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“I was in bed with my boyfriend when he suddenly stopped touching me and got this weird look on his face,” remembers Dana, 26, an executive assistant. “When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that he felt something strange in my left breast—something that felt like a lump.” Dana says the word lump just hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. When she frantically began feeling around for herself, Dana discovered that there were actually a bunch of lumps. “I tried to convince myself that I was too young to get breast cancer, but in the back of my mind, I was worried that I was going to die.” A quick visit to her doctor’s office revealed that the lumps were just a normal side effect of her monthly cycle, but the initial panic she felt proved an important point: Dana didn’t know squat about her breasts.

And she’s not alone. Most young women aren’t nearly as acquainted with their breasts or how to care for them as they should be. To help put an end to that trend, we’ve boiled down tons of new and important data to five easy healthy breast habits. Adopt them to ensure that two of your most alluring assets continue looking and feeling awesome.

Wise Up About What to Eat and Drink
What you put in your mouth certainly affects how your body looks, but adhering to good nutrition is also a major factor in how it functions. If you haven’t tried a healthy appetizer called Edamame, run—don’t walk—to your nearest Japanese restaurant and chow down. Why? Edamame, otherwise known as steamed soy beans, is one of the cancer-fighting foods of the moment. “Some studies suggest that soy is protective against breast cancer,” says Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. The reason, some researchers believe, is that it may inhibit the production of tyrosine kinase, an enzyme that promotes cancer cell growth.

Incorporating soy into your diet in other ways is simple. “Add tofu—a porous form of soy that takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in—to chili, stir-fry dishes, and soup,” suggests Doyle. Can’t get psyched up for a food that, quite frankly, resembles a sponge? Fear not—there are more appetizing alternatives, such as soy milk, yogurt, even soy-based veggie burgers.

And soy’s not the only breast-friendly food you should stock in your fridge. Another good bet: Broccoli sprouts, which boast more of a cancer-fighting element called sulphoraphan than mature broccoli. But it’s a smart idea to load up on fruits and veggies in a variety of colors, which are packed with antioxidants.

In the drink department, go for tomato juice or green tea, which are both packed with cancer-fighting compounds. Reach for 1 and 2 percent milk instead of skim because conjugated linoleic acid, found in milk fat, has been shown to fight cancer cells in animal studies. And watch your alcohol intake. “Most studies show that having more than two drinks a day can increase the risk of breast cancer,” says Yuqing Zhang, M.D. In fact, research shows that women who have two to five drinks a day may have up to 40 percent higher risk of breast cancer than nondrinkers. So if you’re going to indulge, do it in moderation.

Check Yourself but Not More Than Once a Month
You’ve probably already heard (about a zillion times) that doing a breast self-exam (BSE) is the single best way to detect a lump or abnormality. What you might not know is many doctors recommend that you do it only once a month. A recent British study suggests that performing self-exams too frequently may promote anxiety, because women mistake clinical breast changes for cancer, which in turn makes them more fearful of checking themselves and less effective when they do.

But examining yourself so infrequently makes it all the more imperative than you do it right. The best time, experts say, is about a week after your period begins. If you do it before or during menstruation, your breasts may be more lumpy because of the increased amount of estrogen, making detection of malignant lumps more difficult.

To ensure that you’re doing the exam correctly, ask your gynecologist for a demonstration during your next annual exam or log on to www.women.com/health/breast-cancer/self-exam.html for a detailed how-to lesson. Some hot-off-the-press pointers: Use the flat side of your fingers to feel around. “With the fingertips, it’s easy to confuse glands and ducts with lumps,” says Mary Kay Beard, M.D. “With the flat side, you can get a better sense of something hard and thick.” Stress-saving tip: Opt to do a BSE at the beginning of the week only. “If you examine yourself on a Friday, and discover something new and unusual,” says Kevin Hughes, M.D., “you’ll torture yourself all weekend before you have a chance to check in with your doctor.”

You may even want to consider enlisting the man in your life to help (we’re sure he won’t mind). “I had one patient whose husband came in and asked us to show him how to do the exam because his wife would not do it,” says Dr. Beard. “Whatever works, as long as it gets done.”

