natural girls
Comments
-
vivre ~ That health expo looks really good, but I don't think the timing is going to work for me based on previous plans. But I'll let you know if anything changes, because I'd love to do it. I haven't read the estrogen article yet, but will later tonight (after Antiques Roadshow).
I finally got up the willpower to go and get my blood drawn today for all the bloodwork my PCP has ordered. Thankfully, I got a great tech who got 14 vials without me feeling a thing. They immediately put one on ice to send to another lab, with results taking 5 or 6 days. I'm thinking maybe that's the estrogen test (?), but neglected to ask. I am just so pleased that my PCP is in tune with my holistic leanings and concern about A/I's and Tamox, and wants to do this extensive workup to figure out where I am with my D, estrogen, thyroid, and all the other things that can and do impact bc. I'm also interested to know if the diet and lifestyle changes I've made since being dx'd have impacted any of the more mundane readings, like cholesterol, yet. Deanna
0 -
vivre, that conference sounds great. If I had expendible income, I'd be there!
My natural adventure this last week has been seeking out young coconuts. A local Asian market carries them, but I went on Tuesday and there was mold on all the ones they had. They said to come back Thursday and I was so looking forward to a green coconut. I spent time in Thailand back when I was a free spirit travelling southeast Asia and part of my daily routine for a while was walking up the beach to the family who sold green coconuts. The man would use a giant cleaver to make three small cuts that sort of made a lid that could be pried open. I would drink the juice through a straw and then scrape out the young coconut from the sides.
I remembered the juice being very tasty. This coconut I had last week wasn't the way I remembered. Honestly, I didn't like it much. I'll have to really work at it to develop a taste for it. I'm going to make this a habit for a while, and while I'm reacquiring my taste for coconut juice, I have a yummy recipe that uses the coconut juice and meat, combined with cocoa, ice, rice milk, and steva in a blender for a truly yummy nutritious drink.
I've tried almond milk in the past from the carton. I didn't care for it, although I made some almond milk with my champion juicer decades ago when it was new and that was delish.
0 -
Hi all...On the subject of alternative milk...I use hemp milk. It's found in the same area of the grocery store as the rice and almond milk.It's a great source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, all essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, calcium, etc..It tastes a little chalky but I just use it on my cereal in the morning so I've gotten used to it.
For those of us who still like a glass of red wine every now and then, I am passing along a link to a recent study on red wine. It was a study done at the University of Puerto Rico and published in the March issue of Clinical and Experimental Metastasis. http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5026,00.html
Li
0 -
Here -- finally! -- is a research article that supports what those of us who have declined an A/I have pretty much already figured out -- "The Emperor Has No Clothes."
http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/27/6/840
Thank you Mandy1313 for finding and sending this to me! Deanna
0 -
Hi there Miss Laura,
I think the supplements will be the same for ER+ or ER-, but with ER+ I try to avoide all soy, and some supplements have soy. I won't drink Soy milk, avoide edamame (which I loved), etc.
OH somebody here prior was mentioning that their CoQ10 had soy in it, as mine did. I ordered a new one yesterday from Vitacost.com NO SOY!!! specs for anybody wanting to check it out: NSI CoQ10 -- 100 mg - 120 capsules, tem No. 835003004478. They also had Pesveratrol + Grape seed and red wine, and Green tea extract. Good prices, I thought.
Spring.
0 -
Hi Spring..
Actually, it is didfferent. With Er + BC... you should not drink alcohol at all really. It spikes estrogen. With hormone negative.. does not effect... I know the curcumin is best for Her2 and really is not needed for Er+...etc...( so I am taught here in KC by my Natural)
I was hoping Lisa had some ideas...:)... she is sooooo smart on this stuff...:)
0 -
Could you tell me why DIM is better than I3C? I thought that DIM was in I3C or visa-versa???
I'm getting so tired of reading and would like to cut to the chase.
Thanks much in advance.
0 -
Daisy..
Is Omega 6 usually found in alot of transfat products? I think I read that somewhere.
Spring...
