Research shows that our zip code can be just as important as our genetic code (DNA) in shaping our health. Where we live, work and learn affects our opportunities for physical activity, access to healthy and affordable foods, potential for social engagement and support, and exposure to stressful circumstances.

¡Zero Breast Cancer acaba de terminar de producir La guía de las niñas y la nueva pubertad, una traducción en español de nuestra versión en inglés de Girls’ New Puberty Eguide! Esta guía expande los mensajes en nuestra infografía y en la serie de videos de YouTube. En la página web interactiva, encontrará consejos fáciles para apoyar una pubertad saludable junto con videos, pruebas y enlaces a recursos adicionales. 

While truly every day is a good day to say “I love you” to the special people in your life, Valentine’s Day is a beautiful moment where we may go the extra mile with a special gesture. With over an estimated $18 billion spent annually for the holiday nationwide, it is a wonderful opportunity to vote with your dollars and support healthier options for farmers, workers, and our loved ones who are all a part of this global love story. 

We are excited to share our suggestions for a healthy, safe, and sweet holiday!

My favorite way to mix work and pleasure (or work and health if you prefer) is to walk and talk. I can't exactly do that in a digital medium so I am inviting you to sign up for the Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer and to read more about putting breast cancer risk information into context so that we can talk about it in a realistic way.

Our homes are filled with plastics, and most of us don't really know what they're made of -- or whether they're safe. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together these tips to help you choose better plastics and plastic alternatives for your family:

• Why you should pick plastics carefully.
• How to choose and use safer plastics.
• Finding safer, non-plastic alternatives.

The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) website aims to make the latest scientific findings on the relationship between environmental exposures and breast cancer both accessible and actionable. Consisting of a transdisciplinary consortium of scientists, the BCERP is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). With community partners, the BCERP researchers look at how environmental exposures during key life stages may increase risk of breast cancer. (Full disclosure: ZBC was a community partner in the past.)

When dealing with breast cancer, and looking to prevent breast cancer, the vast amount of information and the decisions that need to be made can be overwhelming. In 1999, Dr. Marisa Weiss, a renowned breast oncologist, founded breastcancer.org to address these needs. As a non-profit organization, breastcancer.org is dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. It is an excellent resource.  Their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast health and breast cancer so that they can make the best decisions for their lives. The people behind breastcancer.org bring with them a diverse set of skills and experience, from medical experts, writers, editors, and business development experts, to designers and web producers. A Professional Advisory Board (PAB) reviews all the medical information on the website. The PAB includes over 70 practicing medical professionals from around the world who are leaders in their fields. Breastcancer.org also provides a Spanish translation of its pages on the website.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.” By providing integrated and detailed information on toxins in a variety of products, EWG encourages readers to advocate for themselves and their health by making educated purchasing decisions. Their staff covers a wide variety of disciplines, including a team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers all focused on reducing our environmental exposures. In the past, they have found that their education efforts have enabled the public to put pressure on companies to remove potentially hazardous chemical ingredients as well as improving their overall practices. Overall, they diligently work to inform the public, provide specific tips to reduce exposure, and influence policy to create a healthier world for us all.

Puberty is the process of growing from a child into an adult. For girls, this happens when the brain tells the ovaries to start making chemicals called "hormones" that help you grow. There are many things that can shape when you start puberty and what it’s like. In this video, "Girls Talk: What is Puberty?," teens share what puberty was like for them so younger girls can learn from their experience. For more videos in this series, click here.

Zero Breast Cancer is excited to share that our Program Director, Catherine Thomsen, is a featured guest on the November 360BayArea podcast. Titled Beyond the Pink, the episode explores the breast cancer topic from unique angles that go beyond the pink ribbon in order to understand genuine and diverse personal experiences of women who are diagnosed or had loved ones who have had breast cancer.