Thermography seems to be the stepchild of early detection. In fact most women haven't even heard of it. There's something wrong with the dessemination of information about this cutting edge technology. It can warn women up to 10 years before a tumor is actually felt. The downside is that it's going to cost you about $200-$300 out of pocket. Why insurance won't pay for this is beyond me. I just had a bright idea! For those who have the ability to put money aside in a flexible spending account for medical expenses not covered by insurance, you can use it for this purpose. For others, it may be more of a challenge.
It seems as though the walks, the runs, the pink tee shirts and bracelets, the money that is raised for breast cancer awareness would include commercials, newspaper and magazine ads for this EASY, NON-INVASIVE, FDA APPROVED and RADIATION FREE screening. And you don't have to wait until you're 40 years old , it can be done as early as let say.....20. Are you getting angry yet?
The last time I was checked it was at 39. My doctor was happy with that number but I wasn't happy with that number, no not I. See my blog entry on the importance of vitamin D. I wanted an optimum level of between 50-70 ng/ml. Well......I had a new test done a couple of weeks ago and it's at 56!! Woo Hoo!
Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium balance and for skeletal growth and bone strength. The major
role is to
improve calcium absorption from the small intestine.
Research shows low levels lead to a higher
incidence of breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian
cancer, as well as multiple myeloma. Patients with Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome may be deficient because they can
neither absorb nor adequately convert the nutrient. Vitamin D supplementation may even decrease symptoms
of depression during the winter months for those that have a problem with seasonal affective disorder.
Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring are good sources of vitamin D.
So again, I urge you, if your doctor hasn't brought up the subject, you must ask him or her for a test and see where your levels are. If they won't do it, I encourage you to find a doctor who will. Most doctors have understood the importance of vitamin d and it's research for the past few years. If they don't, then they haven't been brought up to speed. Now I'm off to celebrate with a nice lunch of salmon salad!
~S~
As I open up my current issue of AARP (I've had my card for several years now), I see a great article from Dr Oz, "24 hours to a longer life". He's known as America's favorite doctor. What I like about him is that he embraces a holistic natural lifestyle. He lists eight things you can do in a 24 hour period of time to add not just years but a quality to our lives. These are easy doable steps that are relatively inexpensive* and not hard to accomplish.
6 AM) Do Yoga, Reduce Stress. He goes on to explain that yoga can repair some of the damage our heart has encountered through the years by lowering our heart rate. This form of exercise can relax the blood vessels and reduce stress.
7 AM) Eat Breakfast, Look Younger~Start the day with oatmeal, not sugary cereals or donuts. Sugar has a way of attacting the collagen and elastin in our skin and it can AGE us. I've heard this before but it really made an impact on me today for some reason. I need all of the collagen and elastin I can get! Oatmeal is still super cheap and it raises blood sugar slowly. He says to add eggs in for the protein benefit. I'm cutting out eggs so I"ll skip that.
10 AM) Snack on Berries Help Stave Off Cancer~There are certain foods that starve cancer and berries are one of those foods. They contain antioxidants which reduce inflammation and oxidation. What gives them their red or purple or blue color is anthocyanins. In laboratory studies, anthocyanins inhibit growth of lung,
colon and leukemia cancer cells without affecting growth of healthy
cells. Decreased cancer development is also seen in animals given
anthocyanins. That sounds like natures chemo to me.
12 PM) Take a Walk, Build Muscle~ 15 min in the sun is what we need to get our daily dose of vitamin d. We may get it from a pill, but getting it from good ole' Mister Sun is natures intention. The simple act of walking helps build muscle mass.
3:30 PM) Take A Break, Supercharge Your Cells~The title says it all. He also suggests the Chinese herb astragalus as well.
6:00 PM) Eat Fish for Dinner, Boost Your Brain Health~Twice a week we should eat a 4-5 oz serving of an oily fish like salmon, tuna, sardines. The Omega 3 fatty acids in the fish help boost your memory. He also states that for memory, we should add 400mg of alpha-lipoic acid daily, 500mg of acetlyl L-cartinine twice daily and 500mg gingko daily with your meals. The supplements may keep your brain young and your memory sharp. Reduce your intake of processed meats, yes, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs. They contain nitrates which is linked to Alzheimer's disease and Cancer. In fact I would go so far as to say eliminate them entirely from your diet. It's actually lethal to the human body and we can do without them!
8:00 PM) Have Sex, Live Longer~Preliminary studies suggest that frequent sex might add years to your life. I'm just going to refer you to this site that gives us a great list of why sex is a life extender. It's not just for making babies (anymore).
10:00 PM) Hit the Sack Early, Reset Your Internal Clock~Simply put, get your 7-8 hours a night. When you don't get enough sleep your body goes into a state of stress.He sites new research that the aspirin some are prescribed to take for their heart health has more impact if taken at bedtime. And yes, we need to get to bed around 10 (or 11ish). Whatever time you go, it needs to add up to 7-8 hours of sleep on the other end.
*Wild Caught Fish is a bit pricey, but well worth the extra $$. Read here for the difference between farm raised and wild. If you're a vegan, then this obviouly isn't a part of what you would do.
Here is a seven-minute exercise routine from Dr. Oz. Simple enough for most, if not we can keep doing it until it becomes easy. I'm going to do it every day for the next week and see how I like it. I can take 7 min away from the computer and spend stretching it out.
I'd love to hear any of your self care strategies or techniques. I'll report on my Dr Oz exercise routine.
