对于白领一族来说，办公室里的下午3点该是下午茶时间，忙碌了大半天，我们的身体开始感到疲惫，注意力开始在窗外的世界游走。。。。。是该稍事休息并为身体补充一点健康能量了！

【一】 核桃 | 提升脑活力

核桃是最著名的补脑食物—它富含多种维他命，矿物质，氨基酸，脂肪酸，抗氧化剂和膳食纤维等营养素，特别是亚麻酸和维生素E对改善记忆力益处多多。另外，亚麻酸可以在体内转化为大脑的主要成分DHA，所以核桃是最适合强脑力劳动者的健康零食。

提示 : 最好吃生的，带壳的核桃，现砸现吃，因为核桃仁直接暴露在空气时间太长就会被氧化破坏。另外，最好不要吃热加工后的核桃食品。因为加热超过70摄氏度，核桃中的亚麻酸就会遭到破坏。

【二】 苹果 | 抗氧化高手

办公室里一坐就是8小时，皮肤干燥，身体缺水，急需健康食物的救援。现在每天带一个水果出们已经是很多细心OL的习惯之一。所有的水果当中，苹果是“平均分”最高的了。西方营养学家认为苹果的营养丰富全面，中医则认为苹果是性情温和的水果，适合所有体质的人食用。营养学家发现一个苹果可以提供4000至6000抗氧化剂，是机体抗衰老的好帮手。“一日一苹果，医生离我远”(One Apple a day, keep doctors away) 是众所周知的西谚。下午3点，能量补充的首选当然是苹果。

提示 : 建议连皮一起吃，因为约1/3的营养成份存在于皮内。

【三】 红萝卜 | 补充皮肤营养素

β – 红萝卜素主要分布在人体表皮下面和粘膜里面，以抵御自由基和紫外线的侵袭，负责保卫皮肤和黏膜健康。β – 红萝卜素被营养家们称为“皮肤营养素”，是天然的“防晒霜”。太阳太大，办公室里的你即使是隔着落地玻璃窗，也要留心皮肤不被有害紫外线所伤。每天出门前带上一根中等大小的红萝卜，在最疲惫的下午3时左右吃掉，可满足机体对 β – 红萝卜素的需要。

提示 : 熟吃红萝卜可以提高  β – 红萝卜素的吸收率，但并不显著。而加热会部分破坏红萝卜中的 B 族维他命，维他命 C 和抗氧化剂，并且使糖分增加。如果感觉在办公区域啃红萝卜不雅，可以切成小块，放在保险盒里带到办公室，用牙签插着吃。

【四】 杏仁 | 让我们更长寿

杏仁富含多种维他命、矿物质、氨基酸、脂肪酸、抗氧化剂和膳食纤维等营养素，特别是单不饱和脂肪酸、维他命E 和硒元素。喜马拉雅山山谷的巴基斯坦罕什，居住着世界上最长寿的人群，杏仁是他们的日常零食。

提示 : 杏仁分为甜杏仁和苦杏仁，甜杏仁大而扁，苦杏仁小而厚。苦杏仁有小毒，不能多吃。一般作为止咳和通便之药用。研究表明，每天吃20至25颗甜杏仁可以显著降低患心脑血管疾病的风险。甜杏仁应当连皮吃掉，因为杏仁皮中含有丰富的抗氧化物质。

【五】 鸡蛋 | 天然廉价蛋白质来源

抗衰老专家建议，在感到饿的时候，第一时间应该补充的能量是蛋白质，而非碳水化合物，鸡蛋是比饼干更健康的零食—既不制造太多热量，又能为身体提供营养。营养学家发现，鸡蛋中的氨基酸的比例与人体极为接近，被称为氨基酸“黄金比例”。而一个中等大小的鸡蛋可以提供5克左右的蛋白质，非常适合作为一个Office break的健康小食。

提示 : DHA和卵磷脂都含于蛋黄中，所以吃鸡蛋不要丢掉蛋黄。一个误区认为吃鸡蛋会升高血液胆固醇含量。其实，对于青壮年人来说，每天吃1至2个鸡蛋还是健康必需的。

【六】 黑巧克力 | 人人都爱的快乐食物

黑巧克力是世界上最著名的养心食品，同时也是让我们的味蕾和大脑一起快乐的食物。黑巧克力中富含多种维生素，矿物质、氨基酸、脂肪酸、抗氧化剂和膳食纤维等营养素，特别是蛋白质、膳食纤维和生物类黄酮，具有高抗氧化作用，属于优质抗氧化食品。

