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The Decline of Play and Rise in Children’s Mental Disorders

hunger_games1

There’s a reason kids are more anxious and depressed than ever.
Posted Jan 26, 2010

Rates of depression and anxiety among young people in America have been increasing steadily for the past 50 to 70 years. Today, by at least some estimates, five to eight times as many high school and college students meet the criteria for diagnosis of major depression and/or anxiety disorder as was true half a century or more ago. This increased psychopathology is not the result of changed diagnostic criteria; it holds even when the measures and criteria are constant.

The most recent evidence for the sharp generational rise in young people’s depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders comes from a just-released study headed by Jean Twenge at San Diego State University.[1] Twenge and her colleagues took advantage of the fact that the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), a questionnaire used to assess a variety of mental disorders, has been given to large samples of college students throughout the United States going as far back as 1938, and the MMPI-A (the version used with younger adolescents) has been given to samples of high school students going as far back as 1951. The results are consistent with other studies, using a variety of indices, which also point to dramatic increases in anxiety and depression—in children as well as adolescents and young adults—over the last five or more decades.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201001/the-decline-play-and-rise-in-childrens-mental-disorders

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Van Neste Memorial Park Lighting Project in Ridgewood

Van Neste Memorial Park Lighting Project

photos by Boyd Loving

October 18,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, residents came out to see and participate in the creation of a new era of illumination in the park at the heart of Ridgewood. The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands hosted a demonstration of Phase I of their lighting and audio project at MEMORIAL PARK AT VAN NESTE SQUARE on Monday, October 17 at 7:30 pm.

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The Conservancy stated prior to the event ,”We will be turning on the lighting in the trees, on our pathways, and on our Historic Memorials for just this one evening, to give you a special demonstration of what the park will look like once Phase II is completed in the spring. We look forward to showing you a magnificent transformation of the park that will ultimately allow the community to host events throughout the year. This gift will be a meaningful to both the residents and the Central Business District, drawing our community together and benefiting all.”

The Van Neste Lighting Project is a collaboration of the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands with lighting design firm Jan & Brooke, Luminae and the International Landscaping Lighting Institute.

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Haiti and Africa Projects Shed Light on Clinton’s Public-Private Web

clinton cash

By MIKE McINTIREOCT. 16, 2016

As chief of staff and counselor to Hillary Clinton at the State Department, Cheryl Mills worked ceaselessly to help a South Korean garment maker open a factory in Haiti, the centerpiece of United States government efforts to jump-start the island nation’s economy after the 2010 earthquake.

Ms. Mills took the lead on smoothing the way for the company, Sae-A Trading, which secured millions of dollars in incentives to make its Haiti investment more attractive, despite criticism of its labor record elsewhere. When she presided over the project’s unveiling in September 2010, she introduced Sae-A’s chairman, Woong-ki Kim, as the most important person at the ceremony, which included Mrs. Clinton and the Haitian prime minister.

Mr. Kim would later become important to Ms. Mills in a far more personal way — as a financial backer of a company she started after leaving the State Department in 2013. The company, BlackIvy Group, is pursuing infrastructure projects in Tanzania and Ghana, the only African nations in the “Partnership for Growth,” an Obama administration initiative that Mrs. Clinton helped initiate that promotes investment in developing countries.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/us/hillary-clinton-cheryl-mills.html?_r=0

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UPDATE: Full Rail Service Resumes into Hoboken Terminal Today, Monday, October 17, 2016

Ridgewood Train Station
photo by ArtChick
October 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ticket Office will resume operation in the Terminal on Saturday. Monday’s schedule will be available online after 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 15.

On Monday, October 17 at 4 a.m., NJ TRANSIT will open six more tracks at Hoboken Terminal restoring full train service into and out of Hoboken Terminal.

Customers should note that there also will be some reconfiguration of paths of travel to account for the change in access points.

