natural girls
Comments
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Patty-can't you opt for the pills? I had to take a ton of them, but it sure beat drinking gunk. I just told the doc I would probably upchuck the gunk and I got the pills. She said I had the cleanest colon so the pills work!
Crunchy- looks like we can keep hope alive about the FDA power grabbing bill:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201012-1.html
It seems the senate tried to put fees in the bill, but only the house is allowed to propose taxes. Now it is time to start leaning on Congress to stop this whole mess. Hopefully, the lame ducks will have so much on their plate, they will not get to this matter. Heck, they still haven't even passed a budget. But then, what does a budget matter to this band of theives. All they do is print more. Sure wish I could do that!
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vivre - I loved the idea of pills so I called the docs office and was told they don't do the pills anymore because of potential liver problems. She said I could use plain water. I am not looking forward to it! Thanks. When are you coming to Ohio?????
Patty
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Ladies, I need your feedback. I met with my Onc today and she wants me on hormone therapy. I already told her I didn't want to do Tamox because I have a dormant clotting disorder. Finally, she agreed that Tamox would not be wise. As I am perimenopausal, she said she had to make sure I was in menopause before Arimidex (which I am not sure I want either!). She said she could remove my ovaries. I said no thank you! She then said she could give me Zolodex to shut down my ovaries and then Arimidex. I have to tell you, this hormone therapy scares me more than the surgery, chemo or radiation! I tried to get her to talk to me in "absolute reduction numbers", but she kept going back to recurrence numbers. From what she says, I would have a 20% recurrence risk without hormones and a 10% with hormones. I asked about DIM as an aromatase inhibitor and she said she didn't know anything about it, no studies. She did say that if I wanted to take it I should take care. She said that if an aromatase inhibitior is taken when ovaries are somewhat functional, it signals the body that estrogen is needed and the body goes into overdrive to produce extra estrogen....obviously not good. Does anyone have any links to studies that will reassure me if I don't take the hormones? I'm scared to do the hormones and scared to not do them. But I have to say, my gut tells me to NOT do them. I eat really well, basically Mediterranean for years. I'm working at reducing or eliminating dairy. A little agave nectar, no sugar really. I finish rads in 2 days. Whoo hoo! I was planning on finally getting back to supplements (restricted during chemo and rads) to get my immune system up and strong again. Any advice?
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Designermom - My onc doesn't know anything about DIM either and is pushing the A's. I can't take the tamox because I am post meno. Had the ovaries removed too. I really don't think they have a clue about any alternative treatments and only push what they know. Even the pills are one size fits all. What if I'm only 105 lb and the next is 205? Wouldn't that change things? She didn't know that either so, I've opted for the DIM plus other supplements.
Not an easy choice, best to you.
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Samsue......just to let you know that tamoxifen is suitable for either pre- or post-menopausal women;it was all there was before aromatase inhibitors came along.(AI's, on the other hand, are only for post-menopausal women).
I can understand your reluctance to take any kind of endocrine therapy.I have tried to get DIM here in UK but have had no luck. I am slightly leery of getting it via the internet, as I wonder where it has come from (we hear all these stories about pills being made in some 'factory' in India, where they use talcum powder and goodness-knows-what as fillers and maybe not even the appropriate ingredients at all).
Best,
Sam
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Sam, I also have a problem with blood-clotting and strokes that run in the family so they didn't want to try that for me.
I found a formula of DIM that also has D3, Calcium d-glucarate, green tea and lycopene. PM me if you would like more info.
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Sam55,
There is a great company in the UK (Nutri-link Ltd) that makes DIM. You may have to get it thru a practitioner tho.
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Thanks Mollyann for the link. I'm always trying to find more about DIM. If nothing else but peace of mind.
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Lots of info on DIM
http://www.dimfaq.com/index.htm
http://www.diindolylmethane.org/molecular_biology.htm
http://www.dimfaq.com/site/cancer.htm
http://diindolylmethane.blogspot.com/2007/06/dim-clinical-applications-and-research.html
http://www.dimfaq.com/site/abstracts3.htm
http://www.diindolylmethane.org/cliinical_applications.htm
http://www.energeticnutrition.com/vitalzym/dim.html
http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art477&zTYPE=2
http://mct.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/6/10/2757
http://www.saintfrancis.com/breastServices/index.aspx?chunkiid=104670
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I don't know anything about dim but when I discussed my oncotype score with my onco I was concerned that a 14% recurrance rate with rads, tamo and no chemo was high but he told me that anything under 30% was good.
