Accidentally Overweight

by Libby Weaver

  Looking after your precious liver is one of the best steps you can take to ensure your breast tissue remains healthy. Sadly, many women regularly over consume alcohol, and it is this regular overconsumption that has been undeniably linked to the development of cystic breast tissue and breast cancers. We have to get real about how much we are drinking. Heart organizations around the world suggest that two standard drinks per day (equivalent of two 3½oz/100ml glasses of wine) with two days off each week are acceptable. Cancer research suggests, however, that if you have a family history of breast cancer, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. That is a massive statement. If alcohol is something you enjoy, don’t drink it daily. Save it for special occasions. Sparkling water with fresh lemon or lime served in a glass you like can be a great alternative.

  Caffeine—coffee in particular—has also been found to play a role in the creation of denser, cystic breast tissue. On the other hand, green tea has consistently been shown in numerous studies to be protective against many types of cancers, breast cancer included. Most people are astounded at the changes in their breasts when they take a break from coffee and alcohol.

  As a woman living in the same world as all of you, a world with plenty of alcohol and caffeine on offer, I challenge you to take a break from these substances no matter how much you love or depend on them. Do it for one week, one little week out of your big long life. If you find that easy, do it for two. Or better still, omit them for one or two menstrual cycles and notice how different your breasts feel.

  Diet and exercise

  When it comes to the aspects of our diets that are essential for healthy breast tissue, vegetables and fruits head the list. All of the cruciferous vegetables (the brassica family) have potent anticancer properties. Broccoli, in particular, contains sulphoraphane, a compound that helps the body begin to eliminate carcinogenic substances from the body in as little as 10 days after it is included in the diet on a daily basis. It also keeps estrogen from binding to and stimulating the growth of breast cancer cells, a vital step in keeping breast tissue healthy. The great news, too, is that sulphoraphane survives cooking. Eat broccoli, people!

  Eat fruits and vegetables that are also rich in beta-carotene. On average, women with breast cancer tend to have lower levels of beta-carotene in their blood, although researchers cannot say whether this is a cause or a result of the disease. A longitudinal study found higher biological exposure to carotenoids, indicated by higher average total plasma carotenoid concentration measured at multiple time-points during a seven-year follow-up period, was associated with greater likelihood of breast cancer-free survival in women who had been diagnosed and treated for early stage breast cancer.6 The safest and most effective way of maintaining healthy levels of beta-carotene is to consume five or more servings of dark-green, yellow, or orange vegetables and citrus fruits daily. We must eat our vegetables every day. No excuses!

  Make an effort to minimize your consumption of fried foods and charcoal-grilled meats. Also, there is evidence to suggest that reducing our consumption of animal foods and basing our diet mostly on plant-based foods is incredibly beneficial to breast health and the prevention of breast cancer.

  There is a growing body of literature to suggest that insulin resistance is now a contributing factor in numerous cancers.7 Insulin is a hormone that can behave like a growth factor. It encourages all cells to grow: fat cells, healthy normal cells, and cells that may be precancerous or cancerous. The best way to limit insulin production in the body is never to base a meal purely on carbohydrates. The only carbs humans traditionally ate were those from berries, legumes, pulses, and root vegetables. Today, we are faced with a barrage of highly processed foods, rich in refined sugars and refined starches. Limit your intake of these. Omit them if you can. We also tend to forget that most alcoholic drinks are packed with sugars.

  Remember it is what you do every day that will have the most impact on your health, not what you do sometimes. It is not about going without; it is about getting real when it comes to what you, as a woman, already know to be true. You know better than anyone when you have too much of a particular substance in your diet… whether it is alcohol, coffee, or sugar. Make the changes you know you need to make now. You will give your breasts a great chance of remaining healthy in the process.

  Last, move your body. The benefits of regular movement are well documented for many areas of our health, including a reduction in insulin levels and body fat, both of which, in excess, have been linked to unhealthy breast tissue.

  Nutrients for healthy breasts

  Most of us have heard about the importance of iodine for optimal thyroid function and in the prevention of goiter. What we hear very little about is how vital iodine is to breast health. The breasts concentrate iodine as do the ovaries, and the protective effects of iodine on breast tissue and in the prevention of breast cancer have been postulated from epidemiologic evidence and described in animal models.8–10 Use a good quality salt that contains iodine, add seaweeds to cooking, or take a supplement at the right dose for you, best guided by an experienced nutrition professional.

  Also of great consequence to breast health is our dietary intake and ratio of essential fatty acids. These are predominantly found in oily fish, flaxseeds, walnuts and pecans, evening primrose oil, and borage oil. It can be difficult to eat enough of these vital fats on a daily basis, so a good supplement combining at least (sustainable and mercury-free) fish or flax with evening primrose oils can be a great addition to your daily diet. Start with two capsules in the morning and two at night.

  Another mineral that is essential for healthy breast tissue is magnesium and, coupled with selenium, these nutrients have been shown to reduce the incidences of new breast cancers. Green, leafy vegetables are high in magnesium, while Brazil nuts are rich in selenium. Eat them daily, or take a supplement.

  Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients when it comes to so many aspects of our health. The list of wonderful activities vitamin C performs in the body is almost endless. It helps keep the immune system responding appropriately to stimuli, and hastens white blood cell response times.

  Vitamin B6 has also been extensively researched when it comes to breast health. Eggs are a good source, as are bananas and avocados.

  Herbs for healthy breasts

  Two of my most favorite herbs work on the adrenal glands. These are rhodiola and the ginseng family. Both herbs are considered to be adaptogens, which means they help the body adapt to stressors by fine-tuning the stress response. These herbs tend to have a calming effect on the nervous system, which in turn helps promote appropriate sex and stress hormone production rather than extremes.

  Other herbs that have been shown to be useful in creating healthy breast tissue are those that promote liver detoxification and bile production and release from the gallbladder. Bile is essential for the appropriate excretion of any fat-soluble substances from the body, including cholesterol and estrogen. Useful herbs include St Mary’s thistle, globe artichoke, bupleurum and schisandra.

  Minimize exposure to…

  The final thing you need to know about the creation and maintenance of healthy breast tissue involves the things that are best kept to a minimum wherever possible. Minimizing our exposure to growth factor-like substances, including insulin, may be an important aspect of maintaining healthy breast tissue. Dairy products naturally contain growth factors, since the milk is designed to grow a 90lb (40kg) baby calf into a nearly 2,000lb (900kg) adult cow.

  The growth factors naturally present in milk and milk products drive this growth. Humans, however, aren’t designed to grow at these rates. If milk must be consumed, sheep and goats are smaller animals so their milks tend to drive slower, smaller growth rates. Alternatively, nut milks contain no growth factors. For people with diabetes who need insulin, eating a diet that limits the need for insulin without, however, compromising blood glucose levels is important.

  There is also a growing and very concerning bod
y of evidence that points at the importance of minimizing our exposure to plastics and pesticides. They disrupt our endocrine (hormonal) systems and can mimic estrogen. Recent research out of the United States shows that a large percentage of girls aged eight have hit puberty, leading to longer estrogen production over their lifetime. Furthermore, fewer pregnancies also lead to relatively more time spent in estrogen-dominant states. Researchers suggest that poor diet, lack of exercise, high body fat, and exposure to plastics are the likely culprits for the earlier onset of menstruation. We can make a really big difference to our health and our children’s health by getting these lifestyle factors on track.

  * * *

  Reproductive system conditions

  There are numerous reproductive conditions that involve poor progesterone production or estrogen dominance in some way. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis are two frequently diagnosed, but quite different, conditions.

  Polycystic ovarian syndrome

  In PCOS, the eggs in the ovaries ripen on the surface of the ovary but are not released. They harden and form cysts (hence the name of the condition). As you now understand, to obtain optimal progesterone levels, ovulation is essential, since the corpus luteum makes the majority of your monthly progesterone.

  Other hormones are also involved in PCOS. The pituitary gland, which sits at the base of the brain, makes luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Just prior to day 14 of a typical cycle, both hormones increase, but in PCOS both of these hormones from the pituitary gland tend to flat-line. Testosterone, the dominant male sex hormone, and other androgens, also tend to be elevated—slightly or significantly—in women with PCOS.

  The LH and FSH hormonal profile of an ideal menstrual cycle is illustrated in figure 8 below while the profile of someone with PCOS is represented in figure 9.

  Figure 8: Ideal LH and FSH peaks generating ovulation

  Both LH and FSH peak to drive ovulation.

  Figure 9: A typical PCOS LH and FSH profile

  Both LH and FSH tend to flat-line in PCOS with LH levels remaining consistently elevated.

  Another hormone typically involved with PCOS is cortisol. It is usually high or very low (see Cortisol—friend or worst nightmare? and in Puzzle Piece 2, Stress Hormones). In my clinical experience I have found that quite often, this is the first hormone that needs to be addressed before other hormonal patterns will shift.

  Reproductive conditions and femininity

  When it comes to challenges with the reproductive system or hormones, I find exploring subconscious beliefs and examining behaviors for each individual very useful. This is nowhere clearer than in PCOS. I often explain to my clients that there is nothing more feminine than our ovaries and in PCOS, it is as if the ovaries have gone deaf. The pituitary gland stops trying to alert the ovaries to release an egg, the most feminine process that goes on inside a woman. For the ovaries no longer to hear the call from the pituitary, there could be a very silent, unconscious belief from somewhere in this person’s world that they have to behave like a man in order to receive appreciation, connection, or love. Somewhere in their past, more masculine behavior has been rewarded. Women are incredibly capable. They have shown they can match it with men in every arena. But there are types of work that, even today, are still more male-dominated. I have met countless women, working in these male-dominated industries in particular, whose hormonal profile has taken on a decidedly masculine appearance. These women, as I said, are incredibly capable. The problem, however, lies in their (usually subconscious) beliefs about how they have to be in order to perform and achieve. Most often, they do not even realize that they are thinking or behaving in this way until we explore what that looks like. Of course this isn’t true for all women with PCOS and if this doesn’t resonate then park it. I simply offer it here for you to explore, as it can be a missing part of the picture for many women with PCOS.