For the morning peak period, Tracks 1 through 4 and Tracks 7 and 8 will re-open. Customers may access Tracks 1 through 4 through the external walkway near PATH and Tracks 7 and 8 via the Main Terminal.

Tracks 5 and 6 will remain closed as NJ TRANSIT advances ongoing repair and recovery work.

Customers may experience some delays as NJ TRANSIT personnel work with construction crews to clear the area. Congested conditions in certain locations may also be expected at the terminal with the loss of space around tracks 5 and 6.

View printable schedules HERE..

Please Note:

As repair work continues at the terminal, customers are advised to stay clear of all work areas.

The Hoboken Terminal waiting room, Customer Service office, and restrooms will be open.

Ticket Vending Machines located in the waiting room will be fully operational.

Customers can download the NJ TRANSIT App and sign up for MyTix to purchase their tickets.

Bus, Light Rail, and Additional Services

NJ TRANSIT bus, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, PATH and NY Waterway also continue to operate in and out of Hoboken on their regular routes and schedules.

NJ TRANSIT would like to thank its customers for their continued patience and support

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RIDGEWOOD YMCA TO HOST MOLLY DOOKER WINES TASTING EVENT AND RECEPTION ON OCTOBER 17

MOLLY DOOKER WINES
Mon, October 17, 2016
Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Park West Loft, 30 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood YMCA will host a special Wine Tasting Event and Reception featuring award winning wine producer, Mollydooker Wines, on October 17th at 7:00pm at the Park West Loft in Ridgewood. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ridgewood YMCA’s Good Works Programs.

The evening will include modern American fare presented by the Park West Loft.

Mollydooker Wines, based in McLaren Vale, South Australia, is owned and operated by the dedicated husband and wife team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis(both are lefties; Mollydooker is Aussie slang for being left-handed). Mollydooker Wines have garnered numerous accolades and honors in recent years, including winning Top 10 Wine of the Year awards from Wine Spectator. Mollydooker Wine’s Sparky Marquis and his son, Luke will be presenting at the October 17 event.

Gary Imhoff, Director of Marketing and Membership for the Ridgewood YMCA, said “We’re very honored to welcome Sparky and Luke Marquis to Ridgewood and are looking forward to a great event! We hope the community will come out and sample some terrific Mollydooker Wines and help to support the Ridgewood YMCA’s Good Works Programs”.

The Ridgewood YMCA’s Good Works Program touch the lives of thousands in the community each year and include Living Strong, Living Well, a 12-week strength and fitness program developed by Stanford University for cancer patients and survivors and Rainbows, a peer support group for children who have experienced a painful family transition such as divorce, separation death or abandonment.

Tickets for the event are $125 and available online at www.ridgewoodymca.org/mollydooker or by contacting Jen Batelli at 201.444.5600 x320 or via email at [email protected].

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Hillary Clinton’s war on faith

MT

By Marc Thiessen

October 15, 2016

In a speech not long before she launched her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton made a stunning declaration of war on religious Americans. Speaking to the 2015 Women in the World Summit, Clinton declared that “deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

Religious beliefs have to be changed? This is perhaps the most radical statement against religious liberty ever uttered by someone seeking the presidency. It is also deeply revealing.

Clinton believes that, as president, it is her job not to respect the views of religious conservatives but to force them to change their beliefs and bend to her radical agenda favoring taxpayer-funded abortion on demand.

This is the context in which we must read a recently released trove of e-mails — which, according to WikiLeaks, come from the accounts of Clinton staff — showing the rampant anti-Catholic bigotry that permeates Clinton World.

In a 2012 e-mail WikiLeaks says was sent to John Podesta, now chairman of the Clinton campaign, Voices for Progress president Sandy Newman writes that “there needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church” and proposed the Clinton team “plant the seeds of the revolution” to change Catholic teaching.

