It’s time to make healthy lives a top priority! AND…MOM…It starts with YOU! Many factors put you at risk for diseases that seriously threaten women. Heart disease, cancer, stroke and blood clots are the top of the list. Goodbye Hormone Replacement Therapy? Investigators Now Recommend Many Women Stop Use of Once-Valued Drugs Doctors’ offices and clinics across the country today were flooded with phone calls from concerned women responding to the alarming news regarding hormone replacement therapy. More than 16,000 women participating in a major clinical trial are being ordered to stop taking hormone medication after tests revealed that the 6 million other American women taking the drugs may be at risk. To the surprise and disappointment of researchers and women all over the world, new data shows that the hormones may actually cause more harm than good. Several years into the trial, the results have found that taking the combination therapy of estrogen plus progestin significantly increased a woman's risk of invasive breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots in the legs and lungs. Read ABC News Don’t wait until you are ill before you take action. Many have the “wait and see” approach to health or “I’ll think about it later solution. Is that you??? Moms…don’t neglect your health for years and years…and expect to walk into the doctor’s office for a “quick fix” when you don’t feel good. You owe it to yourself and your family members to stay in good health! Most women today know at least one woman, if not more who has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer! Every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, and every 13 minutes, a woman dies from the disease. Here are some medical facts: In 1960 the chance of a woman getting breast cancer over her lifetime was 1 in 30 In 1970 the chance of a woman getting breast cancer increased to 1-20 Hundreds of millions of dollars of research money has been spent fighting the disease Today the chance of a woman getting breast cancer over her life time is 1 in 8. All women are at risk for breast cancer all the time. In the U.S. alone, approx. 180,000 women will develop breast cancer each year. 45,000 women will die from breast cancer annually. Breast cancer has become the second largest cause of cancer deaths in women (next to lung cancer) Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women between 35 and 54. What Causes Breast Cancer? RACHEL'S ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH NEWS # 723 ---April 26, 2001--- The medical establishment pretends that the breast cancer epidemic will one day be reversed by some miracle cure, which we have now been promised for 50 years. Until that miracle arrives, we are told, there is nothing to be done except slice off women's breasts, pump their bodies full of toxic chemicals to kill cancer cells, burn them with radiation, and bury our dead. We know what causes the vast majority of cancers: exposure to carcinogens. What would a normal public health approach entail? Reduce the burden of cancer by reducing our exposure to carcinogens. Read the entire article California Urges Study Of Alarming Breast Cancer Rates By Andrew Quinn "When women in America today are getting breast cancer at a rate that is three times the rate of 50 years ago, something is seriously wrong," State Assemblyman Dario Frommer said at a special joint meeting of the legislature's health committees. "We need to take a hard look at what is causing this surge in cancer and what we can do to reverse this trend." Wednesday's special legislative hearing in San Francisco was called to address the latest studies of breast cancer incidence, and what some scientists say is mounting evidence that environmental toxins are contributing to the disease. "I believe it is high time to seriously consider environmental chemicals as the most likely cause of this sudden increase in risk," said Dr. Ana Soto, a breast cancer specialist at Tufts Medical School. READ THIS Mammograms: Both sides-You decide what’s right for you The Consumer Guide to Breast Cancer Detection: Early diagnosis and treatment are key to surviving breast cancer. Less than one-third of American women follow doctors’ guidelines for having a mammogram, according to the breast cancer advocacy group Y-ME. What You Should Know about Mammograms: Mammography is a method of examining the breasts by using low-dose x-ray. Currently it is the best screening method widely available. Annual screening mammograms—x-rays given to healthy women without any symptoms—may reduce the breast cancer death rate in women over 50. There has been much debate about use of mammograms to screen women aged 40 to 49. To make an informed decision about mammograms, women must be aware of the following facts: Mammograms do not prevent breast cancer. They detect cancer that already exists. Most breast cancers have been present for six to eight years by the time they appear on mammograms. For women between 40 and 49, trials have shown no consistent effect on mortality.4 Healthy women younger than 50 should not have mammograms as a routine matter. The risk of radiation, combined with the high incidence of both false negatives and false positives, means that routine mammography for women under 50 may well do more harm than good. Ever since the “war on cancer” was declared, more women have died of breast cancer than the total number of Americans who lost their lives in WWI, WWII, the Korean war, and the Vietnam war COMBINED!!! The Campaign For Earlier Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer The escalating breast cancer rate (1.8% per year since 1973) has occurred in spite of major efforts in the past 24 years by the government and the American Cancer Society to convince women to go in for regular mammograms and to perform more frequent self breast examinations. The purpose of this massive propaganda campaign has been to promote the early diagnosis of breast cancer in an effort to increase the odds of curing the disease. The result of this campaign has been a substantial increase in the use of mammography. Only a small decrease in mortality from breast cancer, which has, obviously, been grossly insufficient to stem the tide of the increasing incidence of the disease. It is responsible for killing middle-aged women at an unprecedented rate, and striking terror into the hearts of women of all ages! The problem with early diagnosis as a means of preventing breast cancer is that even "early" diagnosis may often be too late. By the time most breast tumors are found through mammography, they are already teeming with a hundred billion cancer cells after 8-10 years of development. Moreover, in about 50% of cases, metastasis has already occurred by the time the tumor is detected. The Failure Of The Medical Establishment In the face of the vast, rapidly-growing