Gosh, this has been such a busy month! I haven’t had a chance to write my blog at all, although I’ve had plenty of thoughts to share. Amongst other things, I decided to fine-tune my diet by starting on an anti-estrogenic diet, to reduce estrogen levels in my body. As my breast cancer was estrogen-dominant, it was something I just had to try out. I’ll be getting my estrogen levels tested in a couple of weeks time, so let’s see if this diet works.

Meanwhile, I have been spending a lot of time shopping for fresh produce and preparing anti-estrogenic meals in the kitchen. When you can’t have any convenience meals or eat out, this is very time-consuming. When you can’t have any meat and other foods are disallowed, you have to be creative. But I’m determined to give this change to my diet my best shot, as it makes sense to avoid harmful hidden estrogens like xenoestrogens from hormones and other chemicals found in commercially-farmed, non-organic food, as well as personal and household products and the environment. Feeding my body with foods which will promote healthy and safe estrogen levels, including natural aromatase inhibitors, can only be good for me.

The bad estrogen hides in fat cells, so I’m glad to report that I lost 2kg in the first two weeks of starting this anti-estrogenic diet. That’s encouraging. I’m sooo looking forward to losing more weight, and keeping it off.

A couple of weeks ago, after researching the health benefits of having a more alkaline body – such as being more resistant to cancer -  I bought an alkaline water system, to turn acidic water into alkaline water. I also started introducing more alkaline foods into my family’s diet. You can begin to get more alkaline by doing simple things like putting lemon slices in your water pitcher, as citrus fruits like lemon and lime are very alkaline. I also squeeze either lemon or lime juice into my morning fresh juice mix everyday.

If your goal is natural healing and natural wellness, start with the first step in the right direction, such as following a more anti-cancer diet. Then take another step. Eventually, you’ll get there. Just keep doing your research, and don’t give up!

Posted: September 29th, 2010 under Cancer, Diet, Enemies To Health, Hormone Health, weight loss.
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I slept for nine hours last night. And the night before that as well. What a relief. I’ve been unable to sleep at night ever since working on a graveyard shift (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) project for almost three weeks more than a week ago. That project really messed up my system. I had to work at night and I was lucky to sleep for a couple of hours during the day, due to other ongong daytime commitments. I was absolutely exhausted during the project.

When the project finally ended over a week ago, I eagerly looked forward to sleeping normally again. Quality, uninterrupted sleep at night, in a dark room without distracting light or sound, encourages the body to naturally produce melatonin, a powerful antioxidant. This period of blissful sleep, which follows the body’s natural circadian clock rhythm, is the best time for the body to rest, repair and rejuvenate. When we deprive ourselves of this natural sleep pattern, our immune systems become depressed and we are more likely to fall ill and age faster.

To my aggravation, I found myself having difficulty returning to sleeping at night. Despite being utterly exhausted, sleep eluded me. I tossed and turned every night. Nothing would get me to fall asleep. I was a total wreck during the day, and just couldn’t get anything done. I’ve completely neglected this blog for weeks now, and even simple tasks like walking my dog have been very trying.

Then two nights ago I slept almost uninterrupted for almost nine hours, at night, when it was peaceful and dark. I did it again last night. So I’m finally able to write this blog post, at long last. And I’m back to enjoying my walks with Ginger.

In May 2009, Professor Paolo Sassone-Corsi and his team from the University of California, Irvine, reported that women working the night shift are four times more vulnerable to breast cancer because of a disruption in their internal physiology – or circadian clocks. Disrupting these clocks can also lead to other kinds of illnesses. We need to listen to our internal clocks!

Sleep – it’s one of the most powerful secrets behind natural healing and wellness. Make it your priority to get sufficient quality sleep every night.

Posted: September 9th, 2010 under Antioxidants, Cancer, Immune System Health, Rest & Sleep.
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Billy’s lying in one of his favorite spots – on the cushion by the window, overlooking the river. When I went up to him to stroke him, he bit down lightly on my hand. I wasn’t annoyed, I just laughed. Billy’s a funny cat – when he’s in a bad mood, he bites. When he’s happy, he also bites. It’s rarely painful, it’s just enough to let him express his individualism.

This feline is such a character. He likes to knead his paws on my tummy (ouch!) and he loves to get under the covers with me. When I take out the ironing board, he leaps on it before I can start ironing because, for some reason, he thinks it’s a place for massage and I’m his personal masseuse. So I have to massage him before he’ll get off, leaving fine kitty fur all over the board.

Billy also enjoys ambushing Ginger, my sweet-natured doggy who found him when he was barely a month old. You should see him lying in wait, flicking his tail and wriggling his posterior as he gets ready to pounce on poor unsuspecting Ginger. Ginger puts up with Billy. She thinks that he’s always trying to steal her food, which is really hilarious as she’s 10 times bigger than Billy is, and her kibble is more than Billy can manage. She probably thinks that way because she’s stolen Billy’s food many times. Those two furballs are a riot and they provide me with endless hours of amusement, companionship and love.

Keeping a pet is good for your health. Their therapeutic powers range from helping to keep the blood pressure in check (unless they poop on the carpet, of course), providing comfort during depression and improving physical fitness levels. Pets, even cranky ones like Billy, are natural mood enhancers. They always look up to you – except maybe for cats who can be snotty – and make you feel good.

Generally, spending time with your pets will reduce your levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. Serotonin levels (a chemical associated with well-being) rise. Too much stress is harmful while rest is healing. It’s elementary.

Having a dog who needs to be walked twice a day forces you to get some exercise, a good thing for urban-living sedentary types. If your pooch is anything like Ginger, who has a mind of her own and is constantly in a tug-of-war with me, you’ll also benefit from weight bearing activity which strengthens your muscles and bones. Walking your dog is a healthy and inexpensive way of preventing osteoporosis.

For some great true stories about cats and dogs who helped their guardians through breast cancer treatment, check out:

The true story of kitty-cat Luke and her guardian Karen who had Stage III triple negative breast cancer
AND
The true story of Great Dane Kenya and her guardian “lifegoeson” who had Stage IV breast cancer

If you don’t have a pet, why not adopt one from the animal shelter? You’ll be saving more than just the animal’s life – you could be saving YOURS as well.

Posted: August 13th, 2010 under Alternative Remedies, Cancer, Exercise & Fitness, Health Basics 101, Healthy Spirit, Rest & Sleep.
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