Podesta replies, “We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this . . . Likewise Catholics United.”

https://nypost.com/2016/10/15/hillary-clintons-war-on-faith/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=facebook

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Reminder : October 18th – last day to register to vote for the General 2016 Election

Vote Ridgewood NJ

file photo Dana Glazer

October 16,2016

BERGEN COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES ANNOUNCE EXTENDED HOURS

In a joint effort to accommodate constituents and encourage greater voter participation in the upcoming 2016 General Election, the Offices of the Bergen County Clerk, the Superintendent of Elections and the Board of Elections will be available during extended night and weekend hours.

The County Election Offices will be open for extended hours on:

Wednesday, October 12th, 2016          9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

*Tuesday, October 18th, 2016              9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (*only for voter registration)

Thursday, October 20th, 2016               9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday October 29th, 2016                 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 5th, 2016                         9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 6th, 2016                9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The increased availability is intended to encourage In-Person Vote-by-Mail and voter registration.

Important 2016 Election Dates to remember:

  • October 18th – last day to register to vote for the General 2016 Election.
  • November 1st – deadline to apply for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail.
  • November 7th at 3:00pm – Last opportunity to Vote-By-Mail in person at the Bergen County Clerk’s Office.
  • November 8th at 8:00pm – Vote by mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by the closing of the polls.
  • Tuesday, November 8th – General election (polls open 6am-8pm)For more information Contact:

    Office of the Bergen County Clerk – 201-336-7020

    Lauren M. Zyriek, Deputy County Clerk

    Jennifer Testi, Deputy Supervisor of Elections

    Superintendent of Elections – 201-336-6109

    Patricia DiCostanzo, Superintendent of Elections

Theresa Mullins O’Connor, Deputy Superintendent of Elections

Board of Elections – 201-336-6230

Eileen K. DeBari, Chairwoman

Richard Miller, Secretary, Commissioner

Jamie Sheehan-Willis, Commissioner

Paul A. Juliano, Commissioner

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Tribute to Women of Influence :Bergen County’s Most Prestigious Women’s Recognition Event Set for December 1, 2016

YWCA TWIN
Bergen County’s Most Prestigious Women’s Recognition Event Set for December 1, 2016

The Chance to Nominate The Women Who Have Made the Difference to You and Your Organization!

October 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, YWCA Bergen County has announced it is accepting nominations from corporate and community leaders for its Tribute to Women of Influence (TWIN) program. Meantime, the YW has put forth its own honorees, founder and managing consultant of KEY HR Consulting, LLC and Mocha Moms member Tanisha Russell Day and owner and President of Belvedere Building and Contracting, Mary Anne Belvedere.
“We are so thrilled that both Tanisha and Mary Anne have agreed to stand with us and be part of the TWIN class of 2016,” said YWCA Bergen County CEO Helen Archontou. “It is such an honor to have pay tribute to these incredible women. We are equally excited as we anticipate nominees coming forward from the various corporations and organizations in Bergen County.”
The 41-year old tradition, designed to turn the spotlight on women of extraordinary achievement and contribution, will continue on December 1, 2016 (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.) at The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ.

The keynote speaker is Joann Lublin Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and management news editor at The Wall Street Journal and author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World

But, as always, the stars of the event are the year’s TWIN honorees, who will share the spotlight in recognition of their achievements and work in their communities.
For more information and to take part in this important and time-honored observance, contact Mary Eastwood, [email protected].

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Composting Could Help Reduce Yard Waste in Ridgewood

Yardwasteticket1 theridgewoodblog.net

file photo by Boyd Loving

October 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, this is the second article in a series from the staff of the Ridgewood on reducing yard waste . Composting is simple and easy . According to the College of Agriculture , Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, a compost pile is a teeming microbial farm. The microbes in a compost pile go to work for you, breaking down leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable waste, and other organic matter.

Mixing compost material into your yard or garden loosens heavy clay soils, allowing better root penetration and improving plant growth. It also improves the infiltration and percolation of water through the soil, improves a sandy soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients, and may help add essential nutrients to any soil.

