Pinktober

 

The month of October is very commonly associated with breast cancer awareness. During the month you may see and hear about many fundraisers, sweet treats, social events, and screening opportunities all associated with breast cancer.

Throughout all the celebration festivities, do not forget to PASS on the sweets/treats. Despite if they are cute and appealing in the color pink!! 

Elevated blood sugar levels, elevated IGF-1 levels, and an elevated Hgb A1C is NOT something that you should be striving for. Specifically, if your family has a history of breast cancer, if you have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, or if you have completed previous treatments for breast cancer. 

The thoughtfully crafted and designed pink treats given out and/or sold for Pinktober do just that. These items typically consist of sugar-rich snacks, drinks, and/or desserts, which can negatively affect your body's blood sugar level. 

Pink cookies

Pink cakes

Pink candies

Pink alcoholic beverages 

Pink cupcakes

.. and the list goes ON!

Increased consumption of foods such as those listed above can increase your likelihood of developing a higher body fat mass (adiposity). Excess adiposity on the body, increases circulating free estrogens, which is a growth factor for most forms of breast cancer. 

Excess circulating estrogens can be triggered by body system imbalances such as blood sugar and/or metabolic system imbalances. 

Your goal should be to keep your daily sugar consumption (natural sugars) to 25 gm per day. You should strive to limit and/or avoid added sugars. This can help reduce your body's circulating IGF-1 level and can assist with weight loss (specifically, adiposity loss). 

And let's NOT forget about the beautiful alcoholic beverages that restaurants make and promote during the month of October. These are typically filled with sugar, which was previously addressed as being something we should be avoiding. Secondly, alcohol intake increases risk of breast cancer development as well. Alcohol recommendations for females is <1 drink per day and <2 per day for a male. 

Overweight/obesity and alcohol intake are both modifiable risk factors for breast cancer development. This October, try to focus your breast cancer awareness strategies on events, fundraisers, and foods that do NOT negatively affect your health. 

Sugar cookie image from: Pink Ribbon Sugar Cookies - Breast Cancer Awareness (cookinglsl.com)

Pinktober image: Pink Your Drink {Cocktail Recipes} // Hostess with the Mostess® (hwtm.com)