I'm reading my CoQ10 bottle now----- gelatin,glycerin,purifiedwater,carob with vitamin E and rice bran oil. The Brand is Natural Factors, I'm hoping there is no soy there. I have checked my multi vitamin and my fish oils too.So far so good. BTW..I love my Matcha Tea! I drink daily now
0 -
Laura there have been some studies that show olive oil works in a similar manner as herceptin and is effective for women who are Her2+. In a study published in the Annals of Oncology in 2005 olive oil was found to act synergistically with Herceptin, enhancing the cancer cell killing and growth stopping effects of Herceptin by 70%. The Her2 gene also play a role in ovarian and stomach cancer, so olive oil is protective against those tumors as well (From Waking the Warrior Goddess by Dr. Christine Horner).
GLA was also found to work like olive oil (Gamma Linolenic Acid). It is found in evening primrose oil, borage oil and black current seed oil.
From the research and reading I've done...I've chosen DIM. Here is a quote from Dr. Horner's book, "DIM is simply two molecules of IC3 joined together, and has a stronger effect on the body than IC3. For example, DIM appears to be much more powerful at blcoking the estrogen receptors compared to IC3. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry in 2006, DIM was 20 times stronger. If you have a particularly aggresive form of breast cancer which overexpresses a gene called Her2/neu, a study publishe din the May 15, 2006 Journal of Surgery Research found that DIM may improve your chances of survival by enhancing the anticancer drug Paclitaxel's ability to stop tumor cell growth and kill tumor cells."
Hope some of that helps...... heading to Zumba!
0 -
Ohhh.... I almost forgot about that Lisa thanks. I do use EVOO but that is a great finding!
Laura, here is a link to some of the findings:
0 -
Laura and all,
Alchohol spikes estrogen? Is that why they say no amount of alchohol is really safe? This is a new one on me, I have to admit. I knew alchohol was not recommended, but I was not aware it spiked estrogen!
I think curcumin is in turmeric, right? I eat turmeric (spice) but I don't take a supplement. I am taking so many pills now that I am thinking if I add any, I should take some away! LOL.
Lisa, I am doing fine on the DIM. The web site you recommended for DIM sends a little book for free so you can read about it the first time you order.
Spring.
0 -
Laura ~ Can you or your naturopath tell us why curcumin may be good for Her+, but may not be needed for ER+ (if I understood that correctly)? My PCP recently told me I should be taking tumeric (curcumin), and I don't recall ever reading anything saying it was recommended for some types of bc but not others. I'd love to know the source for that information or your naturopath's reason for coming to that conclusion, because I sure don't want to be using it if there's a contradiction for hormone+ bc that I'm not aware of yet. Deanna
0 -
Spring ~ I, too, would like to know about the alcohol, although I can tell you that UCLA says it's an absolute no-no after bc. As they put it, if you want to have a sip of champagne for a celebration, go ahead, but be sure it's just a sip! Like you, I've never heard of it spiking estrogen, but that would sure make their taboo on it make sense. Deanna
0 -
Spring...yes, I got the book on DIM too...and I'm doing fine with the DIM.
Alcohol releases estrogen into your bloodstream, promotes fat storage, and decreases muscle growth. Prevention magazine estimates that just two drinks can cut your fat-burning ability by 73 percent.
I was reading in Master Your Metabolism and it said that one study found that alcohol helps develop the most common type of breast cancer tumors, those with both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Analyzing data from more than 184,000 women, scientists deduced that one to two drinks a day increases your risk of developing these kinds of malignant tumors by 32 percent; three or more bumps that number to 51 percent.
She recommends that if you are going to drink, drink wine and be sure it is organic...look for wine without added sulfites.
0 -
Daisy6...I realize that we don't want a lot of omega 6 because it can cause problems but our brains need some. I should have clarified that I am a vegetarian with celiac disease (can't have anything with gluten in it) so I don't eat any processed food so I don't get much omega 6. It also depends what form the omega 6 is in. Omega 6 in the form of GLA (gamma linoleic acid-which is the form it is in in hemp milk) has been shown to be breast cancer protective in some studies although it is controversial. We definitely want to eat more Omega 3 fatty acids. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-6-000317.htm
On that same note though, I guess I should rethink my hemp milk and go back to the rice or almond. Ugh!!! Maybe I'll make my own almond milk in my juicer like althea. I'll also look for a good organic red wine for those special occasions.
0 -
Thanks Lisa!
