Breast Cancer Awareness monthlies in October annually but you should care about your breasts the entire year. There’s a growing movement that helps promote breast care as more women need to be aware of the simple actions they do and don’t do which could gravely affect their health.
Your body is complex and delicate and many things could cause you harm. Of course, there are also some things and actions that help promote better breast health. If you want to know more about how you can care for your breasts better, then read on as we’ve got a few tips that you might not know about.
1. Screen For Breast Cancer
While you can detect breast cancer on your own through simple means, it’s always the better choice to simply have yourself screened. Breast cancer screening Los Angeles clinics are available almost all-year-round except for the holidays. This means you can have yourself checked out anytime. However, that doesn’t mean that you should do so every week.
The US Preventive Services Tasks Force of USPSTF recommends women who are 50 to 74 to get screenings or a mammogram at least once every two years. If you are 40 to 49 years old, you should talk to your doctor about when and how often you should get a mammogram. Ideally, most women get mammograms before they hit 50.
Before you reach the age where mammograms are a must you can do self-examinations instead. Raise your arms and gently feel your breasts for any lumps. You should also look if any fluids are coming out of your nipples.
2. Don’t Wear Tight Bras
A lot of women prefer tight bras over those that are a little loose. It’s hard to blame them though as tight bras can be comfortable at times. However, wearing tight bras has been linked to breast cancer as well. Moreover, it has been seen as the cause of nerve damage to the breast as well.
You should wear bras that are just the right fit. Alternatively, you can choose to not wear any bras at all as millions of women are already doing.
3. Remove Your Bra At Night
When sleeping, it’s best to have your bra removed. Studies suggest that sleeping with your bra on – specially wired bras, result in health complications. It’s also not comfortable at that. If you’ve been wearing a bra the entire day, it’s best to give your breasts a rest a night.
4. Exercise Regularly
You also need to regularly exercise so that you can help maintain your breast’s health. You don’t have to undergo a rigorous training regime daily to stay in shape. Ideally, you’d want to do aerobic workouts for at least 30 minutes a day. One of the best exercises you can try at home is yoga which also works well in improving your flexibility.
You should strive to maintain a BMI somewhere between 20-25 which is the normal mass you should be going for. To maintain the right BMI, you need to have a balanced diet aside from exercising regularly.
5. Eat The Right Food
One of the best ways to maintain healthy breasts is by eating certain foods. According to Healthline, some of the food that you should eat more of include leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, berries, beans, herbs, spices, and vegetables like onions and garlic. These foods contain nutrients that promote breast health.
If you are eating vegetables, make sure to steam them and not boil or fry them. This helps preserve the nutrients within the food. Salads and fruits make for an excellent appetizer every day so make sure you have some in stock all the time.
6. Avoid The Bad Food
Of course, there are also some foods that you need to avoid as well. Ideally, you’d want to avoid fast foods, fried foods, alcoholic beverages, and processed meats. These foods contain carcinogens that increase your chances of getting breast cancer.
It’s easy to avoid these food times. One of the things that you should limit yourself to is fast food items. Aside from putting your breasts at risk, fast food is also an unhealthy item linked to weight gain – which also puts you at risk of breast cancer.
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women. Taking care of yourself, and your breasts in particular don’t make you immune to it but it does lessen the risks of you getting it. You must follow our tips above if you want to live a long and healthy life.
