Choose You Blog

I am so, so very happy to share some really great news from one of our original Choose You writers, Heather!

Twenty three months ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 papillary thyroid cancer. I had a feeling before I was diagnosed, even though the odds were only 1 in 10, the nodule on my thyroid was cancer. I can’t explain why, but in the back of my mind, I knew.

A month later, I found out the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, and not only was I going to have my thyroid removed, but an extensive neck dissection removing cancerous lymph nodes.

Reading back on these posts brought back a lot of emotions for me; uncertainty, fear, sadness, and the unknown. As I faced the surgery, I did the only thing I could do, and that was deal with everything. My surgeon, Dr. Peter Schmid, was able to save the lymph nodes in the right side of my neck. The biopsies he performed during surgery on those lymph nodes were not testing positive for cancer, so the surgery was not as invasive as originally thought. It was still as he warned me though, “brutal.”

The recovery from surgery was a nightmare, because of some mistakes made by my then endocrinologist’s office. I went for three months without Synthorid and was extremely hypothyroid.

After the radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) was complete and I could start on Synthroid in August, 2009, things started to improve. I felt better every day. I started running. I felt like the cancer was gone, but as I’ve written before, cancer changes your outlook on life. What seemed secure isn’t, what you take for granted before, you don’t. It has always been there I could still have cancer, or it could come back. I started the recurrence tests two weeks ago, having had to delay them several months due to insurance issues.

Last week I had numerous tests including a full PET body scan, and blood labs work done. I have felt poorly for the past week, from side effects from Thyrogen, used for the tests. At the scan, I received initial good news- the tech performing the scan, along with the radiologist said my thyroid area looked good.

But nothing could prepare me yesterday for the official results with my new endocrinologist, Dr. W. She confirmed the scan had come back clean, and looked great. Dr. W. told me my thyroglobulin level (Tg) which measures for thyroid cancer had come back undetectable. It should be at zero if there is no cancer. Before my surgery, Dr. Schmid had told me my Tg level was 37, which was very high for someone my age, indicating cancer had spread from the thyroid. With the Tg level undetectable that was the proof in my blood, the cancer was gone-for now. Then Dr. W. told me the words, I was not expecting, “…I’d say the cancer is cured. You are cured.”

I got through the rest of the appointment, trying to listen to what is next. Dr. W. told me I don’t have to do the recurrence tests again. She suggested since I’ve met my insurance deductible for the year, to have a neck ultrasound done now, and then I won’t have to have one for two years. I will need to come in for blood work once a year. She needs to adjust my Synthroid down slightly, because there is risk of side effects developing later in my life if I stay at the dosage I’m on. But other than that- it’s over. I’m cured.

It seemed surreal as I walked out of her office, which is across the street from the hospital where I had my surgery two years ago. I sat in my car, and started to shake. And then I started to cry. I cried tears of relief, tears of joy, and I cried all the uncertainty and doubts away I’ve carried with me for the past two years. This ordeal was over. I beat cancer, and I was officially cured.

The first person I had to tell was my dad. I don’t know how I would have survived that summer after my surgery without him. When I was so sick from not having thyroid medication, he did more than I ever could have asked him to do for me. He took care of the boys and I, when I couldn’t. I didn’t have to ask, he just did. When I was scared, he wasn’t. When I couldn’t drive myself to my doctor’s appointments, he did. I only found out later, how scared he had been for me too. I called him first and told him. I could hear the relief and happiness in his voice.

Then I called Dr. Schmid. I left him a message and thanked him for his skill and expertise in my case. He had promised me I would live to see my boys grow up, and he was right. Throughout this entire process, every doctor who has worked with me, has remarked how amazing it was that Dr. Schmid had been able to get out so much of the cancer from just the surgery. Even yesterday, Dr. W. made that comment again, that he did a magnificent job. She also confirmed there were no traces at all of cancer in the right lymph nodes- the ones Dr. Schmid had left in place. He had been correct about that as well. I feel so grateful to him. In a sense, he gave me my life back, and I don’t have to worry about cancer because of his thoroughness. He also always treated me like a person first, and a cancer patient second. Two years after the fact, I wanted to thank him again for the crucial part he played in my hearing those words, “You are cured.”

