Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Ambro
More Migraines, Fewer Tumors?
A 2010 research study made its way onto my desk today that I thought was worth sharing.
Published in January 2010 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and titled Migraine History and Breast Cancer Risk Among Postmenopausal Women, the study found that postmenopausal women who have been treated for migraines have a 26% – 33% lower risk of breast cancer than other women.
The researchers made the point that estrogen plays a role in both migraines and some breast cancers. 60% of women with migraines reported having more headaches around the time of menstruation, when estrogen levels change. Many women reported having few migraines when they were pregnant, particularly around mid-pregnancy when estrogen levels stabilized.
Knowing you’d want to know more, I did some further research.
How Estrogen Plays a Role In Migraines
Estrogen has several important actions in the central nervous system that may account for its association with migraine headaches. When estrogen levels decline, serotonin levels also fall due to a decline in production coupled with an increased rate of elimination. Serotonin is a nerve transmitter (primarily created in your gastrointestinal tract) and is thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness.
When serotonin declines, that triggers another hormone known as calcitonin (made in the thyroid gland, it helps to regulate calcium levels) to be released, and along with a few other substances that are released, this causes cranial blood vessels to dilate (expand) and sensitizes particular parts of the trigeminal nerve, which is the largest of the cranial nerves and is responsible for sensation in the face and certain motor functions such as biting, chewing, and swallowing.
I had a massage teacher who always said that headaches were nothing more than a cerebrovascular event – “cerebro” meaning brain and “vascular” meaning blood vessels – it’s when the blood vessels in your brain dilate, causing that pain and throbbing and sometimes impaired vision that migraine sufferers describe.
My very own husband suffers from migraines sometimes and a few years ago I finally found something that absolutely stops a migraine in its tracks – at least it does for him. Several others who have tried this recipe have also reported success, so I knew I had to share it with you!
Stopping A Migraine Quickly
Supplies:
- A large glass bowl of cold water
- Tray full of ice cubes
- Essential oils of peppermint, ginger, marjoram (make sure they’re therapeutic grade)
- Washcloth
To the bowl of water, add the tray of ice cubes and two drops each of the three oils. Mix it up a little but not too much – the oil will float on the water and that’s okay. Dip in the washcloth and then place onto the forehead of the migraine sufferer. They will express shock initially because of the icy-ness of the compress, but should within 2-3 minutes gain great relief. Keep soaking the cloth in the icy mixture and reapplying to the forehead (making sure the oils don’t get into their eyes, that will create a whole different kind of pain!) until the headache is gone. Wishing you success with this recipe!
If you need to know where to get therapeutic grade essential oils, just contact me.
Source articles:
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/estrogen-associated-migraine
http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/28/6/1005.abstract?sid=217c62b5-cef1-4211-9352-5e9d568e9f12
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com). When you’re in a desperate situation, you need an ally. You can depend on me to help you through this.
Image courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Following on yesterday’s article about EMF radiation, I am getting quite a few inquiries from my readers saying “HELP ME SLEEP!” or “how can I sleep better?”
Initially it might seem like the two articles are not connected, but they definitely are. If you are trying to sleep in a room that has high electro-magnetic frequencies, chances are your sleep is going to be disturbed.
Melatonin Plays a Role
Also the whole issue about melatonin comes into play – I mentioned in yesterday’s article that studies have shown women who have breast cancer normally have quite low levels of melatonin, often as little as one-tenth what they should. Check out yesterday’s article for that discussion.
If you have breast cancer or are wanting to reduce your risk of it, improving your quality of sleep is, I believe, absolutely crucial. Studies have shown that shift workers, especially nurses, are more prone to breast cancer and the researchers are discovering that lack of melatonin could be the cause.
Why We Don’t Sleep Well
Since there seems to be a great need out there to improve quality of sleep, let’s first examine some of the reasons why people don’t sleep well:
- Noise – from the neighborhood, a snoring spouse or pet, crying children, barking dogs, screaming ambulances – noise can be a big problem
- Light – too much light entering the bedroom
- Pets – needy pets sleeping on your head don’t help!