Plus, it improves the health of your plants by improving the soil; provides a natural, healthy way to dispose of organic-matter wastes; creates a healthy environment for earthworms; reduces the need to buy trash bags and soil conditioners; and reduces disposal costs in towns that charge for hauling yard waste.

To set up a compost pile, begin by removing the grass and sod cover from the area where you plan to put it. Place a layer of chopped brush or other coarse material on top of the soil surface to allow air circulation around the base of the heap.

Next, mix together moistened leaves, grass clippings or sawdust, and manure or fertilizer. Adding soil is optional, but it can speed up the composting process. Anything that grows in your yard will make good composting material. You can even add bread, coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit, shredded paper, tea leaves, vegetables, and wood chips to the pile.

Materials that should not be put in a compost pile include: bones, cat and dog manure, cheese, chicken, fat, fish scraps, milk, meat, noxious weeds, and oils.

The compost pile should be between 3 and 5 feet high. On top of the compost pile, scoop out a “basin” to catch rain water.

A properly made compost heap will reach a temperature of 140 degrees to 160 degrees F in one to two weeks. At this time, you will notice the pile settling–a good sign that the heap is working properly.

Five to six weeks later, transfer the materials into a new pile. When doing this, turn the outside of the old heap into the center of the new pile. Add water if necessary. You shouldn’t need to turn your heap a second time, unless additional aeration is needed to reduce odor.

The compost material should be ready to use in your yard or garden within three to four months after you first constructed the pile. A heap started in late spring can be ready for use in the autumn. Then you can start another heap in autumn for use in the spring.

Compost is ready to use when it is dark, brown, and crumbly, with an earthy odor. Let it stabilize a few extra days, and screen it through a ½-inch screen if you want the finest product. To use the compost, turn your soil, apply a 1- to 3-inch layer of compost, and work it in well.

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Reader asks if Ridgewood Water can Sue Other Towns for Not Enforcing Water Restrictions ?

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Can Ridgewood Water sue Midland Park & Wyckoff for not enforcing the water department’s restrictions? These towns have no regards for the restrictions and I would love to see how many violations, if any, were filed in theses towns. While Ridgewood residents are getting fined, rightfully so, these towns refused to honor these policies?

October 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Stage II  (Severe) – Mandatory restriction of irrigation to Tuesdays and Saturdays for properties with odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for properties with even-numbered addresses.  No irrigation shall be allowed on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays except for the use of a hand-held hose. Irrigation using a hand held hose shall be allowed at any time.

On July 25th of this year the DEP began  urging residents in the affected areas to voluntarily conserve water and for the rest of the state to practice wise water use due to continued dry weather that is impacting levels in reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams as well as shallow ground water sources.

The drought watch affects the Northeast, Northwest, and Central regions.These regions include all of Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris , Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.

The purpose of the drought watch is to raise public awareness, formally alert all water suppliers in the affected regions, and seek voluntary cooperation to preserve existing supplies.The goal is to moderate demand should dry conditions persist
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What John Podesta’s emails from 2008 reveal about the way power works in the Democratic Party.

JohnPodestaAP

BY DAVID DAYEN

October 14, 2016

The most important revelation in the WikiLeaks dump of John Podesta’s emails has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. The messages go all the way back to 2008, when Podesta served as co-chair of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team. And a month before the election, the key staffing for that future administration was almost entirely in place, revealing that some of the most crucial decisions an administration can make occur well before a vote has been cast.

Michael Froman, who is now U.S. trade representative but at the time was an executive at Citigroup, wrote an email to Podesta on October 6, 2008, with the subject “Lists.” Froman used a Citigroup email address. He attached three documents: a list of women for top administration jobs, a list of non-white candidates, and a sample outline of 31 cabinet-level positions and who would fill them. “The lists will continue to grow,” Froman wrote to Podesta, “but these are the names to date that seem to be coming up as recommended by various sources for senior level jobs.”