I called my very good friend, Amy, next. Like my family and so many of my other friends, Amy’s been there every step of the way for me. She went with me last week to my scan, just so I wouldn’t have to be there alone, while another friend, Heather, watched her kids, so Amy could come with me. She texted me before and after the appointment yesterday. She was in the hospital visiting me after the surgery, and organized help for me. She entered and we were finalists in a contest for a trip to New York, because I missed going to Chicago with her after I had surgery. Whenever I needed anything, Amy either did it, or asked another one of our friends if they could help me.

Then I called my family. Like my dad, they did whatever they could to help me out and the boys. They were all terrified for me, but were strong and told me I was going to beat this. They believed in the outcome, when I didn’t. When I found out I had cancer, I had to leave them a message to call me back, and some things never change. No one answered their phone yesterday. They all called me back throughout the evening, and I was able to give them the good news.

I sent messages to my friends- the ones who have been my extended family, and did whatever I needed from cooking meals, to cleaning my house, to watching the boys during my doctor appointments, to mowing my lawn. I am still so thankful for all of their help and support.

I didn’t call one person though right away, I wanted to tell him in person. When I was at home, quarantined after my RAI treatment, he would send me happy, funny, normal, run-of-the day messages. He talked to me as if I wasn’t sick, but just me- his friend from school. He’d joke my super power was now being radioactive. When I wrote him back, I didn’t feel like I had cancer, and my neck had just been dissected. I felt like myself. I didn’t have to talk to him about being sick, cancer, and all my fears. It was a sense of normalcy, and it was a beginning. A beginning that showed me I was still the same person with or without cancer. Our conversations brought out the healthy, happy side in me, not the scared and sick side. It wouldn’t matter to John if I had been told yesterday I wasn’t cured. He’d still be there, but I was very happy to tell him I didn’t have cancer anymore.

The two little guys I want to hold, hug, and kiss, will have to wait. They went to their dad’s for a week for Spring Break. They gave me so much strength-strength I didn’t know I had. When I was at my lowest and weakest points, unable to even walk up a few stairs at my dad’s house, I’d see them playing outside, and knew I had to make it up the stairs, so I could see them play. They deserved a mom who could watch them play. And I would find a way to walk up the stairs- something that had been impossible to do, until I saw them.

I told my friends other than the boys being born; yesterday was the happiest day of my life. I was wrong. When I can hold Ryan and Cole and tell them Mommy’s cancer is gone- that will be the happiest day yet. I get to see my boys grow up, and I can finally give them that reassurance.

To all my family, friends, and blog readers, thank you all for being here with me. Thank you for helping me fight and beat cancer. From the day I was diagnosed with cancer through yesterday the support has been overwhelming. I feel like you are all a piece of the puzzle and you all fitted in to help me exactly when and how I needed it.

To all my blog readers who are battling thyroid or any cancer currently, don’t give up. All the fears, pain, and doubts, you currently have are only temporary. Draw on whatever gives you strength. It is easy to lose your spirit with cancer. It took mine for a while, but it only wins when you give up. Some days you have to fight with everything you have and then some. But at the end, when you beat it, and you hear the words, “It’s gone,” or “It’s in remission,” or the sweetest one of all, “You are cured,” it will all be worth it and then some. I promise.

March was National Nutrition Month!

It was largely to celebrate good nutrition–exercise too–and to highlight some dietary recommendation changes.

Changing dietary recommendations is a good news/bad news situation: good news because it needs to be dynamic as we learn more, but bad news because frequent changes undermines confidence in the recs themselves and can overwhelm people, make them think it’s impossible to keep up.

However, in the case of nutrition, it’s worth the few minutes it takes to scan the guidelines. In the end, though, it really depends on the individual and it’s important for everyone every now and again to keep a food journal, even if only a 2-4 week one, to track how your body is hungry, reacts to food, and so forth. This truly can help you eat right.

What else has March Nutrition month revealed? Here it is, in brief:

• New dietary guidelines for Calcium and Vitamin D. In short, it’s best to get these from nutrient rich food sources, and more is not better especially when it comes to supplements. First, it may be harmful to health and studies show that vitamin supplements feed cancer cells as well as healthy cells.

