast lumps are really common and are often not cancerous, however, you need to know your lumps, get them checked, and monitor them for changes. No two women’s breasts are the same – size, shape, density, ect. – know what’s normal for you, then contact your doctor when something seems out of place.

• Fill your diet will cancer-fighting foods! Black raspberries, garlic, onions, and every fruit and vegetable is high in antioxidants and may help to prevent cancerous cells from growing.

• Exercise! Research shows that women who exercise have a lower risk of developing cancer and other diseases. Additionally, those who exercise tend to have a lower body weight, and obesity is a major risk factor for breast cancer. How much? The recommendation from the CDC is 150 minutes a week. However, that is likely on the low end. Try to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week for maximum benefit. That doesn’t mean you have to run 15 miles or do CrossFit every day. It just means to be active to the point of breaking a sweat. Follow the advice from your doctor on what types of exercise may be appropriate for you since everyone is very different. The overall goal should be to move more and sit less. Stand up desk? Walk break? Play with the kiddos or pups?

• Stop smoking and drinking. Both smoking and alcohol have been shown to increase your risk several types of cancer. Some studies show alcohol in moderation can be helpful for your heart. There is also a lot of research showing that resveratrol in red wine (which is actually found in red grape skins) can help epigenetics work to turn off “bad” genes. However, more studies show alcohol increases cancer risk. There are plenty of other ways to help your heart so this, unfortunately, should not be a reason to drink. The occasional beer or glass of wine is not necessarily detrimental to your health, but, again, if the goal is to do everything to reduce your cancer risk, alcohol is one thing that is out.

• Reduce your stress! The effects that chronic stress has on the body is remarkable! And we are just tapping into this area! But what is clear, is those who are chronically stressed, have an increased risk for several cancers as well as other diseases. Do your body a favor and get your stress under control!

Want to learn more about cancer? Here are two of my favorite cancer gurus, Kris Carr and Chris Wark. They are experts in this field having both gone through cancer themselves, Kris Carr continues to thrive with an untreatable stage IV cancer. The CDC is also a good place to start to learn the basics and statistics.

Kris Carr https://kriscarr.com/

Chris Wark https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/

CDC https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/

Alright, go check out the ladies and eat some kale! Cheers for now!

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay

References:

CDC. (2020 Sept. 14).  Basic Information About Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/

Choi, S.-W., & Friso. S.  (2010).  Epigenetics: A New Bridge between Nutrition and Health, Advances in Nutrition. 1(1): 8-16.  https://doi.org/10.3945/an.110.1004

Daniel, M., & Tollefsbol, T.O.  (2015).  Epigenetic linkage of aging, cancer and nutrition.  Epigenetics of Nutrition and Environmental Effects.  218: 59-70.  doi: 10.1242/jeb.10711

Hardy, T.M., & Tollefsbol, T.O. (2011). Epigenetic diet: impact on the epigenome and cancer. Epigenomics, 3(4), 503–518. doi:10.2217/epi.11.71 

Moore, L.D., Le, T., & Fan, G.  (2013).  DNA Methylation and Its Basic Function.  Neuropsychopharmacology. 38(1): 23-38. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.112

Natural Medicines Database.  (2019).  Resveratrol [monograph].  Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=307