Cinco Vidas

Bring a friend along for moral support.

Does stepping inside a wig salon make you feel weak in the knees? We don’t blame you! Making your first trip to the wig salon after dealing with hair loss can be a terrifying venture, but feeling prepared is easier than you think. Start your first visit armed with support. Ask a close friend, relative, or spouse (whose opinion you trust) to tag along, and allow them to be your “appearance advocate.” (more…)

If you’re going through cancer treatment, you probably know what “leukopenia” is: low white-blood-cell count (WBC). “Neutropenia” is similar, referring to a particular type of white-blood cells, the neutrophils. You probably also know that a low WBC means increased risk of infection and hospital stays. But do you know how to protect yourself?

White blood cells are the workhorses of your immune system, responsible for protecting the body against foreign materials (viruses and bacteria) and infections. (more…)

High fiber diet and colonics help the body detox

Have you ever wanted to get a colonic, but were too scared to try? Although colon therapy may seem like a quick way to lose weight or feel “lighter” for vanity, it can actually play an integral role in the health of many cancer patients. Colonic specialist and Cinco Vidas Expert, Cyndie Suarez spoke exclusively to Cinco Vidas to explain: “[A colonic is] important because it is one of the only ways to truly help the body detox on a cellular level.” In fact, “Colon Hydrotherapy For Cancer” states that colonic hydrotherapy (or colonic irrigation) can “improve circulatory functions, stimulate the immune system, remove toxic waste, stimulate appetite, eliminate headaches, and boost energy.” (more…)

Somebody’s finally getting fired up. And it’s about time.

In March of this year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) reported that most of the children’s bath products they tested were contaminated with two chemicals linked to cancer and skin allergies. Later that same month, acting on behalf of parents or other consumers who had purchased the products, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro (HBSS) took Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Kimberley Clark, and other manufacturers to court. (more…)

Cancer treatments and skin tone. Do you find yourself dreading that morning glance in the mirror?

“You look white, you look green, you look yellow,” says makeup artist and survivor Ramy Gafni. “It was like multicolor skin. Every day was an adventure.”

In addition to radiation, chemotherapy medications like bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel, etoposide, and others (see more here) can all affect skin tone, causing dark splotches, unevenness, dullness, even strips of light or dark color. The good news is when the treatment ends, skin usually returns to a more healthy condition. However, it doesn’t help your healing process to feel lousy in the meantime. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to pep up a lackluster complexion. (more…)

You may have seen the e-mail circulating around: “Asparagus cures cancer!” True, or just another one of those empty e-mail promises?

As is typically the case with such rumors, there’s a little bit of truth with a lot of hype mixed in. Obviously, if there were sufficient evidence to support the idea that asparagus cured cancer, a lot more people would be drinking a green puree with dinner. And a lot fewer people would be suffering from the disease.

If we’re looking strictly at the cancer-fighting potential of the vegetable, however, asparagus is definitely a star. It’s packed with nutrients like folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, thiamin and vitamin B6. It’s low in calories, sodium and cholesterol. And—here’s the biggie—according to the National Cancer Institute, it’s the highest-tested food containing glutathione, one of the body’s most potent cancer fighters. (more…)

So we’ve been warning our readers about labels. Read the labels, we say. Read the ingredient lists. The FDA doesn’t regulate cosmetics, so it’s up to you to be sure what you’re using on your skin is safe and non-toxic.

Great. You’re convinced, but now you may be saying: Just how am I supposed to make heads or tails of these things? I can’t even pronounce half the words!

Don’t worry. When you’re looking at labels, just follow these few tips. (more…)

So, you’ve finally chosen a brand new wig, but you’re having a hard time coping with it in your morning routine. Remember, you’re not alone! The writer of My Breast Cancer Blog explains, “I feel naked without my shoulder-length, blond hair,” adding, “I wish I could see this time in my life as a new beginning, with a new look. But instead I feel self-conscious and hesitant to unveil [my wig].” (more…)

“In the world we live in,” says massage therapist and Cinco Vidas expert, Jean Lazar, “we’re so full of stress. To feel good has become the exception rather than the norm.”

A sobering observation, but if you take a moment to think about it, you realize it’s true. If you’re going through cancer treatment—or caring for someone who is—you may find “feeling good” to be an even rarer experience. Yet it’s during challenging times that feeling good becomes even more important. According to life coach Carol King, “If you want to change your circumstances, you must change your feelings. If you want to change your feelings, change the stimulus that you subject yourself to.” (more…)

You’ve probably heard the buzz around mineral makeup, and for good reasons. Your favorite brands of regular foundation and makeup may not be as glamorous as you think—they may actually be loaded with toxic chemicals that can be harmful to compromised skin. Although many cancer fighters and survivors are tempted to cover up with their longtime favorites, we encourage you to switch to mineral-based makeup because of the decreased risk of toxic exposure. (more…)