When I think of breast cancer I feel mixed emotions, it is a combination of anger, frustration, sadness, and the desire to help others heal. I have had family members and friends who have battled with breast cancer. It has taken too many lives and shaken up too many worlds. There is a lot of talk about fighting cancer and kicking its butt! I love the fighter attitude that many women and men take on to get their cancer into remission, and the amount of people that are seeking alternative treatments along with proper nutrition to compliment their cancer treatments. It is truly inspiring.
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a month full of events that help raise money for cancer research. It is a month where companies are donating part of their profits to help create awareness for breast cancer. It is a month full of pink! It is a month where we are encouraged to give ourselves breast exams and “take care of the girls”. There are great ways to nourish the body, detox from dangerous toxins, and also an alternative to mammograms for those seeking another option.
The attention to breast cancer during this month is inspiring. One of the leaders in this is the amazing Susan G. Komen walk/run. The Susan G. Komen of the lowcountry impacts over 50,000 local residents annually by the grants, which come from the participants and the donations of the walk/run.
Restaurants are even creating special items that are healthy and can help nourish bodies, whether they are trying to prevent cancer or fight cancer. This is a delicious salad, pink juice, and pink bowl from gogogreens on Sullivan’s Island and Mount Pleasant. They are donating a portion of their proceeds from pink juice (watermelon, grapefruit, lime, and green apple) to breast cancer research.
Research regarding nutrition and cancer cells is constantly improving. Functional doctors, nutritionists, and health coaches are working together to help patients fuel their bodies properly during cancer treatments and to provide nourishing diets that do not feed and encourage growth of cancerous cells.
While it is always important to consult with your healthcare professional, there is a lot of research on the tremendously positive impact of a diet higher in fat (healthy fats), with low carbs and moderate protein being better for overall health. There’s an increasing amount of evidence showing how ketosis can enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment, and at the same time reduce side effects. Yes, it can be challenging to stay in ketosis during chemotherapy, but there are more and more tools available to practitioners to make this task as easy as possible for cancer patients. Patricia Daly’s site is a great resource for this. In Ketogenic Kitchen, there is a large section of the book dedicated to this topic and also a chapter called “In Times of Treatment and Recovery”. It is highly recommended that anyone with any health condition work with a professional to achieve ketosis (and to make sure it is right for them).
*Please remember that you have to find which eating plan works for you and your cancer, this is why it is key to work with a professional. Some people do really well with other eating plans like raw diets, green juices, microbiome resets, or a Mediterranean diet*
The importance of the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system is a vital part of the immune system. There are hundreds of lymph nodes in the human body and they are vital in keeping our body healthy. If you want to read more, I adore this explanation of the lymphs. It is vital that we keep our lymphatic system flowing and free of congestion.
According to Dr. Cometa and Karen Gadol, PA of Charleston Integrative Medicine, one should think of lymph congestion as basically a “clogged sink” at the cellular level. When this occurs, a decrease in your cellular health will result. Over time, if not corrected, disease can develop because the nutrients you are providing to your body (either through diet or supplements) cannot be properly delivered to the cells and the toxins cannot be effectively removed due to this congestion. The only way cancer cells (or abnormal cell or dead cells) leave the body is through the lymphatic system.
Using a mini trampoline (or rebounder) creates a positive stress on the body which strengthens the musco-skeletal system and all of the organs. It promotes lymphatic circulation by stimulating the millions of one-way valves in your lymphatic system. NASA even reported on the benefits of using a rebounder! It is ideal to rebound 2-3 times a day for short intervals. Doing this for a few minutes in the morning will help stimulate the body and keep your lymphatic system working throughout the day.
Dry brushing stimulates the skin and circulates lymph fluid (yes, back to those lymphs!). This encourages the body to dump metabolic waste and rid itself of toxins. Here are specific instructions for dry brushing with breast cancer.
Let’s discuss another option besides mammograms…
While in no way am I saying that mammograms have not saved millions of lives, I do feel that is important that we know all of the options available to us. It is key that we are the decision makers for our bodies and our health care options!
Thermography is able to detect breast cancer earlier in women in the face of normal breast mammography and ultrasound. As a true breast cancer screening tool, just as thermography is able to assess the cellular activity in the breast tissue that mammography questions may have cancer, the cell activity associated with breast cancer is often detected by Thermography before both the mammogram and the breast ultrasound.
Thermography is able to evaluate the breast tissue for cellular activity in these cases of OVER-DIAGNOSIS and provide women with not only more information, but the option to avoid tissue biopsy when the thermography is reassuring. The most common use of thermography is for breast health screening. In short, thermography is a tool to monitor breast health, not just a way to find disease. Is this not the true definition of “screening”; to assess the body’s cell health; and insure no potential for upcoming morbidity and mortality?
The diagnostic sensitivity of X-ray mammography is significantly diminished for premenopausal women, pregnant or lactating women; women with fibrocystic/dense breasts, women with implants, women with unusually large or small breasts, women with prior biopsies, women with mammoplasty or reductions, menopausal women taking HRT, and women with fast-growing carcinomas. What are these women to do? THERMOGRAPHY! Thermograph and ELT can both be found at Charleston Integrative Medicine in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Did I give you enough info? I know….it is A LOT of information to process. Take care of YOUR girls! They are yours, and it is up to you to make informed decisions when deciding what to put in, on, and around your body.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