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Melatonin is also a great aromatase inhibitor. I try to take 20 mg per night. I take 15 at 8 or 9 pm and the other 5 as sublingual at bedtime which for me is usually 1 or 2 am.
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I'm 8 weeks past my hopefully last breast surgery. The lift on the right one seems to be holding, symetry has pretty much been achieved except the right is a little bigger than the left...and there is no longer pain and the feeling that the right one is sliding under the ligament. YAY! Sometime, I will get 3D tattoos. I can't remember now if it was 8 or 9 breast surgeries plus the hysty/ooph.
So, over the last 19 months I have gotten a lot of gray hairs...wonder why..could it be BC?
I've never colored my hair except for putting Sun In in it at the beach.
I'm considering highlighting or coloring all of it or something call "low lights".
Does anyone have suggestions of what would be the healthiest for med to dark brown? My natural highlights tend toward gold not red so I would prefer not to go toward red. If it is really unhealthy to color it, I can just keep the gray highlights and see how it goes. One of the reasons I was considering highlighting with color to cover some of the gray is in case I don't like it ..it would be easier to grow it out.
Suggestions??? Thank you!
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If you can afford to go to an Aveda salon they are all natural. There is also Naturetint, though there is some controvery as to how "natural" it is.
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Hi Amber,
I am now 2 yrs into doing my chinese natural medicine for my treatment for breast cancer. It has been a complete commitment and I have never looked back. I am very happy with my decision for this treatment and I just found this site, so I thought I would jump in and share.
I do wonder how many people go alternative for their treatments. No statistics on us. Would love to have you share more with me on how many people you have communicated with re: natural medicine.
I wish you well. Thanks
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There have been studies that have revealed that there are some dangerous chemicals in toothpaste; these chemicals include an ingredient called triclosan.
Recent studies have found that triclosan may upset the balance of one's endocrine system and it can even generate bacteria that are so strong they prove resistant to antibiotics. Now, the FDA is looking into the matter.
In the late 1990s it was believed that the inclusion of triclosan improved toothpastes and its ability to help remove tartar and clean the teeth; further studies began upon requests which cited concern with the inclusion of tricolsan.
Some researchers are so concerned that they have been writing letters to 13 major manufacturers of products containing triclosan, including Colgate-Palmolive and Procter and Gamble, encouraging them to stop the use of the chemical.
Triclosan is a chemical that is used as an antibacterial agent in a variety of consumer offered products. This chemical is supposed to prevent odor and kill off fungus too; so prevalent is the use of triclosan in products that it can be found in urine samples in as many as three quarters of the United States population. It is added to toothpaste to get rid of gingivitis and to fend off bacteria and plaque formation.
This is the first time i have posted on this thread but i have been reading it and find it all really fasinating and helpful, but i was thinking tonight while i was brushing my teeth before bed, hmmm wonder what is in my toothpaste so i looked it up and find a lot of toothpaste has chemicals in it, i was shocked, i have changed my makeup and lotions, hair shampoos, changed my diet and now i find out my tooth paste may not be safe either. Any one have any thoughts on this? I guess i have to go to a health food store to make sure its safe or better yet do what my dad has been doing for years was use baking soda instead of toothpaste.-Debbie
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Goodevening Ladies,
White: do you mind me asking what Stage BC you have? My friend is taking me to a chinese natural medicine person in 2 days, should I ask her any specific questions? What chinese herbs are you taking (name will be helpful).
Debbie: I use a natural Olive Oil toothpaste and moutwash...tastes good and feels really fresh
Fairy: thanks for info on DIM. Has anyone been on BOTH DIM and femara??
xox
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Thankyou, Samsue and Mollyann for your responses.Also to fairy for all those links abuot DIM.
I will check it all out.
I am taking grape seed extract - do you think this is a good idea if I take DIM also?
Sam
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Patty-There is a Vit C and Magnesium product that you can find in the Vitaminn Shoppe that might clean you out. It is a natural laxitive. It tastes very bitter, like lemons, but it does the trick. My nutritionist had me use it after treatments. Call me and I will explain the protocol.