• There are new dietary guidelines for Americans. One-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. HHS, NIH and more are determined to help Americans reach a healthy weight and good exercise point, despite the challenges. Choose You is a great program to assist with this.According to the press release:”The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.More consumer-friendly advice and tools, including a next generation Food Pyramid, will be released by USDA and HHS in the coming months. Below is a preview of some of the tips that will be provided to help consumers translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday lives:
  • Enjoy your food, but eat less.
  • Avoid oversized portions.
  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
  • Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
  • Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
  • Drink water instead of sugary drinks.”
• It’s better to eat at home (PDF). Why? Five reasons:
  • Home food is healthier (specifically: lower in calories, sodium, and fat).
  • You can fix it your way.
  • It saves money.
  • You can control portions.
  • It’s a family affair.

  Choose You offers great recipes, too.

• Other helps? The American Dietetic Association offers some great resources.

But that’s a lot about food. The goal of nutrition month, all health organizations really, is to balance eating right and exercise.

You need to move it daily, my friends, in some way. Want some help? Right here on the blog, for free, are new workouts of the day from Exercise TV. Just look to the right, there, see, on the sidebar? You may need to scroll down. There, right there!

Those got me watching the station, and I began recording Namaste Yoga, which I really enjoy (even though  have to fast forward through commercials). It’s free, I can do it at home, and it’s a good workout. I even branched out and got into a few of their dance programs.

The key is to keep mixing it up. I got too attached to walking and my body began compensating. Plus, I wasn’t, as I learned, doing enough to work my mind and body together, nor strengthening or stretching to build muscle.

You can also download a free two week workout.

Be healthy, choose you and keep going strong!

So…as I age I find that my hormonal shifts get tougher and tougher. My doctor says this is common. Woohoo. But as I’ve mentioned before, my hormone shift symptoms are a little atypical sometimes. My doctor and I ended up nixing any hormone therapy, so she suggested, essentially, two major Choose You commitments: eat right and get active. So far? It really is the best “cure” for what ails me. Here are my symptoms and how I manage them in a healthful and natural way:

Problem: Those moods and irritation — seriously, the final week of my cycle the smallest things can send me into a fit of aggravation. One time I couldn’t find the dustpan and that was it; I ranted to myself for fifteen minutes about people who take things and can’t put them back where they belong. Yeah, not my finest moment.

Solutions:

Exercise –During this week, though, if I exercise every single day, truly, every day, it really mitigates the moods and stress level. Need some ideas and tips? Try the free Choose You virtual personal trainer.

Eat right — Keeping weight down, BMI at a healthy 22-ish, and controlling belly fat (which is the most dangerous fat because it’s active) is the best foundation for managing symptoms, but it’s not a guarantee of no problems. I become addicted to almonds and baby spinach and yogurt during the last two weeks of my cycle, and science says there’s a good reason why:

“Some research indicates calcium may help reduce fluid retention and regulate mood-related brain chemicals. In any case, calcium is essential for lifelong bone health and most women don’t get enough of it in their daily diet.”

The ADA also recommends foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as tofu, tempeh, and soy, among other suggestions.

Problem: Achy spots — oh throughout my cycle one thing or another constantly aches. Some things I can’t help, but others I can.

Solutions:

Arnica — I find Arnica lotion or gel a sort of miracle worker anyway. I use it to treat bruises (can prevent them if you’re quick, or lessen the swelling and discoloration) and muscle aches. It suddenly occurred to me that I could use this light, odorless cream on my cycle aches and pains, too, including tender chest. I tried it and it worked really, really well for me. It also helped me cut way back on my ibuprofen and acetaminophen use, which my liver thanked me for. (A friend turned me on to arnica when I was getting blood draws multiple times daily. It made a huge difference, and my phlebotomist even began carrying it. As did my doctor. I’ve used it for myself, my husband and my kids for years. However, do not use it on broken skin, or near areas of your body such as eyes. Make sure you learn about it.)

Bath salt and soak — this has multiple uses, not least of which is relaxing. But I find that bath salts and a nice soak help ease a lot of the aches, tension and pain I get during the last two weeks of my cycle.

Problem: Sleeplessness — as I’ve gotten older a new PMS symptom is poor sleep and waking in the night. That just makes the entire time more miserable. And makes me more cranky. if I’m dedicated to any one things it’s ensuring that I get a good night’s sleep. I can’t do without it, and there are a million health reasons why it’s crucial.

