"E" Is For Exercise and Eggs

Whether we do it or not, we all know that exercising is good for us. But how much is enough to keep things like the cancer cooties at bay?

Women who strenuously exercise six or more hours per week  may reduce their risk of invasive breast cancer by 23 per cent compared to sedentary women, says a study in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

"A woman's hormone levels naturally fluctuate throughout her life, and we have found that exercise likely offers protection against breast cancer regardless of a woman's stage in life," said the study's lead author, Brian Sprague, of the University of Wisconsin. "The take-home message for women should be that it is never too late to begin exercising."

High levels of estrogen have been linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Women who exercise heavily tend to produce estrogen for a shorter time, lowering their exposure to the hormone over their lifetime, the researchers said.

It is also possible that exercise helps by preventing weight gain, regulating insulin sensitivity and changing immune function, the team said.

The benefits were only seen in women without a family history of breast cancer. Other risk factors for breast cancer were taken into account. 

While some studies have found a positive relationship between exercise and breast cancer, others have found no relationship at all. Either way, exercise is important for staying healthy and, when it comes to recovering from breast cancer, that's when exercise really becomes important.

Exercise had a positive effect on physical and psychological functioning of cancer patients while in treatment." Cancer patients who exercised experienced fat loss, a decrease in nausea and fatigue, higher self-esteem and better quality of life.


I can sure attest to that! Being fit before I got sick meant I was able to get back on my feet faster, which meant I was able to get those "feel good" endorphins working for me. That's important when you're in one of the more depressing stages of your life. Okay, one of the most depressing stages.

After checking with your doctor first, consider looking into Jill Forrest, a breast cancer survivor, who started Better Than Before Fitness, Ltd. Jill  has created the first rehabilitative/exercise video for breast cancer survivors. The video takes you through the first day after surgery to six weeks later and all participants are breast cancer survivors. Visit http://breastcancerexercises.net/tags/jill-forrest/

for information about the video and to find answers to your questions about exercise.

Whatever exercise you choose, remember that moving your body can help heal both your mind and your body.

"E" Is For Eggs

Egg yolks are home to tons of essential but hard-to-get nutrients, including choline, which is linked to lower rates of breast cancer (one yolk supplies 25% of your daily need) and antioxidants that may help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Though many of us have shunned whole eggs because of their link to heart disease risk, there’s actually substantial evidence that for most of us, eggs are not harmful but healthy.

People with heart disease should limit egg yolks to two a week, but the rest of us can have one whole egg daily; research shows it won’t raise your risk of heart attack or stroke. Make omelets with one whole egg and two whites, and watch cholesterol at other meals.