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Getting a yearly mammogram is something I have struggled with for a long time. I’ve been getting them yearly since I was 39. The last three years I’ve spread it out to once every year and a half. Neither my mother nor grandmother (both of them) ever had breast cancer, however, I believe my aunt died of it so I was advised by my gyno at the time to start. We all know someone with or who has had breast cancer and hearing that c-word is certainly scary. On the one hand I know women who say that the mammogram found the cancer early and they are living healthy lives. There is also a significant amount of studies that found in many cases it finds false positives, and puts women through an enormous amount of stress and worry, not to mention unnecessary, biopsies. Many women are diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, and in some situations doctors say it will never progress to cancer…..old age will get them first. So what do you do? This is such a touchy subject and consensus differs depending upon how you feel about seeking aggressive treatment, or not, whether or not you have had cancer, or a scare, or a family history of it, etc. Regardless, it is something all women have to think about and consider.
I watched an interview with a Dr. Russell Blaylock this week. It is not the first time I have heard a doctor come out against woman having yearly mammograms and getting radiated. He suggested thermography’s, sonograms or even the more costly MRI. Dr. Chris Northrup whom I greatly admire and respect, also agrees that women would be better off getting thermography’s. Breast tissue is radiosensitive tissue and that radiation would more than likely convert a non-progressive cancer into a highly invasive cancer in a number of instances and studies back this info up. Radiation accumulates in the tissues over time and can damage breast tissue, especially in woman that have a DNA pre-disposition.
Having a dialogue with your gyno and being aware of the research and statistics is something I recommend to all women. Clearly we each have to make our own personal decision on this, but having all the info and a professional opinion from your doctor who is familiar with your health history are very important. Keep in mind that eating a healthy anti-inflammatory diet, exercising regularly, and practicing stress reduction is the best prevention against cancer or any other illness. Our psychological and physical well-being go hand in hand so listen to your body. It gives you signals and messages. As women our intuition tells us when someone is in distress or something is amiss. Mothers instinctively know when their children are hurting, but they ignore their own needs. If there is anything I want to emphasize it’s to pay attention to your inner guidance, or voice, or gut. It will keep you healthy, happy and better able to make needed changes in our life.
I would love to know how you feel about this either here on my blog or via my Holistic Root facebook page.
Peace and healthy breasts to all my fellow sisters!
Maria
My hubby and I are helping a friend who is a hoarder clean out her storage unit. She simply cannot afford to keep it so I have encouraged her to go through it and try to sell things she doesn't want anymore. It is amazing how attached to useless things we can be. The attachment is so strong that when I suggested throwing some of the things out or donating them I saw sheer panic. I realized that this is much bigger than just downsizing and it had to be handled delicately. I am the opposite. If I don't use something within 6 months I kiss it goodbye. A few years back I read the Tao De Ching which is a Chinese classic text that can be a blueprint for your life but one part of it talked about attachments so I decided to take about 4 big green trash bags and 2 boxes full of stuff I loved to good will. We always give away what we don't want but it's much more powerful to "let go" of what we love. I even put some things in there that belonged to my mother who has been gone many years....gasp, gasp! I know what you are thinking because I have heard it before...how could I do that? My mother and father will always and forever be in my heart. I don't need things to remind me of them or make me think about them. I feel them and that is all I need. Let another person enjoy her beautiful pieces of china that will bring new happiness and good memories. Releasing that stuff was such a freeing feeling that I don't have anything in my attic or basement. I even got rid of all my yearbooks from school! I never held on to much but I hold on to even less now. We have become a culture of collecting things to fill up our lives and what is supposed to make us feel better...but that's short-lived. And that's why we need to go out and get more stuff!
Psychologists say that hoarders feel safe when they have all these possessions around them. Similarly, our body is like a storage unit where we put things and then forget about them for years. However they are still there and belong to us which leaves us with a responsibility to deal with them....or not. In yoga it is believed that memories are stored in our hips which explains why you hear that older people break their hips. They are frail from all the memories stored in there that they never dealt with. They can just sit there as we collect more. A cluttered house is a metaphor for a cluttered mind and soul. Once you start getting rid of those layers it becomes very freeing.
Buddha says that our attachment to things is what brings great unhappiness. Detachment and forgiveness is the way to true and lasting happiness. What are you holding on to that would better serve you if you let it go?
Peace and release,
Maria
More than sixty five percent of women suffer symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. The symptoms can range from mood swings to cramps, bloating, headaches, problems sleeping, back pain and so many others. According to Dr. Christiane Northrup “everything from unbalanced nutrition to unresolved relationships can disrupt hormonal milieu.” PMS should not be ignored, as it’s a gentle reminder that you need to address some issues which can turn into a loud bang once you reach peri-menopause then menopause. First and foremost talk to your OBGYN about your symptoms to get a proper diagnosis. If you are interested in going the holistic route below take this article to your doctor for discussion.
Let’s start with some things that may contribute to PMS……like dairy, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates and stress. So much is written about the importance of a proper diet, and it cannot be emphasized enough. What we put into our bodies affects our emotional and physical health. Try eliminating dairy, caffeine, alcohol, refined carbohydrates (white flour, rice, sweeteners, white pasta) and sugar for 60 days and see how you feel. Whatever you are eating please try, as much as possible, to buy organic to avoid hormones and pesticides.
