This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take time out to love and celebrate your breasts by living mindfully. Instead of focusing on negative breast cancer statistics, focus only on the factors you can control right now.
Eat the rainbow – And we don’t mean Skittles! A diet high in fruits and veggies (5.5 servings per day) has been shown to lower breast cancer risk by as much as 11 percent. But instead of trying to overhaul your entire diet in a day, why not start with your next meal during Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Since cruciferous vegetables – like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as well as orange and yellow veggies, are most strongly associated with a lower risk, start there. Take time to savor each bite, while reflecting on the flavor and health benefits.
Move mindfully – Research shows that exercise lowers your risk. We know that finding the time – and motivation – to work out can feel like an uphill battle, but changing your mindset can help you to get moving. Exercise is one of the few things in life that is 100 percent about you. Instead of dreading it, think about it as ‘me’ time – and focus on how good it feels to honor your body and put yourself first.
Meditate – Studies suggest that meditation helps breast cancer survivors cope with post-treatment symptoms like anxiety and depression. While we can’t say that meditation lowers breast cancer risk, we do know that a healthy body begins in the mind. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month aim to meditate for ten minutes every day.