提示 : 普通巧克力只含有少量可可粉，其余成分为糖、油脂及添加剂，对血管健康不利。所以，提醒自己只吃纯黑巧克力才是聪明之选。

【七】 豆浆 | 办公室补水最佳选择

下午3点正是为身体补水的好时间。除了咖啡和茶饮，一杯豆浆是更好的选择。营养学家认为大豆是唯一营养可与肉食相媲美的植物，有“植物肉”之称—大豆富含优质蛋白、卵磷脂、异黄铜，低聚糖等营养素。

提示 : 豆浆是安全的植物雌激素的来源，是非常健康的女性食品。如果喝豆浆不方便，每天让自己吃一小包豆类食物也是一个备用选择。

【八】 果蔬汁 | 补足身体所需蔬果量

水果和蔬菜富含维他命、矿物质、活性酶，叶绿素，膳食纤维和天然植物化学物质，特别是抗氧化剂。营养学家建议每天至少摄入7种不同的蔬果。市场出现了很多蔬果混合汁，方便忙碌的上班族随时补足身体所需的营养。

提示 : 一般来说，蔬菜的营养价值超过水果，水果不能代替蔬菜。深色蔬菜比浅色蔬菜更有营养，叶子的营养大于根茎，叶菜的营养价值大于瓜菜。你可以根据当天所摄入的蔬果种类灵活决定选择何种成分的蔬果汁。

【九】 葡萄 | 保护血管的健康饮品

红葡萄(或紫葡萄)富含多酚，特别是在皮和籽里，又尤其在籽里。葡萄籽的提取物含27种原花色素(OPC)，其抗氧化能力是维他命C的20倍，维他命E的50倍。美国诺贝尔奖得主路易斯伊格纳罗认为，紫葡萄汁与红葡萄酒中的多酚含量相当，保健作用也相当。

提示 : 建议吃葡萄连皮带籽一起吃。研究发现如果每天喝两杯紫葡萄汁，可大幅度提高血液中一氧化氢的水平，预防血栓的形成。

【四】 红枣 | 最养颜的女性食品

补铁补血是女人基本的健康养颜功课，而红枣就是非常天然的铁质来源。辛苦的职场女战士，下午3点可以选择用红枣滋养自己。

提示 : 可以用红枣泡茶喝，也可以直接吃枣。总之，养成习惯就好，坚持几年你会发现气色改善很多。

题材取自 办公室健康零食 （星洲日报 —— 型时代， 2010年2月8日） ，编辑：郑丽娟 | 原文：西木博士

Today, let us talk about facebook…

We all know facebook is very common among Internet user, it is so well accepted among the people. But do you know the facts of facebook? Well, let us find out here!!

