Many of my patients have relatives that have died of breast cancer. Many of my patients also live with fibrocystic breast disease. They ask me what to eat to reduce risk and get healthier? I have been reading a recently released book that I highly recommend . All the info that I write about here in this post comes from the book- the title of this nutritional powerhouse is called “How Not to Die” and it is written by Michael Greger, M.D. the founder of a fabulous website: nutritionfacts.org.

Recommendations to reduce risk of breast cancer include limiting alcohol. If you drink, keep it to an absolute minimum and make it red wine or better yet skip the alcohol and drink purple grape juice or eat purple grapes with seeds. Eat mostly plant foods- have one tablespoon of ground flaxseed daily which can help reduce precancerous changes in breast tissue cells. Other beneficial plant foods to consume include broccoli sprouts (recommended 1/4 cup daily), increase broccoli (the ultimate detox veggie) and increase organic collard consumption.  25 grams + of fiber may reduce risk in general so the more plant foods you include, especially soluble fiber, the better. The ingestion of strawberries, pomegranate, and white mushrooms may suppress a cancer promoting enzyme.

Phyto-estrogens in the form of organic soy whole foods appear to increase survival rates and reduce risk. Choose whole soybeans like edamame or a cup of organic soy milk to get you started. Stay away from processed soy like fake meats and junk food. Move away from consuming so much animal meat protein and embrace more plant protein like beans and legumes which when combined with a whole grain like brown rice make a healthier meal. Complete plant proteins include buckwheat, soy and quinoa.

Sleep in a dark room to increase your exposure to melatonin which can reduce risk. Use dark blinds or even a sleeping mask to drown out the city lights. Embrace a regular sleeping routine- 10 pm to 6 am versus taking on shift work which is disruptive and more health negating.To sleep better and reduce risk further don’t forget to exercise daily. Walk a moderate pace for an hour. Regular exercise is the key to sleeping better. You will fall asleep easier and stay asleep for longer.

Drink more green tea for a slight reduction in risk. Every little thing that you do helps,  if you are mindfully aware that food is, in fact, medicine. That knowledge helps you make empowered choices to support your health every day!

To read further and find the research related to these claims- pick up “How Not To Die” by Michael Gregor, M.D. Until next time, be well.

Lately, I have been working with a few clients who have lost someone because of a death. Death of a spouse is one of the biggest causes of stress that an individual will ever go through. I am honored to be able to help my clients through such a devastating situation. One of the people I look to for helping clients is Dr. John Demartini and his wealth of experience and life changing books. His book ‘The Breakthrough Experience’ is a valuable text for anyone going through a loss. One of his key teachings is to always view a situation through a balanced perspective. Life is up and down and we really can’t be happy 100% of the time. If we realize that and see the gift in every negative situation that comes our way that can be invaluable. Death of a spouse is not so easily seen as a gift however and only in hindsight after a given amount of time has passed can one start to heal and gain perspective. Loss is difficult and takes time to process. When you love someone with all of your heart you FEEL it when they are gone. I tackle loss with clients with two techniques- Emotional Freedom Technique and some of Dr. Demartini’s work.

I have blogged about Emotional Freedom Technique before so I won’t go into detail about it. It is a tapping technique that works on the Chinese meridians in the body to unblock energy disturbances especially of an emotional nature. It helps people to be able to access their emotions and release them in a way that is soothing and balancing to their nervous system. The tapping is paired with positive affirmations that help the individual open up to more self love and self acceptance. I will tap on the person while they talk about all the things they miss about the person. This process makes the grief more bearable and by the release of some of the emotion tapped into, makes the person feel lighter and more accepting of what has happened.

John Demartini talks about balancing perspectives so I always ask the person what they won’t miss about the person they lost. I ask them, in fact, to make a list of many things that they won’t miss about the person. If you can come up with as many things that you won’t miss about the person as the things you miss about the person, you are on the right track.

Demartini also says that energy is not lost rather it changes form. He says that the qualities that you miss about the person that you have lost will show up in your environment in a different form. It is important that you realize that and look for them in your environment now. Are those qualities that you miss in your lost partner showing up in the new neighbor that moved in across the street? Look for where those qualities are now and you will realize that the universe is benevolent and wants you to be happy despite your loss. What friends are taking up those qualities that you have lost and are blessing you in new ways?

Lastly, when we lose someone, they are just across the veil. They may not exist in human form anymore but they still exist in spirit and with an open mind, you may still be able to connect with them. Open all your senses up to be able to connect with them. Do you see anything that reminds you of them? Do you hear a song on the radio that they liked? Can you feel them around you? Ask your loved one to show up in a way that you will recognize. Is there a symbol or an animal that was associated with this person and does that symbol or animal show up from time to time? Know that if you feel in your gut that they are connecting to you, they are! The most important thing is to believe that you are still connected to them and that you will always be. Please don’t hesitate to come in for an appointment if you are dealing with loss. I would be honored to help you get through it.

