iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Dr. Nalini Chilkov

GET UPDATES FROM Dr. Nalini Chilkov
 

7 Tips for Lowering Breast Cancer Risk by Balancing Blood Sugar and Body Fat Naturally

Posted: 11/30/11 12:21 PM ET

Theatrical type: fat woman. Terracotta from Cy...

Image via Wikipedia

You Can Prevent Breast Cancer and Diabetes and Lose Weight Naturally. The Right Foods, Exercise, Herbs and Supplements for Managing Blood Sugar, Body Fat and Weight.  

A study published in 2008, "Overweight, Insulin Resistant Women At Greater Risk Of Advanced Breast Cancer Diagnosis," indicated that the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are also risk factors for breast cancer, particularly more dangerous advanced and aggressive breast cancers.*

7 Tips for Lowering Breast Cancer Risk by Balancing Blood Sugar and Body Fat Naturally

1. Eat a Low Glycemic Diet. Low glycemic diets (diets low in sugars and sugary foods) normalize both elevated blood sugar and insulin levels reducing risk of obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance (pre diabetes), breast cancer and also cardiovascular disease. Eliminate all refined sugars and sweets. Limit fruits to 1-2 daily servings of berries and apples. Do not drink concentrated fruit juices.

2. Eat a High-Fiber Diet. Include fresh vegetables and whole grains every day. Eating fiber at every meal or snack helps you feel full and eat less. High-fiber diets lower your hunger hormone (ghrelin). If you are unable to get adequate fiber in your diet, use a high quality fiber supplement daily. Aim for 50 grams of fiber daily.

3. Eat healthy protein with every meal or snack. Healthy Protein (lean grass fed meats, hormone free poultry, wild caught fish, high omega three eggs, beans and protein supplements (from pea, rice, soy, whey) will keep your blood sugar stable and give you a feeling of satiation far more effectively than carbohydrates. A protein meal does not lead to a big spike of blood sugar after eating and thus also lowers insulin levels as well.

4. Consider Lipoic Acid. Best taken in R form rather than Alpha form, a nutrient which helps to maintain blood glucose, improve insulin resistance and promote antioxidant activity in people with diabetes.

5. Consider Gymnema sylvestre. An herb that has been shown to increase the number and the effectiveness of insulin producing cells in your pancreas, supporting normal blood sugar levels.

There are many high-quality supplements that combine these and other nutrients for managing normal blood sugar support.

6.Resistance exercise. Get the right kind of exercise. Resistance exercise will lead to lower blood sugar levels for up to 14 hours while strenuous cardiovascular exercise can actually elevate your blood sugar due to increases in cortisol levels. Resistance training also improves insulin sensitivity, increases lean muscle mass, helps you lose weight and lowers your risk for heart disease. Extended periods of resistance training can even improve your blood sugar as effectively as taking a diabetes drug, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

7. Manage your stress. Set aside time each day for relaxation, downtime and rest. This may include just taking a break, prayer or meditation, a quick nap, a massage or being quietly in nature, or quiet time with loved ones. High levels of stress, frequent stress and persistent stress all lead to elevations in the hormone cortisol. The presence of elevated cortisol causes increases blood sugar, which can lead to not only increased risk of breast cancer and diabetes but also to weight loss resistance, higher body fat, lower muscle mass, bone loss, depression and insomnia.

Why does this matter?

  • Poor blood sugar management and high percent body fat can lead to both diabetes and cancer.
  • Women with higher levels of glucose (blood sugar) and insulin will store more calories as fat, particularly around the waistline. You will not feel as satiated after a meal and will feel hungry more quickly leading to overeating.
  • High body fat increases inflammation, which is present in all cancers.
  • High body fat is a storehouse for many toxic, cancer-causing chemicals from the environment.
  • High body fat is a factory for estrogen, which may stimulate some breast and prostate cancers.
  • High blood sugar supplies fuel for cancer cells, which preferentially use sugars for energy and growth.
  • High blood sugar leads to elevated insulin in the blood, a known risk factor for many cancers, including breast, pancreatic and liver cancers.
  • Supporting normal blood sugar function is a key to both weight loss, fat loss and lower risk for breast cancer and diabetes.

Click Here Now to Get Instant Access to My Free Report: Three Dangerous Cancer Myths: What Your Doctor Is Not Telling You

Read my Dr. Nalini blog: "Cancer, Health, Healing, Hope & Transformation."

You May Also Like:

Stop Cancer: Eat A High Protein Low Carb Diet 

Can Losing Weight Prevent You From Getting Cancer? 