The cabinet list ended up being almost entirely on the money. It correctly identified Eric Holder for the Justice Department, Janet Napolitano for Homeland Security, Robert Gates for Defense, Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff, Peter Orszag for the Office of Management and Budget, Arne Duncan for Education, Eric Shinseki for Veterans Affairs, Kathleen Sebelius for Health and Human Services, Melody Barnes for the Domestic Policy Council, and more. For the Treasury, three possibilities were on the list: Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, and Timothy Geithner.

https://newrepublic.com/article/137798/important-wikileaks-revelation-isnt-hillary-clinton

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NTSB: Preliminary Report on Investigation of Hoboken Train Accident Released

Hoboken Train Station Crash

 10/13/2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  The National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday its preliminary report on the investigation of the Sept. 29, 2016, accident involving New Jersey Transit train 1614 at the Hoboken Terminal, Hoboken, New Jersey.

One person died and 110 more were injured when the 400-foot long train, which consisted of a controlling passenger car (cab car), three passenger cars and one locomotive at the rear, failed to stop, overrode a bumping post, and struck a wall of the terminal.

The preliminary report details factual information gained to date in the investigation.  It does not contain analysis and does not state probable cause.  The information contained within the preliminary report is subject to change as data is validated.

The NTSB investigator-in-charge formed the following technical groups to gather information and evidence for the investigation:

Operations
Human Performance
Survival Factors
Signal Systems
Track and Engineering
Mechanical/Equipment
Event/Video Data Recorders

Both the engineer and conductor were interviewed by NTSB investigators.  The emergency response to the accident is being reviewed by investigators as are records for operations, signal systems, mechanical equipment and track and engineering.  Investigators inspected the track structure, signal system and mechanical equipment involved in the accident.

Investigators tested the signal and train control system; the accident route was duplicated with signal alignment and functioned as designed.  The signal system was restored to service with the exception of the damaged signal at the end of track 5, the track upon which the accident happened.

NTSB investigators found the cab car’s electrical communication network – necessary for brake, signal, and propulsion control – was destroyed in the accident.  Conversely, accident damage to the cab car’s air brake system was minor and was repaired for testing.  The train brakes functioned as designed during a friction brake test using the rear locomotive to apply the brakes.

Parties to the investigation include the Federal Railroad Administration, New Jersey Transit, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.

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Garrett Releases New Ad Focusing On Asssult allegations against Gottheimer

Josh Gottheimer

October 13,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Garrett for Congress released a new ad today featuring explosive truths about Josh Gottheimer.

“She worked hard to purchase her very own condo and never imagined what would happen next. It was here that condo board member Josh Gottheimer aggressively intimidated and assaulted her and left her fearful in her own home. She even sought a court order to bar Josh Gottheimer from contact. Scared and violated, the victim had to move to escape Gottheimer’s harassing environment. That’s the real Josh Gottheimer. And his values aren’t New Jersey values.”

Josh Gottheimer , like his mentor Bill Clinton claims to stand for women, but as is so often the case with Clinton cronies, it’s clear that his actions don’t match his words.

Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree , 8 years of the Clinton White House which brought forward a rash of predatory accusations against the former president and in many of these cases, Hillary is believed to have been involved in the political operation that attempted to smear and destroy the reputations of Bill Clinton’s accusers. More than just a tryst with intern Monica Lewinsky and long term relationship with Gennifer Flowers, the list of Clinton accusers runs deep;

Paula Jones: A former Arkansas state employee, Jones sued Bill Clinton in 1994 for sexual harassment. Jones claims that in 1991 then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton propositioned and exposed himself to her in a Little Rock hotel. Clinton eventually settled with Jones out of court for $850,000, but never admitted to any wrongdoing.

Juanita Broaddrick: Broaddrick, a former nursing home administrator, alleges that Bill Clinton, who was running for Arkansas governor at the time, raped her in an Arkansas hotel room in the spring of 1978.

Kathleen Willey: Willey was a White House volunteer aide who, in March of 1998, alleged on the TV news program 60 Minutes that Bill Clinton had sexually assaulted her during his first term as President.