  Our chemistry is ancient. What we ask of our body today is entirely different from what we asked of it even 50 years ago. On the one hand, it is truly remarkable what our body can do: Work 16-hour days sitting at a desk, constantly think up solutions to challenges presented during the day, meet deadlines, juggle phone calls, crises, and complaints, and hopefully also celebrate a few things along the way. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. On the other hand, we are so very far removed from the way humans have lived for 149,950 years that I believe the human body is rebelling, and one of the most obvious areas is women’s reproductive health.

  If this rings true for you, explore ways you can bring more feminine rituals into your life. What do you associate with femininity? If you need to be “masculine” at work, do it. Try instead to simply soften your thoughts when you’re there. No one will know this is what you’ve done. Don’t look at the work on your desk and tense up. Instead, notice the work on your desk and take a long slow breath that moves your belly when you inhale. Relax into it. Only you know you’ve done this. Your productivity and contribution will still be enormous and perhaps even more than what you found possible from a state of tension. Think about “creating” instead of “producing.” In emotional medicine, the ovaries are the seats of creativity. Just that shift in language is more feminine.

  When you come home, do something—at some stage in the evening—for you. Light a candle and notice the fragrance. Move your hips to music you love! Have a bath. Giggle with the children or at a comedy. Read a book if that appeals to you. Make a pot of herbal tea after dinner in a teapot you love, and turn it into an “occasion.” Notice the design of the pot and cup, the fragrance, and how you feel taking care of yourself. Masculinity (not men, but masculine energy) would never do this. But a man embracing his feminine would, just to point out the difference.

  Please understand, this not an antifeminist concept. Addressing the biochemistry of PCOS is of enormous importance to getting health results. I simply wanted to highlight the incredible benefit I have witnessed when women embrace their feminine essence in more areas of their lives and change the belief that they have to achieve to be loved. And feminine rituals are a beautiful place to start. I encourage all women with PCOS to explore what they perceive their fathers expected of them or whom they had to be to “earn” his love.

  Endometriosis

  Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that is destined to line the uterus grows in areas outside the uterus. Just as the tissue that is laid down to line the uterus each month receives hormonal signals about when to shed, any uterine tissue that has been laid down elsewhere, such as around the fallopian tubes or attached to the bowel, also receives the same hormonal signals and this tissue also bleeds, which can be an intensely painful process. Furthermore, each area of tissue behaves like a little estrogen factory, adding to the already established estrogen-dominant hormonal picture.

  Puberty

  Some girls breeze through this time of transition without much change in their moods or their bodies, while, for others, anxiety or even a darkness can set in. Estrogen is the first female sex hormone to be made in any great quantity in a girl’s body. As beautiful as estrogen can be as a hormone, it can wreak havoc when it is present in substantial amounts for the first time ever, in young female bodies that do not yet have sufficient progesterone being made to counterbalance its effects.

  Prior to menstruation beginning, estrogen is being made, causing the breasts to bud and promoting the growth of pubic hair. It also begins to drive fat storage for all of the reasons outlined earlier. Some girls appear to be more “fleshy” for a time just prior to menarche, indicating estrogen is fulfilling its role.

  Because progesterone is a powerful antianxiety agent and antidepressant, if it is slow to initiate, a girl who was once bouncy, bright, full of energy, and interested in things, can become flat in her moods and distant in her relationships. If her periods do begin and they are irregular and/or heavy and painful, to the extent she is unable cope with school or life in general, she will often be encou
raged to go on the oral contraceptive pill. It is important to understand two things here. One is the way the contraceptive pills work and the second is the biochemical process that occurs at the onset of menstruation.

  First, the pill is successful at preventing pregnancy because it shuts down the ovarian production of hormones, and hence ovulation. The number of women of all ages I meet who have no idea how this powerful medication works astounds me. I am neither pro-pill nor anti-pill; I simply want people to make informed choices. I will say it again. The pill shuts down ovarian production of hormones, and the body relies entirely on the synthetic version of hormones being supplied by the tablet. Substances in patented medications must be at least 10 percent different from the form the body naturally makes. They are not identical to the way the body makes it.

  With the ovaries shut down, the adrenal production of progesterone becomes even more important, yet is unlikely to be optimal given what can be a stressful time around the onset of menstruation and, for some girls, the increase in body fat for the first time. Never never ever comment on an adolescent girl’s changing shape and size by encouraging her to eat less. That stresses her more as she may feel like she is letting you down when she doesn’t do it; it doesn’t matter whether you are her parent, teacher, or friend. Explain that, for a while, hormones can change our shapes, and eating nutritious food and staying active are the most important things to do to stay healthy. With less stress, which may be due to her private perception of how her life is (which may gently be explored), her progesterone is more likely to kick in, and her body shape and size will sort itself out. Some areas that can be useful to explore in this situation are an adolescent female’s perception of academic pressure and her perception of what it may mean to a family member if she “fails” (which may mean not coming out on top of her class in some cases). Exploring what her “friends” are saying at school can also prove insightful as her stress may be from the feeling that she doesn’t fit in.