So in my quest to understand the lymphatic system and be more knowledgeable about how it relates to breast health, I've decided to stop searching the internet and asking questions and take the big plunge. On October 15th, I'm taking classes to become a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. It's an intensive 11 day class in Charlotte, NC. I get to stay with my son, daughter-in-law and grand baby. Hopefully, I won't be much of an imposition to them since I'll be in class all day. I'll cook a few of their favorite dishes and maybe I'll earn my keep.
I've learned so much already in preparation for the class. With this certification, I'm going to set up programs and talks for women and take this show on the road (well, just in my hometown for starters).
Sometimes women have lymph nodes taken from under their armpit when they have breast cancer. In turn, that arm will swell with lymph fluid that has no place to go. That's where I come in. As a lymphedema therapist, I'll know how to drain that arm, bandage or use compression sleeves to get that arm as close to normal size as possible.
Lymphatic Drainage is also good for relieving headaches, pre and post surgery (especially liposuction procedures), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, edema, and for one of the most important things, detoxing the body.
Stay tuned as I bring more information about my class, what I'm learning and what it can do for you!
Hi everyone, I've been away, well not really. The lazy bug bit me and as you see I haven't posted since January. But fear not, I'm in the laboratory concocting my Herbal Breast Massage Oil and working on a new label. I also have a few other things in the works. I've gotten a new resolve to continue on with this blog as well as my work with Holistic Breast Health and Other Self Care Techniques. My heart has been burdened with all of the challenges that women face when it comes to their breast health and just health in general.
So here's a video from Dr. Tenpenny. She's a foremost authority on holistic health, and has extensive information on vaccine awareness. Get a pen and paper. She gives us a short list of supplements that target breast health.
So I had my mammogram. Just the thought of this machine gives me the "hebbie jebbies"! But I got through it and received my letter five days later saying they were pleased to inform me that the results of my mammogram exam were normal. Whew! There's got to be a better way....well actually there is. I don't know about better, but another way. A way not invasive, FDA approved, and can detect breast cancer up to 10 years before a mammogram can. Of course your insurance probably won't pay for it (that's another discussion). I'm thinking though....maybe it will qualify under your flexible spending account and you could be reimbursed for it that way. Thermography, is digital infared imaging based on detecting the heat produced by increased blood vessel
circulation and metabolic changes associated with a tumor’s genesis and
growth. Here's a link to the breast thermography website. It will lead you to a thermograpy center hopefully close to you. My goal is get to the thermography center in 2011.
There have been studies and growing concerns over toxic
chemicals in our cleaning products and the links to breast cancer. Of course
any time you hear the word toxic you can
translate that to poison. Ok, so I can point you to pages and pages of information
about chemicals in the products we use and what they do to the body. Any of us
in our right mind, if we really pay attention to what we have in our cabinets
and use on a regular basis and line it up with the safety data we can only draw
one conclusion. All of this "stuff" is bad! Some people are more
sensitive than others and get reactions right away, and some don't. Those that
get reactions most of the time don't realize what is causing the problem and go
to the doctor with ailments and conditions and are given medication ('cause
what else can a doctor do?).
Here’s a scenario, you get up in the morning, brush your teeth with
toothpaste that has a warning label that reads and I quote..”If more than used
for brushing is accidentally swallowed get medical help or contact a Poison Control
Center right away”
Did you realize that the toothpaste you use says that? Did you tell your
children to let you know if they swallow some because it could be poisonous?
You may use mouthwash because that’s going to really get your breath springtime
fresh. Then you wash your face with soap or some sort of cleansing cream
with a few ingredients you can’t pronounce or now come to realize is on the
list of toxic chemicals. Use a moisturizer (chemicals), makeup, face, eyes, and
lips. Then you look down and realize the sink and the toilet need cleaning
right quick, so you do that with your favorite cleaners, spray with a nice air
freshener and you inhale because it smells sooo good! I could go on and on, but
if you go through your day and think about all of the products and chemicals
you are exposed to, you will come to realize that it’s a whole heck of a lot of
chemicals! And we haven’t even talked about food yet!
So back to the issue of breast health. There was a study
done by The Silent Spring Institute
on the use of household chemicals and the incidence of breast cancer. I want
you to look all over this website. The gist of the matter in simple terms is
that there are lots of chemicals that mimic estrogen (xenoestrogens) in the
body. ***Estrogen is a
naturally occurring female reproductive hormone. Before the body can use
estrogen, it must bind to proteins called estrogen receptors.
One of the jobs of estrogen is to stimulate cell growth in breast tissue.
Estrogen receptors are located there. When the estrogen fits into the estrogen
receptor, the estrogen signals the cells to divide and multiply. The
estrogen cannot tell the difference between healthy cells and cancerous cells
and attaches to estrogen receptors in both types of cells. Cancer cells
can multiply very rapidly and they are stimulated even more by estrogen. An
over abundance of estrogen results in hormonal disruption. Then you have your
breast cancers, uterine cancer, fibroid tumors, endometriosis, fibrocystic
breasts, children reaching puberty too soon (you’ve seen them), decreased sex
drive, foggy thinking, memory loss…the list goes on and on.
When you hear the words eco-friendly products and you think that’s just for
health nuts. You may want to consider that you may not just be doing something
good for the environment, but more importantly your health and the health of
your loved ones.
Once upon a time it used to be expensive to buy
eco-friendly cleaning products Since being “green” is like the coolest thing
you can be, Clorox and
companies that made the really bad stuff have suddenly jumped on the
bandwagon and and now produce non toxic cleaners as well. You can be
industrious and make some of your own. There are plenty of blogs out there like
Healthychild.org
that can share safe, easy options for cleaning your home