	Founder & CEO The original founder of Facebook and CEO is 24 year old Mark Zuckerburg. Mark and 3 of his roommates created Facebook while attending Harvard University and launched the site on February 4, 2004 from their college dorm room. Forbes Magazine named Mark “the world’s youngest self-made billionaire” being worth an estimated $1.5 billion due to his creation of the popular website.
	First Investor This is 41 year old American entrepreneur and Co-founder of Pay Pal Peter Thiel, who was the first person to invest in Facebook. It’s said his original investment in the social networking site in June 2004 was about $500,000 and as far as I know Peter still owns shares in that site.
	A Country That Doesn’t Allow Facebook I found this fact kind of interesting but also weird. Syria security was concerned to stop a spam campaign that used Facebook to promote false teaching to children about religion and war. Basically most articles I have read claim the country of Syria is afraid terrorist groups and so on have much easier times getting to their children on the social site. All I can say to this is in a way I understand but I’m glad I don’t live in a country that bans what social sites I can visit.
	$12.5 Million Investor The next big company to take a chance and invest in Facebook was Accel Partners. In May 2005, the company made an investment of $12.5 million then April 2006 Greylock Partners decided to invest $25 million in Facebook as well.
	Microsoft’s Investment Within 4 years of launching Facebook, became the number 1 social networking site on the web but according to other sources it ranks 2 nd . Finally, in 2007 after seeing all the other major companies investing in Facebook, Microsoft contacted the owners of the site proposing an investment in return for 5% stake in the company. At the time they giant software company was offering up to $500 million for the investment. Owners of Facebook declined that offer but on October 24, 2007 Microsoft announced that they had purchased 1.6% of Facebook shares for the sum of $246 million.
	Amount of facebook Users & Applications As most know, one of Facebook’s biggest downfalls is the applications that you’re requested to add every time you log in or do a quiz a friend has sent you. According to a study that was done in Nov 2007 there where over several thousands applications with another 100 being added daily. Crazy! In December 2007 to about the end of January of 2008, Facebook had seen its first drop in visitors in 3 years which was due mostly to the application spam within the site. The same study also showed that there were over 70 million daily active users to the site.
	Pictures Uploaded daily & Web Address Price AMost people who have an account with Facebook know the amount of pictures their friends post and so on but did you know that daily number of photos uploaded is over 14 million? I had no idea the number was so high but it does explain all the errors you encounter when using the site. Also the social network has been always named “Facebook” but it officially became Facebook.com in August 2005 when it purchased the web address for the sum of $200,000.
	Failure of Google & Yahoo Buy Out I don’t know how it came about but either Google and Yahoo where feeling threaten by the up and coming of the social network or they seen a way they could make a mass profit but in late September 2006 talks with Yahoo where underway and is rumoured they offered $1 billion to buy out Facebook where Google offered about $2 billion. Facebook owners where either holding out for more money or they realized they could make more in the long run from the site and decided to decline the offer from both sites.
	Eleventh Richest Man in the World Invests In Facebook This is Li Ka-shing also known as the World’s 11th richest man. This Chinese business tycoon has had his hand in a little bit of everything business orientated. He even had shares in Canada’s Imperial Bank of Commerce in 2005 which was worth about $1.2 billion. After following Facebook for a year the Chinese business man decided he wanted a part in the social networking site and on November 30, 2007 invested $60 million dollars.
	Total Employees & Overall Value In March 2008, Facebook had over 500 full-time employees on their payroll and according to other sources the total value of the company is now worth a easy $15 billion. Not too bad for a program a guy in his dorm room created from a project for school.

Reference:

Chris Hamilton,  10 Curious Facts About Facebook. 2008. WebUpon. http://webupon.com/social-networks/10-curious-facts-about-facebook/ (February 2, 2010)

一条：“泉”不离手  一项关于女性的饮水量同结肠癌发病风险之间关系的研究发现:大量饮水的女性结肠癌发病风险居然降低了45％。

二条：“蒜”不离口　大蒜含硫化物，它能增强免疫系统对癌症的防御力，并有抑制肿瘤生长的潜在功效。科学研究发现大蒜能降低胃癌的发病率。

三条：四合一“面”面俱到　前面我们已经提到大蒜的功效；番茄中的番茄红素能够预防结肠、前列腺及膀胱癌；橄榄油有助于人体吸收番茄红素；富含纤维素的面条能够减少结肠癌的风险。将两瓣蒜捣碎，用两匙橄榄油煎炒后与番茄丁混合，搅拌后加在面条中食用，味道好，又防癌！

四条：黄色咖喱“调”出您的健康  咖喱主要成分是姜黄素，它是一种抗癌剂，能抑制肿瘤血管的生成。

五条：沙拉还需“洋葱”配  洋葱含量高的食品能够降低50％前列腺癌的发病风险。在生食或略为烹调时食用效果最佳。

六条：绿花菜防癌“超级菜”  西班牙的研究发现:微波烹饪能够破坏绿花椰菜中97％的黄酮类抗癌成分。因此，或蒸食，或生食，或做汤，或做成沙拉食用才好。

七条：法国百合甘美防皮癌  洋蓟(法国百合)是菊科菜蓟属中以花蕾供食用的草本植物，它富含一种名为水飞蓟素的抗氧化剂，能预防皮肤癌的发生。

八条：有机食品——健康的机遇  有机食品不含杀虫剂或激素，而二者均能引起细胞损伤而致癌。

九条：网“萝”A级水果　杏、罗马甜瓜、南瓜、芒果、木瓜、桃、柿子等富含胡萝卜素，它能够显著降低肺癌风险，也能降低喉癌、膀胱癌、食管癌、胃癌、结肠癌、前列腺癌等类癌症的发病率。

