"Extra" Lifechanger and breast cancer specialist Dr. Kristi Funk is going to the grocery store to show you the best foods to fight breast cancer.
For your morning caffeine fix, Dr. Funk suggests trading your cup of joe for green tea. Coffee doesn't increase your risk of getting cancer, but Kristi explains, "three cups of green tea a day decreases breast cancer risk by half."
Specifically, Matcha green tea is best. Rachel Beller, a nutritional oncology specialist, reveals that Matcha "has ten to fifteen times the antioxidant power as regular green tea that comes in a bag." A splash of citrus can boost the antioxidant levels in your tea as well. "Adding lemon juice to the green tea will enhance the antioxidant power by four times." Ginger, too, is an anti-cancer heavyweight.
Spices like turmeric and oregano spruce up bland dishes while they fight-off cancer. "Population studies show that individuals who ingest turmeric on a regular basis have a lower incidence of breast cancer," Beller says, adding that oregano is perfect "sprinkled on roasted vegetables."
Your grocery list is complete, but which foods should you avoid? Check out Dr. Funk's list of foods to stay away from here.
For more information, contact Chef Lorenz at Lorenz.chef@gmail.com.
15 Breast Cancer Prevention Tips
Early detection ensures the best survival rate.
Breast cancer specialist Dr. Kristi Funk says women should get their baseline mammograms at age 35. If that mammogram is normal, then start annual mammograms every year at age 40.
Dr. Funk urges women to always get a digital mammogram.
Time your mammogram to your menstrual cycle.
Breast cancers typically do not hurt — making them hard to detect.
Try limiting fat in your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, results from the most definitive study of dietary fat and breast cancer risk suggest a slight decrease in risk of invasive breast cancer for women who eat a low-fat diet.
If You Have Gained 10 Lbs.
Dr. Kristi Funk says to determine breast cancer risk, think back to your high school weight. If you have gained 10 lbs., you increase your breast cancer risk by 10%.
If You Have Gained 20 Lbs.
If you have gained 10-20 lbs. since high school, you increase your risk by 20%.
If You Have Gained 20-30 Lbs.
If you have gained 20-30 lbs. since high school, you increase your risk by 60%.
Regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight and may aid in breast cancer prevention.
Men Should Not Ignore Symptoms
Breast cancer is deadlier in men because they tend to ignore lumps in their breasts. Thus, they are diagnosed at a later stage.
Drinking three cups of green tea a day reduces your risk of breast cancer by 50%.
Dr. Kristi Funk says those who take Advil, Motrin, Aleve or generic Ibuprofen may reduce their risk. She says two tablets weekly may reduce your breast cancer risk by 20% after 10 years.
Dr. Kristi Funk says holistic methods have a place in the treatment of breast cancer for symptom/side effect management and for the prevention of a second breast cancer, however, she stresses that holistic methods are never in and of themselves the only treatment for breast cancer.
89% survive five years. 81% survive 10 years.
Stage one diagnosis is a 98% survival rate.
Stage four diagnosis is a 27% survival rate.
