Excerpted from “The Truth About Breast Cancer” by Joseph Keon, Ph.D., (1998, by Parissound Publishing. ISBN 0964897474)

The following seven steps are recommended for reducing risk of breast cancer and improving one’s health general. This is not intended as a “part-time” or “when you feel like plan. This is a comprehensive lifestyle program that is intended to be followed full-time. The more of these steps adopt in your lifestyle, the more you reduce your risk for a host of diseases and the better your overall health be.

The Standard American diet poses considerable risk to your health. following a plant-based diet, you significantly lower your intake of cholesterols and saturated fat that contribute to the clogging of arteries and you sharply reduce your intake of toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, that concentrate in the animals. Additionally, you will eliminate your exposure to the residues of powerful hormones used to raise farm animals, as well as other products unsuitable for human consumption but typically found in meats and dairy products.

A health-supporting diet contains an abundance of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. It may also contain a minimum of nuts and seeds for those who enjoy them and not have difficulting digesting them, and are struggling with a weight problem.

The Revised American Diet^tm avoids rancid, hydrogenated, and fried oils. You would be prudent to avoid French fried potatoes and onion rings as well, even though they are made from plants. This also means avoiding pretty much any conventional oils sold in markets today. The exception is cold-pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil that is sold in opaque containers that protect it from light. In addition, remember to avoid refined sugars and grains.

The problem of pesticide contamination is far worse than most of us can begin to imagine. Every time that you have a choice, choose organic over conventional fruits, grains, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Yes, the cost is still a bit higher than that of conventional foods, but your health is well worth it! Also, pay attention to the ingredients in packaged foods. Many of the popular snack foods that are turning up in natural foods markets are sweetened with grape juice instead of refined white sugar. While at first this seems safer for one’s health, the reality is that grapes are one of the most heavily treated fruits on earth. When you do buy packaged foods, look for those that have been made from organic ingredients.

The simplest and most efficient strategy to ensure that you obtain purified water is to purchase a point-of-use filtration system for your sinks, ice maker, and even showerheads. Keep in mind that when you eat out, the restaurants will in most cases be serving you the same highly chlorinated tap water laden with a host of other contaminants. In this case, choose glass bottled water instead. Some restaurants are now offering filtered water, but don’t assume that this is the case. Avoid plastic jugs of water sold at the supermarket. There is evidence that the plastics may leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals and other contaminants into the water at warmer temperatures

Take a good look around your home. You may be surprised by the number of toxic chemicals you harbor under your kitchen sink and in the bathroom, the basement, and the garage. Educate yourself about the common sources of household toxic chemicals. Today there are safe alternatives for most any household need. Seek them out after safely disposing of those you find around your house. If you are using chlorine-based bleach in your laundry, you are dumping a highly toxic and carcinogenic product into the water with every load and exposing yourself to the fumes at the same time. Seek out alternative, environmentally safe laundry whiteners.

Be mindful of the fact that golf courses are a major hazard when it comes to pesticide exposure. In fact, it has been estimated that maintaining the pristine appearance of golf courses may use up to four times more pesticide per acre than farmers do on food crops...and a number of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors. The authors of Our Stolen Future aptly advise that, if you are a golfer, you may wish to ask the groundskeepers when they apply pesticides, so you can plan to play at different times. Also, be sure tokeep your hands away from your mouth while on the course, and wash them thoroughly when leaving the course.

Finally, avoid plastic wrap and plastic water bottles, jugs, and storage containers, and avoid canned foods. Not only are the cans lined with plastic, which can leach into the food, but also, canned foods are nutritionally inferior to fresh foods.

We are very casual about social drinking in the U.S., and it is easy to lose touch with the amount of alcohol we consume. The annual per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons over the age of 14 in the U.S. is 14 cases of beer, 12 bottles of wine, and 12 fifths of liquor (distilled spirits). For the reasons indicated earlier, alcohol consumption poses a risk on a number of fronts. The best approach is to quit “cold turkey.” Another option is to seek out the assistance provided by such support groups as Alcoholics Anonymous. If you are a drinker, begin stocking your home with and requesting at bars, mineral water, non-alcoholic wines, sparkling cider, and other replacement drinks. Whether you make the break from alcohol by yourself or with assistance, you will undoubtedly notice a refreshing change in the way your body and mind feels. Depending on how much alcohol you consume, you may also notice additional weight loss once you eliminate alcohol from your life.

Exercise has an essential role in helping you cope with stress. The idea is to perform some sort of activity that is vigorous and will elevate your heart rate. Your best bet is to join a well-equipped athletic club where you will have access to the greatest variety of current equipment. This way you will be free to choose from any number of exercises and to fashion different routines according to your needs. You may also wish to hire a personal trainer initially as a form of inspiration and to be sure that you become familiar with proper form and technique in exercising. Other forms of stress reduction are also important, and include abdominal breathing and the Tension-Release Method I describe in my book.

This powerful form of stress reduction has been shown to benefit health in numerous important ways, including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and resting heart rate. Regular meditation allows your body and all of its interdependent systems, not the least of which is the immune system, to function at their optimal levels. The wonderful thing about meditation is that it costs nothing — there are no membership dues for a facility, and you can practice it virtually anywhere, anytime. Other forms of stress reduction that you may wish to explore include various types of tai chi and yoga. By integrating these seven basic steps into your daily life, you are empowering yourself and reducing your risk of breast cancer as well as a host of other debilitating conditions and diseases. The increased vitality and well-being you’ll experience will be your daily reward. I wish you health and vitality as you put these steps into practice.