October Newsletter

12-Nov-2009

Let's promote breast health

October is breast cancer awareness month and many of us will have attended a ‘pink’ event lately.

The campaign to increase awareness of breast cancer and raise funds for research into a cure has been extraordinarily successful. I only wish that there was some sort of public conversation about keeping our breasts healthy and avoiding the disease in the first place.

Here are a few commonsense lifestyle strategies that will stand us in good stead for avoiding not just cancer, but a range of degenerative diseases.

Limit your intake of processed foods and sugar, including alcohol. This keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels in check. High insulin levels increase estrogen levels, which can promote breast cancer. More that one or two alcoholic drinks per day can also tax the liver, so its capacity to remove excess estrogen from the body is compromised.
Exercise is another way to stabilize insulin levels and keep your weight down. Obesity has been linked to breast cancer.
Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts help to reduce the risk of cancer by removing excess estrogen from the body. Berries, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus and garlic are also great inclusions in a healthy, antioxidant rich diet.

Click here to view more strategies.

It’s vital that we find a cure for breast cancer, but it’s also important that we enjoy our breasts and be proactive about our health. Nothing in life comes with an iron-clad guarantee, but that needn’t stop us from adopting smart lifestyles.

Telling it like it is

There are many poignant moments during October, and one of those was the recent launch of Annemarie White’s book Telling it like it is, which tells the stories of 22 women and one man who have had breast cancer. You will know of some of them, even if you had no idea they’d had cancer. Several were at the launch in Brisbane’s City Hall, and the emotion flowed.

Annemarie’s book is wonderfully warm and human, and its ups and downs will be familiar to anyone who has been touched by this disease. It’s published by HarperCollins and is available from major book retailers.

Next 'Managing Midlife Weight Gain' Seminar: Saturday 5 December

10.00am-4.00pm, 32 Finsbury Street, Newmarket

Excess weight is common in middle-age, but it’s not just a cosmetic issue — it’s also hazardous. If you’ve been thinking it’s time to transform your weight and your lifestyle, then here’s your chance.

What we’ll cover:

Sources of midlife weight gain
What’s wrong with “eat less and exercise more”
What hormones have to do with it
Why one-size-fits-all solutions don’t work
Eating to suit your metabolism
How to make changes that last a lifetime

What you’ll receive:

Up-to-date information
Comprehensive notes
A take-home booklet that includes a shopping list and dietary guidelines
A delicious lunch to illustrate what you’re learning
Follow-up support as you need it (especially with Christmas around the corner!)

Here’s what participants from the last seminar said:

Just brilliant info – it woke me up!! I’m now thinking about diet and exercise in a new light and I’m so excited about what’s possible. Anne N, Toowong

Genuinely helpful and allows each woman to pursue her own journey — not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Info was new and went beyond the mainstream, but not too complicated. Jenny B, Gympie

If you want to make changes, this is the place to get what you need to do that. Judy G, The Gap

Loved the holistic approach, integrating exercise, diet, lifestyle needs, and an understanding of hormones. Julie M, Gold Coast

Really appreciated the information, the relaxing environment, and that you can take things on at your own pace. Thanks, loved the whole thing. Jo G, Ashgrove.

Closing date for registration and payment is Friday 27 November. To register, click here.

Ruth leaves us reeling

What does the average woman want for her 96th birthday? How about a home gym? That’s what Ruth Frith asked for. Ruth is the 100-year old spring chicken putting the shot at the World Masters Games in Sydney. I couldn’t resist adding her to the Fit and Well Gallery of Inspiring Women.

Veges bound and gagged

A great comment from Sydney chef Christine Manfield in the latest issue of Wish, The Australian’s monthly lifestyle magazine….

She describes the food markets in Paris as being among the most exciting and seductive in the world, and notes that “Parisians do not expect to have their produce bound and gagged beyond recognition in plastic cling wrap and displayed under fierce artificial lighting.”

Even without its beauty, history and passion, I would love Paris just for that.

Until next time!

Dr Rhonda Anderson

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