Here is our guide to checking your breasts thoroughly

Get into the habit of looking at and feeling your breasts once a month. A good time to do this is during the week after your period ends. You should both look at and feel your breast. The first part of the exam should be in front of a mirror in a well lit room and the second part of the exam is often easier to do with a soapy hand in the bath or shower.

Standing in front of the mirror

Undress from the waist up and look at your breast in the mirror. Look for any changes in size, shape, or position, or any changes to the skin of the breasts such as skin puckering, dimpling, sores or discoloration. Pay specific attention to your nipples, looking for sores or a change in the direction of the nipples. Tighten your chest muscles beneath your breasts and turn from side to side so you can inspect the sides of your breasts. Then bend forward, allowing your breasts to fall forward whilst looking for changes in shape. Finally lift your breasts with your hand to inspect the area underneath.

In the shower or bathtub

Using a soapy hand, glide the flat part of your fingers over your breast in a circular movement – as if you were washing your breast. Start around the armpit and move towards the top of the breast checking for lumps or thickening. Now move your hand towards the middle of the breast, finishing underneath. Apply enough pressure as is comfortable. Gently squeeze your nipples looking for discharge, Repeat on the other breast.

To help you check your breasts, follow this simple four-point plan:

You will know better than anyone how your breasts normally feel and look, so if you do notice a change please see your doctor as soon as possible.  Most breast changes will be non-cancerous and benign, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution and have any changes checked. 

Our Cancer Care Program is one of the things we’re known for here at the YinOva Center. It’s our way of using the YinOva Method to support cancer patients as they go through treatment. For more information about using Chinese medicine as part of a breast cancer prevention strategy read our article on 5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer.

The Awesome:  (Let’s always start with the positives!)

• Stimulate and support the immune system
• Drain lymphatic system
• Increase lymphocyte production
• Increase circulation
• Have an anti-inflammatory effect
• Have an anti-viral effect
• Have an anti-fungal  effect
• Improve painful conditions and swelling

1.  High quality cold-pressed castor oil
2.  A hot water bottle or heating pad
3.  Plastic wrap
4.  Two or three one-foot square pieces of wool or cotton flannel
5.  One large old bath towel

The “Not-So-Pretty” but effective internal uses of castor oil:

Ms. Jolie was told she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer, which prompted her decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy. Personally I don’t blame her. If I got on a plane and was told there was an almost 90% chance it would crash, I’d get right off immediately. This is effectively what Ms. Jolie has done, reducing her risk of breast cancer to 5% in the process. This kind of surgery is a very personal decision and there are no right or wrong answers about what to do. However, I admire Ms. Jolie for being proactive and taking steps to minimize her risk so that she maximizes the chance that she’ll be around to take care of her children as they grow up.

However one of the things I realized from reading comments on my Facebook page is that there is lots of confusion about different types of breast cancer risk. Most women who develop breast cancer have no genetic risk at all (that we know of). Some women have less serious genetic issues that slightly increase their risk of breast cancer, a risk that can be managed and offset by adopting some lifestyle changes. And only very few women (one in 400-800) carry the BRAC1 gene mutation and are significantly predisposed to breast and ovarian cancers.

So for most of us there’s plenty we can do to lower our risk of breast cancer and here’s the advice we give our YinOva Center patients who are looking to do as much as they can to prevent this disease. Like everything we do at YinOva it’s based on the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine but incorporates modern research too. That forms the basis of our YinOva Method , which is at the heart of our Cancer Care Program.

In Chinese Medicine there are four factors which are said to contribute to breast cancer (genetic predisposition not withstanding):

• Stagnation – lack of flow of qi and blood which over time leads to denser and denser tissue
• Heat and Toxicity – the presence of external toxins for example cigarette smoke, environmental toxins or chemical estrogens
• Deficiency – a failure of your body’s immune system to clean up abnormal cells
• Damp accumulation – this is a way of describing excess fat cells

Consequently, in Eastern medicine cancer prevention focuses on moving qi and blood, protecting the body from toxicity, clearing damp accumulation and supporting the body’s natural defenses. Western and Eastern medicine may come from a different frame of reference but their findings are very similar and the advice we give is therefore not inconsistent whether you see the world in an Eastern or a Western way (as you know at The YinOva center we do a bit of both). It can be grouped into the following areas:

1. Support your liver in order to help your body to process estrogen
2. Limit your exposure to external sources of estrogen and environmental toxins
3. Support your general health
4. Move qi and blood in the breast
5. Explore the emotions associated with breast lumps

1 . Support your liver to help it process estrogens.