Solutions:

Eat right – I want to make sure that I’ve eaten small, light healthy meals all day (especially things such as dark leafy greens that may help my mood) and nothing that will cause heartburn or any discomfort. I make sure to eat more than two hours before bed, and if I have any wine, I have it with dinner and limit my intake to one glass, without any near bedtime. I have found the studies are right: alcohol can create poor sleep.

Exercise — it might seem counterintuitive, but light exercise, including some aerobics, an hour or two before bed can help me sleep (and science backs me up). My Wii Fit has a nice Wii Fit PLus routine designed especially to get your mind and body in the mood for a good night’s sleep. It includes a series of mainly stretch and strengthening yoga poses (most relieve tension in my back) and a light step routine. I do this every night during PMS time, and this is exercise on top of the morning workout. Most experts advise against exercising too close to bed (most say no more than four hours before) but an hour or two before is what works for my body and my schedule. You’ll need to figure out your own best time. I do find that yoga doesn’t get me “too energized.”

Make sure to talk to your doctor about your health, symptoms, and any techniques you want to try. All of these things that I do I’ve spoken with my doctor about and together we’ve partnered to help find and try things to keep my quality of life good, despite PMS.

How do you manage PMS?

If you’ve ever read an article about exercise, you’ve heard that doing the same type of exercise over and over isn’t very effective. It’s important to mix it up — plus that makes it more interesting.

Everyday Health says:

If you’ve been doing the same type of exercise for a while, chances are your body has gotten better at doing it. While it’s great that you’ve been working out regularly, the downside is that you’ll stop getting the results you’re looking for, such as weight loss or athletic performance, says Gregory Florez, a certified personal trainer in Salt Lake City, Utah, owner of FitAdvisor Health Coaching Services, and a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise. The solution: Switch your workout plan about every six to eight weeks.

I’ve been noticing a decreasing interest in walking, and decreasing results. So I’ve been shaking it up, adding in half the plus and twice the yoga, some strength training, some Wii Fit games, and now…tennis.

It’s something I did the other day with my husband, kids, and a family we’re friends with. The adults played teams and so did the kids. I’m going to join my friend at weekly drills. I noticed right away that it worked very different parts of my body (read: new soreness).

Active.com says there are a lot of benefits of tennis, and here are some of the best (in my opinion) (read the article for more details and source citing):

• Three hours of tennis a week cuts your risk of death in half — from any cause.
• Tennis improves your vigor, optimism and self-esteem while decreasing depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension.
• Tennis may generate new connections between nerves in the brain.
• It’s one of the best exercises, giving a better workout than most aerobics, including inline skating.

According to the article, “scientists and physicians world-wide view tennis as the most healthful activity to participate in. . .[it] received such acclaim for its great benefits physically, mentally and emotionally.”

What sport have you picked up recently?

Liz Scherer of Flashfree

I was fortunate recently to get to know Liz Scherer through a group related to our work, and from there I grew to like her enormously. When I discovered we shared a common interest in women’s health, I immediately began reading her blog. My respect only grew. Liz has a practical and insightful plus interesting way of finding great evidence-based information and sharing it. She tackles an area of women’s health that I think gets too little attention and too much marketing: aging in a healthy way. It felt like a perfect fit for Choose You, and I’m so happy to introduce you to Liz and her thoughts:

Question: I love that you have a site, Flashfree, dedicated to women’s health. Tell me a little about your site and endeavor, the title of the site (that’s got to be a good story), and what motivated you too.

Liz: My interest in women’s health harkens back to college, when I took a class called “Women and their bodies in health and disease.” Today, I specialize in health and medical writing, although ironically, up until my mid-20s, I never had an interest in science or medicine and my writing was strictly creative. However, life presents strange opportunities and early in my professional career, I happened upon a position that literally fueled what would become a life-long path.

Throughout my career, my writing, including tone, topic and formula, has been dictated by whatever I was being hired for, whether it was an article, a report or a website. When the blogging world opened wide, I realized that I finally had an opportunity to write in my own voice and follow my personal passion: to empower women to take care of themselves and their health through education.