十条：蓝莓，抗氧化状元　蓝莓的抗氧化功能排名第一，可做蓝莓麦片。抗氧化剂能够清除自由基，预防癌症。

十一条：“炸”癌细胞的绿色“手雷”  猕猴桃是一枚含抗癌的抗氧化剂(包括维生素C、维生素E、叶黄素及微量元素铜)的“小手雷”。还可以把新鲜的猕猴桃果汁滴到瘦肉上当做嫩肉剂用噢！

十二条：葡萄——串串健康之星  葡萄中富含白藜芦醇(一种葡萄酒中的抗癌成分)。建议女性不要多饮葡萄酒(酒精会增加女性的乳腺癌患病风险)。

十三条：多吃新鲜的柠檬或酸橙  澳大利亚的研究人员发现:每天食用柑橘属水果能够降低50％口腔、喉和胃癌的发病风险。

十四条：今晚就吃些三文鱼吧  食用含脂肪的鱼(三文鱼、鲭鱼、大比目鱼、沙丁鱼、鲔鱼以及虾和贝壳类)可以降低女性子宫内膜癌患病风险。其中ω脂肪酸发挥了神奇的功效！

十五条：对高脂肪动物蛋白说“不”  耶鲁大学的一项研究发现:食用大量动物蛋白的女性非霍奇金淋巴瘤的发生风险增加70％，其中食用饱和脂肪含量高的女性其风险甚至增加了90％。因此，用家禽或鱼取代牛肉或猪肉，橄榄油取代黄油以变饮食为低脂或无脂是非常重要的。

十六条：给烧烤食品穿上“隔离衣”  烤肉能产生多种致癌物质。研究发现，通过给烤肉包上一层厚厚的调味剂能够避免肉与火焰直接接触而烧焦，因而减少了致癌物质的产生。也可以先将肉放入烤箱中预烹一下，然后再放到烤架上烤熟。

十七条：摒弃炸薯片，选择土豆泥  在熏制、油炸或烧烤食物时会产生一种有潜在致癌危险的化学物质——丙烯酰胺。因此，诸如炸薯片、薯条和烘制的甜食中含有大量的丙烯酰胺，它们成为最不利于健康的食品也就不足为奇了。

十八条：为蔬菜定制“SPA”　芬兰研究发现，制作泡菜的发酵过程会产生异硫氰酸盐、吲哚类及莱菔硫烷三种有抗癌作用的化合物。低盐泡菜更有助于健康，建议在食用泡菜前冲洗一下，以降低盐的含量。

十九条：“劝君同饮一杯(啤)酒”  啤酒能够抵抗幽门螺旋杆菌。但啤酒不能喝得过多，否则会增加口腔、咽喉、食管、肝脏及乳腺癌的发病风险。

二十条：“茶”到健康成  在亚洲，绿茶的治疗功效已经有数千年历史。西方的最新研究表明:它能够预防多种癌症，其含有的表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯是迄今为止发现的最强效的抗癌化合物之一。

二十一条：“钙”起防癌的屏障  美国达特茅斯医学院的一项研究表明:补钙能够降低结肠息肉(结肠癌的危险因素)在人群中的发生率。维生素D能加强补钙。

二十二条：物以“硒”为贵　硒是一种能够杀死肿瘤细胞并有助于正常细胞DNA修复的微量元素。康奈尔大学和亚利桑那大学研究结果显示:每天摄入200毫克硒，能够使前列腺癌发生率降低63％，结肠直肠癌降低58％，肺癌降低46％，癌症总死亡率降低39％。金枪鱼和巴西栗都是富含硒的食物。

二十三条：“早”一片复合维生素“早”一分健康　研究表明，体内理想的维生素及矿物质元素水平能够增强免疫系统功能，从而预防多种癌症的发生。

1. Maintain a healthy body weight (BMI less than 25) throughout your life.
Weight gain in midlife, independent of BMI, has been shown to significantly increase breast cancer risk. Additionally, and elevated BMI has been conclusively shown to increase the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.

