01 — Whole Food, Plant-Forward Nutrition

Research shows us that a person’s overall dietary pattern can have a positive affect on the survival and prevention of most chronic diseases including breast cancer. Focusing on unprocessed whole foods that are dense in nutrition is an important strategy in restoring health. A plant-forward diet makes up the foundation in the treatment of most diagnosed chronic illnesses, and animal products should be limited or eliminated. Opting for organic, when possible, and choosing a variety of colors which contain important phytochemicals is essential for optimal nutrition. Food is medicine, and you have an opportunity to feed your body quality information everyday.

02 — Physical Activity and Movement

Regular and consistent exercise is associated with increased energy, prolonged stress relief, promotes healing, increases quality of sleep and creates a sense of overall wellbeing. It is also associated with a 12-21% reduction of risk of breast cancer. (Pizot, 2016: McTiernan, 2019) Creating an enjoyable routine of a variety of options that fit into your lifestyle is key. Being sedentary can increase your risk for most chronic diseases and greatly reduce your chance of survival from breast cancer.

03 — Reducing Your Stress Load

Stress affects the internal cellular environment of your body, and is a huge contributor to most chronic diseases. It can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and blood pressure issues. It can literally alter the expression of your DNA. Studies now reveal post diagnostic stress has emerged as an important modifiable risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Left uncheck, stress can lead to immune disfunction, and contribute to the onset of breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) stress can also affect tumor growth. Identifying multiple healthy coping mechanisms increase your chances of survival and lead to improved wellbeing.

04 — Toxins and High Risk Substances

High-risk substances like tobacco and alcohol have been shown to increase the incidence of many diseases, and is directly linked to breast cancer. Minimizing or eliminating these substances, especially tobacco, reduce your risks of cancer recurrence and increase your rate of survival. Likewise, minimizing your toxic load is one of the most important health tools to aid in your fight against breast cancer. Changing your immediate environment and strengthening your body’s natural detoxification system through the bowels, blood, skin, lymphatic system, lungs, and the liver will help prevent any potential damage that toxins may impose.

05 — Sleep: Rest, Digest and Restore

Sleep is more powerful than we think. It is a daily maintenance to rest, restore, and repair. Without the minimum requirement we are subjecting ourselves to being vulnerable to disease. Sleep disturbances are common in breast cancer patients, and sometimes continue into survivorship. Practicing good sleep hygiene is one of the most important things you can do to get a good night’s sleep. Your body cleans itself while you sleep and gets rid of damage cells and waste. Evidence suggests that short sleep durations increase inflammation and risk of reoccurrence. Sleep hygiene practices can increase quality of sleep, and allow your body to restore.

06 — Relationships and Social Connections

Positive relationships affect our physical, mental, and emotional health.  Like stress, social isolation is a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Lack of social connection is associated with increased cortisol, catecholamine, and leptin levels, all of which increase cancer production and reduce survival rates. Leveraging the power of positive relationships can help encourage healthy behaviors and outcomes.