On a more personal note, I started having night sweats and when I researched the type of information that was out there I realized that it did not speak to me, my generation or my preference to use alternative strategies and hormone replacement. Voila!  Flashfree was born. The site is a labor of love; I don’t accept advertising and I don’t get paid. But over time, reader comments have proven that there’s a need for sites like mine that contain health information that is evidence-based, friendly and supportive, outside the “box,” and providing options that most practitioners don’t take the time to learn about. The “not your mama’s menopause” tag comes from one place: I’m a Boomer tailgater, born at the end of the Boomer generation and at the start of Gen X. I want to be respected, empowered and informed; I don’t want to be talked down to, taken for granted or ignored.

Q: A lot of women are deeply affected by how “change of life” (do we have a better term??) negatively impacts their quality of life (*raising hand*) and would love the promised relief of HRT, but are concerned about side-effects and cancer risk. I read a great article recently that really clearly explained who is tracked and studied for HRT use, and where the stats come from. Do you have a good resource you trust for women to explore to augment information they get from their doctor? Do you have a personal checklist or major things to consider you use personally when considering HRT? What would you tell your best friend?

Hormone replacement is a loaded gun. I rely on data and when it comes to any HRT news, I pay close attention. There has been a lot of attention on timing, duration and age but what is being ignored in many of these discussions are personal risk factors, which also play a role. Morever, it’s sad but most clinicians have not been trained in complementary medicine and don’t pay much attention to the evidence-based alternative strategies that are effective for many people, myself included. The link between HRT and breast cancer has been unequivocally proven. Other associations, such as deaths from lung cancer, an increase in ovarian cancer, an increase in stroke and heart disease and an increase in cognition issues are less clear. However, major associations, such as the Canadian Medical Association, have recently come out with a firm warning that HRT should only be used for short time periods and only as a last resort.

I don’t personally use a checklist because I won’t ever use HRT. I don’t respond well to estrogen and I happen to reside in the high-risk group for breast cancer. I have also been fortunate to use a prescribed strategy of Chinese herbs and western herbs that have literally shut down any perimenopausal symptoms I started to have. And when those symptoms change, I speak to my practitioner and change my prescription.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, research shows that the HRT risk/benefit ratio is too extreme. I’d tell my best friend the same thing I say on Flashfree: do your homework, ask the hard questions, learn about your individual risk based on family history, age, preexisting conditions and symptoms. Then make an informed decision.

Q: I read an article in O Magazine recently that talked about little known ways that hormone shifts can affect our bodies. What do you think health care for women and doctors need to improve on for better quality of care for women during this time? How can women even know what symptoms to mention to their doctors? Any advice for talking with medical professionals during this time of life?

Liz: An open dialogue and a trusting relationship is a must as we age. I select practitioners who are well versed in a variety of western and eastern medical strategies and who are able to communicate and more importantly, listen. However, I don’t believe that “this time” is any different than any other time, i.e. a woman needs a healthy relationship with her practitioners at all times during her adult life because changes occur in our bodies continually.

Q: You made the comment, and I fully agree, that a support system is crucial for women to choose health, and weather health challenges. How can women build this support system? How can we ensure, too, that we spread facts in our support versus perpetuating myths?

Liz: I truly believe that there is no area more important for full engagement than women’s healthcare, especially because the system has been gender-focused for so long. Clinical studies had long focused on men, insurers favour males over females for certain coverage (even pregnancy is a preexisting condition in certain cases!) and the reproductive system is still incompletely understood. We have a huge opportunity to take responsible charge of our bodies and ourselves, and that’s through education and communication.

As you imply, research has shown that women in particular, rely on support networks for their wellbeing.  However, it’s naive to think that these support systems are not already in place. The key lies in learning how to take advantage of them, in sharing our concerns, our health issues, our questions and our answers. There is no time like the present to start crowdsourcing women’s health. Why not start with menopause and start taking back control?

With regards to your point or question or about myths versus facts, there is no doubt that we have a problem. Yet, I believe that some of it actually lies within the medical profession itself. Just look at women’s health; whether it’s hysteria or medicalizing normal reproductive changes or creating diseases, many of our most trusted healthcare professionals (and pharmaceutical manufacturers) have led the charge in trivializing female issues. In my opinion, I think we need more women to step up and take the lead in challenging the status quo and demanding better , more accurate information. Again, that starts with education, not being afraid to ask questions, and learning how to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Q: How do you Choose You for good health? Tell me a little about your own good health choices and how you stick to them, and how you would persuade a good friend to do the same.