- Alcohol – a big sleep disturber
- Caffeine – stimulates your nervous system, and lots of caffeine over the period of a day can build up
- Thinking and Anxiety – an inability to shut the mind off or feeling anxious about things
- Jet Lag – constant travel can be a problem for your inner time clock
- Restless Legs – sufferers of this syndrome have an irresistible urge to move their legs to relieve sensations described as itchiness, pins and needles or other discomforts
- Hot Flashes – whether you are menopausal or undergoing treatment for breast cancer, you know how completely sleep can be interrupted by these darned things
My 12 Best Tips On Sleeping Better
- Remove EMFs – See yesterday’s article about removing EMFs from the bedroom.
- Noise Reduction – It can be difficult to control the noise factor. I have tried earplugs but I hate the sensation of them in my ears and find that makes sleep difficult. Often just turning on a fan can be helpful – the “white noise” from the fan and the movement of air can be soothing. Also, there are “white noise” machines available from places such as Sharper Image, Amazon.com, etc. Just ensure you don’t place it close to the bed (again, the EMF problem). If a snoring partner is the problem, one of you should move to another room to sleep, if possible.
- Light Reduction – Make your bedroom as dark as possible. This is important because if your bedroom is full of too much light (including light from an alarm clock), it directly inhibits the production of melatonin. Use room darkening shades if possible and rid your bedroom of as many appliances as you can that create little lights at night.
- Pets – People love their pets, but pets have no place in the bedroom, I am sorry to say. They can disturb your sleep by wanting to play or wanting to be let out or… whatever. If you are having trouble sleeping (unless of course the pet helps you to sleep), getting pets out of the bedroom helps a lot. Here’s an article from webmd I found extremely helpful.
- Limit Alcohol – Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not help you sleep. Studies show that alcohol decreases the duration of sleep and its efficiency. It also increases your risk of breast cancer.
- Limit Caffeine – How caffeine affects us varies widely. For instance I’m very intolerant of it, I can’t have it past about 1 pm in the day or I’ll be awake half the night. My husband can drink black tea all day and all night and sleep like a baby. I believe each person’s tolerance for caffeine is pretty different. Just be aware of what yours is – it is, after all, a stimulant to the nervous system. If you’re finding that you don’t sleep well, try limiting your caffeine intake after about 3 pm for about 2 weeks and see what happens.
- Meditation and Positive Affirmations – Thinking too much and anxiety are double trouble, much prone to them myself. Here’s what helps me. If I meditate for 20 minutes prior to going to bed, I sleep much better. The use of positive affirmations helps with anxiety. One of the tenets of Buddhism is living in the moment. If you find your brain is running amok and going through all those “what if’s” and it’s creating massive anxiety, ask yourself this question. AM I OKAY RIGHT THIS MINUTE? 99% of the time, the answer will be “yes”. Tell yourself, “I am okay right now and right now is all that matters”. Are you aware that 90% of the things we worry about never happen? Just breathe. Be here now. If you have a roof over your head and food in your belly, you are doing just fine. Here’s a nice article from zenhabits.net about living in the moment.
- Jet Lag Tips – A big sleep disruptor. Here’s a good article from USA Today on how to reduce jet lag.
- Restless Legs – This can be a big problem for a lot of people, including me. I found a great cure for it when I was living in Australia – maddeningly the cure isn’t available here in the US. It’s a supplement made by a company out of New Zealand, Blackmores, and it’s called P.P.M.P. which stands for Potassium phosphate Magnesium phosphate. I get them sent over by friends. I haven’t found anything else like it here in the US. The Mayo Clinic has an article about RLS with some tips and tricks which may help.
- Aromatherapy – Breathing in a good quality lavender essential oil just prior to bed helps immensely because it has wonderful calming qualities. I put a drop or two on my pillow before retiring and sometimes even put a drop into my night moisturizer for my face for a double good benefit. I use it with my massage clients too (and I sell it, you can get it from me by going to my Contact page.)
- Cool Those Hot Flashes – I wish I had the cure-all for this. I’ve found many things that assist, nothing that makes them go away entirely. I wrote an article recently with some tips and tricks.
- Wolfberry/Goji Juice – I started taking this as soon as I got a diagnosis of breast cancer because of the positive research I’d read about its health benefits. One of the great side benefits (so much better than a side effect!) is that my quality of sleep is vastly improved and everyone I’ve recommended it to has said the same thing. I’ve done my research and there are only two good brands that I recommend, in fact I made a video about it because I’d received so many inquiries.