Deanna.. I was told that Turmeric/Curcumin is needed with her2, but no studies that it is needed with hormone +. This is what I was told. I also read in Cure Mag. that is is being tested for her2. I have not see it being tested for the other. I doubt it is bad for you, I just have not heard it is proven or being tested for hormone +... Maybe other er/pr+ ladies have heard more on this.
I have used olive oil in my everyday cooking for at least ten yrs now. Sometimes, I wonder. I worked out 4-5 days a week starting at age 16... until cancer. I ate raw all the time.. at least 6-9 servings a day... I have grown all my own herbs for 16 yrs ( exactly)... anyway.... sometimes I wonder if everything I am doing now will help. Or.. should I just say.." forget it" and live it up... until the day I go home.. ya know.
I know me, and I will continue to live clean the rest of my life.. I just feel all my efforts over the past 16 yrs.. made no difference... and I am grasping at straws...
Sorry for my pity party... I suppose I feel my body let me down. I will admit.. I am having a really hard time getting that body back. I suppose I am still to mad at it.
Ok Done... sorry...
0 -
Turmeric is good for everybody...it has many healing properties! Turmerics blocks new blood-vessel growth in cancer to stop further growth of a tumoer while it stimulates new blood -vessel growth in wounds to help speed healing. The key is that turmeric knows when to do each one.
It is an extraordiancy anti-inflammatory....the list goes on!
0 -
I was just going to say the same thing Lisa, tumeric is good for people with cancer/history of or not.
0 -
How much tumeric are you supposed to take per day. Also would you know what the dosage is for DIM.I think it was 300mg per day for I3C...
0 -
Did any of you get the email today from the Army of Women about the grapefruit research? I'm thinking maybe they only sent it to women who are in California this time, since you have to be near USC to take part in it. Anyway, something in the explanation about the study is interesting:
"Scientists have established that grapefruit contains natural substances which can interact with many drugs, causing more of the medication to circulate in the blood. Estrogen, the hormone associated with breast cancer, may also interact with grapefruit. Therefore, it is possible that regular intake of grapefruit can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer through its effect on circulating estrogen levels."
Does anyone know if we're foolish to be eating grapefruit now? I'd heard something about not eating it when you're on chemo -- not from my onc, but on one of the threads here. But the odd thing is, now that I'm done with chemo, I've been eating pink grapefruit often, and almost craving it, which I often think is a sign that our bodies need a particular nutrient. Come to think of it, maybe it's because I went off HRT and my body is craving it to help boost my estrogen? Or am I overreacting to this email? Deanna
0 -
Just a wee caveat re turmeric: it promotes the production of bile and anyone with gall bladder disease should limit curcumin intake to no more than 10 mgs/day. I've gotten this info from several sources, as I was very interested in curcumin, but I do have a gallstone. Linda
0 -
dlb823..
I read in one of Dr.Weiss magazines that pink grapefruit AND other citrus fruit juices can interfere with meds when taken together. My own natural path told me to take all meds and vitamins / supplements with water. I myself love pinkgrapefruit especially fresh juice. I think this is one of those things that needs to be better researched.
0 -
Grapefruit interacts with a number of drugs, including Tamoxifen, so anyone using that should avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.
0 -
Thanks lindasa regarding the tumeric info. I had no idea.
Gallbladder disease people, should probably limit their amounts, if not stay clear.
0 -
Turmeric and green tea enhance each other's anticancer effects! Turmeric makes green teas' anticancer ability eigh ttimes stronger, and green tea enhances turmeric's by three times.
Dr. Horner recommends that on the days you don't cook with turmeric, take it as a supplement. The receommended dose is one 1,000 capsule a day.
The only thing she says about turmeric and gallstones is that it encourages your ballbladder to expel them. Turmeric aids digestion by increasing stomach secretions and decreasing the amount of gas produced in the intestines. It also protects against stomach ulcers. It also lowers your risk of heaert disease by decreasing cholesterol and the formation of plaque in your arteries.
This reminds me...I need to order more!
