According to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, increased physical activity, even when started in a woman's postmenopausal years, can cut her risk of breast cancer by 20%.  Researchers found that regular exercise also causes a similar reduction in overall breast-cancer incidence among women considered to be at highest risk for the disease, such as those with a strong family history of breast cancer, those who've never had children, and those who take a combination estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy.  The researchers believe, “that exercise works to lower cancer risk by lowering body fat, which in turn lowers the levels of circulating cancer-promoting hormones.  So even if a woman is exercising, if she's overeating and her body fat stays high, she's not going to get the same cancer fighting protection as a women with less body fat.”

To get the optimum breast cancer protection follow these guidelines:

• Stay at a healthy weight.  A National Cancer Institute study found that women who were at a healthy weight at age 18 but became overweight or obese later in life had a 45% greater risk of developing breast cancer than women whose weight stayed stable.
• Get moving.  Aim to exercise 30-60 minutes at a moderate intensity five days a week.  If you aren't a regular exerciser, start slowly and build your duration and intensity.  Walking is a great place to start.
• Drink less alcohol.  Two drinks a day could increase breast cancer risk by 21%.  To play it safe, have no more than 2-3 drinks a week.
• Eat your fruits and vegetables.  Eating foods like broccoli, kale, artichokes, tomatoes, pomegranates, and purple grapes is believed to help prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
• Know your family history.  Up to 30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of it.
• Get checked.  All women should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and annual exams and mammograms starting at age 40 (age 30 if you have a family history).

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday feasting season and for many a time when managing weight becomes increasingly difficult. Adults love Halloween just as much as their children. How many of you have binged on candy once your children are asleep?

• Planning is Key. Have a strategy in place. Pass out your favorites first so you won't be tempted later. As the evening is coming to an end, be sure that you don't have any candy left over.
• Eat before passing out treats. Be sure to have a healthy meal before you get started, you will be less likely to give in to temptation.
• Buy treats you don't like. If the candy in your pantry is the kind kids like but that you don't enjoy, it will be easier to resist opening those bags and diving in. For most of us, that means anything but chocolate. Choose sour candy, gummy-textured candies, and hard candies.
• Don't buy until the last minute. Buying candy too early isn't a good idea, it's just too tempting. Wait until you get your first trick-or-treater before opening any candy bags.
• Avoid candy altogether. Pass out a different kind of snack like pretzels or choose a non-food item like stickers, yo- yo's or playdough. The Dollar Store or Oriental Trading Company has great inexpensive Halloween toys and novelties.
• Burn it off. Be sure to get your exercise in early Halloween day to balance out any unexpected indulgences.

Stacey Whittle, RD, CPT and Dorothy Bernet, MS, RD, CPT are Co-Founders of Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists in Santa Monica, CA. www.healthybydesignnutrition.com

Having a goal is the process of deciding where you want to go and mapping out a series of steps to get you there.  The first step to setting effective goals is to know what it is you want and be specific.  It is important to have a goal designed around what is important to you, not what others want for you.  Once you decide what your goal is, you can design a plan to help you use your time more effectively.  With every goal you achieve, your self-confidence will increase, motivating you to aim even higher.  Having goals gives you a purpose.  If you have a purpose, you have direction.  If you have direction, you don't waste time on activities and things that won't get you where or what you want.

If your goal is to lose weight, first you must decide how much weight you want to lose.  Then decide what you are willing to do to lose the weight.  Are you willing to look at your eating and exercise habits?  Are you willing to make changes?  Are you willing to seek help from a dietitian or fitness coach/personal trainer?  Are you willing to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to achieve the changes you desire?  The science of losing weight is actually pretty simple - calories in versus calories out.  The more challenging aspect of weight loss is what you are willing to do to make this happen. 

Working with clients over the years, I can tell you that the most successful people are those that have a plan and are committed to achieving a specific goal.  It is important to take a close look at your fitness level and eating habits and design a plan that works for your body and lifestyle.  A fitness plan that outlines what types of activities you will do throughout the week and an eating plan that gives you several options to chose from are just some keys to weight loss success. 

Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon, or maintain the healthy lifestyle you have and you aren't sure what steps you need to take to achieve it, give me a call for a free consultation.  We can look at where you are today and get you to where you want to be.

• A change in your nipples - dimples, sores, or redness on or around the nipple can signal a tumor that you may not be able to feel.
• Redness, swelling, or bruises - these may be symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, a rare form of the disease in which cancer cells block blood vessels to the skin.
• Sore armpits - although tenderness in this area is usually caused by a muscle strain, infection, or blocked sweat gland, a cancerous lymph node or breast tissue may also be to blame.
• Discharge - Milky fluid or discharge leaking from the nipple that persists for several days or appears blood tinged or watery could be the result of a tumor.

For more information on these warning signs and other helpful information on breast cancer read Breast Cancer: The Complete Guide by Peter Pressman, M.D..

Do you drop in and out of exercise because you
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If you keep promising yourself that some day you will get in shape but you just don't know how to get started, this may be just what you have been waiting for. 

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