Behold: the Power of Cayenne!

Joshua and I have done a lot of digging to find foods and spices/herbs with "superpowers" - that is, ones that do or may contain anti-cancer properties. One of the spices we've increased our use of is cayenne. - Muy caliente!

"In 2010 researchers from the UCLA School of Medicine studied breast cancer cells and found that capsaicin not only retarded their growth and arrested their ability to travel, but also increased the degree of apoptosis."

-Read more about Cayenne Pepper, Cancer & Tumors in this article on Livestrong's website.

Here are some other interesting links about cayenne pepper:

• University of Maryland Medical Center - uses include: pain relief, psoriasis, weight loss, and other uses
• Web MD - uses and effectiveness for a variety of symptoms
• Livestrong - cayenne pepper health effects, benefits (along w/side effects & interactions), benefits of cayenne pepper pills  
• Health Freedom Resources - a link to their cayenne concentrate dropper bottle, which also has information about cayenne pepper + its uses
• Wikipedia article - all about cayenne peppers

You CAN just use plain ol' cayenne pepper.
- or -
If you're a spice aficionado, try this product!
Joshua puts 1-2 drops on nearly everything
except ice cream!
It boasts "100 times hotter than jalapenos" and
"Scoville rating: 500,000" on the bottle.
It even ate through one medicine dropper top.
YIKES!

Joshua has trained his system to tolerate more peppers and hot, spicy stuff than I can handle, so he usually adds and extra dose to his servings. See the picture to the right for how he doses his food with extra capsaicin.

We do not think cayenne (nor capsaicin, the ingredient in cayenne that makes it hot) is a cancer 'treatment.' Yet we are aware that capsaicin demonstrates the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells; research suggests that the compound promotes apoptosis -- the death of cancer cells. 

We don't have any contraindications to using it, so why not give it a try? 

- - - - - - - - - -

For the people that like to know more about everything, here's an informative article about the Scoville scale - used to measure the pungency of chili peppers!

Mantras: post-traumatic stress

It's short and it's simple:

"I survived."

and:

"I'm still here."

Permahealth

Before I get to permahealth, has anyone heard of permaculture?

permaculture: an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems (via Merriam-Webster.com)

Seems to me that "permahealth" might be the next catch-phrase for "a system of health that seeks to integrate human health with natural foods and solutions to create a highly efficient, self-sustaining health system"...of sorts! At least that's how I'm coining the word. :)

Joshua and I have sought opportunities for continuous improvement in our marriage...including our habits (of eating, purchasing, etc.). Soon after I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, I began seeking alternative health providers to balance out my Western medicine docs and treatments. It was my choice and something I'm glad I researched and pursued.

During my neoadjuvant and adjuvant (before and after mastectomy) chemotherapies, I was particularly hell-bent on focusing my food intake around alkaline (pH-balanced) eating habits. While I wasn't able to do a test on two bodies going through everything at once, I know that changing my habits did NOT negatively effect me. So that leaves two other options:

1. my lifestyle choices did not effect me at all
2. my lifestyle choices positively effected me

I've made the conscious choice to believe in #2.

If nothing else, the changes we've made feel good - and right for us. There are things I notice now when I'm out and about that I didn't before. For example: the heavy smells of perfume and chemicals in stores and on people. I've become used to non-toxic solutions at home and am caught off-guard when bombarded with them outside my home.

I've long wanted to share these changes, baby steps, improvements, and learning opportunities with blog readers. Similar to the Q&A series I did in 2011, I'll be occasionally putting out a "permahealth" update. Please ask questions or share your own experiences by commenting on these posts. I'm curious to know what you all are curious about!!

My hope is that these posts will be informative, educational, and spur you on to make some changes in your own life.

Here's the first tidbit I'd like to share with you all:

Do you know how to de-code the produce at your local market?
From this post at Organics.org.

Healing Mantra

"Healing light illuminates every cell of my body, 

dissolves everything that should be dissolved, 

and builds up what must be built up again."  

--from The Healing Power of Mudras

 By Rajendar Menen

Golden sun rays.
 Moloka'i, HI - 2004

The Cherry on Top

A while back I declared to Joshua: "I've decided to just go ahead and order some nipples. So I'm going to do it - now." And I did.

Excited at the possibilities...

What a weird thing to tell your husband. And what a strange thing to shop for online. It's a mixed bag of emotions from my perspective: absurd, serious, and a little humorous. When the temporary tattoos from Rub-On Nipples (yeah, that's what I said) were en route to our home, I was looking forward to experimenting with them. 

While I had good intentions of applying a pair right away, it just didn't happen. Why? I think I was a bit nervous. What if my emotional self couldn't handle this experiment that stemmed from good intentions? What if I applied them lopsided and they ended up "looking" in different directions? These little pesky fears delayed me trying them...until our earthship vacation!

