natural girls
Comments
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Judy ~ Nail polish is an interesting question. Are you familiar with this website: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
You can search nail polishes -- or any other cosmetic -- to find out which have the fewest toxic ingredients. I know Whole Foods, for example, carries nail polish that may be safer than many drugstore, department store, or beauty supply brands, although I haven't tried them. If I'm not mistaken, I think formaldehyde is the troublesome ingredient in a lot of brands.
ivorymom ~ My rad onc said I could keep taking all of my supplements during rads, although I hadn't started on curcumin or green tea or I3C at that point. I also found emu oil to be the best thing out there for protecting and healing my skin during rads. Deanna
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I have been reading about and trying to start a Japanese diet. Japanese women in Japan, who are on the tradiational diet have dramatically lower breast cancer rates than those on a Western diet do. And when they move to the West and adapt the Western diet, their breast cancer rates start to look like ours . So there must be something about diet.
They eat primarily fish, veggies, and rice. They eat dairy but they eat only about 1/3 of the dairy we have. And while they have small amounts of sugar in their cooking, desserts as we know them are unheard of or are mainly fruit.
If any of you gals are of Japanese background and would like to let us know a bit about the traditional diet, I, for one, would be very interested.
On the other hand, I just booked my summer trip to a UK family party (for an English cousins's 95th birthday) at the end of July. I am stopping in Paris for 4 days to see a friend and then on to the UK. I was diagnosed last July and since then have had 3 different surgeries, rads and over 6 months of chemo, so my vacation last year was cancelled. I am so excited to be able to make these plans!!!
Mandy
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I was advised NOT to take any antioxidants during rads. Honestly, I just took my multi vitamin during this time. After the 5 weeks I resumed with my supplements ext.
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BTW. I have the Cancer Smart 3.0 Consumer Guide
Under the Personal Care products and nail polishes its the Phthalates that you have to worry about.
OPI & Sally Hansen have removed phalates from their poilishes as of 2007. Revlon, L'Oreal, Clinique & MAC have done this as well. Here is a link:
I HAVE to have a nice pedi for
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Also ladies... you know those wonderful Mr. Clean Magic Erasers? They remove anything like crayon, scuffs ect.
Well....BAD they contain formaldehyde. a known cacinogen.
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NTA ( Trisodium Nitrilotriactetate) is a builder in laundry detergents. they are carcinogens. Sunlight powder detergent uses it. NTA is also considered an evironmental pollutant.
NTA is a key ingriedent in 2 Sunlight products: White Bright Sunlight Laundry Detergent and Sunlight Ultra Laundry Detergent.
Beware!
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Most Contaminated Foods
Peppers, Leaf Lettuce, Strawberries, Grapes, Oranges, Peaches,Field Tomatoes, Nectarines, Celery, Potatoes, cucumbers, Pears,Apples, cherries, Snow Peas
Least Contaminated Foods
Arugula, Black Berries, Rhubarb, Lychee, Beets, Bok Choy, Corn, Cranberries, Zucchini, Bananas, Kiwi Fruit, Mango, Green Onions, Parsnip, Egg Plant
** Excuse all my posts....lol. I missplaced this guide an have just found it. I has ALOT of info**
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Reusable Water Bottles
AVOID - Polycarbonate (PC), Pet #1, #7
PREFERRED - #2, #4, #5 or stainless steel
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Ivory-I was a total wreck during rads. The whole thing really scared me, even though it was painless and my doctor was wonderful. I took a long walk every day after treatment. It was my therapy. I took in lots of fresh air, and did a lot of soul searching to wrap my head around the whole cancer thing. Every day I would show up for treatment, have my emotional meltdown and then head to the river for a long walk. It was the only thing that got me through. And the side effect of exercise, is that you do not have the radiation fatique. I actually had lots of energy and it got me into a regular routine that I have kept up with. I also took a multi, omega 3 and coQ10 during rads. My rad doctor was fine with this. I think they helped to minimize the burning, I just had a slight sunburn like problem. The great thing about the walking is with every step, I was always going one step forward. We are here to cheer you on!
Mandy-I am so jealous you are going to Paris! I have been there 3 times, luckily connected with my job, I have connections there. My favorite Paris experiences: climbing the stairs to the top of the arch de triomphe, hearing a women sing ACapella at a sunset service in NotreDame, hearing the pipe organ in St. Suplice, sitting in Les Tuilleries Gardens, where we had a wonderful lunch we got from a local shoppe. It was so great to watch my DH relaxed for a change. I also love Musee D'orsey. Overrated: going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Be careful of the predators around the tourist traps and especially at SacreCoeur. When you natural girls are ready for a great escape, let me know!
