At first I thought this was some sort of a tardy April Fools spoof but in fact, it’s true. The breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen has entered into a year long partnership with fracking company Baker Hughes.

And get this: the company is selling 1,000 pink-painted drill bits as a “reminder of the importance of supporting research, treatment, screening, and education to help find a cure of the disease. They’re donating $100,000 to the charity.

Why are drill bits, hydraulic fracturing, and breast cancer awareness an odd combination? Let’s take a look at the irony: Some research has found links between cancer and the chemicals used in fracking. The chemicals injected into deep rock formations in order to allow gas reserves to migrate into wells, includes possible carcinogens like benzene, formaldehyde, sulfuric acid, and more.

According to Breast Cancer Action:

A 2011 study by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce identified over 700 chemicals used in fracking, including dozens of “chemicals of concern.” Of these chemicals, Benzene, Acrylamide, Ethylene Oxideiii, Bisphenol Aiv, and formaldehydev are well-known carcinogens with proven links to increased risk of breast cancer. Fracking also involves the use of endocrine disrupting chemicals such as lead and Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate that can lead to increased reproductive problems and breast cancer.

Strangely, Susan G. Komen’s website also includes a section entitled “Environmental Chemicals Are A Breast Cancer Risk”. However, a spokesperson at Susan G. Komen said that “the evidence to this point does not establish a connection between fracking and breast cancer.”

The response on the move has been, as expected, furious. According to Breast Cancer Action, “many people have wondered whether these pink drill bits are satire and whether The Onion came up with it. Unfortunately, no and no.” In fact, the fracking company even advertises their move under the tagline “Doing Our Bit for the Cure”.

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Have you become immune to breast cancer prevention messages? Then get ready to fall in lurv with the Feel Your Boobies Foundation.

It’s October, and you know what that means: Breast cancer prevention messages and pink everything everywhere. (Like, everywhere.) And while the message itself is uber-important, it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, dontchathink? Breast cancer prevention is serious business and needs to be treated as such, but not just in October. And not just through ribbons and pink products. We don’t want to become so aware that our awareness becomes apathy.

In other words, we need to start copping a feel, ladies.

That’s where the Feel Your Boobies campaign comes in: “It takes a friendly, maybe even provocative, approach to promoting proactive breast health,” says founder Leigh Hurst, who launched the foundation after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 33. It was then she realized that she never really paid much attention to breast cancer messages. For fun, she had t-shirts made for her friends that said “feel your boobies,” and setup a one-page website to sell them. Suddenly, she was receiving orders from across the country, and the Feel Your Boobies Foundation was born.

“We target women under 40, primarily, and based on my own experience I know that many of these women don’t even think about breast cancer,” says Hurst. “Our campaign is really trying to find ways to put our message in places where younger women wouldn’t expect to see it.” Examples include an aerial banner that flies up and down the beach in the summer, a Boobies Bus that hands out free car magnets to those who spot the car, and a flash mob in NYC – you know, no biggie.

And I have to say, it works! I too have become immune to all the cutesy breast cancer prevention messages that are out there, and ever since I learned about the Feel Your Boobies crusade, I’ve felt myself up more in the past month than ever before (kidding, sort of). The FYB message is to-the-point and proactive. When you hear the slogan, you can’t help but do it (seriously, give it a go).

The message doesn’t just tell you to be aware of breast cancer – it tells you how to annihilate it in its tracks. It’s a simple message that’s been saving oodles of lives every year. Not only is the Feel Your Boobies Foundation celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, but Hurst is also celebrating 10 years cancer free (you go girl). And you know what that means: There are plenty of shenanigans in the works.

“Our campaign wouldn’t be here without our followers,” says Hurst. “They do the sharing, they spread our message. And because they do, our campaign has saved lives. So this year’s campaign focus is about giving our followers the credit they deserve.”

The Give Urself a Hand campaign will be launching at the end of September as their way of saying thanks. There will be a sweepstakes where people can upload their “feel your boobies” pics to the group’s Facebook page, and the person’s snapshot with the highest votes will win a trip to NYC with a friend. There’s also going to be a Fiat giveaway. More deets on both are available on the website.