I really hope that this helps you get a better night’s sleep. Let me know by commenting below!
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com). When you’re in a desperate situation, you need an ally. You can depend on me to help you through this.
Artwork courtesy of Zela/ rgbstock.com
I recently discovered that there are two new-ish therapies available as breast cancer treatments that were not available when I had breast cancer in 2004, known as brachytherapy and intra-operative radiation therapy, or IORT.
They are interesting, but do not come without risk and I thought you should know about them. This is likely to open up a can of worms, but here goes.
Brachytherapy
For women who do not need to undergo mastectomy, a lumpectomy is performed to remove a cancerous tumor. Brachytherapy involves the insertion of either a series of tubes or a catheter attached to a small balloon into the breast.
A radioactive source is then delivered to the surgical site, where it can kill off any remaining cancer cells within about 1 cm. After five days of treatment, the tubes or catheter can be removed. This allows doctors to irradiate the breast “from the inside out,” unlike the traditional method of applying radiation to the entire breast with an external beam.
Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is an intensive radiation treatment that is administered during surgery. IORT is used to treat cancers that are difficult to remove during surgery and there remains a concern that microscopic amounts of cancer may still be in situ. IORT allows direct radiation to the target area while sparing normal surrounding tissue.
According to the Mayo Clinic website: “IORT allows higher effective doses of radiation to be used compared to conventional radiation therapy. It’s not always possible to use very high doses during conventional radiation therapy, since sensitive organs could be nearby. IORT also allows doctors to temporarily move nearby organs or shield them from radiation exposure.”
They both sound good, right? Read on.
The Problem Is…
In theory, these two therapies seem like a good idea because doctors can basically deliver the whole radiation treatment at the time of surgery or just after, rather than requiring the patient to go back daily for 6-7 weeks.
The problem is that these two therapies still need extensive studies to be done to ensure their effectiveness! There is a complete lack of randomized trial data comparing the effectiveness of either of these therapies with standard whole-breast irradiation.
Randomized trials can take years, however, and how these treatments have managed to be put forward and offered without those trials is mind-boggling to me. There is one such trial underway sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, but it will be years before the results are known.
An Interesting Research Study
In the meantime, a group of researchers from the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Chicago decided to compare women who had already selected one option or the other to see how they were faring. They called it a retrospective population-based cohort study, which is not the “gold standard” of research studies, that being the randomized controlled study. But it was useful information anyway and the results of their research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and you can access that study here.
The research team used data compiled by Medicare, and they had a large patient population – 92,735 women treated for breast cancer between 2003 and 2007. The average age for these women was nearly 75, and they were tracked for an average of about 3 years following their radiation therapy.
One interesting thing is that the research showed very clearly the growing appeal of brachytherapy. In 2003, only 3.5% of women on Medicare chose this treatment, but by 2007 that figure had risen to 12.5%.
Here are the results. In the 5 years after receiving brachytherapy, 3.95% of these women went on to need a mastectomy, compared with only 2.18% of women who chose whole breast radiation. After controlling for various demographic and other factors, the researchers still found that women who had brachytherapy were 2.19 times more likely to have their breast removed.
Overall, the researchers calculated that “for every 56 women treated with breast brachytherapy, 1 woman was harmed with unnecessary mastectomy.”
There were also more post-operative complications for these women, including infections. In the first year after their lumpectomy, 28% of women in the brachytherapy group had a complication, compared with 17% of women who had their whole breast radiated.
There were also more complications from radiation. In the five years after their treatments began, 25% of women who got brachytherapy reported some sort of complication, versus 19% of women who got whole breast irradiation. These complications included breast pain, fat necrosis and rib fracture, according to the study.
It really isn’t too surprising. It’s radioactive material that is being inserted into the body, after all.
The good news is that most women survived their breast cancer no matter which type of radiation treatment they chose – 86-87% were still alive after 5 years.
My own personal opinion is that it’s all about quality of life. Give yourself the best chance you can to survive and enjoy your life. For me, that choice did not include radioactive material being inserted into me or blasted onto me from above. Here’s what I did instead.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
I’ve had a few readers asking me about my decision not to undergo radiation therapy on my breast after I finished chemotherapy.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, I debated about it backwards and forwards for what seemed like weeks but was probably only about 10 days. The pressure on me was enormous from both my oncologist and the radiotherapy department to which he’d referred me.
