I’ve partnered with Violet® supplements to talk about breasts and how to keep them feeling their best!

Breast health.

Ideally it’s something you’re thinking about early on, after you finally fill out your grown-up-woman body, and start to realize that how you treat your body can affect how well your body acts and feels. And also notice that once a month, “the girls” kinda get achy and sore.

But, let’s face it.

Thinking about keeping the girls at their prime really doesn’t click until you start to notice things like sagging, tenderness each month, friends who go through scares that sometimes end with a simple, “You have fibrocystic breasts (FBC),” and other times a diagnosis of breast cancer.

That last one is a huge wake-up call, and certainly not always preventable no matter how healthy a life you lead, thanks to things like genetics.

Cancer aside, there are things you can do to help keep your breasts healthy and feeling great.

Little things here and there that don’t require too much energy, time or cost.

Those are the best kinds of things!

6 Simple Tips For Healthy Breasts

1. Eat clean and make sure to include veggies, like broccoli!

Eating fresh, whole foods eliminates the chance of ingesting too much estrogen. YOU get to decide what you’re cooking with (and subsequently end up in your body), instead of microwaving a package of food with a list of ingredients and preservatives longer than  my arm.

Does this mean you can’t eat Doritos and Snickers now and then? Don’t be silly; of course not. Just aim to eat clean most of the time, and then have the fun junk every now and again. It’s all about moderation.

2. Breastfeed, if you can and/or want to.

Not everyone can or wants to breastfeed. Got it.

That said, if you do/did choose to breastfeed, it can help reduce your risk of breast cancer. According to the Susan G. Komen website, “Mothers who breastfed for a lifetime total of two years got about twice the benefit of those who breastfed for a total of one year.”

If you breastfeed a collective total of a year, your benefit is less; if you breastfeed a collective total of more than two years, your benefit is more. Benefits of breastfeeding (beyond those for the baby) include optimizing your metabolic function, reducing your risk of osteoporosis, and less risk of reproductive cancers. Pretty cool, right?

3. Exercise and find your happy place, physically (and mentally).

Find a way to relax and keep your body in shape. This doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon! You could start walking daily, go for weekend hikes, join a gym, or practice yoga — all of which have benefits for both mind and body.

Take care to give your chest some exercise love, too, with push-ups, dumb bell presses, or another pectoral muscle workout.

4. Wear a bra that fits properly!

This video changed my bra-wearing life in ways I never would’ve expected.

As in, a difference of two cup sizes and an inch in the band.

Ladies: WATCH. IT. NOW.

5. Do regular breast self-exams and schedule your mammograms once you hit THE AGE.

This should be old news for everyone reading our website.

BUT, as a reminder, check for lumps or odd feeling things in your breasts whenever you take a shower, or at least once a week. Make sure you don’t skip your annual well woman exam (a.k.a. visit to the gyno), so that you get a professional evaluation once a year, too!

6. Take Violet® supplements daily.

Violet® is an over-the-counter supplement that helps to alleviate the symptoms of breast discomfort and promote breast health. It’s made with iodine, which many women have a deficiency of, and in turn may contribute to FBC. Who knew?

FBC affects millions of women every month – a cycle of breast tenderness, aches, swelling, heaviness and, for many, even acute pain caused by high levels of estrogen and prolactin. While it’s best known for its role in the production of milk, prolactin also causes breast cells to build up month after month with each menstrual cycle. By taking Violet® daily, those painful days before your period starts — where it hurts to wear a bra (or to not wear a bra) and you cringe at the thought of a tight hug — lessen. Or even disappear.

If you’re interesting in learning more about Violet® iodine, click here. You can also visit your local CVS (select stores), or check out The Vitamin Shoppe and Drugstore.com, for a cool 30% coupon to give it a try.

Keep those girls feeling great!

I received compensation from Violet® supplements for this post about keeping your breasts feeling healthy and good. All thoughts are my own!