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| Grandma Catherine |
When I was a teenager, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and given a total (simple) mastectomy. After the mastectomy, grandma’s health and mental well-being took a dramatic turn for the worse. It shook her up terribly, and I remember her crying and saying how she could still feel the breast and how much it hurt.
At the time, I thought the operation was necessary. Recently, talking to my sister, I found out that the lump had actually been benign, and at most a lumpectomy should have been done, or perhaps it should have simply been left alone due to her advanced age.
My mother never dealt with cancer, but she did have surgery to remove lymph nodes near her breast that were identified as inflamed and potentially pre-cancerous.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and these two women who meant so much to me have been very much on my mind. I wonder, “How can I help myself and my loved ones avoid breast cancer?” As I have been researching natural health alternatives, I’ve found a few things that might surprise you. Here are some natural tips for taking care of your breasts.
Good circulation = equals healthier breasts.
The tissue in and around your breasts is loaded with lymph and lymph nodes, part of your body’s immune system. These lymph nodes act as filters and trap foreign materials, which are then destroyed by white blood cells within the node. To help your lymphatic system function more effectively (and keep toxins from building up), it a good idea to practice daily lymphatic breast massage and/or dry brushing.
Nourish Your Breasts from the Inside Out
Good nutrition helps keep your breasts healthy. In spite of the current demonization of fat, real breasts are composed of real fat, and you should include an ample amount of high quality fat in your diet. Virgin coconut oil, organic butter and grassfed beef tallow are some of my favorites. I also take a high quality fish oil supplement.
Iodine is also needed for breast health. Iodine supplementation has been used to eliminate breast cysts. Consider adding some seaweed to your meals for a wonderful blast of nutrition. It has a rather salty taste, and can easily be mixed in to soups and stews.
Nourish Your Breasts from the Outside In
It you feel your breasts need a little extra TLC, or you have hard or lumpy breasts, there are a wide variety of massage oils available on the market that can be applied topically to improve breast health. My sister recommends Healthy Girls Breast Oil.
Regular Exams – At Home and with your Health Care Provider
You are your own best ally in the fight against cancer. If you know your body, you can tell when something is not right. Regular self exams can help you do this. When it comes to exams in the doctor’s office, consider thermography (thermal imaging) instead of a mammogram. With thermography, there is no exposure to radiation and this test is more effective at identifying certain types of cancer. Ask your health care provider if it’s right for you.
If you are concerned about breast cancer, I encourage you to do your own research and learn more about how to improve your health naturally.
Links
How to “Phluff Your Girls” – pdf brochure on breast “phluffing”, lymphatic breast massage
Dry Brushing Technique – How to dry brush your skin for better health.
The Skinny on Fats & Breast Cancer – article from the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients
Nutrition for Women’s Health – article by Susan Weed, naturopath
What’s New in Breast Health – article by Susun Weed
Healthy Girls Breast Oil – a blend of essential oils to improve and restore breast health
Breast self exam – how to examine your breasts – with instructions and diagrams
Thermal imaging – Thermography offers a painless, non-invasive, state-of-the-art clinical test without any exposure to radiation and is a valuable procedure for alerting your GP or specialist to the possibility of underlying breast disease.
Beyond the Mammogram – Non-invasive Thermography is Growing in Popularity
Breast Cancer: prevention and natural solutions – alternative medicine – Shirley’s Wellness cafe
This post has been added to Domestically Divine Homemaking for April 26, 2011 At Far Above Rubies, and Healthy 2day Wednesdayfor August 10, 2011 at Day2Day Joys.
This is a great post Laurie. I am all for thermal imaging and I am not doing mammograms.
Excellent post, Laurie. I'd love to feature this article on Domestically Divine. It's incredibly useful information.
Thank you so much.
May I use a small photo and short bio?
Warmly,
Jasmine
Thank you, Jasmine. I would be honored if you'd feature this article. Use any material from this site or LWM (photo) that you would like.
Thanks, Laurie. xox