Some breast cancers grow in response to excess estrogen in the system, which means that it is helpful to support your liver whose job it is to process estrogen for you. A liver that is otherwise occupied by processing alcohol, for example, may not be able to process estrogen in the same way. Interestingly in Chinese medicine breast cancer is often related to liver qi stagnation, which is an Eastern way of describing an over-taxed liver leading to lack of flow of qi and blood which, as we talked about earlier, is one of the reasons for cancer from a Chinese medical perspective.

• Limit Alcohol -There is a strong link between breast cancer risk and alcohol consumption. In fact scientist have shown that drinking as little as one unit of alcohol a day raises your breast cancer risk by 5%. At The YinOva Center we suggest that our patients limit their alcohol to 3 – 4 drinks a week.
• To stimulate the liver you can use lemon juice, and put bitter greens such as dandelion greens, endive and raddichio in your salad.
• You can take liver-supporting herbs including dandelion root, milk thistle, burdock, artichoke and turmeric.
• B vitamins also aid the liver and are recommended. They can be added in the form of whole foods (such as lentils, rice bran, and blackstrap molasses) or supplements. Vitamin B6, in particular, enhances the breakdown and removal of estrogen from the body.
• At the YinOva Center we use a month long herbal detox made by Blessed Herbs which we find to be very helpful as part of a detoxification strategy.
• Flax seed oil improves liver function. Flax seed is particularly high in a phytoestrogen called lignan, which appears to decrease estrogen production and which may inhibit the growth of some breast cancers. To get the full benefit of the flax seeds you need to grind them up.

2. Limit your exposure to external sources of estrogen and environmental toxins

Controlling how much estrogen you take in is difficult in our estrogen-laden environment. The problem is that chemical estrogens have ways of entering our food and water supply. Agricultural chemicals and pesticides mimic the activity of estrogen, making estrogen receptor sites more sensitive. Urine, contaminated with high levels of residual estrogen from birth control pills, can seep back into water supplies through inadequate sewage treatment procedures. Plastic wrap and plastic food containers can leach estrogen-like compounds into our food. In Western terms these are known as xenoestrogens and in Eastern medicine they are considered to be environmental toxins, which, as we talked about earlier, can contribute to cancer.

• Unless your doctor considers it imperative, it is wise to avoid estrogen replacement therapy as a means of addressing menopausal symptoms.
• Avoid exposure to pesticides. Research has shown that the molecular structure of some pesticides closely resembles that of estrogen. This means they may attach to estrogen receptor sites in your body. One study found that women with breast cancer had elevated levels of pesticide residue in their breast tissue.
• Avoid hormonally treated meat and dairy
• Eat as much organic produce as you can
• Avoid refined and hydrogenated oils also called trans-fats. A study found that women with the highest levels of trans fats in their blood had twice the risk of breast cancer than women with the lowest levels.
• Eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and brussel sprouts. These contain a phytonutrient called diindolylmethane (DIM) which supports the activity of enzymes that improve estrogen metabolism. Scientific research shows diindolylmethane helps your body process estrogen so that less is free floating in your blood stream. In fact Chicago scientists are working on a broccoli based pill that would prevent breast cancer.

3. Support your general health

In Chinese medicine we believe that cancers grow when the body is no longer able to clean up. This is supported by current western medical research that shows that cancerous cells are normally cleaned up by the body’s immune system. Consequently, they proliferate when the body is overwhelmed and not able to mount a good defense. This is why current cancer research is focusing on supporting the body’s immune system as a way of combating cancer.

• Take regular exercise – Research has shown that women who exercise regularly can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 20%. In Eastern medicine exercise is considered to be the best way of moving qi and blood and as we mentioned earlier it is qi and blood stagnation that can contribute to cancer.
• Adopting a low fat, high fiber, mostly vegetarian diet is a helpful way of reducing the amount of free floating estrogen in your blood stream.
• Maintain a healthy weight – The link between obesity and breast cancer is clear. Researchers have found that if you are 22lbs over weight you increase your breast cancer risk by 18%. This is particularly true if you gain weight after menopause. The reason for this is that excess fatty tissue causes an increase in the amount of circulating estrogen and breast cancer risk increases in relation to the amount of estrogen you are exposed to during your lifetime. In Eastern medicine this weight gain is related to damp accumulation, which is a way of describing excess fat cells.
• Try to give up unhealthy habits such as smoking. If you need help with this talk to us at The YinOva Center about ways we can support you.
• As well as making lifestyle and dietary changes you should be vigilant about early detection of breast cancer. Start having mammograms every year after the age of 40 and examine your breasts once a month, preferably in the week after your period. If you notice any breast changes, such as a lump or skin changes contact your doctor.
• Take a vitamin D supplement – It seems to have a protective effect and research shows that breast cancer incidence is higher in women with low vitamin D levels.

