Written by Emily Miller, Nurse Practitioner

There are many factors contributing to breast cancer, but one of the primary influences is an imbalance of your estrogen levels. Overcoming insulin resistance is the first step in maintaining the estrogen balance. After you eat a meal, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin and signals the brain to absorb sugar from your blood. However, the modern diet that many of us consume is wreaking havoc on our system with sugar being the main offender. Insulin resistance develops when we eat too much sugar, especially in forms of highly-refined and processed carbohydrates and high-fructose corn syrup. Excess insulin increases body fat and systemic inflammation, both leading risk factors for breast cancer.

What can we do about it?
The most important thing you can do to avoid insulin resistance is to eat real, whole, organic foods, participate in daily exercise, and maintain a healthy body weight.