2. Minimize or avoid alcohol.
Alcohol use is the most well established dietary risk factor for breast cancer. The Harvard Nurses’ Health study, along with several others, has shown consuming more than one alcoholic beverage a day can increase breast cancer risk by as much as 20-25 percent.

3. Consume as many fruits and vegetables as possible.
Eat seven or more servings daily. The superstars for breast cancer protection include all cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) ; dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach) ; carrots and tomatoes. The superstar fruits include citrus, berries and cherries. Note: it is best to eat cruciferous vegetables raw or lightly cooked, as some of the phytochemicals believed to offer protection against breast cancer are destroyed by heat.

4. Exercise regularly the rest of your life.
Many studies have shown that regular exercise provides powerful protection against breast cancer. Aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking) five or more days a week. Consistency and duration, not intensity, are key!

5. Do your fats right!
The type of fat in your diet can affect your breast cancer risk. Minimize consumption of omega-6 fats (sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats. Maximize your intake of omega-3 fats, especially from oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and herring). Consume monounsaturated oils (canola, olive oil, nuts/seeds, avocados) as your primary fat source, as these foods have potential anticancer properties. Specifically, canola oil is a good source of omega-3 fats; extra virgin olive oil is a potent source of antioxidant polyphenols, including squalene; and nuts and seeds provide you with the cancer protective mineral, selenium.

6. Do your carbs right!
Minimize consumption of the high glycemic index, “Great White Hazards” – white flour, white rice, white potatoes, sugar and products containing them. These foods trigger hormonal changes that promote cellular growth in breast tissue. Replace these “wrong” carbs with whole grains and beans/legumes. Beans/legumes because of their high fiber and lignan content are especially special.

7. Consume whole food soy products regularly, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, roasted soy nuts, soy milk and miso.
Only consume organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) soy. Epidemiologic studies have shown a positive association between soy consumption and reduced breast cancer risk.

8. Minimize exposure to pharmacologic estrogens and xeno-estrogens.
Do not take prescription estrogens unless medically indicated. Lifetime exposure to estrogen plays a fundamental role in the development of breast cancer. Also avoid estrogen-like compounds found in environmental pollutants, such as pesticides and industrial chemicals. Buy organic produce if you can afford it; otherwise, thoroughly wash all non-organic produce. Minimize exposure to residual hormones found in non-organic dairy products, meat and poultry.

9. Take your supplements daily.
A multivitamin, 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C in divided doses, 200-400 IUs of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols, and pharmaceutical grade fish oil. Also take 200 mcg of the mineral selenium or eat one to two Brazil nuts as an alternative. If you have a chronic medical condition or take prescription drugs, consult your physician first.

10. Maintain a positive mental outlook.
Engage in self-nurturing behaviors regularly. Develop rich, warm and mutually beneficial relationships with family and friends. Get adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night). The mind-body associations with breast cancer are significant.

Do you know?

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in North American women. It is a leading cause of cancer death, second only to lung cancer. Simply being a woman and getting older puts you at risk for breast cancer.

What puts me at risk?

Risk for developing breast cancer is individual. It depends on a combination of lifestyle and personal traits known as “risk factors.” The following risk factors are strongly related to the disease and can alert you and your physician to the need for careful follow-up:

• A family history of breast cancer, especially in your mother, sister(s), or daughter(s)
• Age — in general, the older you are, the greater your risk
• Never having borne a child
• Having your first child after age 30
• First menstrual period at an early age
• A history of benign breast disease that required biopsies
• Other breast conditions: lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia.

How can you determine your individual risk?

Just knowing these risk factors for breast cancer will not establish your individual risk. Researchers have developed a computerized formula known as the Gail model, that can evaluate your personal risk factors and predict your five-year and lifetime risk for developing breast cancer. This breast cancer risk calculation is fast and simple. If you would like to know your own predicted breast cancer risk, you can calculate it here.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, and is found in one in eight women in the United States. It is a group of diseases in which cells in the tissues of the breast become abnormal and divide without order or control. These malignant cells form too much tissue and become a tumor. The tumor can grow into nearby tissue or cells break away and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system eventually affecting other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Breast cancer is identified by different names, depending on where it starts in the woman’s breast. A woman’s breast is made up of breast tissue, blood vessels, nerves, ducts, lobes and lobules. The breast is made up of about 20 sections called lobes and these have smaller sections, which are the lobules. The lobules of the breast make the milk and the ducts are the tubes that carry the milk to the nipple. The lobes and lobules are connected by the ducts.