Boy, was I glad I finally got around to trying them!

For those women out there who have had a mastectomy and are electing to not have nipple reconstruction -OR- for those that elect to have nipple reconstruction but need to "fill the void" before that time comes, I believe these temporary tattoos offer an great alternative. Once I had mine on, it was like a puzzle piece came together - not only visually on my body, but especially in my mind. The girls really look like "girls!" There's a visual clue there that has been missing and my mind enjoys the relief of glancing at the mirror and seeing what it used to see and what the eye/brain combo is wanting to see when it looks at a chest: the "cherry on top," so to speak.

Top: colors in the "light variety" pack
Bottom: before and after

To see their color palette, size info, and dye info, click here.

I wanted to share a special offer* from Rub-On Nipples:  Save 10%!

Customer Appreciation Discount:   A 10% discount will calculate in your shopping cart with the code "March" (enter the code without quotation marks). The option to add the coupon code is on the last page of ordering, just prior to the request for credit card/PayPal information. (The price reduction does not apply to shipping and handling charges.)
Offer Expires:   March 31, 2013
To purchase:   click here.

*So you know: I am in no way affiliated with this company, nor do I receive any kind of kickback on sales made. Just want that to be clear. 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  An Aside  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

(source)

Joshua and I were watching a 1968 documentary recently. It reminded me a lot of the projector films we used to watch in elementary school because of the way it was filmed, narrated, and the background music. One thing the narrator said cracked me up and I had to put it on this blog somehow. Methinks this is just where it belongs:

"He doesn't need no nipple." 

--Gordon Eastman referring to 5-lb bear drinking milk from a can 

From High, Wild, and Free, a 1968 film in which Gordon Eastman takes his two sons on a journey to the wilds of British Columbia fishing, hunting, canoeing down miles of wild water, living with Indians and trapping beaver. Available on Netflix streaming. 

Young cubs can survive without their mother's nipples. I've been surviving without mine. Still, it's nice to see them again and I think I'm onto something...

Our Off-Grid Experience

In February, Joshua and I took some time to get out of town. For quite some time, we've been interested in alternative building techniques and wanted to explore the idea of eventually living in a rammed earth, straw-bale, tire-bale, or other sort of home.

That dream was put on the back burner when we moved here, bought our current home, and got busy with life. Early this year, our curiosity was rekindled and we decided to stay in a rental that was built with alternative means.

What the heck is that? It's an earthship!
(click to enlarge)

Enter Earthship Biotecture - they develop passive solar homes made of natural and recycled materials and are located just 4-5 hours from us (just outside of Taos, New Mexico). Without getting too much into the sustainability aspect of this type of building (although I find that fascinating, this post would be much too long), I wanted to share some of our adventure with you.

Joshua and I have made a lot of changes throughout our relationship. Most recently, though, our changes have been because of information we've gathered largely since my diagnosis. We are making more informed choices about the foods we eat, the chemicals we have (or no longer have) in our home, what we choose to keep in our life, and what we choose to slough off.

For me, spending a week living in an earthship was an exhilarating experience. I felt nurtured after living closer to the earth for a week. It seemed much more in line with the other lifestyle choices we've been working towards: less chemicals, more sustainability aspects, and clean living!

The Greater World Earthship Community is located
12 miles NW from Taos, NM.
You can see the Rio Grande Gorge in this picture.

Our home for a week: the 'Euro' Model Earthship.

Some intriguing design features: bottles in walls (cans and tires, too), vigas, and manual vents.

Releasing, opening, and securing the home's top air vents.

Most earthships have rounded, bulbous design features.
The construction means lend itself to looking that way.

A view from the shower shown above.
See the plants?
They're in the bathroom growing out of dirt in the floor watered from gray water used in the home!

The earthship model uses water four times before it is discarded outside the home in a leach field. Awesome!

From water collected from the roof/structure and stored in cisterns, you get...
1. drinking water (it's super-filtered), sink/shower water (also filtered)
2. plants (which filter the water, too)
3. toilet water for flushing
4. a solar-enhanced septic tank with leach-field and planter cells

We decided to forego the trip into town for a laundromat.
We washed our clothes in the bathtub, rung them out, and hung them to dry! 

Interestingly, the earthship maintained a consistent inner temperature of ~70 degrees during the day, ~65 at night. The greenhouse portion ranged 80-90 degrees during the day. This was with daytime temperatures barely reaching 30 most days - impressive!