But I wasn’t about to be rushed or bullied (yes, bullied – one person who called me from the radiotherapy department tried everything she could think of to get me in there for this treatment).
Here are my reasons for not doing radiotherapy:
1. We lived an hour away from the radiotherapy department, so the traveling would have been grueling, two hours per day of just car time, 5 times per week for 6 weeks. Add another hour for the actual treatment. I still needed to work.
2. I hated the idea of the side effects I knew were waiting for me – fatigue, sensations of sunburn, possible injury to the heart, possible lung inflammation, possible nerve damage and even generation of cancer stem cells (although I didn’t know about that last item at the time). I just wasn’t willing to risk all of that, especially after already having been through 6 months of chemotherapy.
3. After visiting with a radiologist, I found out that for me personally radiation only improved my survival chances by about 3-5%.
I could see that my stress levels and quality of life were going to seriously suffer for 6 weeks.
Here’s what I did instead:
I had been studying natural medicine for several years. I knew of so many other things I could do that would enhance my health (and breast health) and not impact my sanity, my immune system or my working life as much as radiation would.
Here’s what I did (and I don’t say you should do this too – I am just sharing information here, you have to do what’s right for you):
- Every morning after a hot shower I spread across my chest two particular essential oils and every 3 days, I would change that pair of oils. Click on the link to see which essential oils I used. The hot shower helped open my pores so that the oils penetrated more deeply.
- I then went back to bed and utilized a specific healing meditation that brought white light into my body – if you’d like the words, contact me. I have it typed up and ready to go.
- I also drank a specific juice every day and I still drink it to this day.
- I took certain herbs to bolster my immune system.
And that’s it. At the end of 6 weeks, I was positively glowing with health. I’m here 8 years later, 100% healthy.
As I said, I’m not saying you should do exactly what I did, you must find your healing path. I just wanted you to know there are other ways of achieving health.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
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The Huffington Post released a news story on July 5, 2012 titled Breast Cancer Risk Might Be Tied To Breast Size, Study Says.
The article (which you can read by clinking the link above) basically tells us that researchers at a commercial DNA testing service say they have found a handful of genes that help determine whether a woman spends her life as an A cup or a D AND that those genes might be tied to a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
Might being the operative word here.
Are we going to worry about this? Are we going to spend one iota of our time being concerned? NO, WE ARE NOT.
If you are, go back to my post of a couple days ago about The Biology of Belief. Watch the one-hour video by Dr Bruce Lipton. I will say it again – OUR GENES ARE NOT OUR DESTINY.
We do need to concern ourselves with several other matters though. As the article mentions (and I do agree with this), obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer, particularly after menopause. So we need to keep our weight down.
Studies have also suggested that women with dense breasts are up to 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer, but nobody seems to know why. I use certain essential oils to help combat that particular risk.
By the way, while I was doing research for this article, I discovered that people are obsessed with breast size (no surprise there). Apparently there were 1,300 worldwide Google searches on Angelina Jolie’s breast size. Really? People need to find something better to do with their time! Just sayin…
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
Got Chemobrain? These Essential Oils Will Help!
When I was going through chemotherapy, all of the people in my cancer support group who were also undergoing chemo were complaining about chemobrain – and it was clear that they were forgetful, vague, preoccupied, and befuddled!
While I had it to a certain degree, for me it was much more manageable and manifested itself as a slightly sort of foggy feeling.
Finally someone asked me why I seemed to be doing so much better than the others and I confessed I really didn’t know. And then it hit me several days later while I was in the bathroom applying my essential oils. Of course, it was the essential oils! I use them daily and I knew that no one else in my support group was doing that.
Certain essential oils have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is a naturally occurring barrier in your brain created by brain blood vessels that prevents many substances from leaving the blood and crossing the capillary walls into the brain tissues. It’s a defensive mechanism designed to protect your brain from harmful chemicals.
I’ve used essential oils as my “first aid kit” for over 13 years. See my page on Essential Oils for Breast Health. I continue to use them to this day.
Here are my favorites for battling the effects of chemobrain:
1. Frankincense – used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years, frankincense has wonderful medicinal properties – it is an anti-tumoral, immune stimulant, good for respiratory infections, it helps promote meditation, improves attitude and uplifts spirits.
