Tips from Breast Cancer Survivors to Safer Living!

Every year, 1 in 8 women in America are diagnosed with breast cancer. To share their experiences and inspire others in their journey, many survivors have turned to the internet, creating informative videos and traditional blogs in which they discuss strategies that they believe were crucial to their healing process. While cancer takes a significant toll on the body, many survivors emerge with a renewed appreciation for mindfulness, clean eating, and holistic living. In correspondence with a deeper regard for wellness practices, women report replacing numerous lifestyle choices for habits that create safer and healthier microenvironments within their bodies.

Drawing from their experiences, the following key tips were said to foster better health resilience and promote wellness.

Switch to an alkaline diet.

A recent study from the Michigan Institute of Technology found that acidic environments help tumor cells to produce proteins that make them more aggressive, invasive and metastatic. The researchers also found that they could reverse these findings in mice by making the tumor environment less acidic. When you switch to an alkaline diet, you’re limiting acid-forming foods like foods that are processed, red meat and dairy, refined grains and caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Instead switch to leafy greens, avocados, bananas, cucumbers, nuts and seeds, beans, herbs, and alkaline water.

• The goal: to create a hostile environment for cancer cell growth processes so that the cancer is less likely to spread

Replace non-stick cookware with cast iron, ceramic, anodized aluminum cookware, and glass bakeware.

Traditional non-stick cookware often contains chemicals like PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which can leach into food when heated. Studies show that long-term exposure to these chemicals may increase the risk of cancer and hormone disruptions.

• The goal: to minimize exposure and reduce the ingestion of harmful chemicals linked to hormone disruption

Replace makeup with safe, nontoxic, cosmetics.

Many mainstream cosmetics contain potentially harmful chemicals like parabens and phthalates. After being absorbed into the skin, parabens and phthalates disrupt normal hormonal processes. While parabens pose risk by mimicking naturally-occurring estrogen in the body, exposure to phthalates has been linked to breast cancer, developmental issues, decreased fertility, obesity and asthma.

• The goal: to lower exposure to harmful chemicals that could pose significant health risks

Though the following tips shared in this article are based on personal experiences, these approaches are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for treatment plans tailored to your medical needs. Simultaneously, routine checkups, mammograms and self-exams are essential preventative measures. Be aware of potential symptoms such as lumps, changes in breast size or shape, skin changes, or discharge from the nipple. Always report any unusual findings to your healthcare provider promptly.

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