October 18, 2011- October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while every three minutes a woman finds out she has breast cancer you might be wondering what you can do to help support the cause, raise awareness, and reduce your own risk.

Bahar Takhtehchian, Senior Associate Health Editor of Shape Magazine, shares some of her favorite ways we can all help fight against breast cancer – by just being an aware consumer and offers information on how to educate yourself and raise awareness.  Here’s what she has to say: 

At SHAPE we’re all about building awareness and educating our readers. We take breast cancer seriously, so much so that we devote an entire issue to it. We also started Pilates for Pink which is a nationwide initiative to raise awareness & funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A couple of weeks ago, we had a successful Pilates for Pink event in New York City and throughout the month of October, pilates studios across the country are hosting Pilates for Pink Classes so everyone can get involved.  The money each studio raises benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

If people can’t participate in a walk or write a check for thousands of dollars there are so many ways for people to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month which don’t involve running a race or writing a big check. We all use a check card or credit card pretty much every day so you can actually MAKE EVERY PURCHASE PINK® with Pink Ribbon Banking from Bank of America. When you go shopping, buy groceries or pay a restaurant bill with your Pink Ribbon credit card or debit card, Bank of America contributes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, a global leader of the breast cancer movement. The program has contributed $2.4MM to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. You can learn more Pink Ribbon Banking at www.BankofAmerica.com/Komen.

Another easy way to give back is with your morning cup of coffee. For the last 16 years, Caribou Coffee has honored their beloved roastmaster Amy Erickson, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995, with Amy’s Blend coffee, tea and mugs to celebrate her passion for life, honor her memory and raise awareness and donate 10% of the profits to the Susan G. Komen foundation. In addition to the annual blend, Caribou Coffee has planted tulip gardens (Amy’s favorite flower) in Minneapolis, Chicago and now D.C., to honor and support those who have faced breast cancer. People across the nation people can visit Caribou Coffee’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/CaribouCoffee and dedicate a tulip to someone in their life impacted by breast cancer. For each dedicated online tulip, a real one will be planted in D.C., Chicago or Minneapolis. 

The iconic pink ribbon is everywhere, it's so inspirational! PANDORA makes beautiful jewelry and this year they have four new pieces featuring a pink enamel ribbon design, including a sterling silver charm, a 14-karat gold charm, a sterling silver pendant and necklace, and a limited edition 14-karat gold pendant. Five percent of the retail price of these and other select pieces, with a minimum pledge of $1 million dollars, will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is PANDORA Jewelry’s fifth year partnering with Komen in support of finding a cure for breast cancer. For more information visit www.Pandora.net or join the PANDORA Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/PandoraJewelry.

Women can alter their health and wellness habits to manage their risk of breast cancer.  In our October issue, we talk more about this but it really begins with prevention. Every woman needs to do monthly self-exams starting at age 21. You need to know yourself and be aware of changes. If your breasts are red, if you notice dimples, itchiness, nipple discharge, you need to go see a doctor. Women over 40 need to get mammograms as well.  Also, studies have shown that high fat diets and obesity can increase your risk of developing breast cancer so it’s so important to eat a healthy diet. On that same note, you need to limit your alcohol intake. The more you drink, the higher your breast cancer risk. If you must drink, don’t have more than one drink a day. Exercise! Stay active so you can lose weight or stay slim, and also breast feeding has protective benefits, so do it as long as you can.

You can go to www.Shape.com to learn more about how you can help support the cause, raise awareness, and reduce your own risk.