Inflammatory Breast Cancer, In The Know

Filed Under Awareness, Blog, Health | Leave a Comment

rememberingelaine.gifRecently I received an email about a form of breast cancer, which you may not have heard about. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a little known form of breast cancer that is very aggressive and does not appear as a lump, but instead as an infection in the breasts. Usually not detected by a mammogram or an ultrasound, it can go undiagnosed for long periods of time.

The symptoms of IBC can be similar to that of other breasts infections, in which case antibiotics are usually prescribed. If you have a breast infection and antibiotics are not effective within a week, you should ask your doctor to perform a biopsy or get a referral to a breast specialist.

As women, having the knowledge and the tools to enable others to heal us is very important. Likewise, sharing what we know with other women gives us an opportunity to diagnose a condition in time to reverse it’s effects and save a life. If you would like to find out more about IBC and help spread the word among the public about this little known and deadly form of breast cancer, please visit RememberingElaine.org. This touching website is dedicated to the purpose of raising consciousness about inflammatory breast cancer. Simply by raising the level of awareness you could impact hundreds of lives. Share with a friend, spread the word, and help create a healthy and happy future for every women and everyone in our lives.

(Image Courtesy RememberingElaine.org)

Related Sites

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Association

National Cancer Institute

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Eat Healthy and Eat What You Want

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Are you always trying to eat healthy, but end up messing up and cheating and then feel guilty and bad about yourself? You know the routine, you’ve been great for days, only salads, Perrier and fish, and then you have lunch at the Cheesecake factory and your friend orders the strawberry cheesecake with chocolate drizzle. Strawberries are healthy, and besides, you only had a few bites. The problem is now you’re craving more. Living a healthy lifestyle and eating a vitamin packed diet can take self control. The trick is to remember that eating a healthy diet is part of loving yourself and when you eat foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega fats you are not only loving your figure you’re loving your skin and actually preventing things like wrinkles and cellulite. Part of treating yourself well is also giving yourself treats and gifts once in a while. When I’m on a really strict routine like no sugar, no wheat, no wine, etc. I make sure that I buy myself extra spa items. Like lotions, candles, bubble bath, maybe a new perfume. But when I’m just being healthy there are a few items I always have on hand. These are the staples of what I call “naughty health food”. When I feel like I’m about to blow it I indulge in one of these sumptuous treats and this way I stay healthy and happy.:

Alternative Baking Company’s Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookie - This cookie is vegan, organic and tastes delicious! It’s chewy and tasty and always satisfies my cravings.

Van’s Wheat Free Blueberry Waffles - Wheat and gluten free and so delicious. Mmmm……add some real maple syrup and get a healthy dose of manganese and zinc. Manganese fights free radicals and zinc is great for your heart and protects against colds.

Popcorn with Sea Salt and Olive Oil - This is my favorite naughty heath food. It’s so good that I feel like I’m eating something really bad. Pop plain popcorn, pick an olive oil that is golden (they have a slightly buttery taste) and drizzle it on top, then sprinkle on sea salt, shake it up and munch away. You’ll get the health benefits of olive oil and the minerals in the sea salt.

Uncle Eddie’s Trail Mix Cookies - Where do I even begin? These cookies are so good, not too sweet but just sweet enough. Organic ingredients and all natural sweeteners, packed with raisins, oats and seeds, these cookies are just plain good stuff.

Apricot Cliff Bar - So good because there are actual apricot chunks in this bar. Get your vitamins and your sweet tooth handled all at once.

Tofutti Cuties - Craving ice cream? Go for these tofu ice cream sandwiches. So many flavors, vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, strawberry, shall I go on? These little treats are something I make sure are always in my freezer.

Raw Chocolate - Ok, have you tried raw food yet? After a raw food meal I have more energy than I know what to do with. Raw chocolate is the best of the best, often prepared with an almost coconuty texture, this treat melts in your mouth. Did you know raw chocolate can decrease your blood pressure, is great for your heart and promote healthy kidneys?