Liz: Healthy living was instilled in me at a very young age so it truly is part of my DNA. I work out daily, I try to make healthy food choices that work for my body type and my age, such as upping intake of good fats, eating lots of fruits and veggies and choosing whole grains. Most of that is pretty intuitive. However, most importantly, I don’t deprive myself; if I want a brownie or candy or a bloody mary, I go for it. And although I feel better when I am active and eat right, I don’t beat myself up when I fall off the healthy wagon. Life’s too short to colour inside the lines all the time. And as my grandma always said; “everything in moderation.” And sometimes the definition of moderation changes!

Look, my commitments and responsibility to my health are just that: mine. My role is not to persuade my friends how or what to eat. We’re all adults and have to live with our choices. If I see a good friend who is making choices that are harmful, I may say something or I may not. It depends on the situation. On Flashfree, I share the facts about health and diet and food and alcohol and mental stress and the ramifications or lack thereof. But I am hardly a saint and I’m not perfect. The only thing I try to do is make sure that I take responsibility for the choices that I make for myself.

Sleep is good, says the National Sleep Foundation and a recent cancer study.

Choose You is all about making good health choices for yourself, but there’s one crucial ingredient that it implies but doesn’t straight up ask you to commit to: sleep that healthy 7-9 hours per night. Getting that sleeps gets hard at times. Stress, working late, health disruptions, sleep disruptions, kids…a hundred things can prevent a good night’s sleep. But what are the potential ramifications beyond feeling woozy, dull and sleepy the next day?”

Potentially? Colon cancer.

I was skeptical when the bulletin crossed my desk this morning, but when I found out it was based on a study that was the cover article for Cancer, the American Cancer Society’s journal, I took notice.

The article, Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma, states:

Short duration and poor quality of sleep have been associated with increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and total mortality. However, few studies have investigated their associations with risk of colorectal neoplasia.

. . .

Shorter duration of sleep significantly increases risk of colorectal adenomas. The authors’ results suggest sleep duration as a novel risk factor for colorectal neoplasia.

What does this mean — what did they find? In short, study participants who averaged 6 or less hours of sleep per night increased their risk of getting colon cancer by 50%. In the study, low amounts of sleep were directly correlated to a higher risk of colorectal adenomas or polyps, which can become cancerous if left untreated. The study attributed this to poor sleep leading to melatonin imbalances, which could damage DNA.

Dr. Li Li, the chief study investigator, said that this means poor sleep is as high a risk factor as genetics and red meat for colon cancer.

This brings home a few crucial points:

• it really is that important to get a good night’s sleep, for so many reasons, even if you think you can do with less. Dr Li himself increased his average night’s sleep from 5 to 7 hours.
• it really is that important to make those good health choices.
• it really is that important to get those health checks. Finding polyps or adenomas before they develop into cancer is essential to improving your chances.

Additional resources:

Jerry Siegel, Ph.D.: How Much Sleep Do We Actually Need?

Frequently Asked Questions About Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy

Valerian and Melatonin

Sleep problems

I was sitting in the hair salon, flipping through a magazine and waiting for my turn. In the March 2011 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, I ran across an article titled, “Medical Mystery—Or Just Menopause?” I halted to read it. And then it blew my mind.

In the article, it listed these “medical mystery” symptoms such as: achy joints, increased seasonal allergies, irritability, anxiety, heart palpitations, burning tongue, numbness, dizziness and more.

And then it attributed them to hormone fluctuations common in perimenopause and menopause.

I’ve had similar symptoms for a while, and they’ve been attributed to everything from adrenal disorders to tumors and beyond. Not one doctor has ever said hormones.

And while I’ve heard about night sweats and hot flashes in menopause, I know very little about perimenopause. The Mayo Clinic had some information about perimenopause but honestly added little to the typical list.

I think we don’t know enough about how this hormone fluctuation time affects us. The article didn’t include a magical cure, but the women cited said they felt better simply knowing the cause. I know that would sure help me. I do find that diet and especially exercise can seriously help with some of the symptoms, but I know I’m going to ask my doctor to investigate.

For more information about menopause:

Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and Cancer Risk

Black Cohosh

What do you know about perimenopause?

