Here’s the good news about breast cancer: No matter what age you are now, or what generation you belong to, it’s not too early, or too late, to take steps to avoid the disease. And recent research has given you more ways — and more effective ones — to do just that.  Here are 9 ways to outsmart breast cancer, from Good Housekeeping.

1. Watch Out for Weight Creep

If you could still fit into your high school prom dress (with Spanx, if necessary), you’re in good shape in more ways than one. Women who have gained between 21 and 30 pounds since age 18 have a 40 percent increased risk of breast cancer compared with those who have put on five or fewer pounds, an American Cancer Society (ACS) study found for non-HRT users. Interestingly, this was true even if the low-gainers weren’t at a perfect weight when they were young. That’s because a rise in overall body fat is tied to an increase in circulating insulin and estrogen levels — both of which are linked to breast cancer risk. No way your prom dress would fit today? “Taking off just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can make a difference,” says the ACS’s Colleen Doyle, M.S., R.D. If you weigh 160, that’s only eight to 16 pounds.

2. Embrace Cauliflower

You wouldn’t think that the benefits of fruits and veggies would be in question, but…While experts agree that eating loads of produce is good for your overall health, when it comes to specific protection against breast cancer, evidence has been shakier. Recent research, however, does seem to show that adopting a pattern of eating that includes lots of fruits and vegetables is beneficial. When Colorado State University scientists took a second look at the famed Singapore study — the research that initially pointed to the pluses of an Asian-style diet — they found that even among Chinese women, those who ate a more “vegetable-fruit-soy” diet had a lower risk of breast cancer than women whose plates contained less of these. The vegetables that seemed to do the most good: the cabbage family — cabbage itself, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale.

3. Back Away from the Bar

No one’s advocating a return to Prohibition, but the reality is that the more alcohol you consume, the greater your odds of getting breast cancer — possibly because it raises estrogen levels. “I tell my patients that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a glass of wine at a party, but you do need to consider that your risk increases with every drink you have,” says cancer prevention and detection specialist Therese Bevers, M.D., of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The consensus among health groups: Limit consumption to one drink or less per day.

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