Designer Mom and Samsue-I too had more trouble dealing with the idea of taking drugs than I had with surgery. I know it sounds crazy but when I started to research the side effects of arimidex, I was totally freaked out. My friend was on it and could barely get out of bed and she is 10 years younger than me. The stuff blocks all your estrogen, so you basically age prematurely. That is why people have all the old age side effects such as joint pain, fuzzy brain, vision problems, etc. I just could not go there. I was feeling so great physically from all my diet and exercise changes, I just could not justify feeling old and tired. Believe me, this was a long fight with the oncology dept. but one day I just tossed the pills and never looked back. I ended up here, found a couple of gals who thought like me, and the rest is history. I think those drugs are good for some people, but if you are willing to look into the causes of your own disease as we are, and make changes, we can be just as protected.I tried the Dim for a while, but since it does exactly what the same thing as tamox (studies have proven this), I was having blurry vision. I need some estrogen for my eyes. My vision is bad enough as it is. I was not willing to lose any more.
I tried some of those natural hair care products but they did not work. I guess the one carcinogen I cannot give up is my hair dye. Otherwise I would be all gray! I am not ready for the granny look yet, as my boys have no plans of blessing me with grandchildren for a while. If you stay to the lighter colors of dyes, they are not as bad.
I use the Usana toothpaste now. It has no triclosan, nor does it have any flouride which is even worse. It does have xylitol, which has been shown to kill bacteria. I have a lot of bacteria swimming around since I started removing my toxic fillings.
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Hi Ladies-
I am so interested in natural/integrative therapies and am coming here to LEARN. I am reading about iodine and a few other options. so if I were to start the most important things..what would they be? Been taking DIM though not regularly. Also, Vit D. Where do you get the iodine and how do you know what's right to take? What else? Want to learn as I go but also kick start for lost time.
Great to come here and read all the wonderful ideas and helpful tips. So hard to figure out what's what out there.
Jessica
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samsue, fairy and vivre- Thanks for the feedback about hormone therapy. My poor brain is in overload once again. For me, it just doesn't seem logical to mess with hormones (even if you are shutting them down). There is so much still unknown about hormone interaction. My fear is that I might be reducing my recurrence of breast cancer, but increasing my chance of some other health problem.
Any of you DIM ladies perimenopausal? My Onc warned me that might be dangerous if it acts like an aromatase inhibitor. It's why they don't give Arimidex until 2 years with no periods. If the ovaries are still functioning a little, the AI will stimulate estrogen production in the ovaries. Maybe it is best to focus on diet until I am full-blown menopausal?
Hair color! I just bought two bottles of Surya henna haircolor and it was useless. Though it promised to cover gray, it did nothing. As I have lots more gray now, I want to offset this look. Something I have done for years and it works quite well (I don't mind a sprinkling of gray) is have my hairdresser put in "lowlights". He basically uses the same technique as highlights, but with my base color, perhaps a second slightly lighter color. It breaks up the mass of gray and doesn't have that root outgrowth, probably uses less color too.
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Designer Mom,
I go to a salon that uses Aveda. Their products are botanically based, though I am not sure they are 100% natural, since they obviously bleach or dye your hair. However, I get the best results on my hair health by using Aveda. I have tried all sorts of other brands (Redkin, et al), but they all dry my hair out. Aveda doesn't seem to do that. Look for an Aveda salon in your city, and see what they can do. I do both lowlights and highlights.
HTH
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For anyone who likes the Aveda products. If you are lucky enough to have an Aveda training salon nearby, you get all the great treatments and products at bargain prices. Here in NYC the training salon is in Soho and it is beautiful. Haircuts are $20, they do color. Two hour facials are $50. Of course they use the great Aveda products. All is done by students (who must be liscenced hairdressers to be admitted), but everything is supervised closely.
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Good to know about Aveda. I have been hating my gray hair recently. I think I may try it. Thanks! Or maybe I will just go to New York and have it done!!! I love NYC!!!!
It sure gets more and more confusing about Dim or i3c. I just read this on breastcancerchoices.org: Certain commonly taken
supplements such as DIM and I3C (Indole-3-Carbinole) have been omitted
from the list because we have reservations about their impact on the
thyroid as well as the chemical action blocking systemic estrogens rather
than the estrogen receptors in the breast.