We never felt as though we had less or were having to live without. Laundry hookups were in the pantry area - we'd probably like that in our home, but it was fun doing it by hand and drying it in the greenhouse. The propane oven and ample kitchen sinks made not having a microwave or dishwasher a piece of cake! Electricity was plentiful even on snowy days; we were mindful about not using electricity when it wasn't necessary. By living "off grid," you learn what you really can do without. We are so used to having (and paying for) an unlimited power supply and not thinking about it.

In the greenhouse area, you can grow plants year-round.
Some of the plants we could ID in our rental: banana tree, jade,
aloe, geranium, chard, mint, spiderwort... the list goes on!

Happy campers after experiencing off-grid life for a week. 

I'm curious to hear from blog readers! My questions for you are:

• Have you heard about passive solar, rammed earth, straw-bale, or tire-bale homes before?
• Have you ever stayed in an alternatively-constructed home?
• Do you know anyone that's built a home with alternative construction means?
• What concerns would you have about living or staying in one?

Yoga

Our yoga class isn't about being a human pretzel.
Silly Stephanie was getting ahead of herself!

I'm taking a weekly yoga class at Oncology Rehab where I also receive lymphatic massages, get help with my range of motion, and take Pilates classes (which I've blogged about before).

Brianna, our yoga sensei.
Her hands are in lotus mudra.

I've found this yoga class to be vital to my mental health. It's easy to see the physical benefits by way of improved flexibility, strength, and posture. I've also gained new confidence with my modified body and its capabilities. The price is fair, the teacher is knowledgeable (about yoga AND survivors' bodies), the "chemosabes" are friendly, and the personal gain is priceless!

Things we learn about and focus on in our classes:

• yoga poses (obvious, but...)
• chakras (locations, elements, colors, meanings)
• being content with what our bodies are able to do that day; each session is different
• breathing techniques
• focusing on yourself; not comparing to others
• hand mudras

What's a mudra? A symbolic gesture involving the hands and fingers.

Brianna's hands are in lotus mudra (above): by touching the base of the palms together, touching the tips of the pinky fingers, and touching the tips of the thumbs together. The inner 3 fingers form a cup to complete the lotus blossom.

The 7 chakras. Click to enlarge.
(source)

This mudra is good for times of loneliness, as an open heart can bring love and companionship back into your life.

In Buddhism, the lotus blossom represents a heart opening. The lotus flower blooms on the surface of water, with its roots deep below in mud—making it a symbol of light and beauty emerging from darkness. The fingers resemble a lotus flower unfolding. Feel connected to your roots, and remember that the greatest source of steadiness in life is an awakened heart. (source)

A beautiful wall
hanging with mudra.
(source)

To add an affirmation to mudras, you can say them (in your head, or everyone's gonna hear you!) on each inhale, such as:

“I open my heart to receive whatever comes my way today.”
"I'm a creative being."
"Every cell inside me vibrates with health and energy."
"I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life."
"Today I'm a kick-a$$ survivor."
"I am satisfied with where I'm at today."
"Loving myself heals my life." 

Still not sold on this new-agey activity? Open yourself up to the possibilities. And get with the times: 1 in 10 Americans practices yoga! Not that I just used the ol' "everybody's doing it" argument or anything ... oops. You don't have to take my word for it, either. Check out this Health Benefits of Yoga infographic. It's not so much graphic as it is information, but the benefits are clear: circulation, stress, heart disease, depression, back pain...the list goes on.

You can even take a moment to focus inward
and practice a mudra while snowshoeing. 

ANYone can come to these yoga classes (meaning able-bodied, modified, radiated, broken, healing, whatever you are). If you live in Colorado, this resource might be just what you're looking for:

Yoga classes at Oncology Rehab

Wednesday evenings  6-7pm

Friday afternoons  1-2pm  

email Brianna : brianna@oncologyrehab.net 

or 

call the front desk : (720) 306-8261

Therapy

Never underestimate the power of a great therapist. Or therapists!

Seriously.

Some might shirk at the idea of adding therapy to a "to do" list during a serious illness. However, it's sometimes wise to dive deep into the muck and get a-workin' on some core issues. Sure, it's messy. Yes, it can be uncomfortable. And you are choosing to do the hard work amidst an already stressful and gut-wrenching time in your life.

Still, there are significant benefits in combining therapy appointments with your cancer journey:

• You've got a pro "checking your head" and shepherding your mind through a rough wanna-make-you-crazy kind of situation.
• Situations/people that were once tolerable may be less so; time to learn how to better handle these.
• Boogers in your marriage/relationship(s) lines of communication can be cleared.
• You and your spouse can learn to work better together through a trying time.

Gongs Away!

A month ago today, I attended my first ever gong bath with Ann. It was a unique experience! I'd like to share what I learned about gong baths and some of my observances with you. I'll begin by being upfront with what I thought it would be like - then tell you what it really was like.

