3 Super Easy Ways Women Can Lower Risk Of Cancer
By admin
What October Means To Me
When I think about October, two thoughts come to mind: Fall and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
I worked in the breast cancer field for almost 3 years after college. I was a medical assistant at a local breast center here in Charleston and over the course of my time there I learned so much! I think I can say that working with women every day for such an intimate cause fired up my passion for women’s health.
Even though I am no longer in that field, I still try to contribute somehow to bring upon awareness to breast cancer. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that the disease has affected all of us in some way or another.
For me personally, I saw my 76 year old Grandmama get diagnosed and recover; I was also by mom’s side for several biopsies, I was even the medical assistant working with her. Luckily for my mom it was a scare. But for hundreds of ladies I worked with, it wasn’t and I was affected every day.
I was planning on writing up a post anyways on the topic of awareness or activism but kept pushing it off, not quite sure what angle I wanted to target. Luckily, as I was doing an incline workout yesterday (in an effort to stretch out my extremely sore calves) I came across an article in Shape magazine going over super easy ways to decrease cancer risk and highlighting some new studies. Many of which I hadn’t heard of yet.
What can you say, the scientist in me LOVES reading studies!
No matter if you’re young, old, or middle aged we can all take action now to help our bodies in the future. Even if you didn’t do things the “right” way in your past, changing your lifestyle now can make a huge difference.
Here are 3 ways to decrease your risk of cancer and feel awesome about yourself!
3 Ways For Women To Decrease Risk Of Cancer
Eat more plants.
This is actually one of the reasons I went vegan in the first place. After reading all the research, watching Forks Over Knives and reading The China Study there was simply too much data to support a high plant diet as a way to decrease cancer risk. I had to give it a try, and look at me now! lol.
This recent study above shows promise that eating a diet hight in fruits and vegetables has the ability to turn off genes that could potential be related to cancer. It’s not saying to go vegan but loading up your dinner plate with extra veggies wouldn’t hurt either.
- What’s your favorite vegetable?
Simply Move More.
By moving 10-19 hours a week (hold on, don’t roll your eyes), studies show that you can decrease your odds of developing cancer by as much as 1/3. I don’t know about you, but that’s reason enough to lace up your walking shoes.
I know that that might sound like a TON of exercise but what I wasn’t able to snap a picture of is that the research shows that intensity doesn’t matter. Walking, tossing a frisbee, cleaning the house, going to the gym, and whatever ever else counted towards that time.
Anything but sitting on your butt. Of course I write that as I am, well… on my butt 
To break it down… you only need around 85 minutes each day of moving! That’s nothing, right?
Eat More Chocolate.
You don’t have to tell me twice. This study requires more research but so far the findings are promising! The polyphenols found in cocoa beans have been linked to decreasing cancer by way of stopping bad cellular changes to take place (which are responsible for cancer).
Chocolate only gets better from there, according to the magazine, research also indicates that women who eat chocolate regularly are 7 pounds lighter than those who don’t eat it!
Just make sure to go with chocolate that is at least 70% dark, otherwise it’s not as concentrated, is packed with sugar and not much help.
We all knew chocolate was a girls best friend for a reason… screw diamonds!
- Do you prefer dark or milk chocolate?
Calves Of Steel
In other news… my calves are hard as rocks! Not because they’re solid muscle but because they are so sore and tight. I feel as if they are baseballs in my legs. Ugh. I forgot just how powerful calve raises can be. Hopefully they’ll relax and recover today/tonight so I can at least walk up right again.
When was the last time you were so sore it affected your abilities the following day?