I think I will stop taking it and rely on my healthy diet to protect me and the iodoral and the slew of supplements I take!Jessica - you will find a ton of information about iodine on breastcancerchoices.org, I buy mine from there.
Love to all, Patty
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Iodine info: breastcancerchoices.org
natural toothpaste: I tried using natural toothpaste and noticed my teeth became very yellow during this time even though I was also using baking soda. I know that Tom's was bought out and now has floride in it but I had never heard of the other chemical.
Aveda: Great info on the training salons. I wonder if there are any in So. Cal?
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Thank you for the warning on triclosan. I have been using toothpastes without flouride and will now look for that ingredient as well. So far, I have been able to find some Tom's without flouride. I guess if they have been bought I'd better buy up any I see that is still on the shelves without flouride.
Google xylitol. I read that it is great for teeth. The lady who wrote "KissYour Dentist Goodbye" highly recommends it.
Thank you everyone for all the suggestions on hair color. Since I've never colored before, I was wondering about low lights...but hadn't thought of both low lights and highlights. I think my hairdresser said low lights eventually "wash out"???? My hairdresser actually suggested that since I now have gray scattered throughout it would be cheaper for me to just color it myself...but I don't have any idea how to match my color..so I think I need to pay a professional until I find out what looks natural.
On cosmeticsdatabase.com Clairol Loving Care Hair Color Medium Golden Brown 078 and some other colors rate a 5. One of the Surya ones rates a 6. So, I was wondering if I should just use the box stuff like the hairdresser said. I suppose I could try some on an underneath piece and see how it blends.
Thanks everyone.
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Luna5: My stylist always tells me what she used so that I can do it at home, as she knows the cost can be more then I can afford all of the time.
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Re Dim and 13C
I mentioned to my ND that I wanted to take Dim or 13C and she replied that she would prefer me to include plenty of cruciferous veges in my diet instead as these c.v.'s are in Dim and 13C. (broc. brussel sprouts, cabbage,kale etc.). I must say, I am really hooked on Kale, especially cooked with lots of garlic, and added ginger, curcumin, iodised sea salt. I then I drink the left over juice after I have eaten the kale.
Glenis
ps Had my estrogen levels checked recently - hardly traceable!
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Glenis - I am hooked on kale too! I put mine in the blender and drink it. Sometimes I throw in some organic spinach and or organic lettuce. That's my green smoothie, YUM!!!!!! What is your recipe for your kale?
Patty
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Patty - how interesting that you put your kale in the blender. So you are eating raw kale. What liquid would you add so that your drink is liquidy as opposed to being mushy. Do you leave the stems on? Sometimes I grab a chunk of raw kale and stuff it in my mouth as I am passing through the kitchen. LOL. Isn't it wonderful that something that is so good for us tastes great too.
Had dinner last night at a restaurant with friends. I brought along my turmeric to sprinkle on the garlic bread that this restaurant serves. A friend said "oh what the hell are you doing?" I explained that turmeric is on the anti-cancer list of foods and that if I am going to get stuck into the bread, which I only do in restaurants, then at least I will add something that I am supposed to include in my diet.....and then we got talking about kale. She loves it too (she's never had cancer). She saute's hers in garlic. Eats it because she loves it and had no idea it was so good for us. Interesting!
As for me, I mainly cook it in loads of garlic and add ginger, curcumin, iodised sea salt. Reserve the liquid which I drink later.
My naturapath suggested that I cook a pot of veges that includes carrots, zuccini, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale for one hour. Reserve the liquid and throw out the mush. Drink two cups per day. I did this all summer. But now I just do as mentioned above it's a lot easier.
Might try the blender version, if I get around to buying one. I am here now in lovely Florida and don't have all the extra kitchen appliances that I have in Montreal.
Glenis
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I love kale too! It is delicious just steamed and then sprinkled with some bragg's amino acids. I also like to saute it with lots of garlic, and then I throw in a chopped tomato and a small amount of veggie broth and some chickpeas....yummy! Truly "soul food". My husband swears he would eat that every single day (which I have not tested...:-)
We are lucky to have an AVEDA Academy here in St. Petersburg as well!
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