Nature’s Secrets with Dr. Susanne Bennett
On this Episode: Mother’s Day Health Secrets by Dr. Susanne
Moms are so special and they give so much to their family that often they forget to take care of themselves.
So for Mother’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to support all of the moms out there with some advice on how they can best care for their own body… Today on Nature’s Secrets, I want to talk about 3 health tips that many women aren’t aware of and rarely talk about even with their doctors!
#1. How many women can say that they really know “their own breasts in detail? We’ve been told for years to do breast self-checks as a “preventive” measure, to support our breast health and catch problems early. And while spending the time doing that check, is there something more that we could do that might actually prevent breast cancer the most common cancer among American women?
I say Yes, there is. So let’s have you start now.
Lymphatic breast massage is a simple exercise you can do that can truly be considered preventive in nature to help
Your lymphatic system keeps tissue clean and the body’s immune system working. It is like a second circulatory system; it moves wastes and toxins out, and it produces immune cells that fight infection. The liquid that flows through the lymphatic system is called lymph, but it doesn’t have a pump like the circulatory system so only body movements activates the lymph flow!
If you don’t get enough exercise, or have a poor diet, have a hidden infection or exposed to toxins, your lymphatic system can become bogged down, stagnant with toxins that don’t get filtered out, then your body can become more susceptible to infection and disease such as cancer.
Here are the 4 simple steps to help move the breast lymph and prevent disease.
- Put all 4 fingers into your armpit where the lymph nodes are and pump straight into your pit… this is not a massage, just push straight up to pump your tissue. Keep your shoulder relaxed during this action. Do it 10-20 times.
- Next- hold the entire breast with both hands and pull your breast towards the armpit, towards the lymph nodes… 10 x – 20 x
- Upper inner quadrant of the breast needs extra care because it drains differently… hold with the breast with the same side hand, the opposite hand supports above the breast, then you pump the upper breast towards the collar bone, using your palm. 10 x – 20 x
- Last exercise, grab breast with both hands and push breast back straight into the chest wall. 10 x – 20 x
You can follow the 4 simple steps in a fantastic video made by the Breast Health Project, by going
https://drsusanne.com/breastexercise
This breast lymph exercise will help get your lymphatic fluid moving, filtering and removing wastes; and potentially reducing swelling, PMS breast symptoms, and other breast discomfort. Less toxins in breast tissues means less triggers that may stimulate cancer cell growth!
Plus, it turns the scary cancer-hunting self-check into a relaxing preventive massage that can help you strengthen your breast immunity, and detoxing the tissues.
One more thing about breast health… I suggest women do not wear under wire bras. It is way too restrictive, which inhibits lymph flow. There has also been some concern expressed over the wire having an antenna effect, stimulating the areas it touches in a harmful way.
More studies are needed, as other factors could be involved, such as diet and obesity, but until then… my view is why take the risk? I wear a wireless bra and so can you! Or just go completely free!
#2 Let’s Keep Your Vagina Healthy!
Healthy Microbiome:
#2: One of the best things to do to keep your vagina healthy is to keep your vaginal microbiome…the good friendly bacteria properly in balance by eating an appropriate diet, including the use of a probiotic.
If you eat a lot of sugar and simple carbs, the bad bacteria and yeast go into overgrowth mode, which leads to vaginal infections.
You can counter that by eating whole, healthy foods; low glycemic load carbs, lots of green leafy veggies and fermented foods such as kimchi my favorite, sauerkraut, pickles and miso, as well as coconut yogurt or Kefir otherwise take a daily probiotic.
Keep Things Clean:
You will also want to keep things in and around the vagina clean, but avoid over-drying and irritating chemicals. A healthy vagina is a pH of 3.8-4.5 and many soaps will change that to unhealthy levels. I recommend you avoid baby wipes, sprays and douching.
Douching impacts the pH level and studies have shown that douching can actually increase risk of infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and STDs.
Wash the vulva the outer area of the vagina daily. I recommend you try my Probiotic Cleansing Bar, which is pH balanced, chemical-free and hypoallergenic. It contains fermented lactic acid bacteria to ensure a healthy microbiome as well.
For Perimenopause or Menopausal women
Less estrogen will thin and dry vaginal tissues, increases pH level and fewer secretions can mean discomfort during sex. Having sex actually helps preserve your vagina’s thickness and moisture. Meaning if you don’t use it, you will lose it! Start taking Sea Buck thorn oil, Omega 7’s … it will increase the tone, and moistness within a week, reducing pain, irritation and inflammation that can be triggered by sexual activity. If you use lubrication, look for a natural water-based formula versus Vaseline or other toxic chemicals
“Health is Much More Than Skin Deep”
Lastly, Today many of us without knowing, poison our bodies by applying toxic skincare products and make-up. We slather on products on our skin loaded with synthetic chemicals– that can be easily absorbed by our body’s largest organ – our skin!
Synthetic chemicals found in the majority of skincare products are often “endocrine disruptors that mimic our natural hormones, signaling to our body to increase or decrease the production of other key hormones erroneously. They can actually tell cells to die prematurely or allow other dangerous hormones to accumulate.
Here are a few key culprits:
Amines are used to balance pH, help with foaming action and act as a preservative. Best case they can create irritation or dermatitis, worst case they can mix with nitrates and become carcinogenic.
Parabens have been found in biopsies from breast tumors and are very prevalent in our personal care products.
Bisphenol – A (BPA) An estimated 93% of us have BPA in our bodies, and it has been linked to breast and other cancers.
Phthalates are often simply labeled as “fragrance”, sounds lovely but they are known endocrine disruptors!
All of these toxins are lipophilic, they gets stored in fatty tissue such as the breasts and brain.
I dedicated a whole chapter in my book, “The 7-Day Allergy Makeover”, to this topic. It is so important to your health, and the health of all your favorite moms!
One more thing, Color additives are another concern in cosmetics and body care products. Yellow #5, Red #40…they are widely found in food products and cosmetics.
They are often even found in products labeled, “natural”. Let’s be clear, natural does not been clean and healthy. These additives can cause allergic reactions , I actually have a sensitivity to Red dye #40, and can’t wear any eye shadow with that colorant in it, otherwise I have a terrible case of conjunctivitis.!
So Read your labels! Look for products that are 100% organic (USDA certified) if possible. The Environmental Working Group, EWG, has a “Skin Deep” cosmetics database to help you find personal care products and make-up that utilize fewer dangerous chemicals.
So… Happy Mom’s Day to all the beautiful women in your life, including you!
Until then, This is Dr. Susanne, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to serve you, I am dedicated to helping you feel and be your best today! This is Wellness For Life Radio, on Radio MD, See you next time, stay well!
