It’s that time of year again when you can hardly go anywhere without seeing your usual grocery list items, and beauty products sporting a certain shade of pink. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and although the overload of pink-washed consumerism may blur into another time-of-the-year event I assure you this cause is worth noticing.
The rosey colored tic-tacs and pom-pom socks may not seem aesthetically appealing (I myself was never a pink kind of girl) but the support is needed and not nearly as taxing on your daily budget as you may think. Many companies have partnered with Susan G. Komen as well as other cancer organizations to continue this fight that affects far too many of us. Breast cancer is relevant in the lives of most Americans including myself and I find it comforting to know that the corporations that seem to exist in some underground vortex of crunched numbers and endless amounts of money share in the desire to work towards a common goal. I’ve compiled a list of some of these companies so that the next time you decide not to buy cookies in lieu of your new diet, you’ll decide otherwise because you’ll actually be helping in making a difference!
- Pepperidge Farm
- Ghirardelli
- Kitchenaid
- M&M
- Yoplait
- Mott’s Applesauce
- Bumble Bee Tuna
- Orbit White Bright Pink
- Bicycle Playing Cards Ribbon Edition
- Elf Beauty Products
- Philosophy's Pink Ribbon Shower Gel
- ChapStick
- Dove Shampoos and Conditioners
Although the verdict is still out on certain food products and their relation to breast cancer (soy, for instance) there are still a number of ways to keep your body healthy and balanced which, as a result, lends itself to breast cancer prevention. These measures may seem vague in their connection to breast cancer but they’re easy enough to follow so why not!?
- Ingest antioxidants through food with naturally high amounts of vitamin E (almonds, spinach, mangos) and vitamin C (oranges, grapefruit, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes)
- Processed meats should be avoided and red meats should be eaten minimally because of their high levels of saturated fat and iron
- Eating fish and/or taking fish oil pills provides the body with omega 3-fatty acids which may keep breast cells from multiplying and dividing
- Drinking green tea daily has been shown to decrease the rate of breast cancer in wide studies
I’d like to share the website of an organization dear to my heart, as it is in memory of my mother: judisrun.org. We give to various research facilities as well as local families affected by breast cancer in need of financial support. And without getting too heavy with this post (as I have been resisting with all my might not to do) I’d like to remind all you ladies that being aware of your body is the best precautionary measure you can take. Go to your doctors appointments when that time of the year comes around, stay in tune with your emotional, spiritual, and physical health, and remember to perform self breast exams at least once a month (right after your period is the best time). If you’re unsure of how to thoroughly check for yourself this website should be of help:
Self Exam: http://women.webmd.com/healthtool-self-breast-exam