Pure Jamaican Cola - Free from the horrible ingredients of normal sodas, tastes great and soothes an upset stomach. You can buy it in the can or buy it as a syrup and add your own seltzer water for a homemade cola treat.

Ame - When I’m trying to cut down on the wine this beverage feels like a refreshing treat. I love the herbal ingredients like jasmine. limeflower and gentian.

Organic Coffee - The best for last! Not just coffee, but organic coffee. Organic coffee has a sweeter aroma and you can actually pick up on the subtle flavors like orange flower and chocolate. Try coffees from different countries for a variety of tastes. I always feel so luxurious, as I only allow myself coffee on special occasions.

The next time you want to be healthy, but you’re feeling naughty, be good to yourself and try one of these treats.

Cellulite: The Real Deal

Filed Under Blog, Health, Skin Care | 1 Comment

Ok, unless your eighteen, in perfect condition and never had a digestive problem, we all have it: cellulite. Dreaded word, I know, but the fact is that most of us live with it and don’t really know what to do about it. I’ve bought magazine after magazine claiming to have articles to help with this problem only to be disappointed by a run down on all the latest “miracle creams”. So after years of research I’ve decided to share my hard earned knowledge about the real deal on getting rid of the cottage cheese effect.

First of all let me say that the only thing that will really get rid of this problem is exercise; and it’s not just any exercise. Doing cardiovascular exercise is important as it will help with burning off some of the fat; but building and toning your muscle in whatever area you have the most cellulite will help the most with the appearance. For one thing, muscle eats fat and for another muscle will give your skin a smooth surface to lie on. If you do not have a lot of muscle then your skin will only have the fat pockets (cellulite) to lay on top of, if you have more muscle then your skin will lay on top of the muscle and cause a smoother look. After building and toning my muscles for six months I noticed a drastic reduction in the amount of cellulite on my thighs and butt.

Since cellulite most often shows up on our thighs and butt it is important to know that your thighs are directly connected to your digestion. When you have a digestive problem the first place it will show up is on your thighs. So it is important to eat healthy and pay attention to how many processed foods are going into your body. Your body can most easily digest foods in their natural form. On the opposite side of this, the type of food that will contribute most to cellulite is fast food. I know this from experience and it is the most difficult cellulite to get rid of. So my recommendation is that no matter what it takes, do not eat fast food. At this point I have completely eliminated it from my diet.

I recently read an article saying that research has shown that ginko biloba has a significant impact on cellulite. I have not yet tried this, but I plan to in the near future and will let you know the results. What I have found to be effective is acidophilus, this friendly bacteria eats the bad bacteria in your body and boosts the good bacteria, which in turn really boosts your body’s ability to digest food. Yogurt is high in acidophilus, but the thing I have found to produce the best results is Jarrow Formula’s acidophilus pills, Jarro-Dophilus .

Staying hydrated is also really important for managing the appearance of the skin that shows cellulite. Dehydrated skin has a dry appearance and lacks the elasticity needed to have tone and firm skin. While hydration will not solve the problem on its own it will help in the maintenance of your body’s overall health and help to hydrate you skin giving it a lively and young look.

As far as creams and lotions go you have to find the one that works for you. For me, I have seen good, yet somewhat slow, results with creams that contain seaweed and I have to use them everyday to get any results at all. Other creams contain caffeine and other ingredients known to help. One concoction that I have seen work on my self and others is something you make at home. Combine one ounce almond oil, 7 to 10 drops essential lemon oil and fine ground sea salt. (All of these can be found at your local health food store or on the Internet. Young Living makes some of the highest quality essential oils I have ever experienced.) Wet your skin in the shower, pour some of this mixture on an exfoliating mitt and massage any part of your body that has cellulite for about three to five minutes. Then let it sit on your skin for another minute and rinse off. (Do not use the lemon oil without the almond oil; it will burn your skin!)

Like I said, you’ll see the most drastic results when you build and tone your muscles. If you do this, really focus on what you are eating, take acidophilus, stay hydrated and use a topical product that works with your body, then you will see results. To some of you this may sounds like a lot of steps or even hard work, but just think, wouldn’t it be worth it to put on that bikini and love what you see?

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