What is “ductal” breast cancer?

If a woman has “ductal cancer,” it means that the cancer starts in the ducts of the breast. Ductal cancer is the most common type and makes up about 86% of all breast cancers. On the other hand, lobular cancer, which starts in the lobules, makes up about 12% of breast cancers. The other 2% start in the surrounding tissues.

If the cancer grows outside the duct where it starts (meaning the cancer penetrated through the duct), it is called infiltrating or invasive ductal cancer. Mastectomy (removal of the breast) is usually recommended by physicians for invasive ductal carcinoma. If the cancer does not grow outside the duct it will be called intraductal carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ, which may be also be termed precancer.

What causes breast cancer?

Scientists do not know the exact cause of breast cancer but they have identified high risk factors for this disease. The most significant are:

1. age,
2. family history, and
3. personal history:

Age:
Breast cancer risk increases with age. Over two-thirds of breast cancer occurs in women over age 50.

Family History:
Family history plays an important role. If a woman’s sister or mother has had breast cancer, the chances of getting breast cancer are doubled. Family genes increase the risk of breast cancer. They are called BRCA1 and BRCA2 but only account for 5-10% of all breast cancers. Women who have a family history of breast cancer, or who have a history of benign breast cysts are high risk. Lesser risks that may be genetic include starting menstruation before age 12, late age at menopause (after 55).

Personal History:
Personal history also plays a role in breast cancer risk. This can include exposure to environmental contaminants, remaining childless or having the first child after age 30. More recent findings also show that a diet high in fat may increase the chance of breast cancer development.

What is the difference between flat and round breast tumor masses?

Malignant tumors do vary in size, shape, and the rate of dividing cells. The most common type of breast cancer starts in the lining of the ducts called ductal carcinoma. Another less common type of breast cancer, lobular carcinoma, arises in the lobules at the end of the ducts. When the type is diagnosed, it is determined if the cancer is invasive or non invasive. If it is invasive, it has grown into surrounding tissues outside the duct or lobule where it started. Invasive carcinoma is also called infiltrating ductal or lobular carcinoma. An invasive ductal cancer looks like or feels like a firm lump because scar tissue forms around the cancer cells. Invasive lobular cancer is flatter because the cells form finger projections into the surrounding tissues. Rather than feeling a hard round lump, it feels like a thickening. It is difficult for the surgeon to tell if all the lobular cancer is removed with surgery because of the small projections. Lobular cancers do grow to a larger size like you described before they are detected. There are other variations of invasive ductal cancer that are named according to the shape and characteristics of the cancer cells. Examples are tubular (cells look like tubes), papillary (cells stick out like papules or fingers), medullary (cells have same color as brain tissue), mucinous (cells make mucus). This detailed answer is intended to explain the difference between flat and round masses and why the surgeon did not get all of the mass with the first surgery.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The most common symptom found by the woman herself or a health care provider is a painless lump in the breast. At times, a painful lump turns out to be cancer. The characteristics of a cancerous lump are: it is hard, not well defined, and is immovable. Occasionally, breast cancer appears as a lump in the armpit or axilla. One lump or several in the armpit can be a symptom of breast cancer, but can also be due to noncancerous conditions. Bleeding from the nipple is not a common sign of cancer but it can possibly indicate cancer, especially if it is from one side only. Only 4% of nipple discharge on one side is cancer.

A more difficult symptom to be found by the woman herself is a thickening of the tissue somewhere in the breast. Any change in breast size or shape can be due to either non-cancerous conditions or cancer. For example, if one breast becomes more pendulous or the nipples are at different levels, cancer is a possibility. Swelling or edema occurs where the tumor is which causes the ligaments in the breast tissue to pull on the overlying skin causing dimpling of the skin. This is highly suggestive of breast cancer.

