If prevention is the best medicine, then consider education to be your daily vitamin boost. Staying informed is one of the best ways to ensure you remain proactive in protecting your health and prolonging your life.

But when it comes to breast health, it can be overwhelming to navigate the multitude of resources out there. Luckily, wellness expert and breast cancer survivor Dr. Veronique Desaulniers has broken it down into seven “essentials,” in her book, “Heal Breast Cancer Naturally”.

Essential #1 – Starve Cancer

Studies show a diet full of fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy oils, trace minerals, enzymes and probiotics, can significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer… by as much as about 70 percent!

The key is to opt for alkaline foods like organic produce and avoid acidic foods - meat (except salmon), dairy, soda and processed or packaged items.

Or, more simply put by fitness icon Jack Lalanne – “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

Essential #2 – Reduce Toxin Exposure

A toxin is a poisonous substance, either naturally occurring or man-made. The latter seems to be everywhere – from the air we breathe to the household cleaners we use.

So, how do you avoid them?

Organic foods are always best, especially when cooked without a microwave or aluminum foil. Limiting cell phone use and cutting out pesticides and chemical sprays, among other tips, are also a good start.

Essential #3 – Strike An Energy Balance

Everything is energy, including our bodies, so be sure it is well-aligned. Healing arts like chiropractic care and acupuncture, along with monitoring hormones, exercising and getting enough sleep, can ensure your body’s energy is charged up and flowing effectively.

Essential #4 – Heal Emotional Wounds

You might not know it but your emotional wellbeing affects your overall physical health. Things like stress, negative emotions, even being a chronic “people pleaser” can eventually take a toll.

Relaxing through sleep, exercise or meditation and the simple power of positive thinking can help your brain work for, not against, your body.

Essential #5 – Make The Dental Connection

Infections in teeth and gums can spread to other organs, and Dr. Desaulniers says the mercury – the most toxic metal on the planet - used in many dental procedures can, over time, create estrogen-dependent malignancies and other ill effects in the body.

Herbal remedies – and the right questions for your dentist – can help remove toxins and keep your teeth from coming back to bite you.

Essential #6 - Use Therapeutic Plants

Certain nutrients and herbs can boost your immune system and weaken cancer. A 2012 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found, for example, that bromelain – an enzyme found in pineapples – helps kill cancer cells in breast cancer patients.

Essential #7 – Adopt Early Detection

Here, Dr. Desaulniers - like so many internationally recognized medical leaders - recommends thermography alongside routine anatomical tests like mammograms.

The technology - administered locally by certified clinical thermographers and sisters Shelly Laine, Cecilia Laine-Meinhold and Tanis Clark at Beacon Thermography, Inc. - is a non-invasive tool used to identify changes in the body over time. It has been lauded for its ability to detect pre-cancerous signs six to eight years before a visible mass appears.

In addition to early detection, Beacon Thermography, Inc. remains committed to educating women of all ages so they can fully take charge of their breast health.

Beacon will cover the “essentials” and much more in several upcoming breast health sessions in July. For class information and updates, visit www.beaconthermography.com or follow them on Facebook.

Let Shelly and her team at Beacon provide you with the benefits of well-being through thermography. They offer services at: Elite Chiropractic, Landfall Shopping Center, 1319 Military Cutoff Road, Unit LL; McKay Healing Arts Center, Wilmington; Shaver Chiropractic, Wilmington; and Health Touch NC LLC, Durham. Call them today at (910) 803-2150.