 

I just read “The Fear Cure” by Lissa Rankin. It is a decent book on the topic of addressing fear in your own life and cultivating courage in the face of those fears. There is so much fear in our culture; just turn on the news for a moment or read the headlines in your daily paper- the economy is down and heading into a recession, the destructive path of the wild fires burning across Canada are threatening homes and people’s lives, volcanoes are erupting, more people are being diagnosed with cancer, our homeland security is being threatened, and on and on and on.  The media thrives on fear and takes a rather fear based stance on many issues.  Certainly I have felt a lot of fear in my own life and feel the weight of old beliefs surface from time to time that have been based in fear based programming and family upbringing to some degree. I discuss these issues in my book “Living in Alignment-Embracing Illness as a Catalyst for Transformation” if the things I touch on resonate with you on reading this blog or please purchase Lissa’s book for more courage cultivating exercises to assist you in dealing with fear in your life.

Right now, we are being called to live authentically, to find a way to align mind/body/spirit in a way that is congruent for our personal selves. When fear and overwhelm show up for me, I always look for limiting beliefs that I carry within me and what could be blocking my evolution on a soul level? How can I challenge those fear based beliefs and move forward on my path?  In her book, Lissa talks about four fear based assumptions and I think she is right on the mark- I definitely resonate with some of them and I expect you would too. A belief that the world is a dangerous place which is one that I have definitely felt to some degree which is actively supported by the media’s stance on reporting the news as mentioned. If you don’t sense that there is a larger force protecting you from harm then fear can run rampant. Not too long ago, my car was totaled in an accident- it shocked and scared me to my core. But I also felt a sense of calmness come over me knowing that I was in fact looked after; I was not hurt at all but my car was a write off.I often look for the meaning in events and that is where your attention to your soul can be a guiding force. I sensed this accident was meant to get my attention and look at my life with a microscope to see what is feeling congruent and what is not and I am actively on a path of self alignment as a result.

I read somewhere in a Pathwork lecture online (which I find to be incredibly helpful if you are on a spiritual path and are looking for guidance) that fear automatically comes from desires of the self will. That if the self will desires something really strongly and those desires are contradictory to other currents within you; that you have a deeper being within you that knows what is right for you, then fear will show up. This is the most helpful truth for me. The self will or my own personal desires to self gratification can be strong-it is much easier to do things that feel good and sometimes choosing the path that brings me further in my evolution feels too challenging for me. I can feel scared. In a limiting way, I can claim I am weary from my soul path-it feels overwhelming when I am not tapped into the vital energy of consciousness or God self of my being. When I am feeling more connected to my soul energy, I am more open to taking risks and challenging my fears.

Cultivating courage to make changes first requires that you get in touch with your soul. If you are feeling fearful you need to go “deeper”; perhaps to a well of life giving water metaphorically, something that represents a reservoir of faith and trust for you… It is a necessity to nurture and develop a soul connection in your life. Being connected to your soul helps you make better decisions and helps you release fear as you begin to trust in a higher power that wants to guide you in your life.  It does not have to be a religious based orientation or it can be if that feels right to you. I recently started attending a church based singles group because I was seeking out some support that felt right for me. If you listen to your intuition about what support you need, it will come forward for you in your life. If you have negative views on religion and like to talk about guidance from angels or the universe, it does not matter, there is always support from the spiritual realms no matter what you label it as. Make sure you make the time to do the things that help you get in touch with your soul- for me meditation, yoga, walking, being in nature, music, and reading spiritual books are practices I need to do on an ongoing basis.

I accept that fear and worry show up pretty much on a daily basis for me but aligning with the God presence within me or my soul essence trumps any fear that tries to blanket and oppress my existence. Realize that you matter, that there is a purpose for your life, that you can let the light shine through your eyes to bless other people, that you have much wisdom to impart and above all, that you are loved. A useful exercise for you to do in the meantime: take a microscope to all your beliefs about life and ask yourself if they are health promoting or fear promoting and if they are in fact limiting your joy and happiness. This is an ongoing process- please book an appointment with me to discuss these things if this is new information for you. Until next time, be well. I will write more about this journey in ongoing blogs.

References: Lissa Rankin The Fear Cure, Pathwork lectures Eva Pierrakos, Robin Vinge Living in Alignment-Embracing Illness as a Catalyst for Transformation