Frankincense resin
2. Sandalwood – it grows in India, it has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for skin revitalization, meditation and yoga. It is an anti-tumoral, it enhances sleep, stimulates the pineal gland in the brain which is the center of emotions and is responsible for melatonin production. Sandalwood was mentioned in Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica (A.D. 78), which was Europe’s first medical guide and became the standard reference for herbal treatments for over 1700 years.
Sandalwood log
3. Palo Santo – found in South America, used by the Incas to purify and cleanse, to repel mosquitoes, for fevers, infections and skin diseases. Its name means holy or sacred wood. It is one of my favorite oils. It also has anti-tumoral properties, good for arthritis, respiratory problems and breathing it opens your brain!
Palo Santo Tree
4. Peppermint – this is especially good for cancer patients because it aids digestion. Put a drop of peppermint oil in a glass of water – it will not only wake up your brain, it will relieve the icky tummy that chemo causes. It also improves your sense of taste by stimulating the trigeminal nerve.
Peppermint
5. Lavender – calming, relaxing, balancing, lavender is another anti-tumoral, it helps with respiratory infections, it’s an anti-inflammatory, great for mosquito bites, burns, skin conditions, so many things. University of Miami researchers found that inhaling lavender oil increased beta waves in the brain – the beta waves are what come out to play when you are in an ultra-relaxed state such as meditation or sleep. I love deep breathing lavender – it has such a profound effect on the nervous system.
Lavender fields
Regular use of essential oils – whether it be through inhalation, diffusing, bathing, or massaging them into your body promotes health in so many ways. Battling chemobrain is one of many uses for essential oils. Just beware of the source because not all oils are created equally. Use a trusted brand – this is the brand I know and trust and love.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Rawich
21 Ways to Heal Yourself With Essential Oils
Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I use essential oils daily. I smell like oils – every single day.
There’s a good reason for that! (By the way, people are always asking me “Have you just had a massage?” or “You smell incredible! What is that?”
Therapeutic grade essential oils are good for so many things – the following list is only scratching the surface (but I had to start somewhere!)
21 Health Benefits of Using Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
- They support immune function – Some of the constituents in essential oils mimic human immunoglobulin (an antibody the body uses to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses), elevate lymphocytes (white blood cells needed for your immune response) and stimulate our natural immune system – grapefruit, German chamomile, clove, mountain savory, lemon, also the blends Immupower and Thieves.
- They affect your emotional well-being – Therapeutic oils can trigger psychological and physiological responses, lifting your mood, aiding in reducing depression, and calming anxiousness – use lavender, orange, rose, jasmine, also the blends Peace & Calming, Believe, and Joy.
- They supply potent anti-microbials – Research has found that therapeutic oils are highly effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, and even the “superbug” (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA). Bacteria cannot mutate in the presence of therapeutic oils – cinnamon, melaleuca, geranium, clove, melissa, eucalyptus, rosemary, and the blends Melrose and Thieves.
- They ease stress and anxiety – Too much stress, anxiety and tension are the physiological responses to our thoughts and beliefs and trigger unresolved emotions. Most chronic illness and disease begins with stress and tension. Therapeutic oils are known to soothe, bring peaceful thoughts, quiet the nervous system and calm the body/mind – lavender, ylang ylang, frankincense, sandalwood, and the blends Highest Potential, Hope, Release, and Valor.
- They help you sleep – Research shows that lavender reduces insomnia, helps you to relax and decreases anxiety. Let me just say, though, that the lavender you use must be therapeutic-grade Lavandula angustifolia (I only have one trusted source). The other oils known to promote sleep are valerian, Roman chamomile, frankincense, marjoram, clary sage, cistus, and the blends Peace & Calming, Citrus Fresh and Progessence Plus (my particular favorite).
- They reduce inflammation – Inflammation can be caused by bacteria, a poor diet, injuries, an overload of toxins, and hormonal imbalances and is at the root of most degenerative diseases! Try Idaho balsam fir, ocotea, peppermint, wintergreen, spruce, and the blend PanAway.
- They help you concentrate and study, support brain health – Certain oils increase alertness and your ability to memorize – peppermint (try this when you have driving fatigue!), basil, and the blends Brain Power and Clarity. They also support the health of your brain by stimulating the cerebral cortex, thereby reducing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s or dementia – use frankincense, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, myrrh, cedarwood, helichrysum, nutmeg, peppermint, rosemary, and the blends Clarity, Valor and Brain Power.
