Take Charge Of Your Own Breast Health

by: Paul Rodgers

Breast health is very important to adult women and good self-esteem about breasts and all physical features are very important for younger girls. Keeping these two different angles in mind are important for girls and women alike when it comes to good breast health and good self-image and self-esteem.

In North America, the incidence of Breast Cancer has increase almost three-fold in 40 years, going from 1 in 20 in the 1960’s to 1 in 8 today. From the age of twenty, women should do monthly breast self-examinations. Breast cancers tend to grow significantly faster in younger women under age 50. Despite billions of dollars raised for research to "Find the Cure," the risk of breasts cancer today is greater than ever before. It's critically important for women to take charge of their health through these screenings and to understand that survivability is greatly enhanced when breast cancer is found early.

Because when it comes to breast health, knowledge is more than power–it’s confidence. Women can help with the early detection and treatment of breast cancer by playing an active role in their own health care. While there are some different recommendations from medical organizations on the value of breast self-exams, all women's health organizations agree about the value of annual clinical breast exams, and the importance of regular mammograms after the age of 40. Breast health is more than just luck, genetics, where you live or what you eat.

Staying healthy is a challenge that engages our body, mind, and spirit. No matter what your age or position in life, understanding the connection between a healthy lifestyle and healthy breasts is vitally important. Breast health is on a continuum with normal healthy breast tissue at one end and cancer at the other. You can certainly go from no pathology to cancer and you can slide down the continuum and never develop breast cancer, but not accepting unhealthy changes in your breasts is proactive and may very well prevent cancer. Also, you may lower your risk of breast cancer by living a healthy lifestyle, including eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercising.

Most people are familiar with the antioxidant process, and many include this in there daily routines, but not many are aware that this is just the first step to a healthy body. Antioxidants are beneficial because they affix themselves to free radicals while absorbing the elements before they have the ability to infiltrate healthy normal tissues. It is in everyone's health interests, to include regular daily amounts of the best antioxidants in their diets, in support of healthy lifestyles.

Only 10% of breast health issues are attributed to family genes, the higher percentage due to environmental, dietary or lifestyle issues. Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage -- the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. Antioxidants are key elements in preventing cancer, because they stabilize highly reactive free radicals that can otherwise damage our DNA and begin the process of cancer development.

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Medicinal Values of Green Tea

Autor: Lesley Lyon

Green tea is believed to be in use as a medicine for at least 4000 years in china. It is also believed that green tea lowers the cholesterol levels by increasing the good cholesterol and decreasing the bad cholesterol. Green tea is rich in antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) .It destroys cancer cells and also inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Even though the French people consume diet rich in fat, they are less prone to heart attack than the Americans. Similarly, even though 75 percent of the Japanese are smokers, they are less affected. This is because EGCG is more in green tea used by them. It acts as a protective agent against premature death from heart attack and cancer.

Green tea also destroys bacteria thus preventing tooth decay. Researchers have also found that green tea even helps dieters. The leaves of green tea can also be used for cooking. The leftover leaves can be used as manure for garden plants to grow better. The ingredient present in green tea is polyphenol. It is the most effective antioxidant. It is present in higher amount in green tea than in black tea.

The basic difference between green tea and other teas like oolong and black tea is that while the latter come from the leaves of camellia simens plant, green tea is processed in a different way. Green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the EGCG, a power antioxidant, from being oxidized. In contrast, black and oolong leaves are made from fermented leaves and so EGCG is converted into other compounds, which are effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Clinical trials indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. Green tea also raises thermo genesis (the rate at which calories are burnt) and hence increases energy expenditure. Green tea also increases endurance in exercise.

Drinking green tea has a whole lot of benefits like fighting against cancer, stabilizing diabetes, helping in weight loss, slowing the ageing process and helping digestion. Green tea also enhances immunity in our body. About four cups of green tea each day provides 300 to 400 mg of polyphenols, which help in antioxidant activity. These antioxidants help in slowing diseases. A research Institute in Tokyo found that drinking green tea is the best method to prevent cancer at present. All types of cancer like stomach, lungs, breast, liver, colon and rectal can be prevented by green tea.

Green tea prevents cholesterol from being absorbed by the digestive tract. This in effect means that even if the fat is taken, the body does not absorb it. Green tea also helps in preventing unhealthy clotting. Rinsing the mouth with green tea after meals helps in fighting bacteria and thus prevents cavities. One cup of tea with each meal acts as a metabolic stimulant. This helps in weight loss. The caffeine in the tea burns extra calories in the body and fat is digested by polyphenols. A recent study stated that EGCG found in green tea could help to boost one’s immune system thereby helping to prevent HIV.

And to top it all, green tea probably is the only substance in the world with so many medicinal values and without a single side effect!

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