Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Shine bright and take action!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s lift each other up with energy, kindness, and smart steps for breast health.
Get screened:
✔ Book your mammogram, and ask your healthcare provider about the right timing based on your age, history, and risk.
✔ Practice regular breast self-exams, know what is normal for you, and talk to your healthcare provider if you notice any changes.
Keep healthy:
Follow these evidence-based tips to reduce risk:
✔ Eat for health, build meals around wholegrains, vegetables, beans, and fruit. Limit fast foods and processed items high in fat, starches, or sugars. Limit red and processed meat, choose beans, lentils, fish, or poultry more often. Choose water or unsweetened drinks, and limit alcohol.
✔ Maintain a healthy weight with steady, supportive routines.
✔ Be physically active, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, and sit less.
✔ Manage stress with simple daily practices, take 2 – 5 minute breathing or mindfulness breaks, walk and spend time outdoors, make time for relaxing activities like music or prayer, and ask for help from a healthcare professional if you need it.
✔ Stay connected with loved ones and your community, make a daily touchpoint, share meals, join a class or volunteer team, and invite a friend for a walk or group workout.
✔ Sleep well, keep a consistent schedule, limit screens and caffeine in the evening, and keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
You matter, your health matters so schedule your screening, move your body, nourish well, rest well, stay connected, and let’s cheer each other on all month long!
Resources:
- National Breast Cancer Foundation, screening guides and healthy living tools: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/bcam-resources/
- World Cancer Research Fund, cancer prevention recommendations: https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention/our-cancer-prevention-recommendations/
- European Lifestyle Medicine Organisation: https://www.eulm.org/what-is-lifestyle-medicine/
