You can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer

Don'ts
Keep eating a high-fat diet
An unhealthy, high-fat diet, can lead to obesity, which is a big risk factor. Lose 10 pounds (and keep it off!) between the ages of 18 and 30 and you'll reduce your chances of developing breast cancer by a whopping 65 per cent, according to a recent study in the Breast Cancer Research journal. Aim for a diet that is balanced and naturally lower in fats, as a lot of low-fat foods use artificial sweeteners and chemicals to bulk up their products, which is almost just as bad as a high-fat diet. Trans-fatty acids are bad fats and are used in cakes, cookies and processed foods. Monounsaturated fats are good fats, which are naturally occurring, and are found in avocados, nuts, fish and seeds.

Change your sleeping habits constantly
Melatonin is particularly important in regulating your internal body clock and preventing breast cancer. If you go to bed before 10pm, then the natural rise of melatonin will reach its highest level. Night owls who work the night shift have a 50 per cent higher incidence of breast cancer, which is believed to be a result of their low melatonin levels. Melatonin decreases the production of baddy estradiol and decreases the release of two breast cancer growth factors, prolactin and epidermal growth factor. So go to bed by 10pm and get up by 6am. The natural daily fluctuations in your hormones are optimal when you keep to this schedule.

Take your car everywhere
Women who exercise regularly have a 20 per cent reduction in risk, with stronger effects if you've gone through menopause, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Moderate exercise, such as walking, cycling or swimming five times a week for 30 minutes had the greatest effect. Dr Anne McTiernan, who led the study, said the benefits are greatest for women of low to normal weight and even those who are slightly overweight. It's always easy to find an excuse not to exercise, so that's why you have to substitute a current action with physical activity - say leave your car at home one day a week and cycle to work instead, or walk to the shops and take the bus back, rather than driving both ways.

Think that extra drink won't hurt
Scientists from Cancer Research UK have calculated that a woman's risk of breast cancer rises by six per cent for each extra alcoholic drink she consumes on an average daily basis. One unit is equivalent to half a pint of beer, a glass of wine or a measure of spirits. The recommended weekly allowance for women is 14 units, so beware binge drinkers or if your job includes a lot of entertaining clients.

Contact Genisis UK, the country's only charity dedicated to breast cancer prevention, on 0870 623 000 or www.genesisuk.org