What I imagined:

• there would be a ton of gongs there making a bunch of noise - might be good noise; might be bad noise
• there would be lots of granola hippies there
• there might be an uber granola hippie that broke into twirling action during the gong session (think whirling dervishes)     Rach, that reference is for you!
• my ears might not be able to handle the stimulation
• a lot of "energy" speak could happen
• how could I stay still for 90 minutes?
• how could this guy possibly play a gong for 90 minutes??

What I experienced:

There were a handful of hippies there, but nobody quite as airy-fairy as I expected. Okay, except one gal that was pretty spacey and focused on sharing her deep, meaningful experiences (past and present). But this post isn't about her! :) Most folks looked like your average, everyday person. The one thing that you couldn't see that was palpable was that everyone seemed to be there for a reason.

Richard and his gong.

Ann and I got there early to ensure a "good seat" relative to Richard Rudis and his gong setup. "What's a good seat at a gong bath?" I inquired. "Close up!" said Ann. We chose a spot directly behind Richard and his gong. (Truth be told, Ann wanted to semi-spy on Richard during the performance so she could check out his techniques. The sound is also so piercingly crisp up close.) We set up our yoga mats, makeshift pillows, blankets, etc. I learned that the recommended positioning for a gong bath is with your head closest to the gong. As more people came in, they set up their mats in a starburst pattern around Richard.

We used the time before his performance to check out items being sold at the event: Tibetan singing bowls, tingshaws, gantas and vajras, crystals, and special oxygenated water (!). We played every one of the bowls and balked at the prices. We passed the time quickly.

All the lights were turned off before the performance. Richard explained a bit about how his performance would begin, crescendo, and end. And then it began. The tingshaws were used first. Then a singing bowl. Sounds from singing bowls are like chicken noodle soup; they're comforting, warm, and nurturing. They can help settle all the mind chaos and chatter that's bouncing to and fro in your noggin.

HALF of the striking tools used.

Then the gong. Oh, that gong! Who knew a gong could make such a variety of tones and sounds. As you can tell from the pictures here, he had MANY different striking tools to use. It was a cacophony of sounds with the volume waxing and waning. It didn't take long before my brain started floating a sinusoidal path like the gong's sound waves...in and out, high and low, deep relaxation and profound awareness. It was all very cool. (I did have to plug my ears for a few minutes during the ultimate crescendo of the gong.) I imagined that if a gong sound could look like something, it would be a concentric path of sorts.

The other half of the striking tools, a singing bowl
(with a neat fabric cover for transport), and a tingshaw.

The performance came to a close the same way it began; with a singing bowl and the tingshaws. The gong bath concluded with us eating a piece of dark chocolate (70+%) to release endorphins. The entire 90 minutes passed quickly and I felt relaxed and serene afterwards. Would I do it again? -- Absolutely!


More about gong baths:

- If attending a gong bath, you might want to bring:

• a good mat/pad (yoga mat or sleeping/camping pad) lay on - you'll be laying down for the entire experience
• comfortable clothes
• water - always good to stay hydrated
• pillow or other prop for your head - for comfort
• objects to heal - think paper pieces with names of those who need healing, or objects you may want to "cleanse," etc.)
• blanket - your body temperature will decline as you lay there during the experience

- Gong baths are said to positively affect all cells in your body. Sound strange? Check out this video to see and decide for yourself.
- Richard says his gong baths are about empowering people to heal themselves through creating the ground conditions for transformation to occur. The gong helps participants release traumas held in cellular memory and awakens them to an expanded state of consciousness. (Source URL)


More about Richard:
- Read this fairly recent (6/2011) Denver Post article written about Richard, his gong sessions, and how a Buddhist Temple complex changed his life.
- Richard also plays at a place called The Star House in Boulder, CO.

Sound Healing

Anyone ever heard of sound healing? I hadn't until recently.

Sound healing uses vibrational sound to help reduce stress, alter consciousness and create a deep sense of peace, well being and better health. (from http://www.soundenergyhealing.com/pages/aboutSoundEnergy.html)

Ann, with some of her singing bowls.

Enter Ann, my massage therapist. She's always on the lookout for new therapies that will benefit her clients. One type of client demographic she'd like to be able to include are individuals that are touch sensitive. For example: people with PTSD, fibromyalgia, going through chemo, etc. and are sensitive to touch.

She's educated herself about sound healing and explained its basic principles to me. Interesting stuff! Here's some Q&A she shared with me that I found helpful in understanding the principles of sound healing and how it works.