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A couple of links that may be of interest. In 2005, the UK Working Group on the Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer produced the 96 page report Breast Cancer, an Environmental Disease.
www.nomorebreastcancer.org.uk/
What is the connection between Environment an BC? Breast Cancer Action & Breast Cancer Fund. Originally published in 2002 , but updated in 2006. It is available here:
I have not read these but I will be soon.
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I was just wondering about detox programs. Is it safe to have enemas during chemo?
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This came out in Sunday Times 16 October 2005:
"In all the years I have been writing on this topic, I have never found a scar-fading remedy to beat Rosa Mosqueta, an oil made from the seeds of the Rosa rubiginosa plant, which grows high up in the Andes.
It is effective in making scarring fade - whether it is caused by acne, surgery or accidents - because is a rich source of the essential fatty acids the body needs to make the prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds) that are crucial for skin regeneration.
The same fatty acids are frequently incorporated into everyday skin and anti-wrinkle creams made with other natural remedies, including evening primrose oil and vitamin E, but their concentration in Rosa Mosqueta is many times higher.
Rosa rubiginosa is also a source of retinol, a key ingredient in cosmetic products designed to fade blemishes and scars.
To apply the oil to your scars, massage it into the skin with your fingers, using either rotational movements or in an upwards direction. Repeat twice daily. To treat surgical wounds or scarring following an accident, use the oil as soon as the stitches have been removed."
I am none the wiser if this is OK to use for people who had/have hormone positive cancers. Perhaps someone else might know.
Too bad about pomegranate. I love them.
Ivorymum I followed Jane Plant's advice on radiation and consumed one egg a day, added seaweed to soups and took curcumin. Like Vivre I took it harder than I thought I would but it soon passes. Good luck with it.
Nena
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Vivre,
I also exercised every day I did rads and also did not experience the radiation fatigue. Interesting, huh?
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Lexis-those were some great links! I loved the UK site. I wish the US would get more serious about our food! I only use imported French cheese, because I know they do not allow hormones and antibiotics. I was relieved to see that my water cooler bottle was #2. I still wish they would make small glass ones. The large ones would be too heavy. Water just tastes better in glass. That is why I think I love Pelligrino.
Ivory-it is a very good idea to have your thyroid check. We have a thread that talks about it called iodine and thyroid and link to bc or something. Lots of good info there from Anom. Also check out bcaction. org for lots of great info.
As far as cosmetics go, there is a shop near me that only sells natural products. They have a lot of info on their website:
aboutfaceplusbody,com
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I was just at the health food store to pick up some calendula ointment. I read that it was helpful for skin healing. I was surprised at what I found...There were 3 products,all manufactured by the same company that's been around forever, the clerk said. The ointment had a petroleum base-ewwww.The cream had methylparaben and the lotion had so many names I could not pronouce.
I asked the clerk if methylparaben was bad. She told me she wasn't sure and suggested I look in the book on the counter. The book said there had been a study linking it to breast cancer! Wow, I'm glad I read that.
Luckily there was another one with an olive oil base. I could read every ingredient
I sure would like that book. I'll have to go back and get the authors name.
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Thanks so much for that link. I just visited it.It's great!!!!
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Lexislove - I stumbled on breastcancerfund.org the other day too and it looked like something I had to put in my favorites and go back to so THANK YOU for sharing that!
All - Wouldn't it be great if we could have our own natural cancer treatment website or blog? We could have a list going of things to avoid, things to take, recipes, recommednations for side effects, a blog, yada yada yada....
Makingway - If you get the name of that book, please do share!! I love a book called Prescription For Nutritional Healing - by Phyllis Balch. Does anyone else have this book. Before I was diagnosed I read this book almost daily.
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Susers-I am getting ready to set up an alternatives website with other survivors. We plan to have it set up so that all this information is easily accessible. I am going to have some doctors and other specialists blogging too. If anyone else wants to take part, pm me with your email and I will send you the link when we get it up and running. We are trying to figure out all the website set up pitfalls, so it is taking us some time, but we are really excited about it.
Nena-that scar fading oil sound really great. Do you have any idea where to get it?
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Vivre - That is fantastic! Thank you for doing that. There is a lot of front work involved in something like that!!
I pulled out a book today that my Mom gave me when I was first diagnosed. It is called Beating Cancer With Nutrition by Patrick Quillin, PhD, RD, CNS. In this book it talks about Genistein - a bioflavonoid found in soy. They state that Genistein is one of the few agents on plant earth that may be able to revert a cancer cell back to a normal healthy cell in a process called prodifferentiation. Additionally they go on to say that Tamoxifen has a similar chemical structure to genistein, yet genistein does not have any of the toxic side effects of Tamoxifen. It states also that genistein actually slows the growth of breast cancer cells in a culture.
Has anyone heard of this at all?
