Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (122 page)

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6). This has been reported to have anticancer properties.

EXTRA TIPS

Being overweight increases your risk of breast cancer, especially if you are postmenopausal. Estrone and estradiol, both cancer-promoting estrogens, can be produced to excess by fat cells.

Reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens—chemicals that mimic estrogen. Buy organic food, chemical-free toiletries and cleaning products, and avoid wrapping food in plastic wrap.

Don’t smoke.

Being active cuts your cancer risk, probably by reducing hormone levels. On average, women who regularly walk, swim, jog, and cycle for 35 to 45 minutes five times a week are less likely to develop breast cancer than sedentary women.

BRONCHITIS

Bronchitis is an inflammatory disorder that may start as a dry cough followed by catarrh, phlegm, and a rattling cough. Inflammation in the bronchials is a sign that the immune system is struggling to keep things in balance. Bronchitis is more likely to occur after a cold and when you are run down.

Chronic bronchitis can cause enormous discomfort to the lungs, as you are always coughing. You may experience difficulty in breathing. If you are or have been a smoker it may not be bronchitis, but a condition called emphysema (see page 259). Acute bronchitis should not last more than two weeks.

CAUSES MAY INCLUDE

Smoking.

Weakened immune system.

Viruses.

Allergies.

Asthma.

Bad colds.

Hospital stays.