Exercise and good eating are not only a one-two punch for better health. This powerful duo also lowers your risk of developing breast cancer. Or, if you are diagnosed with it, exercise and a healthy diet can increase your odds of beating the disease.

Here’s five things you can do to boost breast health:

1. Maintain a healthy weight

The relationship between obesity and breast cancer is not fully understood, but we know it’s important for women to keep a healthy weight to reduce risk.

The production of the hormone, estrogen, in women’s fat tissue after menopause is a major factor. In obese women, estrogen-sensitive breast cancer tissues are exposed to more estrogen than in women of a healthy weight. This can stimulate the growth and progression of breast cancer.

Also, a recent study found that women who are obese — with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher — tend to have more advanced disease at the time their breast cancer is diagnosed than women with a BMI below 25. These women are also at greater risk for the disease spreading and are more likely to die of breast cancer. Breast cancer survivors who are obese also run a greater risk of the disease coming back.

2. Exercise 30 minutes a day, at least four to five days each week

Women who are physically active are 25 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who are sedentary. Research shows that regular exercise can help prevent breast cancer by boosting immune function, warding off obesity, and lowering levels of estrogen and insulin.

Along with helping you maintain your weight, exercise can also improve bone mass, which is a critical issue for breast cancer survivors who have undergone chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. These medications are tied to lower bone mineral density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Whether you’re trying to prevent breast cancer, are fighting breast cancer, or have survived breast cancer, exercise can help. Walking is the easiest type of exercise to maintain.

3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Have at least five to eight servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, watermelon and whole grains are cancer-fighting foods.

Increase omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in walnuts, fish, soybeans and pumpkin seeds. Avoid refined sugars and fats. 

It is believed that good nutrition can help protect against a host of cancers, including breast cancer, and can slow or prevent the disease’s progression or recurrence.

4. Limit alcohol to one drink per day

Women who drink more than one alcoholic beverage per day — even just two drinks — are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have three or more drinks per week after being diagnosed with breast cancer run a greater risk that their breast cancer will recur.

5. Take your vitamins, especially vitamin D

Women with low levels of vitamin D may run a greater risk of developing breast cancer, and breast cancer survivors with low vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of disease recurrence.  The best source of vitamin D  is from the sun,   so women who don’t get a lot of daily sun exposure  can be deficient in vitamin D.

Have your vitamin D level checked. If your levels are low, talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D3 supplement.

Your health is in your hands

By making these five healthy habits part of your life, you not only fight breast cancer but many other cancers and diseases while enjoying more energy, lower stress levels and better moods.

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