0 -
Laura-I can understand that you feel you did everything right and still got cancer. I felt the same way. I was very angry and I felt so let down by my body. It was especially hard for me when I saw others, especially in my family, who never got cancer and smoked, drank and never exercised. Coming to terms with the fact that shit happens was really hard for me. But I think it is too pessimistic to now say, there is nothing I can do at this point. The more I read, the more I realized that there were lots of things that led to my bc. It is like having a leaky faucet. If the sink is clogged, the drip drip drip, will slowly fill up the sink. If you do not unclog it, it will overflow. Once it overflows, you can turn off the water, which only stops the problem, or you can undo the clog, which gets rid of the problem. In other words, our immune systems can only take so much. Some of us may have a little sink and some of us may have a whole bathtub. We all have to decide if we are going to let it fill up or keep the drain running free. I look at every drop of water as something that causes cancer. We are bombarded with things everyday from every direction.Even though I was doing a lot right, I still had a lot of clogs because I was not really paying attention to all the small stuff. Eventually, they filled up my sink. I got the clog out and now I am making damn sure I keep my pipes clean! That means doing everything I use to do and adding more. I now exercise almost everyday instead of a couple of times a week. I am more vigilant about my use of chemicals in everything from my cosmetics to cleaning agents. I make my body strong at the cellular level with good nutrtion and supplements. And the main thing is that I have really worked on my emotional health. Stress puts all of our cells in a situation where they can go haywire. I really had to work hard to forgive, and ignore others who were making me unhappy and accept that I could not change anyone but myself.
Every day, every one of us is bombarded with free radicals that can cause cells to become cancerous. We cannot control everything around us, but we can learn as much as possible about our own bodies chemistry to make sure we keep it healthy enough to fight off the meanies. We have to keep cleaning out the pipes. We need to detox, and destress regularly. Surviving cancer means healing the heart, body, and soul. Otherwise we will still be vulnerable.
Just because one is a vegetarian does not mean we won't get cancer. Yes, diet can reduce our risk tremendously and the the best diet is plant based, but vegetarian diets can still be inbalanced. Besides proteins, there are vitamins like B12 that are hard to get on a vegetarian diet. Also, many vegetarians eat too much starch, pasta, and breads, that raise the glycemic level and cause an inbalance in the system. It is all about balance. I try to eat mostly vegetarian, but I try to eat a lot of variety because I think that is the most nutrtious way to go. I also believe that it is just not possible to eat enough in a day to get all the nutrients we need so I am a firm believer in nutrients. I never use to believe this, but when my blood tests showed that my Vit D level doubled after I used a supplement for a year, and my hormone receptors changed dramatically after a year on I3C, I realized that these things did make a huge difference. I have not had so much as a sniffle since I started Vit C. I know my immune system is working better than ever, and I feel that I am making it strong enough to fight off all the free radicals.
Sorry, this is such a long "lecture". I did not mean to pontificate. I just hope that you all will not feel that there is nothing you can do. That kind of an attitude is unhealthy. There is power in positive thinking! An taking control of my health with all these lifestyle changes in the most empowering thing I have ever done!
0 -
Lisa -- that is exactly why turmeric in large daily doses should not be taken. Because of the extra bile production, the gallbladder tries to expel the stone through the very tiny bile duct, and that can cause excruciating pain and can, in fact, be quite dangerous. If you have never had a gallbladder attack, you have no idea how painful it can be!
0 -
lindasa I wasn't discounting what you said...I was giving information on turmeric as Laura had asked for it. No, I have never had a gallbladder attack, but my mother has and so has my father.
0 -
Laura, I too was very angry when I was dx'd with bc, and my history isn't nearly as pristine as yours. I can certainly understand how you'd feel all your healthy choices were all for naught. Yet, we live in a world that is different from all previous generations. In one of the many books I've read in the last year, the author described how the breast milk of remote eskimos way up in the arctic circle contains mercury. People waaayyyy out in the sticks are suffering from all the pollution mounting in this world and no one can evolve fast enough to cope with the kind of toxicity our bodies encounter every day.
re grapefruit, I have read also that anyone on tamoxifen should avoid grapefruit. My mom is on blood thinners and grapefruit is a no no there also. I didn't know it was associated with increased estrogen levels though. I've been contemplating giving up coffee and switching to grapefruit juice instead. guess I'll have to mull over other options while I keep drinking coffee. lol0 -
althea! I have to tell you, everytime I read your motto it makes me smile!! thank you! Definately a balanced diet LOL!! I love cookies!
Lorraine
0