National Feel Your Boobies Week is October 10-17, and here are three tips on how to do so that could not only save your life, but a friend’s as well:

How to Feel Your Boobies

• Use pads of fingers
• Press firmly
• Examine collarbone and underarm area

What to Look For

• Lumps or thickening
• Puckering or inflammation
• Nipple discharge

When to Feel Your Boobies

• In the shower
• While getting dressed
• Whenever you want

For more information on breast cancer prevention, check out the Feel Your Boobies website. It’s pretty fabulous.

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Image: Leigh Hurst

The post 10 Years of Breast Cancer Prevention: Feel Your Boobies Celebrates Badassery appeared first on EcoSalon.

So what can we do about it? We can start by fighting breast cancer with our grocery lists. Recently, I spoke with nutritionist Mary Vance to get the 411 on top foods to fight cancer. As Mary told me, “eat a plant-based diet of whole foods and organic meats. And eat out of the box. Stay away from refined and processed foods that contain chemicals.” Done and deliciously done.

Further, Mary suggests antioxidant-rich foods that fight free radicals, the source of cellular and DNA damage. And organic foods are a must, as the chemicals used in herbicides and pesticides are stored in our body’s fat cells where they can cause hormonal imbalance and DNA damage.

But what to eat specifically?

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Broccoli Yes, the green stuff your mother pushed onto your plate really might be the ultimate super food. Broccoli contains the highest levels of indole-3 carbinol, which experts report can slow cell proliferation. Researchers in Berkeley have found that broccoli can stop the growth of cancer cells – though they caution it is still in clinical trials with humans. In the meantime? Eat more broccoli.

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Berries As Mary Vance shares, “blueberries and raspberries are especially high in cancer-fighting antioxidants. Antioxidants keep you looking young, too.” Strawberries and blackberries also contain ellagic acid, which is called a powerful cancer fighter.

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Cod Liver Oil Not so tasty, true. But cod liver oil is an excellent source of vitamin D, a must for cancer prevention. Researchers suggest that Vitamin D slows the growth of cancer cells.

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Ginger Research has shown that ginger can kill cancer cells. J. Rebecca Liu is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who studies cancer. As she told WebMD, ginger tricks cancer cells into “essentially commit suicide by digesting themselves.” And this is done all without harming surrounding cells.

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Tomatoes The red favorite of salads is high in lycopene, which is an antioxidant that attacks those free radical baddies thought to trigger cancer. Some studies link it to a reduced rate of breast cancer. Experts suggest eating it with olive oil, as the oil serves to activate the lycopene.

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Garlic Garlic contains “organic allyl sulfur components are effective inhibitors of the cancer process.”  It is also thought to stimulate the immune system.

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Tea Tea is high in flavanoids, which are known for their antioxidant benefits. As WebMD reports, one study “analyzing the lifestyle habits of nearly 3,000 people, showed that postmenopausal women who got the most flavonoids were 46 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who got the least.” We’ll drink to that.

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Mushrooms Mary Vance explains fungi “such as shiitake and reishi boost immune function and attack cancer cells.” Mushrooms contain the lectin protein, which attacks cancerous cells and prevents them from multiplying.

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Leafy Greens Spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard – oh my! These foods contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and minerals. The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that some chemicals in these foods can limit the growth of some cancer cells.

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Orange Juice Orange juice is awesome. It’s tasty as all heck – and it fights cancer. Organic juice is high in folate. Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon is a researcher at the National Cancer Institute. As she told WebMD, “The thought is that when someone has low levels of folate, it’s more likely for mutations in DNA to occur.” Pour yourself a glass of orange juice and drink to good health!

Images: wishuponacupcake, jacoulter, gudmunda, bizzzarro, heymrleej, the_ewan, felipe_gabaldon, kankan, fotoosvanrobin, careytilden, mamchenkov

The post 10 Foods to Fight Breast Cancer appeared first on EcoSalon.