Cinco Vidas

You may already be conscientious about self exams and regular screening, but do you know the symptoms of breast cancer? Could you tell if you—or someone close to you—were at risk?

Most of us have been so well educated in exams and mammograms that we think they, alone, will warn us of any possible problems. But these methods aren’t foolproof. Many women have saved their own lives by being aware of cancer symptoms, and reporting any unusual sensations or concerns to their doctor.

Below are potential signs or symptoms of breast cancer. No need to be paranoid, as changes in your breasts are usually not related to cancer, but if you experience any of these, check with your doctor just to be safe.  (From “Breast Cancer Symptoms” by Andrea Markowitz, Ph.D., and the Mayo Clinic.) (more…)

Like most of us in this economy, Jill didn’t have a lot of extra money to spend. She really wanted to get a good moisturizer, as cancer treatments had dried her skin, leaving it flaky and irritated, but there were so many other things on her shopping list, like shoes for the kids, new tires for the car, pet food, and prescriptions, that she figured a bargain jar from the drugstore would do the trick just fine.

Little did Jill know that she may have just cost herself more money in the long run.
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It’s hard enough being a teenager without throwing cancer into the mix. There are all the cliques at school, worrying about your wardrobe, trying to fit in, after-school activities, and somewhere in there, hoping to get good grades to make it into college. Dealing with cancer can definitely put you into overload, and then trying to still look good…is it even possible? Especially with dry skin, redness or acne?

Cancer definitely changes your face. It may be hard to recognize yourself in the mirror on some mornings. Following are some tips to help you camouflage problem areas without overdoing it, or putting a huge dent in your already crammed schedule. Of course, remember to always use non-toxic, natural products! (more…)

Many natural makeup brushes are made with squirrel hair.

If you regularly use brushes to apply your makeup, you know the advantages—they make it easier to control application, blend, and create a natural look, without the contamination risks of using your fingers. But when it comes to what kind of brushes to use, should you choose synthetic or animal hair?

For years the professionals have preferred animal-hair brushes, citing their softness, ability to “carry” color, and usefulness for specific natural-looking applications. But we wondered—are animals harmed in the making of animal-hair brushes? (more…)

We all know how much smoking contributes to cancer. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), among male cigarette smokers, the risk of lung cancer is more than 2,000 percent higher than among male nonsmokers; among women, 1,200 percent higher. Of the 514,000 cancer deaths expected to occur this year, about one-third are directly linked to cigarette smoking.

Staggering. It’s no doubt that if we could get rid of tobacco smoke, we would see a huge decline in cancer rates. (more…)

People used to think the skin was an impenetrable barrier, blocking anything from entering (or exiting) the body. After all, if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be able to take a shower without bloating up with water, right?

Now we know better. Skin does provide a barrier to the world, but not an impenetrable one. Stay in the bath long enough and you’ll see—skin absorbs water to a certain extent, which is why it wrinkles.

“Your skin is enough of a barrier to keep fluids within your body,” writes Samuel Epstein, MD, and author of Toxic Beauty (BenBella Books, 2009), “but it also readily absorbs many things with which it comes in contact.” (more…)

No one likes spending time in a hospital. Fortunately, most people are in and out within a few days—a week at the most. But many cancer patients find themselves walking the white hallways for several weeks at a time, even months. After so much watching television and playing board games, boredom sets in, and boredom leads one to think too much—usually worrisome and anxious thoughts.

“There’s a lot of time with nothing to do,” said Yolanda Toth, adult recreation center director at Sloan Kettering. “After you’ve counted all the holes in the ceiling of your room…and watched enough television, you’re pretty bored. And then you start thinking—what’s going to happen to me?” (more…)

“There’s nothing like an illness to make you prioritize your health.”

So says Dawn Mellowship, author of Toxic Beauty: The Hidden Chemicals in Cosmetics and How They Can Harm Us. Having battled with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, Dawn firmly believes that exposure to toxic ingredients—whether through the food we eat or the daily personal-care products we use—has a negative affect on our health.

“Cosmetic products contain toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, endocrine (hormone) disruption, allergies, asthma, birth defects and other health problems,” she says. “Women, in particular, have a skin-care regime that exposes them to around 500 chemicals every day, and that doesn’t include other chemical exposures from furniture, environmental pollution, household products, etc.” (more…)

You bought that wig to help you get through chemotherapy, but now you’re done and your hair is growing back. What should you do with your second set of locks?

“If your wig is just being stored,” says StarWish 624, “send it on to continue its good work. It feels good to help other BC [breast cancer] sisters.”

“Today, I shampooed, conditioned, and combed my old wig,” says survivor Jacki. “It sits drying on my bathroom counter. When it’s all done and pretty, I’ll mail it off to my friend Carmen, who just the other day had her first chemotherapy for breast cancer.” (more…)

It’s not a comforting idea to think that we’re all walking around with a myriad of synthetic chemicals in our bodies. But science is showing that we’re doing just that.

Writes Dixie Mills, MD, for Women to Women: “Recent studies of small groups of diverse volunteers (men and women) in Europe, the U.S. and Canada showed that everyone, including the chief of a remote indigenous tribe in Northern Quebec, had one characteristic in common: without their knowing, their bodies had absorbed a complex chemical cocktail of dozens of different synthetic substances.” The most worrisome of these, Mills goes on to say, are the endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), the ones that mimic the action of hormones when absorbed by humans and wildlife. (more…)