The Science of Sound
Brainwaves are the electrical patterns emitted by the brain, and, as such, they respond to frequencies. These waves change frequency due to the neural activity in the brain. Sound Therapy can affect that activity by applying specific frequencies using various instruments. When we present rhythm, beats, tones, and pulses to the brain, it begins to mimic them. The process is called entrainment. In effect, the sound instruments ‘speak’ to the brain in its own language; the language of frequencies. Brainwave frequencies determine what state we are in at any given moment.

When clients turn their attention to the sounds created in the sessions, the brain-chatter turns off and a deep peace overtakes them. We can use sound therapy to achieve specific goals, ie: relaxation, learning, uplifting, energizing and so on.

How do the vibrations from the singing bowls help in the healing process disease?
1. Restoring the normal vibratory frequencies of the diseased, out-of-harmony parts of the body. Since all matter is energy vibrating at different rates, by altering the rate of vibration we can change the structure of matter.
2. Sound from the bowls entrain the brain to move into the deeper Alpha and Theta brain wave frequencies that induce deep meditative and peaceful states, clarity of mind, and intuition.
3. When placed directly on the body the sound vibrations are transmitted into our blood, organs, tissues, and cellular memory through the 80% water in our system.
4. The sound vibrations impact our nervous system, engaging our relaxation reflex and inhibiting the stress or pain response. It reduces brain wave activity, slows the respiratory and heart rate creating 'Cardio-Respiratory Synchronicity'—the perfect condition to bring the body back into alignment.
5. Sound induces trance states of consciousness conducive to healing. Their sound synchronizes sentient brain waves and creates a therapeutic effect upon the mind/body realization. They stop one's internal dialog, the 'Monkey Mind.' The individual is transported into a space of tranquility and balance.
6. The ensuing sympathetic resonance between brain and bowls reawakens the intrinsic blissful self in us. The healing process is initiated by entraining our brainwaves and creating sympathetic resonance with the perfect vibrations of the bowls.
7. Positive thinking can strengthen your immune system and change your life. The combination of the sound vibration of the bowls with positive visualization and affirmations will greatly enhance the healing experience.

More about Ann's Sound Sessions

Ann uses a variety of instruments during her sound healing sessions.

-tibetan bowls
-tuning forks
-crystal bowls
-rin gongs
-tingshaws
-temple bells
-gongs

After a healing session last week, I experienced a profound difference in my mental state. Before the appointment, I was zipping here and there, trying to juggle errands, remember what to do, etc. I was a bit frantic and frazzled - a common status for my brain the past few weeks. It was as if the sound waves and my brain patterns wrestled for a while at the beginning of the session, but the singing bowls won in the end. They calmed down all my mind chatter and I felt SO MUCH MORE at peace!  It was wonderful and brought me back to a place I hadn't been in a while.

Partly based on my peaceful mind experience after the sound session, I'm saying "Yes!" to going to a 1.5 hour gong bath this weekend with Ann. Hope to experience some good vibrations during and after Richard Rudis' gong bath.

Ann Martin, CMT

Transforming Body, Psyche & Soul

303-378-6250

Coo Coo for Coconut Oil

What’s the deal with coconut oil?
With Costco carrying vat sized barrels of organic coconut oil we are seeing an increase in popular demand for what used to be a specialty health food item. Whether it is the versatility, healthful aspects, or simple hype that is driving more people to try the switch to this plant-based fat, we jumped on the bandwagon and want to share our experiences since making the switch.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Why did our family start using coconut oil?
After reading about the dangers of using oils with low smoke points and the toxins found in hydrogenated GMO oils, we began researching what oils we should and shouldn't be using. Time and time again organic coconut oil appeared in our research and its uses are many.

Like the other health aware changes we have made in our lives, things happen incrementally for us and there is generally a “getting used to the change” curve. Being open to the process of trying healthy alternatives and stepping out of the status quo are empowering paths to tread upon. Our goal is to restore as much of the natural balance to our lives as we can, while continuing to live in the modern world.

Healthy change is an iterative process and should be explored with an open, malleable mind. We try to take it easy on ourselves when embarking down a new path and keep our judgements balanced when doing our research. Unhealthy food is big business so there is sometimes trickery going on to get us away from simpler, healthier alternatives like minimally processed, locally grown organic foods. This broken nutrition cycle is lightheartedly demonstrated in the below image, but carries a serious message:

An inconvenient truth.
Courtesy of Joseph Jenkins, "Humanure Handbook"

We like to keep things simple when it comes to nutrition and try to choose the most direct path from plant to mouth. Common sense and good judgement are always handy to have around when trying something new. For example we limit our usage of coconut oil, because it is a saturated fat and is new to our diets. We currently have about 1-2 tablespoons per person on a daily basis as a substitution for where we used to use butter or vegetable oil. Extra virgin olive oil is still a regular staple in our house, but generally only as an after cooking drizzle or dipping sauce.