Supplements: Take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement for women. Companies that make high quality supplements like New Chapter, Mega Foods and BlueBonnet have excellent multi’s. Magnesium and a B-complex are also very important. Both are great for mood and anxiety. Make sure you are getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet via nuts, seeds and cold water fish such as salmon (wild caught Alaskan), sardines and greens such as kale, swiss chard, okra and spinach. If you don’t eat any of these foods get a good fish oil or flax seed supplement.
Herbs: Wild yam and chasteberry/vitex help to balance the hormones; (work with an herbalist for proper dosage). Dandelion or milk thistle are great for detoxing the liver and act as a diuretic.
Homeopathy: Studies have shown that homeopathy is effective for PMS. What is great about homeopathy is that it doesn’t interfere with any prescription meds you are taking. Boiron and Hyland are two brands.
Exercise: All you have to do is walk everyday but make it a brisk walk for about 30 minutes. Yoga and Tai Chi are extremely beneficial as they will also help relax and calm you. Meditation is part of yoga and will help keep you centered and balanced emotionally.
Body work: Try reflexology. The therapist will massage pressure points that will relieve PMS.
Toxic relationships: This is a tough one. Take time to assess who you surround yourself with. It may take that awareness to realize who is bringing you down. Difficult relationships affect your body, mind and spirit. It may be that a conversation with someone is all you need - or you may just need to move on…(your health and well-being need to come first).
You can also talk to your doctor about natural bioidentical progesterone cream and soy supplements.
Keep in mind that your thoughts are so powerful. I was lucky to have a mother who never talked about having a period or menopause negatively. She once said to me, “Maria, if a woman didn't get her period there wouldn't be any creation of life on the planet.” I never suffered from PMS and my menopause transition has been very smooth. Studies show that young girls who are taught to respect their cycles have little or no PMS. So if you have daughters try not to refer to their monthly cycle as “the curse.” All our thoughts pave the way for the direction our life takes so be mindful of what you are thinking and saying both to yourself and others.
Lastly, woman take on so much. We are the nurturers, the caregivers, mothers, partners, great friends and we give so much of ourselves. We don’t even realize how depleted emotionally or physically we can become. Be kind to yourself…go for a massage, take a day just to do things that fulfill and nourish your soul. Most importantly, never feel guilty about needing to rest and re-charge yourself…you are worth it!
Peace,
Maria
Very early in life we are taught that competition is good and makes you strive to achieve and fulfill your greatest potential. It sounds great but what is absent from that theory is that sometimes getting wrapped up in competing never allows you to get to know yourself. If you are always consumed with doing better than someone else how can you discover your own goals and dreams?
It seems that there is so much emphasis on winning that society puts on you, and having more than everyone else is somehow analogous to success. Whether it is more success, more money, or more material possessions, even the race to look younger has become a competition. Teenagers are joining the millions of adults getting injected with Botox and Restylane. Nowhere is this more evident than television. You can't turn on the TV without seeing both adults and children competing against one another. It would be fine if it wasn’t filled with such anger and determination to win at any cost. The message is clearly that winning is everything when in fact there is so much to learn from not winning, mainly humility, and that the reality is that we all can’t win all the time - and it’s ok. The desire to always be number one brings stress and frustration. What about being a good sport and being happy for the winner?
As someone who loves to cook I always liked the food channel. However, recently the same has happened there. Cupcake wars? Must we have a war on cupcakes? What have they ever done to us except be delicious? There are other shows similar in nature on the food network where people run around with a gladiator mentality over a chicken dish! Then there are the shows that pin children against one another in competition. What is sad is that the parents are fully engaged in it as well exhibiting child like behavior. The over-the-top effect may be shock value for TV but the message is extremely disturbing. Clearly competition is present in life and can build character if it is handled in a way that is fair and sends a message that it’s ok not to always come out on top. Perfection is a subjective illusion anyway, isn’t it? It’s all in our heads. It’s what we each deem as perfect. Why don’t we already feel perfect? Because perfect has been perceived as what others believe perfect to be, and we can never really live up to what others think that is. We should only be concerned with how we feel about our accomplishments or lack thereof. Trying to achieve some false sense of perfection only sets us up for failure. There will always be someone in life who has more than you but who cares? Be yourself. We all have our own style and uniqueness which makes us interesting – and perfect! I doubt Mozart, Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein or Bob Dylan were concerned with being like everyone else, and they did ok for themselves.
If you find yourself on the treadmill of always trying to top yourself and others, try this…..take about ten minutes a day (twice a day would be even better), and find a place that is quiet to be all by yourself. You can even light some incense or a candle, close your eyes and just ask the question….Who am I and what do I want? If thoughts come into your head, just take a deep breath and ask the question again. Be still and meditate on that each day. Being still and quiet may bring up things that are uncomfortable at first to think about but pushing away those thoughts will just bring them up at a later time. Accumulating toxic emotions that do not get addressed can cause illness so stay with it even if it’s uncomfortable. Over time that feeling will fade. Consider it practicing a little self preservation. And over time you may start to realize who you are and what you want to achieve in life – your way – and in that lies the perfection of you.
Peace,
Maria