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Springtime - I grow stevia... some people dry the leaves and sprinkle them on cereal or bake. I have steeped the leaves with tea for natural sweetener.,. otherwise i just sprinkle them in salads or take a bite as i walk by the plants. mine bolted fairly early last year. this year i will pinch the growing stems earlier so they will branch more.0
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http://cancer.ucsf.edu/crc/nutrition_breast.pdf
Very informative about Nutrition & Breast Cancer.
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Hi Nena and Vivre,
It looks like Rosa Mosqueta oil is Rose Hip Seed Oil, and is widely available on the internet. I tried to see if it has estrogenic properties, but I couldn't find any websites which said that it did, so that's a good sign! According to what I've read about it, not only does it help scars to fade, but it also decreases the chance of developing a keloid. I wish I had know about this oil prior to my mastectomy! I'm definitely going to buy some and see if it helps prevent further keloiding. Thanks for the information, Nena!
Audrey
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Hey Ladies, you are hard to keep up with....but I am oh so glad....Ivory I reiterate what vivre stated about supplements, my rad onc ok'd these for me..
CoQ10, curcumin(turmeric), calendula ointment, multivit, etc, she did tell me that moderation was the key with supplements and food....at that time I remember telling her what I had read about grapefruit, she said she knew it raised estrogen in the body, but that moderation was the key....as with any food. there are "grapefruit diets" etc that would overload your body....just like overloading in sweet will tax your pancreas, but eating something sweet with a protein and fiber food doesn't overtax the pancreas.
One thing I didn't realize during radiation was that the radiation could affect your blood counts....I developed iron def. anemia between the last surgery and the end of rads.....so I suggest if you start feeling fatigued....to ask for a complete blood count.
Vivre, excellent with the website...I definetly want to add it to my favorites!!!!! Let us know when it is up....and give us the link....
Lexis, thanks for all the great info,,,those most contaminated and least contaminated veges/fruits are something else...I knew about strawberries, but the rest were kind of a shock.
I am enjoying Coconut oil. cooked pancakes with coconut oil, for my DH this morning and they were the best pancakes I have ever cooked....didn't taste greasy at all,,,,oh and the oil on cinnamon raisen bagels: the taste is addictive....
the best thing for supplements I have found thus far is CoQ10 200mg with vit-d 1000units and "One Source (women's) muli-tvitamin, taken together twice daily. there is hardly any lumpiness in my breast for 1-2 month that I have been doing this....Before I started this I was using less of the multivitamin and CoQ10...and some lumpy areas seemed to persist...I just hope the lumpy areas stay away. I am feeling so well that I have been forgetting to take the supplements the past few days....so I panic a bit and take them when I think about it.
have a blessed weekend all!!!!
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I have looked into DIM and the ingredients in the capsules/tablets. It shows to contain soy phosphatidyl. I'm afraid of soy! I think an estrogen imbalance is what caused my cancer to begin with. Any recommendations?????
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I got Rosa Mosqueta from a site called Rio in the UK. I am sure you can buy it in the USA. I hear it is much cheaper in Chile and Argentina if anyone is lucky enough to know anyone going there. Audrey, from what I have read Rosa Mosqueta is derived from a particular rose hip which grows high in the Andes. Maybe it is not the same as normal rose him oil.
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AccidentalTourist -
I am going to try that Rosa Mosqueta oil. I had a bilateral mastectomy with immediate TE reconstruction. The scars healed well in the beginning but have tapered off. I am hoping this will help them finally vanish or get better!
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Wow, simvog, the nutrition and breast cancer link that you passed along is great! It is very comprehensive. Check it out ladies.
Vivre-I can't wait for your alternative website. It's a wonderful idea and will be such a great source of information for many who want to do all that they can to keep this beast away, keep it from recurring and keeping it in check.
Li
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Genistein does have conflicting studies. It seems that starting eating soy when young offers us protection, but now it could cause problems for us. It could stimulate the growth of a tumor:
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Rosemary44
Yes - there is so much conflicting information on soy. I guess better to stay away from it and be safe. I just love it too. Soy milk, edamame, soy burgers.
Thank you for your response!!
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Makingway--I searched for DIM without soy, but all of the brands I found contained phosphatidylcholine derived from soy. I, too, am trying very hard to stay away from soy. In spite of that, I decided to buy the DIM. I'm hoping that the benefit I'll get from the DIM will far outweigh the risk from the soy. Since I don't take in any other soy at all (at least none that I'm aware of!), I think it will be okay, as I imagine that the amount in the two capsules I take every day is very small. By the way, in case you're interested, I'm taking Nutricology's IndoleGard, which I found online.
Nena--thanks for the information about the Rosa Mosqueta. I checked out the place where I buy a lot of herbs, spices, essential oils, etc. (for anyone who might be interested: www.mountainroseherbs.com), and they sell Rose Hip Seed Oil, which they say is Rosa Mosqueta, so I'm hoping it's the same product you bought. Have you been using it for a while? If so, do you think it helped with the healing of your scar?
Audrey
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