- They provide natural pain relief – Massage therapeutic oils into sore, tired muscles, use with a warm compress (oils first and then warm compress) – use Idaho balsam fir, black pepper, peppermint, ginger, wintergreen, and the blends PanAway, Aroma Siez.
- They soothe burns, sunburns, scrapes & cuts – Lavender is so incredible at healing burns! Therapeutic oils are antiseptic and cleansing and can be very effective in healing, much better than antibiotic creams or gels. Use lavender, geranium, melaleuca, eucalyptus radiata, and the blend Melrose.
- They are marvelous for your skin – Essential oils have been used for centuries to restore, rejuvenate, and improve damaged, wrinkled skin. You can also use them to clear acne, clogged pores, eczema, dark spots, and stretch marks! Try lavender, Roman chamomile, German chamomile, geranium, sandalwood, Idaho tansy, melaleuca, patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, myrtle, helichrysum.
- They protect against colds and flu – Therapeutic oils have potent antimicrobial actions and protect against colds, flu, and aid respiratory tissues. Inhale oils, diffuse them, put in empty capsules and take internally – lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, frankincense, Dorado azul, ravensara and the blends RC, Raven, Purification and Melrose.
- They assist hormonal function – Your endocrine system includes 9 glands that interconnect with organs using hormones (chemical messengers) to maintain balance and metabolism. Stress and imbalance in the endocrine system is at the root of many degenerative diseases. Best oils – clary sage, fennel, spikenard, nutmeg, myrrh, pine, Idaho balsam fir, the blend EndoFlex and Progessence Plus.
- They soothe digestive disturbances – Therapeutic oils are very effective relief for nausea, indigestion, heartburn, gas, diarrhea, irritable bowel. Rub on abdominal area; take internally in water or empty capsules – best ones are peppermint, ginger, fennel, patchouli, Roman chamomile, and the blend DiGize.
- They support muscles and bones – Muscles and joints become stiff and painful when overworked, stressed or burdened with toxins. Apply oils to these areas to relieve pain and inflammation – peppermint, wintergreen, basil, and the blends Relieve It, Aroma Siez, and Pan Away.
- They improve circulation – Therapeutic essential oils oxygenate and cleanse your cells and this assists you to have healthier blood which carries more oxygen and a healthier vascular system – use cypress, German chamomile, helichrysum, grapefruit, ylang ylang, spikenard, and the blend Aroma Life.
- They support the urinary system – Essential oils have been used for nearly a century for aiding kidney, bladder and urinary infections. Rub oils over the kidney area; take internally in water or empty capsules – grapefruit, lemon, geranium, juniper, mountain savory, clove, oregano, melaleuca alternifolia, and the blend Thieves.
- They support your liver – Since your liver is one of your major detoxifying organs, it’s important to help it detox on a regular basis. A good liver support recipe: use 2 drops German chamomile, 3 drops celery seed oil, 10 drops orange and 5 drops rosemary. You can apply 1-3 drops of the oil over the liver twice a day, you can massage 2-4 drops of oil neat on the soles of your feet just before bedtime, you can place a warm compress with 1-2 drops of oil over the liver 1-2 times per day. Quite often, I put a drop of lemon oil or orange oil in a glass of juice or water and drink it down to help my liver.
- They improve oral and dental health - Bacteria in the mouth can cause disease in other parts of the body, including the heart. Therapeutic essential oils in oral care products kill microbes associated with tooth decay, gum disease, systemic infections and unpleasant mouth odor – cinnamon, clove, melaleuca alternifolia, peppermint, and the blend Thieves (also available in toothpaste and mouthwash).
- They strengthen and nourish hair - Essential oils make wonderful hair care ingredients that rejuvenate hair, encourage hair growth, and cleanse hair follicles. The personal care products I recommend do not contain harmful toxic ingredients (like dimethicone, sodium lauryl sulphate, propylene glycol) because these are petrochemicals that are stored in fatty tissue of the heart, liver, lungs, breast and brain. Use lavender, sandalwood, rosemary, ylang ylang, lemon, sage, cedarwood (also available in shampoo and conditioner).