Diabetes and Cancer Risk

References

*University of Melbourne (2008, July 7). Overweight, Insulin Resistant Women At Greater Risk Of Advanced Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Says Study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com!/releases/2008/07/080707161416.htm

**Andersen E, Høstmark AT. Effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on postprandial glucose and insulin response the next day in healthy, strength-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):487-91.

Andersen E, Høstmark AT. Effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on postprandial glucose and insulin response the next day in healthy, strength-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):487-91.

Ansar H, Mazloom Z, Kazemi F, Hejazi N. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose, insulin resistance and glutathione peroxidase of type 2 diabetic patients. Saudi Med J. 2011 Jun;32(6):584-8.

Gannon MC, Nuttall FQ, Saeed A, Jordan K, Hoover H. An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Oct;78(4):734-41.

Persaud SJ, Al-Majed H, Raman A, Jones PM. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. J Endocrinol. 1999 Nov;163(2):207-12.

http://www.americandiabetes.com/living-diabetes/diabetes-fitness-articles/strength-training-diabetes-and-other-chronic-conditions

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You should always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement or adopting any treatment for a health problem.

 
 
 

Follow Dr. Nalini Chilkov on Twitter: www.twitter.com/doctornalini

 
 
  • Comments
  • 17
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
11:56 AM on 12/02/2011
For years, you have been told to stay out of the sun and sunbeds, your body’s natural and most reliable source of vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin. In your body, the sunshine vitamin is converted into a hormone which instructs genes to fix damaged cells.
To prevent breast cancer, you need vitamin D levels between 34 and 52 ng/ml. Dr. Holich determined that non-tanners have vitamin D levels of 24 ng/ml well below what is necessary to prevent breast cancer. Non-tanners are 2.42 times more likely to get breast cancer than indoor tanners who, in the same study, had vitamin D levels of 45 ng/ml.
If you are thinking about drinking milk or eating salmon, forget it. You need 4,000 IUs of vitamin D a day to achieve natural vitamin D levels 40 ng/ml, the level researchers are now recommending. That’s 40 glasses of milk, 40 salmon dinners, 10 servings of cod-liver oil, or just 15 minutes in a sunbed. The only reasonable solution to achieve your natural blood vitamin D level is with moderate unprotected sun exposure or a sunbed.
While a mammogram may detect breast cancer, a vitamin D test may determine your ability to prevent the disease altogether. "There is no better anti-cancer agent than activated vitamin D. I mean, it does everything you'd want," said Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council. The conclusion is obvious, get your vitamin D levels tested immediately.
11:15 AM on 12/02/2011
• A 2006 paper published in Anticancer Research established that women with higher vitamin D levels are 50-70 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.
• A 2007 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology reported that women with high sun exposure levels - the most natural and abundant source of vitamin D - had half the risk of developing advanced breast cancer.
• A 2007 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women with high vitamin D levels have up to a 77 percent reduction in overall cancer risk - including breast cancer.
• Vitamin D isn't really a vitamin - it is a hormone your body produces naturally and most effectively when your skin is exposed to UVB in sunlight. That energy starts a chemical reaction in your skin which produces a form of vitamin D that your bloodstream carries to the rest of your body to be used.
12:24 PM on 12/02/2011
Just a small point, but there are 3 steps in your body's production of the hormone known as vitamin D. Production does begin in the skin with exposure to sunlight. Then the immature hormone is further processed in the liver and finally activated for use in the kidney.

Vitamin D is important in calcium absorbption and use by the body, but the other key role is immunologic. Get your daily sun (and maybe a bit of a supplement).
09:16 AM on 12/02/2011
At the present time Natural healing with natural remedies is the best option for a lot of diseases or medical conditions
http://www.healthnaturalremedies.com
10:36 PM on 12/01/2011
7 Tips for Lowering Breast Cancer Risk by Balancing Blood Sugar and Body Fat Naturally I have enjoyed looking at this topic! Thank you for your informative information. I am a diabetic and have to watch very carefully to what I eat and I am always looking for information that helps! There is good info on http://cash1843665460.positivestrongeryou.com/ I do have trouble with sleeping and most nights I am sleeping late! I enjoyed the topic on Sleeping Late, Eating Late Leads to Gaining Weight ! Keep up the good work sending through this precious information. Thank you
08:22 PM on 12/01/2011
Great article. This tips hold true for prophylaxis against any type of cancer, so I hope other men like myself are also listening!

http://www.questorganic.com/search?q=cancer
04:52 PM on 12/01/2011
Diabesity is THE ever-present and ever-growing threat of our time and the Standard American Diet.