How do we use coconut oil?
It started with stir fry. It was the first recipe that we replaced our [insert highly processed GMO oil] in favor of coconut oil. As we got used to the slightly different taste of cooking with the new oil, things really took off. Eggs, cookies, popcorn... Coconut oil turns to liquid at 76F degrees, so depending on our house temperature it may be in liquid, solid, or a mixed states. It even goes camping with us in a little Nalgene container.

What kind of coconut oil is best?
There is a little bit of a variety within USDA organic coconut oils, but the short and skinny is to avoid any hydrogenated, refined product and get the virgin, organic, unrefined stuff.

When I bought our first bottle, I thought "Holy cow! The refined variety is way less than the unrefined kind!" and I let price drive my purchase. You have to be driven by putting your health before your wallet when buying more expensive healthier alternatives. So after learning what refined coconut oil, also labeled hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, really was it went back to the store in favor of the unrefined variety.

We choose to support sustainable businesses valuing human life above shelf life with our dollars.

When people talk about refined or hydrogenated product they are saying, “This here food turned rancid, so we are going to mix it with some chemicals to make it edible again. We can even put in some chemical coloring, flavor and preservatives to make this food unnaturally addictive and last forever."

I want to know more! What are some good resources?
Read Clean Cuisine & More: Is the saturated fat in coconut harmful? and this Coconut Oil article from TreeLight, a great health information resource.

Wondering what all you can do with all of your coconut oil, check out Crunchy Betty's: A Millionish Uncommon and not so Uncommon Uses for Coconut Oil and Hybrid Rasta Mama's 333 Uses For Coconut Oil.

And some more technical articles from Mercola: Coconut In support of Good Health in the 21st Century and The Truth About Saturated Fats.

Pilates

In January of this year, I committed to attend a once-a-week Pilates class for 1 month. The class is offered through OncologyRehab, where I receive lymphatic massages. I noticed a definite positive change in my core strength and muscle tone, so decided to go back in May and June - after the clinical trial. I also plan on revisiting Pilates class after my switch-out surgery.

Shannon instructing class.
She modifies movements based on our individual abilities.

Shannon Pascoe

Pilates is an excellent way to condition and gain strength, flexibility, and overall body symmetry while minimizing impact on joints. Shannon Pascoe, PT, DPT is a certified pilates instructor who has experience working with different medical populations and is able to adjust exercise as needed. Shannon will develop an individualized pilates based exercise program focusing on impairments experienced by the patient. (this paragraph copied from OncologyRehab's web site)

Shannon is a positive, upbeat instructor that's willing to put up with our (at times) talkative group and yet manage to get down to "business time" on the mats. She changes exercises up for each session, which keeps things interesting. We use all sorts of accessories to get in a great Pilates workout: a Magic Circle, yoga mat, foam rollers, round weights, stretch bands, and stability balls. Shannon is familiar with our physical limitations, so she's prepared to give us alternatives tailored to our abilities.





The Magic Circle looks like a friendly little thing...but boy, can it make you do a lot of work! I liked its compact design and multi-use so much that I purchased one here on Amazon!



I LOVE the feeling of my core being sore (in a good way) in the days following Pilates class. Weeks of chemotherapy usually lead to decreased activity = soft tummy syndrome (STS). Pilates is a low impact way to fight back against STS! It's also been a good way for me to meet other survivors.

Try it - you just might like it!

Massage Therapy

Last summer, I found a brochure for a massage therapist at my oncologist's office. And like many other past actions in my life, I thought about calling her six ways to Sunday before actually making my move. Would massage help me through chemotherapy treatments? Probably couldn't hurt! Especially during the second week of each cycle, when I bounced back physically and had residual effects from bone pain and sitting/laying in one place for too long.

Ann with a singing bowl.

Enter Ann M., CMT. I was sold after my first visit with her and made regular appointments to last through my chemo treatments and lead me into surgery. She has advanced education in neuromuscular massage, vibrational healing, and oncology massage. Her tool set made me feel a heck of a lot more comfortable with receiving a massage. She is also familiar with the lymphatic system and how to massage post-surgery. She is an angel of goodness in my life and I am so glad she's part of my team!

I love entering her massage space. It's a light blue color, reminiscent of calm waters or a cloudless sky. There's a few pops of red in the room, namely the lamps. She also has a host of angels in the room, which I enjoy and find comforting. There's nothing but good vibes and comfort in that sacred room!

Where the magic happens.

The bare necessities:
balance and hydration!

We start each session by talking about how I'm feeling. Is there anything new to know about or out of whack since last time? What treatments are planned for the future? What would I like her to focus on? Sometimes we also add a special meditation for a card that I pick randomly from a pile. These cards have all been great reminders or things to focus on throughout my treatment. For instance: the card I picked right before the Christmas holiday was "balance." How apropos! Ann read a page accompanying the card (with word definition, word origin, and things to consider when trying to balance).