Concentrate on the Upper and Outer Corners
It’s a fact: The majority of lumps—41 percent—are found in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast—the region nearest your armpit. Although you should examine the surface thoroughly, this specific area deserves special attention because it’s where the largest proportion of breast tissue is concentrated. But prepare yourself—you may find a lump since “50 percent of young women have fibrocystic breasts—the technical term for breasts that are normally lumpy,” explains Dr. Hughes.

That said, it’s crucial to be able to tell the difference between normal lumps and ones that are legitimately alarming. Fibroadenomas—benign masses of tissue caused by monthly hormonal fluctuations—crop up just before your period, then miraculously disappear once it’s over. “They’re the most common kind of lumps found in women in their 20s,” explains Dr. Hughes. They feel rubbery and will slip away when you press on them, whereas a potentially malignant lump is more inflexible, feels hard and solid, and is still there after your period. The bottom line: Don’t freak the second you feel a lump. Though malignant lumps located in the breasts of young women have been shown to be more aggressive, women in their 20s are at the lowest risk for getting breast cancer.

Don’t Neglect Your Nipples
Nipples are notorious for signaling chilly temperatures, but those beaming headlights actually provide you with some important health hints. Six months ago, Alannah, 25, a newspaper reporter, got a lesson in just how fear-inspiring they could be when she woke up one morning with a brown stain on her nightshirt directly over her right breast. “I asked my mom if it was normal, and she became really nervous, which freaked me out,” remembers Alannah, who was more than a little relieved to find out that the culprit of the curious discharge was just a blocked duct that her doctor said would clear up on its own.

And though Alannah’s fright turned out to be false alarm, she was smart to have herself checked out. Though rarely a sign of cancer, any strange areola activity should be seen by a doctor. In most cases, discharge can indicate an infection. Any red, irritated, or scaly skin should always be analyzed. It may signal a form of very slow-growing cancer called Paget’s disease, but the most likely diagnosis is a simple—and curable—case of eczema or just dry skin.

Banish Breast Soreness
Breast cancer isn’t the only breast concern. Like most women, 27-year-old Miranda, a marketing assistant, thought mammary misery—soreness, swelling, and pain—was a thing she had to put up with. “Right before I got my period, it would hut just to roll over in bed,” says Miranda. “I had to sleep with a pillow tucked underneath them.” And what happened when Miranda’s boyfriend reached out and touched her tender ta-tas? “I’d have to pull back, cringing from the pain. He felt bad; I felt worse—the whole situation just sucked.”

When Miranda complained to her doctor about her pre-menstrual problem, she was shocked that he had solutions: “He recommended that I cut down on caffeine and take vitamin E supplement every day,” says Miranda. “Believe it or not, it made a world of difference. I still get a little uncomfortable, but let’s just say my hands-off policy in the bedroom is now a thing of the past.”

In addition to taking 400 to 800 IUs of vitamin E each day—which, according to Lillie Shockeny, director of education and outreach for Johns Hopkins Breast Center in Baltimore, has been shown to cut cyclical breast pain—you may want to search the shelves of your local pharmacy or health-food store for evening primrose oil. Taking 500 milligrams three times a day reportedly reduces symptoms, according to Dr. Hughes. Both appear to work like anti-inflammatories.

Lastly, java junkies might want to consider cutting back, since caffeine causes water retention, which makes your breasts feel fuller and achier. In extreme cases, your gyno may prescribe danzanol and bromocriptine, which help control the hormonal fluctuations that can bring on a bout of breast pain.

Can Rough Sex Hurt Your Rack?
Worried his passionate pressing will leave a lasting impression? Read on for reassurance:

For the most part, playful breast squeezing and biting in the bedroom is perfectly harmless. But rougher rubbing could lead to bruising and temporary numbness because breast tissue is delicate, says Suzanne Trupin, M.D. But even if your breasts do end up slightly sore and/or black-and-blue after a wilder-than-usual night of wrestling between the sheets, it’s unlikely that there’d be any permanent damage. Just tell your overly enthusiastic lover to take the tweaking down a notch. The one time you see a doctor? If numbness persists for more than a few hours, which in rare cases could indicate the presence of a breast mass or swelling of the lymph nodes.
—Betsy Stephens