Search Results for: blog are you at high risk for breast cancer

Sitting Can Kill You

Just when you start to feel pretty good about your health, a new study comes along to smash it all to smithereens.  Apparently, exercising isn’t enough if you sit on your bottom for more than six hours a day. After doing some quick calculations I realized this is the case for me.  Like millions of others, I have a desk job.  So I am pretty much forced to sit. Not only are they saying it’s bad for your health.  It could even be killing you! Why?  Our bodies go into shutdown mode when we are sitting.  Doing this for long … Continue reading →

Lose Weight, Avoid Breast Cancer?

I have already made up my mind that after the holidays, I am dieting.  Of course, I’ve said that on and off now for the last two years, but next June, I turn 50 and I know it will just get harder and harder to lose weight. Today, I read another incentive to help me take the pounds off.  A recent study by Dr. Paul S. MacLean, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, and colleagues hints to the fact that perimenopausal women may be able to lessen their chances of getting breast … Continue reading →

Your Medical Family Tree Could Be Inaccurate

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Many genealogists take the time to put together two different types of family trees. The traditional family tree shows connections between one ancestor and another. A medical family tree can give you, and your doctor, clues about health issues that you might be at risk for. However, if your medical family tree is inaccurate, then it isn’t of very much value after all. When you gather information for a medical family tree, you are doing it for the purposes of creating a tool that could give you clues about your health. One of the important things to track for a … Continue reading →

Should You Get A Home DNA Kit?

In the past few years, there have been quite a few companies that will sell you a “home DNA kit”. You place an order, pay for it, provide a sample of your genetic material, and send it off to a lab. The results you get back will tell you what, exactly, is in your genes. Some people question the reliability of these tests. Are these simple to use DNA tests really a good idea? You can probably think of at least one of the companies that sells DNA collection kits. They have funny names like deCODEme, 23andMe, and DNA11, just … Continue reading →

Should You Get Breast Cancer Insurance?

All those pink ribbons that you are seeing everywhere are there for a reason. They represent breast cancer awareness. There are a lot of different companies that have been making pink colored products, to get involved with this cause. I’ve seen pink thermoses, pink reusable canvas bags for grocery shopping, and many pink t-shirts. Some insurance companies have started offering breast cancer insurance to interested customers. Is breast cancer insurance something you should get? According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, one in 250 Americans will get cancer in a given year. They point out that while three in … Continue reading →

Genealogy and Your Health

Did you know that you can use genealogy to keep yourself and your family healthy? Medical research shows that certain genetic disorders, as well as the tendencies to develop certain preventable health conditions, are hereditary. A family medical history is a useful tool that you and other members of your family can use to assist your physicians in caring for your health. Unfortunately, some families are at an increased risk for developing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers. If you discover any of these conditions as you research your family’s medical history, let your doctor know. Your … Continue reading →

Could There Be a Vaccine for Breast Cancer?

Could there really be a vaccine for breast cancer in the near future? I have been hearing about this story quite a bit in the news. After successfully testing mice with a vaccine, there is great hope that breast cancer could be prevented in women. Now that the mice have been tested it’s time to move onto human clinical tests. It’s believed that possibly next year they will be ready to begin testing on women. Now I do have to admit that I am always apprehensive about new vaccinations. The first thing that comes to my mind is wondering what … Continue reading →

Emotional Support Can Improve Odds for Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is one of the leading types of cancer in the United States. If you or someone you know has battled with breast cancer, you understand the need for support and encouragement. Recently the “Cancer Support Community’s Research and Training Institute” unveiled a new registry for breast cancer survivors. These remarkable survivors will have the opportunity to share their experience and impact others who are going through the same thing. It is believed that emotional support can improve the survival odds for breast cancer patients. The Breast Cancer M.A.P. (Mind Affects the Physical) Project is recruiting survivors of breast … Continue reading →

A High Fat Diet May Increase Breast Cancer Risk for Two Generations

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Researchers are constantly studying pregnancy and how different lifestyles and choices impact the health of the mother and the child. A major focus is often on the food that a pregnant woman eats, whether it’s the quantity or the quality. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase,“You are what you eat,” and it’s never been more true. Recent research has led experts to believe that what you eat during your pregnancy, specifically junk food and how much of it you consume, can effect not only your daughter’s chances of getting breast cancer in the future, but her daughter’s chances as well. … Continue reading →

New Weight Loss Blogger Hopes to Change Her Odds

One in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. That is a scary statistic in and of itself. Now imagine that your mother was diagnosed at 48, and shortly after, died of breast cancer and that both of your grandmothers contracted and died from breast cancer. That’s my reality. As a result, I have become passionate about what is going into my body and maintaining optimal health. While only a limited number of breast cancers are hereditary, I still want to do everything I can to avoid the same fate, and … Continue reading →