- They protect against cancer! There, I’ve said it. Been saying it for years. Numerous studies have shown therapeutic essential oils to combat specific types of cancer and that in the presence of the constituents of certain oils cancer cells cannot multiply. See my article for the 15 oils I use for breast health.
- They provide safe, natural alternatives to household cleaners – Research points to common household cleaners as a suspected link to the 55% increase in cancer (specifically for women who work only in the home). Essential oils are powerful yet safe antibacterial and antimicrobial agents, making them a fantastic, safe choice as cleaners and disinfectants – use clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, rosemary, melaleuca alternifolia, grapefruit (and there is a Thieves Household Cleaner that works wonders).
I’m pretty particular about the essential oils I use – there’s only one maker that creates the therapeutic oils I love and trust and use every single day. Here’s where you can get them.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Ambro
Cancer and Fatigue
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can cause so much fatigue that the cancer patient often wonders what is worse – the disease or the treatment for it!
Fortunately, complementary medicine offers much to assist the cancer patient and below are a few suggestions. I used most of these at one time or another during my breast cancer treatments and can highly recommend them.
6 Helpful Remedies for Cancer Treatment Fatigue
- Combine Massage with Essential Oils – You wouldn’t think that something which promotes relaxation would actually help with fatigue! But massage is wonderful. If you ask your therapist to include certain essential oils (such as lemongrass, eucalyptus, juniper, basil, lemon, rosemary, cypress, peppermint) as fatigue busters you will definitely notice a difference, especially the day following your massage. Or use some of the suggested oils daily, just breathing in certain oils on a regular basis can help banish fatigue and promote clearer thinking. If you’d like more information about this, contact me.
- Eat your Greens! – Sometimes this can be really hard. I remember just thinking about eating a green salad when I was undergoing chemotherapy would almost make me gag. Couldn’t stand the thought of it! If you’re like that, it might be easier to take supplements. If you need suggestions about the best ones to take, contact me and let me know. I’ve got lots of good information. Or see your naturopath.
- Experience Chinese Medicine – While I was undergoing chemotherapy, I saw a Chinese Medicine doctor who prescribed certain herbs and did acupuncture for me every couple of weeks – I believe this helped my chemo related fatigue immensely. The Chinese have some truly healing herbs that will really help your chi (energy).
- Try the Amazingly Restorative Juice of Lycium Barbarum – I drank this juice just as soon as I got my breast cancer diagnosis. I’d been doing research on it for several years so I knew the wonderful benefits of it. I truly believe that this remarkable berry confers health benefits far and above every other juice product on the market. I took it with me to my chemotherapy appointments – while they were pouring their chemicals into me, I was drinking this. I rarely suffered any fatigue or nausea.
- Movement Practices such as Yoga – I found yoga to be absolutely fantastic while I was undergoing treatments and I still carry on with it to this day. It seems to help you stay active and full of energy, while at the same time it decreases stress and tension. If you don’t have access to a class, this is a great yoga DVD for beginners.
- Grab Some Extra Sleep – It may seem obvious, but if you’re suffering unduly from cancer related fatigue, sometimes the best thing to do is just sleep. Give yourself permission to do this whenever you need to! No feeling guilty!
I hope this post helps you and I wish you great healing today.
I send my love to everyone taking this journey right now. If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and imagerymajestic
Anxiety can be a pervasive and unwanted feeling when you have a cancer diagnosis. Between worry about the disease itself and the side effects of the treatments (over 50% reported feelings of anxiety and depression while undergoing certain chemotherapy drugs), it can be a very trying time.
Fortunately, integrative medicine can offer many solutions, approaches and strategies for anxiety suffered by breast cancer patients. I took advantage of most of these at one time or another during my breast cancer journey and they really did assist me with the anxiety I felt.
10 Anxiety Busters for Breast Cancer Patients
- Creating Healthier Beliefs – A cancer diagnosis can scare the heck out of you. The problem with the word “cancer” is that all kinds of beliefs are attached to it. Those beliefs can unconsciously drive our decisions, feelings, coping abilities, attitudes, life choices, and more. I’m here to tell you that “cancer” does not mean “death”. For me, cancer was actually a gift. It forced me to create a healthier, happier lifestyle, to deal with stress and go forward into a life I really wanted and chose for myself. Here’s an article I wrote that may assist: Newly Diagnosed – Dealing With Anxiety and Fear.
