Beyond the Evidence: Other Precautions
What You Should Know:
(From "The New Breast Cancer Hot Zone", Organic Style Magazine, Sept/Oct/ 2002, www.organicstyle.com)
Like Marin County, CA women in Long Island, NY and Cape Cod, MA also face unusually high rates of breast cancer. Like the women of Marin, they're doing whatever they can to cut their risk - including taking precautions that researchers say are unproven and controversial. But what they are doing, the women argue, can't hurt and just might help:
- Buying and eating organic whenever possible to void pesticide residues, which have been implicated in breast cancer.
- Avoiding dry cleaning when possible, or at least remove the plastic from he garment and air them out.
- Avoiding the use of pesticides or herbicides that contain organochlorines on lawns or gardens, and choosing environmentally friendly products instead.
Using natural household cleaners whenever possible. For tips consult, The Safe Shopper's Bible, by David Steinman and Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.(MacMillan). - Using glass and ceramic containers instead of plastic whenever possible - particularly in the microwave.
- Taking shoes off before entering the house to avoid tracking toxins inside, or putting rugs by the doors to wipe their feet.
- Buying products that are free from chemicals that may be linked to breast cancer, such as chlorine-free paper, so fewer harmful chemicals are released into the air and water.