Have you heard about diets that claim to prevent cancer? Tried drinking three cups of green tea a day to reduce your risk of breast cancer? How viable are these claims? If you eat the right diet, can you, in fact, prevent or reduce your chance of cancer?

American Cancer Society says:

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with good health, but can it help lower your breast cancer risk? Researchers can’t say for sure. No study has been able to definitely link the two.

As for claims that eating a certain vegetable or fruit will lower your risk, there’s no hard evidence. Nutrients in certain vegetables and fruits, known as antioxidants, appear to protect the body against tissue damage and may lower cancer risk, but again, the research is far from definitive.

I know this and still, when I saw a tweet that advertised 5 Foods That Help Fight & Prevent Cancer, I clicked through. The article suggests green tea (three cups a day for antioxidants), blueberries (daily), mushrooms (organic), cruciferous vegetables, and garlic.

I’m actually on board with some of these suggestions to a degree, and ACS backs up my position.

I say: I drink green tea every morning (instead of coffee). I drink blueberry green tea, in fact, so it’s sweet and needs no addition (though I splash some almond milk in because yes, I like milk in my tea). I only drink one cup a day, though. Why do I drink it? It’s good, it perks me up, it has a lot of benefits, and it’s known to help with overall health, metabolism, and so forth.

ACS says: Green tea contains chemicals known as polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties. The major group of polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, and the most important catechin seems to be epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG may cause cancer cells to die in much the same way that normal cells do. This effect is important because cancer cells are different from normal cells in that they do not die when they should—they continue to grow and spread.

I say: I like blueberries but prefer them in season. I’m not likely to eat them every day. In fact, there are few foods I’d eat everyday. Variety is the space of life, and I haphazardly subscribe to the idea of eating foods in season. I also think there are plenty of other antioxidant fruits and vegetables that are worthwhile. Ditto to mushrooms, which I like, but not enough to commit to eating every day. And to reiterate, there are a wealth of good foods that are healthy for me.

ACS says: Research shows that the best foods for fighting cancer come in vibrant packages. Luscious red raspberries, brilliant orange peppers, leafy green vegetables and their colorful cousins are full of nutrients that support good cell functioning. Many fruits and vegetables are filled with antioxidants, which act as a health tonic for your cells. Oxidation – the work cells do when they burn food energy – creates a residue of stress. Antioxidants help mend that wear and tear, keeping cells strong and cancer-resistant. (Click through to see more suggestions and information.)

I say: Obviously I agree about the vegetables. And so does ACS (The Color of Prevention, Diet and Breast Cancer Risk: What’s the Connection?, Fruits and Vegetables-Do You Get Enough?).

I say: I love garlic and easily could (and possibly do) eat it every day. I notice my garlic consumption, and wasabi consumption, increase in pollen season, also known as Spring. I have heard that garlic is a natural antiobiotic and that wasabi is a natural antimicrobial so it’s possible my body is being smart. Wasabi, like many spicy foods, does seem to clear up my sinuses and you’ll never be able to convince me otherwise on that point, but the garlic I eat because it tastes good. I don’t augment my diet with garlic supplements or large portions of it for any reason.

ACS says: Garlic is currently under study for its ability to reduce cancer risk. However, there is not enough evidence at this time to support eating large amounts of garlic or taking garlic supplements for cancer prevention. Garlic may have the potential to interfere with anesthesia or other medicines. It is reasonable to include garlic as part of a balanced diet, unless one has a particular health problem or is taking medication that has been shown to be adversely affected by garlic. (Click through for more information.)

The article suggests organic for all of its food (and drinks). I used to buy everything I could organic, but I’ve tapered that off to dairy and certain fruits and vegetables. If there’s no cost difference, or an insignificant one, I’ll likely veer towards organic, but honestly it’s no longer my general top priority for most foods. It’s also simply not financially feasible, especially as food costs are projected to rise another 10%. What’s my test for when I must buy organic? if I plan to eat the outside and inside. ACS agrees: When to buy organic.

It’s good that we’re researching food to find if any are advantageous to cancer prevention, but at the moment, mainly the only sure link we can show is that certain styles of eating specific foods are more likely to lead you to better health. So at the end of the day, provocative headlines aside, the best thing you can do is eat these healthy foods — Eat Right — and work towards being as healthy as you can with as healthy a diet as you can manage.

For even more really good information read: Common Questions About Diet and Cancer