- Destress - Choose what works for you – special breathing, relaxation techniques, creative imagery, learn the benefits of meditation.
- Nutrition - It’s true that you are what you eat. If you choose pre-packaged, soulless foods, it creates havoc in your body and you will feel the effects of that. Eating organic, raw (whenever possible), fresh produce supports your wellness.
- Support Groups, Breast Cancer Forums, Spirituality Groups - This can be hard if you’re not a “joiner”. But oh-so-wonderful if you can get past that. A problem shared is a problem halved. You will be supported by wonderful people who will help you deal with all of the emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis. Research shows that women who join support groups have a much longer life expectancy.
- Essential Oils - Use a calming oil like Lavender (put it on your pillow at night) to help you relax and relieve anxious feelings.
- Sleep - A restful and deep sleep helps to restore balance. Healthy adults need 7-8 hours of quality sleep nightly, so if you’re healing you might need more than that. Trouble sleeping? See Item 7.
- Bodywork - Massage, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch: try it all. Bodywork is so fantastic for destressing, detoxifying, boosting your immune system. I found it absolutely indispensable.
- Exercise and Movement - Daily exercise and movement practices reduce stress and provide many other health benefits to body, mind, and spirit. Yoga is especially supportive if you’re too tired to walk or go to the gym. On some days I really had to force myself to roll out my mat and start my practice, but once I did, I felt so much better.
- Detox Your Body - Traditional Chinese Medicine has some wonderful herbs to help you detoxify while you’re undergoing your cancer treatments. If you’re too toxic that can certainly lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. Herbs can also help with some of the associated chemo-constipation. After you’re done with chemotherapy, that’s a wonderful time to get a series of colonics to further detoxify your body.
- Do What You Love - Now is the time to give yourself permission to shift your focus. Move your attention into a lighter direction. Do what brings you joy.
I send my love to everyone taking this journey right now. If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and markuso
Chemo Brain Is The Real Deal (and What To Do About It)
Anyone going through chemotherapy understands the term “chemo brain” very well. A friend currently undergoing chemotherapy laughingly described it as: “It’s the drugs causing your brain function to go to hell in a hand basket!”
Around 2008, US researchers finally identified what might be going on. They reported that the common chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) can kill certain stem cells and their progeny that are responsible for producing the myelin sheath (the part of your brain that allows proper transmission of signals within the brain).
It can also be caused by some medications such as antibiotics, corticosteriods, and drugs that treat cancer related symptoms. The anemia that results from some types of chemotherapy can also be responsible, as well as nutritional deficiences in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B.
So it’s not your imagination! How annoying is it though? It’s like your brain just can’t get there – you know you used to know the answer but it’s just out of reach right now.
Fortunately, complementary and alternative medicine have some remedies for us.
Here are 6 of the Best Remedies for Chemo Brain
- Aromatherapy: essential oils of frankincense, sandalwood, bergamot, lemon, orange, peppermint, and tangerine can be very helpful for those undergoing chemotherapy. These were my favorites and still are. You can diffuse them, inhale them directly from the bottle or put them on pulse points and breathe deeply! One of the ways they assist is by bringing more oxygen into your body and brain and clearing the synapses of chemical residues.
- Yoga: yoga supports the body, mind, and spirit for people affected by cancer, both during and after treatments. The practice of yoga offers physical, psychological, and spiritual support to the whole person.
- Bodywork: massage, reflexology and acupressure are all wonderful to help relieve symptoms of chemo brain – they increase your circulation, help you relax and detox a little from the drugs.
- Herbal teas: try teas with citrus, peppermint (also nice for the digestive system), frankincense, and/or rosemary.
- Supplements: consult a naturopath or qualified integrative cancer provider, for improved brain functions. Integrative cancer providers assess each patient individually and identify specific supplements.
- Imagery: imagery is the use of your imagination to visualize things you want to bring about in your life. Imagery for cancer patients (among many other benefits) helps to prevent or reduce nausea from chemotherapy drugs, it also helps with creativity and problem-solving abilities.
So get out there and try some new things and get rid of that chemo brain!
Need more information on any of the ideas presented here? CONTACT ME.
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com). When you’re in a desperate situation, you need an ally. You can depend on me to help you through this.
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