Then we begin. I usually choose to begin our session with a meditation. Ann guides the meditation time and uses singing bowls and ohm tuning forks for added relaxation. Her massages are not intrusive or painful, like some massages can be. She uses hot stones and bamboo to work muscles gently.

I'm appreciative of conventional Western medicine - after all, it has helped me. Even so, I'm equally thankful for the "alternative" medicines I've sought out: reiki, meditation, acupuncture, pilates, lymphatic PT, and massage. It's a privilege to not have to work during this life adventure. The "extra" time allows me to not only fit in all of the recommended treatments, but also some medical-related appointments that I can look forward to!

Thank you, Ann, for your healing touch and continual support. You're an inspiration to me.

Ann Martin, CMT
303-378-6250

Change Your Life With Green Smoothies

Green Smoothies can change your life.

Our first encounter with green smoothies was earlier this Summer when Laura and I watched Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Cancer documentary. I made green smoothies daily for a few weeks and we really enjoyed them, Laura too! Getting the smoothies prepared and ready in the morning began to be hard for me to keep up with and I lost motivation to make the shakes. We would have one once every couple of weeks.

We like green smoothies...for real!!!

Recently Laura and I watched another health documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It was inspiring and after watching the difference a juice fast, or reboot as they referred to in the film, could alter a person's life, I was determined to start juicing for our health. I began researching how to make juices with our Vitamix, which it turns out is easy to do, with the help of a cheesecloth for straining.

As I'm apt to do when I get carried away on a new topic of interest I wanted to know more about green juices and smoothies and I stumbled upon Victoria Boutenko. Victoria and her family went on a raw vegetable diet to combat health issues, and found that after being on the diet for a year they were not feeling as energetic and well as they should have been. So she began researching and studying many things among them the diet of chimpanzees and found the missing link to her family's diet was more "leafy greens". Way more.

Standard American vs. Chimpanzee diet (courtesy of  http://www.rawfamily.com/green-smoothie) 

Chimpanzee vs. Raw-Foodist diet (courtesy of  http://www.rawfamily.com/green-smoothie)

Boutenky's asserts that leafy greens belong in a food category of their own and that it is a mistake to lump them in with other vegetables. I wholeheartedly agree. After reading two of Victoria Boutenko's more popular books, Green for Life and Green Smoothie Revolution, I was back on the smoothie bandwagon full speed ahead, although after Laura's upcoming clinical trial where there will be more chemo, I'd like for us to to try a juice cleanse.

There are some great free green smoothie recipes on Victoria's web site rawfamily.com, and here is the breakdown of our most recent "go to" smoothie. If possible, use organically grown ingredients.

• 1 cucumber (unpeeled)
• 2-4 kale leaves (the Vitamix blends the hard stems so I add them for extra fiber)
• 1-2 swiss chard leaves and stems
• 1-2 green collard leaves and stems
• 1 broccoli stem (these are usually leftover and we save them)
• 1 celery stem
• 1 banana (freeze them when they are green for less sugar content)
• 1 apple (or a handful of grapes or berries)
• 1-2 tablespoons ginger (whole unpeeled)
• 1 cup water (so it mixes and is thin enough to drink)
• 1 cup ice
• Small amount of fruit juice to taste (or stevia)

Another favorite variation is to leave out the broccoli stem and cucumber and add a whole golden or red beet with its leafy tops.

Anything goes, your imagination is the limit, just try to keep the fruit to 20% and leafy greens at 80%. For example I tried adding leeks recently and that was interesting, a bit too stout for our liking. It was a little like an Italian green shake. A clove of garlic is also fun and adds a zing and is good for you. Just don't schedule any meetings afterwards without brushing your teeth. We've also been adding homemade Kombucha tea to the smoothie, which gives it additional zing and helps thin out a thick smoothie. Apple juice and water also work fine to thin a thick shake.

The thing that has really helped us stay regular with the smoothies is to cut the veggies after cooking dinner and blend before going to bed. Put in the fridge for the morning and with another quick mix, you are all set to pour and go. The Sundesa 28 oz blender bottles with the metal ball in them are perfect for sipping on the go and easily allow you to remix, or add a little fluid whenever you need to.

Acupuncture

The center's entryway floor.

Acupuncture is interesting to me. And I believe it's been beneficial to me as a complement to my Western medicine treatments. It hasn't hurt me in any way, that's for sure. Paul is my acupuncturist and I hope to remember to get a picture of him sometime in the future. Chemo brain has made getting a picture of him all the more elusive. For now, here are a few pictures I took during a visit in August to show folks what I've experienced.

