Your Best Defense is PREVENTION

As you know, October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM).  People walk for the cure, race for the cure, jump for the cure, shop for the cure, and hike for the cure and yet nothing changes.

Current estimates suggest that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.  With all the focus on “Breast Cancer Awareness,” we’d have to ask, is anything really changing?  Has raising awareness caused a drop in breast cancer rates?  Sadly, no.

Thank you.  We are aware.  Now what?  
 
We believe that the conversation needs to switch to one of prevention.  What are the risk factors for developing breast cancer and what modalities can you employ to reduce your risk?

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

1. Estrogen

The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is estrogen dominance.  A woman can become estrogen dominant through different mechanisms. 

• Absolute dominance:  Too much estrogen in the body or an inability to eliminate/metabolize estrogen
• Relative dominance:  Inadequate progesterone to offset (counterbalance) the existing estrogen

Question:  Can a woman of ANY age who is NOT on any hormone replacement therapy become estrogen dominant?

Answer:  Yes.  Absolutely. 
The truth is, our environment is laden with foreign chemicals that mimic the action of estrogens, contributing to an estrogen dominant scenario.  Many endocrine disruptors exist in our world and many of them lead to hormonal imbalances which can cause estrogen dominance.

2. Poor estrogen metabolism and/or poor elimination

All estrogens are metabolized through the liver.  The end-products of estrogen metabolism can be protective (2-hydroxy estrogens) or detrimental (16α-hydroxy estrogens).  Your ratio of healthy to unhealthy estrogens can be measured through a urine test as directed by your physician.  You can modify the ratio through diet, supplementation, and optimizing Vitamin D levels.

List of Endocrine Disruptors

Hormone Altering Chemicals	Sources
Bisphenol A (BPA)	Canned foods, thermal receipts, plastics marked with PC or #7
Dioxin	Current food supply – meat, fish, butter, eggs, milk.
Atrazine	Pervasive contaminant in drinking water Pthalates
Pthalates	Plastic food containers, children's toys, plastic wrap made from PVC / #3, some  cosmetics, some fragrances.
Perchlorate (Rocket fuel)	Produce and milk, drinking water
Mercury	Seafood, dental amalgams
Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs)	Non-stick cookware, stain and water  resistant coatings on carpets, clothing, furniture.
Organophosphate Pesticides	Pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.
Glycol Ethers	Paints, cleaning products, brake fluid, cosmetics.
Source

For more information about this test, talk to your doctor or go to Estronex.com.  Question:  How do I optimize estrogen metabolism and improve elimination?   Answer:  A liver cleanse can help optimize estrogen metabolism.  A colon cleanse will help reduce the re-absorption of estrogens that are sitting in the colon, thereby reducing your risk   Cleanse your liver.  One type of liver cleanse that is beneficial for healthy estrogen metabolism are coffee enemas.  Coffee enemas are an integral part of the Gerson therapy.  Here’s an excerpt from the Gerson web site:                                           The purpose of the coffee enema is not to clear out the intestines but to stimulate peristalsis.  A portion of the water also dilutes the bile and increases the bile flow, thereby flushing toxic bile out of the intestines. A patient coping with a chronic degenerative disease or an acute illness can achieve the following benefits from lowering of blood serum toxin levels achieved by regular administration of coffee enemas: Increased cell energy production Enhanced tissue health Improved blood circulation Better immunity and tissue repair Cellular regeneration Coffee enemas also increase our Glutathione antioxidant system, helping reduce pain and limit autoimmune attacks on other organs such as the thyroid in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. References:  A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases by Dr. Gerson, Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson , and Liver Detoxification with Coffee Enemas by Morton Walker, DPM excerpted from July 2001 edition of Townsend Newsletter. Read more about the benefits of coffee enemas. Cleanse your colon.  To reduce the risk of re-absorbing estrogens that sit in the colon it is recommended that we have two to three bowel movements per day.  Consuming a high fiber diet can help aid in elimination as well as undergoing regular colon hydrotherapy.   Your best defense is a good offense! It is no longer adequate to simply “eat a good diet and take good supplements.”  Knowing what you need to avoid and how to optimize health is important.  In addition, here are more proactive habits for you to consider as part of your journey towards vibrant health as suggested by Joseph Mercola, DO. Eat real food; avoid processed foods and sugars, especially fructose Stop eating AT LEAST three hours BEFORE going to bed Optimize your vitamin D Avoid unfermented soy products Improve your insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity Exercise regularly Maintain a healthy body weight Get plenty of high quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil Avoid electromagnetic fields as much as possible Avoid synthetic hormone replacement therapy Avoid BPA, phthalates, and other xenoestrogens (See chart) Make sure you're not iodine deficient As we all know, good health is a journey that requires attention and focus, awareness and education.   Good health is no longer something we are born with. But with the right measures, good health can be a reality for many.