Other symptoms that may indicate the possibility of breast cancer are a redness of the skin over a portion of the breast, dimpling of the skin, an orange peel appearance on the skin, redness or scaliness of the nipple, or nipple pain or retraction (turning inward). When the tumor spreads along the ducts, it may pull on the nipple, causing it to invert or turn inward. When tumor cells are multiplying rapidly, they need extra blood supply. A woman may notice more prominent veins running across the breast than usual.

If the early symptoms are ignored and the lump grows to a large size, the skin may become ulcerated, become infected and have a bad odor. This is called ulceration and fungation. In the most advanced cases, the normal lymph drainage is blocked, causing the entire arm to swell in a condition called lymphedema. It is most unfortunate if breast cancer advances to any of these of signs and symptoms. Women who do a breast self exam every month are able to detect changes in the density of the tissue much more easily than a woman who does not know her breast well.

Breast cancer can also be present with no physical symptoms, but still be detectable with a mammogram. A mammogram can detect a small tumor two years before a lump can be felt with breast examination. This is the reason that a mammogram every year at the age of 40 and over is so important for breast health.

The American Cancer Society’s guidelines for early detection of breast cancer improve the chances for early treatment and cure. They are:

1. Breast Self-Exam: Women age 20 and older should perform a breast self examination every month.
2. Breast Physical Exam: Between the ages of 20 and 39, women should have a clinical breast examination by a health professional every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
3. Mammogram: An annual screening mammogram for women age 40 and older.

A yearly mammogram for women age 40 is the best screening device we have to date to identify breast cancer, even before any of the above signs and symptoms occur. A mammogram can detect a tumor less than 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm whereas a tumor usually cannot be felt until it is 1/2 inch or 1 cm. Also, a mammogram will detect deposits of calcium called calcifications that look like white dots on the x-ray. The calcifications cannot be felt, but many times are indications of a malignancy. Early detection is the key to longer survival and cure.

When do you know it is time to throw the bra away?

A bras life span is as long as the products last in terms of fit, material and also care. Some people who maintain their body weight and have identified their size can use a style or design for a long time but it also depends on how you care for the bra.

Throwing the undergarment into the laundry can damage the bra. The bra is made form a variety of materials for example they can be of laces, spandex mix cottons, silks or from many other man-made fibers such as polyesters or nylons. Hand wash all undergarments and for delicate laces be extra tender when washing. Below you can find some useful tips on how to care for your undergarments.

Check the elasticity of the bra at the shoulder straps and back wing. Should the straps easily slip off your shoulders even after adjusting it to the maximum it shows that the elasticity of the bra straps have weaken. This is also applicable to the back wing whereby the back wings will ride up due to simple movements even after adjusting the hook and eye to its maximum fastening.

Generally, it is good to change as frequent as 3months for bra and every 2 months for panty.

Caring for your bra - the importance

Your bra is very delicate. Lingerie manufacturers select fabrics not just because they look pretty but for their technical qualities too – Softness or elasticity, for example. The more careful you are with your bra, the longer it will retain these qualities.

You should not just throw it in the washing machine with everything else?

• The biggest problem is that a machine wash can stretch the elastic in a bra, and there’s a good chance that it won’t recover after many cycles in the machine.
• The underwire could come out of its casing and damage your machine.
• Wash a molded t-shirt bra in the machine and you could crinkle the foam that gives its’shape.
• Hooks and eyes can get caught in – and damage – any embroideries. The hook and eyes too can attaché itself to other clothes and cause damage to them such as causing a tear.

If you do use a washing machine

Put your bras inside a laundry bag – it’s also a good idea to fasten them first so that there’s less chance of the hook scratching on any lace or embroideries. Set your machine to a delicate cycle on the lowest temperature, and drip dry. Do not dry a bra in the tumble drier!!

Even on a low heat setting, the temperature will damage any elastane in the fabric. Also the padding is likely to shrink and create wrinkles causing a less than smooth t-shirt bra. But it is always best to hand wash lingerie.

Hand washing tips

Wash your bras in cold water, using a delicate detergent. With our lingerie it is best to hand wash the item in cool water. Do not dry clean, bleach, tumble dry or iron the lingerie.