4. Move qi and blood in the breast

Having lumpy breasts, also known as fibrocystic breasts, means that there is stagnation in your breast tissue from an Eastern perspective. Western clinical research seems to suggest that having fibrocystic breasts does not increase your risk of breast cancer unless some of the cells are already atypical. This fits with the Chinese medical idea that stagnation needs to be combined with other factors such as toxicity and weak immunity in order for cancer to develop. However we still recommend moving qi and blood in the breast as a way of taking preventative action against breast cancer.

• The best way of systemically moving qi and blood is to take regular exercise. At The YinOva Center, we recommend 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week.
• Regular acupuncture can move qi and blood
• If you suffer from fibrocystic breasts or even breast that are tender premenstrually ask us about herbal formulas that can help.
• If you suffer from tender breasts or have benign breast lumps apply a castor oil pack to the breast once a week. The pack invigorates the blood and helps the lymphatic system move debris. Apply caster oil to your breasts, cover the area with paper towel or a clean cotton cloth followed by plastic wrap, then place a heating pack or hot water bottle on top. This should be warm not scalding. If it is too hot place a towel between the hot pack and the plastic wrap.

5. Explore the emotions associated with breast lumps

Jill Blakeway is the  founder of the YinOva Center  in New York City. A licensed and board certified acupuncturist and herbalist, Jill is the author of two books on women’s health Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility and Sex Again: Recharging Your Libido. 

Part of the goal of a cleanse is to eliminate accumulated toxins in the system.  The obvious entry of these toxins is through what we eat and drink, but they are also entering our systems through the air we breathe, the beauty products we use, the chemicals we use to clean our dishes and our homes, as well as our sheets and clothes.  Obviously, you can’t stop breathing during a cleanse, and for an urban dweller, it’s not always possible to go do the cleanse in the country air (which is just as toxic sometimes due to farming pesticide drift).  

What we can do, however, is look for ways to reduce our exposure in our daily skin routine and household products.  Take a look at the list below and start paying attention to your product labels.  Choose a few products (perhaps the ones that are already running low) each cleanse to start removing from your lifestyle and replace them with products that do not contain the ingredients below.  

Eventually, you’ll be living a life of lower toxin exposure and enjoying a healthier, cleaner body all year round.

• PARABENS – often found in cosmetics including lotions, hair products, diaper cream; endocrine disruptor.

• PTHALATES – found in plastic products, lotions, cosmetics, nail polish and fragrances; can leach into the skin or into food that is microwaved or heated in a plastic container; endocrine disruptor.

• DIOXINS – (including PCBs) dangerous because they accumulate in animal fat.  Byproducts of industrial processes.  Known to cause cancer, infertility, compromised immunity and more.

• PESTICIDES – found on all nonorganic produce, cotton products, roach/pest repellant; non-organic flowers, especially cut flowers; endocrine disruptor.

• BISPHENOL A (BPA) – preservative in canned goods and until recently in baby bottles; a recall occurred for baby bottles due to the harmful nature of this compound, but it is still in the majority of canned foods; endocrine disruptor.

• HEAVY METALS – such as aluminum found in deodorant, mercury in farm raised fish, lead paint, etc.

• TEFLON – coating on non-stick pans; carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor; may affect fetal development.

• FRAGRANCES – in perfume, dryer sheets, laundry detergent, air fresheners, candles, soap; endocrine disruptor.

• CHLORINE – bleached products including tampons (may also contain dioxins), paper towels, toilet paper, bleach cleaning products, tap water; may cause birth defects, miscarriages, and cancer.

• TRICLOSAN – a synthetic antifungal and antibacterial used in toothpaste, antibacterial cleansers and other household products.  Registered by the EPA as a pesticide, this toxin can disrupt hormones, fertility, and may produce birth defects.  

• PETROLEUM BASED PRODUCTS – these chemicals give off fumes (called “off-gassing”) for sometimes years after production.  Found in carpet, polyurethane foam, paint, finishes, mattresses, vinyl; perchloroethylene is a specific one found in dry cleaning solvents; endocrine disruptor. Petrolatum  is found in cosmetics and contains two well-known carcinogens called Benzo-A-Pyrene and Benzo-B-Fluroanthene. Mineral Oil coats the skin and is meant to moisturize, but instead acts like suffocating saran wrap, preventing the natural absorbing and excreting function of the skin.  It can also slow cell regeneration, causing the skin to age more quickly.

• POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS – used as a flame retardant in furniture, carpet, and some plastics manufactured before 2005 (when this product was banned).  These compounds take years to breakdown and can cause neurological, reproductive and behavioral problems.

• OXYBENZONE, NANOMATERIALS, and RETINYL PALMITATE – in sunscreens; may cause cancer, may also negatively affect the immune and endocrine systems.

• SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE AND SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE – a common surfactant that combines with other ingredients to form potent carcinogens.  Found in makeup, shampoo, conditioners and toothpaste.

This diet emphasizes consuming cooked green and leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, mustard greens, chard, dandelion), low sugar fruits (berries), whole grains (brown rice, quinoa) and lean proteins (wild fish, lean chicken). Drinking plenty of filtered water, digestive herbal teas (fennel, cardamom, licorice, ginger) as well as green tea is essential to boosting the health and fertility of the Waterlogged woman.  Avoiding foods that are rich, greasy, fermented (pickles, kombucha) or spicy as well as cow-based dairy, sugar, salt, soy, yeast and fatty animal protein will help alleviate many of the states of imbalance, such as internal dampness, that the she often confronts. 

After spending a month living and working with a cookbook writer in Sicily last winter, my love affair with broccoli rabe was rekindled.  Also known as rapini, it shows up in many pasta dishes, alongside animal proteins and may be ordered as a contorni (side dish) at most restaurants in Sicily.  Besides being delicious, broccoli rabe is a nutritional powerhouse of a vegetable.  It is a rich source of Vitamins A & C, contains calcium, fiber, and potassium and high in antioxidants.  This just may be my favorite way to prepare it, bringing back memories of Sicily with every bite.   

Broccoli rabe with garlic   

1 bunch of broccoli rabe

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of sea salt

Trim the stem ends of the rabe and separate the flower topped stems from the thin leaves.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop the rabe into the pot.  Allow it to cook for about 2 minutes and drain.  

In a skillet, warm the olive oil and add the sliced garlic over medium low heat.  Allow the garlic to infuse the oil without browning.  Add the rabe and saute for a few minutes until stems are tender and warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper as desired.  

In life when we put all our efforts into a specific “project” we strive to succeed in it. Infertility treatments don’t carry the same level of promise.

While going through infertility treatments we usually focus all our effort on doing our best. For most of us it comes after trying to conceive naturally and mostly we have been in the process of getting pregnant for a while. Infertility introduces us to the concept of waiting.

How does life look when you are asked to wait until your most desired outcome will arrive? Not many of us have stopped to look at it this way.

Let’s stop and think of the possibility that waiting can be experienced in many new and empowering ways.  For most of us, waiting to be pregnant creates feelings of restlessness, irritability, and hardly ever comes across as an opportunity for personal growth, shift, and discovery, and joy. But we can allow it to. 

Now that the universe has introduced us to the concept of waiting how can we make the best of it? How can we look at it in a new way?

For me, experience with waiting brought the feeling that I was not in control, so that being somewhat of a challenge, I tried to control even more.  We read, we discuss, we spend most of our time, trying to educating ourselves and doing all that we are recommended.

How does this time of waiting look in the eyes of our partners? Did we ever stop to think about that? Here they are seeing us doing all that we can to make sure that the next cycle is the one that will result in a positive pregnancy test. This is great in so many ways yet might leave the relationship in a state of lacking. Lack of focus, lack of attention, lack of intimacy and connection.

I would like to suggest that as we are faced with a waiting process we look into shifting away from the stress of getting pregnant, and work on creating a powerful connection with our partners. Most of them are showing up with us to the process, yet they feel even more of the powerlessness that we are expecting during this time.

• How can you spark up your relationship while waiting to become pregnant?

• In what ways can you acknowledge your partner for the team member that they are?

• How can you create a special time for both of you that can be spent without pregnancy being the focus?

• How can you creatively show up for your partner who is a part of this stressful process as well?

Those are some questions that we should consider as we “wait” on our path to parenthood. Seeing the power and possibilities that come up when we realize the committed team that we are with our partners and how we can use it to benefit in all area of our life, (and especially with our future children) are the type of empowering conversations we have during our coaching sessions.

If we let infertility show us the special times, ways of showing up, and connection it had brought into our lives, we can embrace and navigate the journey in a profound way we never thought possible.

Scallion, Chard and Tomato Frittata Squares