Eileen Wellstone: Wellstone, an English woman, alleges that Clinton sexually assaulted her after she met him at a pub near Oxford University where Clinton was a student in 1969.

Carolyn Moffet: Moffet was a legal secretary in Little Rock in 1979, said she met Governor Clinton at a political fundraiser and was invited to his hotel room. Moffet alleges that she fled the hotel room after Clinton demanded she perform sex acts on him.

Elizabeth Ward Gracen: A Miss Arkansas who would go on to win the Miss America contest in 1982, Gracen alleges that she was forced by Clinton to have sex with him shortly after she won the Miss Arkansas competition.

Becky Brown: Becky Brown was Chelsea Clinton’s nanny. L.D. Brown, an Arkansas State Trooper and Becky’s husband, claims that Clinton attempted to seduce her in while the two were in governor’s mansion.

Helen Dowdy: Dowdy, the wife of one of Hillary’s cousins, alleges that in 1986 Bill Clinton groped her on the dance floor of a wedding.

Cristy Zercher: Zercher was a flight attendant aboard Clinton’s campaign jet from 1991-1992. Zercher told the Star magazine that Clinton groped her for over 40 minutes.

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Simple Steps Women Can Take To Reduce The Odds Of Developing Breast Cancer

Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Month-Activities-1

October 11,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, When it comes to breast-cancer prevention, most women are probably aware of the need for self examinations and mammograms, as well as awareness of a family history for breast cancer.

But other factors that can help women avoid breast cancer may not be as well known, or at least not as often discussed. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this might be the right time to discuss them.

“Although breast cancer is, rightfully, a significant concern, every woman should keep in mind that there are things in her control that can help reduce her odds of developing it,” says Dr. Pawan Grover (www.inovospine.net), who has treated cancer patients and has served as a medical correspondent for CNN and other news organizations.

For example, he says, it’s important to understand the effect estrogen has in increasing your risk of breast cancer – and how you might encounter estrogen more than you realize.

“What many women may not be aware of is that, because of the pesticides and hormones in our food, we are bombarded with estrogen,” Grover says.

That’s why diet, nutrition and exercise can be so important in breast-cancer prevention, he says. That may sound simple enough, but some people could be surprised at a few of the common things people routinely consume that may put women at greater risk for breast cancer.

No need to panic, though, Grover says. These items don’t need to be eliminated entirely from your diet, but a little moderation may be in order.

• Sugar. Many people already avoid sugar for other health reasons, but breast cancer could be added to the list of reasons, so it might be worthwhile to avoid or at least limit sugar intake, Grover says. Too much sugar leads to excess weight gain, and being overweight can increase the risk of breast cancer because fat cells make estrogen.
• Alcohol. Numerous studies have shown a connection between drinking alcohol and breast cancer. The more a woman drinks, the more the risk of breast cancer increases, according to the National Cancer Institute. For example, a woman who drinks more than three drinks a day is 1.5 more times likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who doesn’t drink.
• Soy. Studies have shown that soy could increase the risk of breast cancer because it can stimulate the genes that cause cancer to grow. But soy is likely not a problem if consumed in moderation. Although it’s unclear from research just how much of a concern soy should be, Grover suggests it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. “I would recommend minimizing it because there is still a question about the risk,” he says.

About 12 percent of women – or one in eight – will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, according to Breastcancer.org. About 40,450 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2016 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989.

There could be several reasons for that decline, including treatment advances, early detection and more public awareness.

“Regardless of statistics, the important thing to remember is that you can take a primary role in protecting your own health,” Pawan says. “Continue to educate yourself, adopt an overall healthy lifestyle and your odds of leading a long life will definitely go up.”

About Pawan Grover, M.D.

Dr. Pawan Grover (www.invospine.net), who has more than 20 years of experience as a medical doctor, has served as a medical correspondent for CNN, NBC, CBS and PBS. He is a graduate of the Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.