Fearless Breast Health

Women and their breasts. What a relationship. We wait for them as our entry into womanhood, sexuality, pleasure, fashion. They will provide nourishment and comfort to our children. Then they come. Our two breasts are “too”. Too big or too small, too up or too down, too dark or too light. Once we begin to accept our breasts, or even love them we begin to fear them. The fear we will lose them, the fear they will kill us.

In the 1988, the year I got married, my mother found a large lump in her breast. It had been missed and she found it herself. Quite an accomplishment for a woman entering severe dementia. After the mastectomy, she completely lost her cognition and ability to speak. So she had to relive the horror of realizing she had lost a breast over and over. And she couldn’t even express herself about it. As you can imagine, this was a traumatic event in my life. As a daughter of a woman with breast cancer, I started to get all the messages. High Risk, Family History, Be Vigilant. I developed a deep fear of what I would discover and how I would handle it. Every time I had a breast exam, I prayed, not quite yet, not this time. My journey with my own fear coupled with my career in natural health care, led me to explore options. Why am I feeling this? What am I waiting for?

What’s all this talk about early detection? Do I really have to wait until I get breast cancer and face surgery, chemo and radiation to do something?

My quest led me to learn about modern Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging or Thermography. I was impressed by the radiation free technology that finds changes in breast tissue up to eight years before you can see it on mammogram or feel it. I decided to become a Certified Clinical Thermographer, open a high quality Thermography Center in Los Angeles, and empower women with a new paradigm. PREVENTION, rather than detection. In the last four years, I have scanned women of every age and background. One thing they have in common about their breasts. FEAR. Even those who say “I know I’m fine, I have no family history, I eat organic, I very intuitive about my body” confess their relief with no abnormalities on found. They didn’t even realize the deep-seated fears that have been instilled in them. How could they have escaped it?

Let’s start with the pink ribbon campaign.

The pink ribbon is on Yoplait. Yoplait is put a pink ribbon on yogurt made with artificial sweeteners and milk from cows given BGH (bovine growth hormone). The pink ribbon is all over cosmetics preserved with Parabens, which are hormone disruptors found in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer. Now you can even buy a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken with the pink ribbon and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation logo on it. Kentucky Fried Chicken – made from factory farmed chicken, coated with MSG, and then fried. There is no sense in this. Do any of these companies really care about women’s health.

I’m all for curing breast cancer, but can we give a little thought to prevention. At the recent European Breast Cancer conference in Barcelona, researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer made a dramatic presentation. Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more. Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard University stated that people might wrongly think their chances of getting cancer depend more on their genes than their lifestyle.

Then there is October- “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. One in eight women will develop breast cancer. Look around the lunch table ladies. Who’s on first?

What about Breast Health Awareness Month. What about Love your Body Month.

What about Breast Disease Prevention Month.

Let’s put some pink ribbons on cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. There is scientific evidence that there is real prevention there. Let’s put a pink ribbon on organic fermented soy, like Miso soup. Let’s put a pink ribbon on not being afraid to massage our breasts and move the lymphatic tissue. Let’s put a pink ribbon on healthy bras that don’t bind us and cut off the lymphatic flow. Let’s put a pink ribbon on natural deodorants that don’t push toxic minerals into our underarms and breasts. Let’s put a pink ribbon on simple mindful washing in the shower will familiarize yourself with your own normal breast tissue.

Women are afraid to touch their breasts in fear of finding a lump. First we are taught to make a scary date with ourselves, plump up the pillow, light a candle and look for a cancerous lump in our breasts. No wonder many women forgo doing a monthly breast exam. Last year women were advised not to examine their breasts, because it might lead to a false positive. Most lumps are found by women touching themselves. If we weren’t so fearful of touching our breasts, we would be much more aware of our own bodies.

We are constantly inundated with fearful messages about our breasts. Young women are having their healthy breasts removed because they are so afraid they will get breast cancer and die. That makes me want to weep. You don’t see men taking out their healthy prostate glands, or testicles, or cutting their penis off.

Let’s make a decision to empower ourselves. Be preventative and proactive. Love our bodies and know them. Women to step up to marketing campaigns based on fear and say no. We will fear less! Show us you care about our health, and then we might listen to your campaign.

Start learning what you can do to maintain your breast health. Of course, breast cancer is a complex disease, and we would never lay blame on our sisters who are diagnosed. We support them fully. Let’s make the effort to decrease breast cancer by a third as presented at the conference.

Here are five easy suggestions that can make a difference in your health.

1. Check that you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Optimum levels of Vitamin D are 40-80 ng/ml and can be checked with a simple blood test. Once Vitamin D levels are in normal range, Vitamin D3 supplements of about 2,000 IU’s daily should help maintain a healthy range. A study by a prominent Vitamin D researcher showed women with Vitamin levels above 52 ng/ml have half the risk of developing breast cancer.

2. What you put on your body matters. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. If a splinter can penetrate our skin, why not chemicals in your cosmetics? Choose cosmetics and body products that are paraben free. Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics and have been found in breast tumors. Especially look for paraben free products to replace those you use the most, like body lotion.

3. Just say NO to antiperspirants. Antiperspirants contain aluminum and parabens. The lymphatic system that clears the breast tissue of toxins drains into the underarm. Perspiring is a way to rid the body of toxins. Use a natural deodorant. You may choose to wear an antiperspirant for a very special occasion, but don’t make a habit of it, especially when you exercise.

4) Don’t drink out of plastic bottles unless the bottle’s plastic is labeled as being BPA free. Chemicals in other plastic bottles have been shown to be hormone disruptors. Better yet, use glass or food grade stainless steel. It’s better for the environment and it’s better for you.

5) Add flaxseeds to your diet. 2 tablespoons of freshly ground organic flaxseeds daily can be added to your cereal or smoothie. Flaxseeds are high in fiber, omega 3’s and are protective to the breast because of their effect on estrogen metabolism.

Let’s take action and look to prevention of breast disease. Educate yourself about thermography breast screenings for peace of mind and the earliest detection. Get back to the wonderment of your teenage years and love your breasts. Teach your daughters to do the same. When we empower ourselves with knowledge and action we become Fearless!!!

Hillary Smith D.C.

Certified Clinical Thermographer

www.pictureinside.com

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!