Studies as far back as the 1940's have demonstrated that avoiding animal protein and getting our protein from plant sources is best. Beans you mention, but don't forget the wide variety of legumes, nuts, seeds , adn other plant sources that can serve well as our source of protein at every meal.
05:08 PM on 12/01/2011
It is easier for our bodies to digest and use protein from animal sources. Animal derived food sources also offer more complete proteins than plant sources. That said we do not need nearly as much as people consume. A mostly plant based diet with a little animal protein is actually best.
10:16 PM on 12/01/2011
There is no evidence that animal protein is easier to digest, in fact most evidence is to the contrary. As I teach my students and is born out by many sources, plant protein can be just as complete as animal (e.g. quinoa). Nonetheless, mixing protein sources, as has to be done with animal protein, gives the consumer a full panel of essential and non-essential amino acids. Studies from the 40s regarding MS, studies from the 70s and 80 regarding heart disease and diabetes mellitus, and a multitude of recent studies all demonstrate that not only is a vegan diet nutritious, but can temper or reverse these disease processes.
09:28 AM on 01/04/2012
Or, eat a low-carbohydrate diet which vastly reduces both insulin levels and fat. Hear bout the only 30% contraction rate of cancer for mice predisposed to contract cancer? Even those that did, over 1/2 lived or exceeded normal lifespan.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110614115037.htm
12:18 PM on 12/01/2011
Actually you can have pretty fatty grass fed livestock ("easy keepers") and some pretty lean corn fed livestock. Time of year, activity level, and individual metabolism are all factors.
No such thing as hormone-free meat, just hormones added. In the United States it is illegal to use hormones in poultry raised for meat or eggs.
Soy actually may be a cancer promoter. Research is conflicting on it. I would only consume in moderation.
12:10 PM on 12/01/2011
"Lean grass fed meats, hormone free poultry"...just because its grass fed doesn't men its lean and corn fed doesn't mean it fatty. I raise livestock and you would be surprised how fat some animals can get on grass alone (layman's term is "easy keepers" while some animals are specifically fed corn because despite there being nothing medically wrong with an animal they just have a high metabolism and can't keep on weight on them. Plus corn can provide some nutrients to animals that they need if the area soil is deficient. And grass-fed doesn't mean no corn, just that at least half the animals diet is from grass or hay.
All poultry raised have natural hormones, so no such things as hormone free. In the United States its illegal to use hormones in poultry.

"protein supplements (from...soy..."
Actually soy is full of estrogen. Several times more than you would find in hormone implanted beef. So is spinach and asparagus. And some research suggests soy may increase your risk of cancer if you consume it as a regular supplement. Other research says it isn't that big of a factor. Would be nice if they mentioned that.
09:44 AM on 12/01/2011
It was discovered by Dr. Nillson in Denmark that the cause of all cancers,weight gain and of course diabetes is stubborn insulin. This is also the main trigger for Alzheimer’s disease. A specialized diabetes diet NOT a simple sugar free diet can reverse much illness. This was reported on Midland news See here http://www.ourmidland.com/voices/article_062da990-12cf-11e1-a523-0017a4aa8e72.html
09:05 AM on 12/01/2011
Lots of good info here http://www.treatingbreastcancer.com to help in the fight against breast cancer.
07:50 PM on 11/30/2011
Of all diseases, cancer is the most frightening. Breast cancer is the third and most common type diagnosed.
A major contributing factor is the toxins and pesticides that we take into our bodies. They are stored in the fatty tissues of animals. Women ingest the toxins through the meat and food they eat, and those toxins are then stored in the fattiest portion of a woman--the breast.
12:28 PM on 11/30/2011
Be aware of drugs that potentiate diabetes.
Eli Lilly Zyprexa Olanzapine issues linger.

The use of powerful antipsychotic drugs has increased in children as young as three years old. Weight gain, increases in triglyceride levels and associated risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The average weight gain (adults) over the 12 week study period was the highest for Zyprexa—17 pounds. You’d be hard pressed to gain that kind of weight sport-eating your way through the holidays.One in 145 adults died in clinical trials of those taking the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa.
This was Lilly's #1 product $5 billion per year sales,moreover Lilly also make billions more on drugs that treat diabetes.

--- Daniel Haszard Zyprexa activist and patient.
FMI http://www.zyprexa-victims.com