My appointments begin with a check-in of sorts. I talk to Paul about troublesome symptoms I'm experiencing and he checks my pulse and my tongue. (The main symptoms I found troublesome during chemotherapy were nausea, tinnitus (ears ringing), headache, bone paint, joint pain, and fatigue.) Then I hopped up on the table and got stuck! Once all the needles/pins/clips are in, Paul dims the lights and leaves the room. My job was to breathe in and out, relax, and try not to let too many stray thoughts come charging into my brain for the next 45 minutes. Easier said than done!

A needle in my forehead.
I *think* this is the brain on/off switch location.
It's nice when it's off!

Contrary to most of the needles folks are familiar with, acupuncture needles are not hollow. I played with one before I got stuck for the first time, just to see what I was getting into. They are so thin that they are flexible.  Having acupuncture needles inserted does not hurt; I've only had two needles placements that made me feel a twinge as they went in. A few minutes later, everything feels normal or better than normal.

Two needles in my foot.

I'm comfortable while on the table. A bolster is placed under my knees, rolled-up towels are placed under my wrists (which usually have needles in them, too), and a heat lamp can be used, too.

An infrared heat lamp.
Usually aimed at my cold feet.

Reiki

What is Reiki? Reiki is energy therapy used for stress reduction and relaxation.

Early in my chemotherapy treatment process, I heard about LifeSpark. LifeSpark is a non-profit organization in the Denver area that provides weekly healing touch massage or Reiki sessions to cancer patients. They use a sliding scale to determine your weekly payments and the providers are all volunteers. When I signed up, I was told the waiting time was 2-3 months, and that was no exaggeration.

My Reiki practitioner, Jane.
I'm thankful for her volunteering her time and energy
to be part of the LifeSpark program.

In August, I met Jane for my first Reiki session. I thought it was like massage, except the practitioner didn't touch you - the "I'm close to you but not touching you" sort-of thing. Why I didn't look it up beforehand to have a better handle on what I was getting into, I'm not sure. (Maybe just overwhelmed with soaking up all sorts of other information about breast cancer.)

For each treatment, Jane places her hands on me in various locations. We begin with me laying face down on a massage table and her placing her hands on my head. Each position is kept for about a minute. [This is approximate! I've never sat there and counted because I'm supposed to be relaxing.] When she's finished with head-to-toe energy therapy on that side, I flip over onto my back. Similar positions are repeated on my front side.

I've fallen asleep a couple of times and jerked myself awake once, nearly avoiding kicking her. That made us both giggle, but we recovered quickly and soon went back to being quiet and meditative.

For those of you that are curious:

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."
from: http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html 

I've enjoyed my Reiki sessions. After my appointments - some of which were on "bad news days" - I've felt a sense of calm, peace, and well-being. Do I have any hard-core empirical evidence of these sessions showing a clear health benefit to me? Not really. But I feel better after the appointments, so I consider that a good thing. If nothing else, it's time for me to lay down, focus on my breath, and receive good energy from another human being.

Wetness*

My recent visit to an acupuncturist/nutritionist was insightful. Without going into all of the details of what I learned, here's a synopsis:

• Acupuncture needles don't hurt.
• There are five elements that should flow to each other, in circle form, in this order: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. The elements determine our whole physical, psychological, and emotional balance. 
• My body is out of balance. (Exhibit A: breast cancer. Exhibit B: my history of fighting tonsillitis/strep on and off for years - most recently for several years in a row until my tonsillectomy in early 2011. Exhibit C: my saliva is acidic. And there are others.)
• My acupuncturist/nutritionist will work with me to:
  1) increase my WBC count so I can keep on the chemo treatment plan I'm on - without missing/delaying any, if possible
  2) help me recover from chemo after my last treatment, to prepare me for my surgery
  3) work with me throughout chemo, surgery, and post-surgery to change my body pH so it is no longer a "kind" host for cancer cells to thrive

No, I'm not going off the deep end, people! This feels healthy to look into alternative treatments in addition to (not in replace of!) conventional therapies. After all, it's not exactly a secret that cancer is in essence a breakdown in the balance between typically dormant cancer cells in the body and the natural defenses that keep those cancer cells from activating and misbehaving. I want to pay close attention to my mind-body connection and improve (by nourishing and strengthening) my "terrain."

I am keeping an open mind and am willing to follow some tougher dietary guidelines (as soon as I get the OK by my oncologist - that, or will wait until chemo is over to fully implement). At the most, I can learn how to keep cancer at bay in my body. At the least, I have a strong sense of power and hope through this journey and beyond. 

*Wetness: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, wetness is a pathological factor that can flow to every corner and organ of the body and making mis-function of the organs, which causes different diseases.