number of women who have been mutilated, made ill, and died as a result of the breast cancer epidemic. Tens of millions of women who live in abject terror that they may soon become victims of this horrific disease the behavior of the medical establishment has been pitiful and absolutely appalling! In spite of new and exciting alternatives for the treatment of breast cancer, the establishment has refused to budge from its exclusive use of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to treat women with breast cancer. Although these modalities cause severe pain, disfigurement, and terrible illness with only a modest "cure" rate, very few oncologists have even considered the use of alternative immune-system-boosting cancer therapies. Even more shocking, however, has been the failure of the establishment to consider the prevention of breast cancer, which is a far better alternative than any type of treatment. This utter abdication of moral and medical responsibility has come in the face of a vast and rapidly growing body of scientific evidence that every woman can reduce her risk of breast cancer significantly!    READ THIS. Nineteen Foods to Prevent Breast Cancer! Recent research suggests that adding these foods to your diet could significantly lower your risk of breast cancer. Click for list U.S. Newswire 21 Oct 15:31 Eating Soy Early In Life May Help Prevent Breast Cancer PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- When it comes to incorporating soy into the diet to ward off breast cancer, it appears that timing is everything. In a presentation at the American Dietetic Association's 2002 Food & Nutrition Conference, Dr. Mark Messina cited two studies that suggest eating soy as a teenager may have a significant impact in reducing the risk of breast cancer. Click for info Breast Cancer Money-Go-Round: Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides, and Radiation Cause Breast Cancer, While Wealthy Non-Profits and Feds Protect Industry by Lynn Landes 10/23/02 Most of the well-financed breast cancer organizations make little or no mention of the non-genetic causes of breast cancer. Go to their websites. Read their literature. These organizations don't focus on the environmental and pharmacological causes of this epidemic because it's a dank dark alley that leads right to their corporate sponsors. "Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."    -Edward Stanley Earl of Derby, 1873 Here are Some Simple TIPS for You to Live By: Don't smoke! Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. If you're a woman who smokes, your risks of developing heart disease and cancer go way, way up, particularly if you use oral contraceptives. Watch out for second-hand smoke, too. Constant exposure to tobacco smoke at work or at home also increases your risks.   Curb the cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and indirectly increases your risk of stroke. According to the American Heart Association, simply by virtue of being a woman, starting at age 55 your cholesterol is bound to be higher than men's. Try to maintain a low-fat diet.   Watch your weight. It's a matter of health, not vanity. Women have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if they are 20 pounds or more above their recommended weight. What's more, if you have too much fat, particularly around the waist area, you are at a higher risk for a number of additional health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Avoid overloading on carbohydrates, sweets and fatty foods. Avoid eating fats. Diets high in fat have been linked to increased risk of various cancers. Studies of populations in countries consuming high-fat diets have consistently shown higher incidence and mortality rates for breast and colon cancer. Dietary recommendations are to decrease total fat intake to 30 percent of calories. Major sources of fat in the American diet are butter or margarine spreads, cooking oils or butter and salad oils, as well as the fat in meats and whole milk dairy products. If you must use oil, make it olive.   Eat your veggies. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits has been linked to lower cholesterol. Some studies also suggest a link between eating particular types of vegetables and reduced cancer risks. Rather than waste time deciding which vegetables to eat to fight a specific disease, focus on eating a variety of fresh produce. Leafy greens, yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic and onions. They're all good for you. Be adventurous and select a new type of vegetable every time you go to the market. Dietary recommendations call for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.   Unwind. It's important for your body to relax. You can do so any number of ways. Meditation, deep breathing and even reading can all provide ways for you to take it easy. Better yet, take a pleasant walk and you'll shed pounds along with stress.   Exercise: just do it! Any form of exercise can help you to lead a healthier and more productive life. Recent studies suggest that even simple changes in your daily routine can lead to lasting health benefits. So if you're just not up to sweating it out at the gym, try parking on the far end of the lot and walking the extra distance to work or to the store, taking stairs instead of elevators or just playing tag with your kids. What's important is that whenever a choice presents itself, you opt to keep moving.   Get regular Pap tests. Pap smears can detect precancerous changes in the cervix at an early stage. Treatment of these conditions can prevent the development of invasive cervical cancer.   Get your blood pressure checked. Many times, blood pressure checks are offered free of charge at community health fairs and even local supermarkets. Since high blood pressure is frequently unaccompanied by any physical symptoms, you could have it and not know it. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk for heart disease. Talk to your doctor to discuss the steps you should take to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.   Get regular breast exams by a doctor or nurse. Ask your doctor when you should begin getting regular mammograms. Early detection is your best defense against breast cancer. MOMS….IT’S TIME TO TEAM UP AND LEARN TOGETHER GET MORE INFORMATION. – GET MORE INFO ….  AND TAKE ACTION TOGETHER. Books on Breast Cancer: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life John R. Lee Virginia Hopkins David Zava You Can Prevent Breast Cancer! Now You Can Live Without The Fear of Breast Cancer Harvey Diamond The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet The Powerful Foods, Supplements and Drugs That Combat Breast Cancer Dr. Bob Arnot Breast Care The Woman's Guide to Cancer Prevention and Optimal Breast Health Through Nutrition & Lifestyle Kate Gilbert Udall