Breast Health Beyond the Mammogram: What Your Daily Habits Have to Do With Your Risk

When October comes around, we see pink everywhere.

Pink shirts. Pink ribbons. Breast cancer walks. And, of course, reminders to schedule your mammogram.

I think all of that is important.

But sometimes I wonder if we have made breast health too simple.

We remember the mammogram, but we forget about everything that happens during the other 364 days of the year.

1. What are you eating?
2. Are you moving your body?
3. How are you sleeping?
4. Are you drinking every night because that glass of wine has slowly become part of your routine?
5. Have you gained weight over the years and don’t really know why?
6. Are you constantly stressed and running from one thing to another?
7. And when was the last time you actually stopped and paid attention to your own body?

These are the kinds of questions that interest us at Functional Medicine Los Angeles.

Not because we think one food, one supplement, or one lifestyle change is going to magically prevent breast cancer.

It doesn’t work that way.

But your everyday health still matters.

Your Mammogram Is Important. But So Is What Happens Between Mammograms.

Let’s say you had your mammogram last year. Everything looked fine.

So you went back to your normal routine.

Work. Family. Errands. Takeout. Stress. Maybe a little exercise when you have time.

Then another year passes. This is where I think we sometimes miss the bigger picture. Your breast health doesn’t disappear between screenings.

The way you eat, move, sleep, handle stress, drink alcohol, and take care of yourself is still part of your health.

A mammogram gives you important information, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of how you’ve been living.

Start With Your Food, Not Another Diet

Most women don’t need another list telling them what they are allowed to eat.

Instead, look at what your normal week looks like.

Not your perfect week. Your real week.

1. What do you eat when you’re tired?
2. What happens when you are busy?
3. How often do vegetables make it onto your plate?
4. Are you eating enough fiber?
5. Are most of your meals made from actual food, or are you relying on packaged and convenient foods because life has gotten busy?

Those answers tell us much more than whether you had a “perfect” salad yesterday.

Your Body Needs Movement Too

I hear this one all the time. “I don’t exercise because I don’t have time.”

We get it.

Life gets busy, but movement doesn’t have to mean spending an hour at the gym.

1. Walk.
2. Stretch.
3. Take the stairs.
4. Carry your groceries.
5. Do some strength exercises.
6. Get out of your chair.
7. Move your body during the day.

Sometimes people think exercise only counts when they are sweating and exhausted. It doesn’t.

Your body notices movement.

As we get older, keeping muscle and staying physically capable becomes even more important.

What About Alcohol?

This is one conversation I don’t like to dress up.

If you drink alcohol regularly, it’s worth taking an honest look at it.

Maybe it’s one glass with dinner or it’s your Friday night drink.

That one glass has slowly turned into two because you need something to help you relax after a long day.

I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty.

I’m saying it because sometimes we don’t realize how much our “normal” habits have changed until we actually stop and look at them.

Your Weight Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story Either

Maybe you’ve gained 10, 20, or 30 pounds over the years, you’ve tried several diets.

You lose some then you gain it back in a couple of days or week.

Then you try something else.

At some point, you start thinking, “Maybe this is simply what happens as I get older.”

But I don’t think we should stop asking questions.

1. How are you sleeping?
2. How active are you?
3. How are your meals?
4. How is your blood sugar?
5. How has your stress been?
6. What happened around the time your weight started changing?
7. Are your hormones changing?

Those questions give us a much more interesting conversation than simply saying, “Eat less.”

Don’t Ignore Your Family History

This is something I encourage women to know not because family history determines your future. It doesn’t.

But it gives you information.

1. Do you know if your mother had breast cancer?
2. What about your grandmother or sister?
3. Are there other cancers that seem to appear repeatedly in your family?

Sometimes we know these things.

Most of the time we don’t.

And sometimes October is the month when someone finally asks their mother, “Hey, do you know what happened in Grandma’s health history?”

That conversation is worth having.

And Please Know Your Own Body

You don’t need to examine yourself every morning in front of the mirror.

But you should know what is normal for you.

If something changes, pay attention.

A new lump.

A change in the appearance of your breast.

A change in the nipple.

Unusual discharge.

A change that doesn’t feel right to you.

Don’t panic.

But don’t ignore it either.

Talk to your healthcare provider.

And keep up with the breast screening that is appropriate for you.

So Where Does Functional Medicine Come Into This?

This is really the part I want people to understand.

Functional medicine isn’t about replacing your mammogram.

It isn’t about telling you that you don’t need conventional medicine.

And it isn’t about giving you a giant list of supplements because it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For us, it’s about stepping back and asking:

What is going on with this person as a whole?

Maybe we’re looking at nutrition, movement, metabolic health, sleep, digestion, or looking at a woman’s health history and the changes she has noticed over the years.

Sometimes the first thing a person talks about isn’t even related to their breasts.

They might come in because they’re exhausted, gained weight, digestion has changed, and don’t feel like themselves anymore.

That’s where the conversation becomes interesting because the body doesn’t live in separate boxes.

You Don’t Have to Become Obsessed With Your Health

This is important too.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month shouldn’t make you afraid of every food in your kitchen.

You don’t need to throw away all your beauty products, or maybe start taking 15 supplements.

No need to follow an extreme diet or become obsessed with every symptom.

1. Take a breath.
2. Look at your everyday habits.
3. Make one change where you know you need one.
4. Move a little more.
5. Eat a little better.
6. Sleep a little more.
7. Drink a little less.
8. Know your family history.
9. Keep your screenings.

Pay attention when your body tells you something has changed.

That’s a much more realistic way to think about taking care of yourself.

There Is More to Breast Health Than We Usually Talk About

Because once we start looking beyond the mammogram, there are so many questions worth asking.

1. What does metabolic health have to do with breast health?
2. How do hormones fit into the picture?
3. What does traditional medicine say about supporting women’s health?
4. How does nutrition fit into all of this?
5. And where does functional medicine actually fit alongside conventional breast care?

Those are conversations we want to have here at Functional Medicine Los Angeles.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical care, breast cancer screening, diagnosis, or treatment. If you notice a new or unusual breast change, speak with your healthcare provider.