Like parabens, phthalates, and pesticides, aluminum can act like estrogen in the body, affecting estrogen receptors and increasing breast cancer risk. Laboratory research shows that aluminum salts, common in most deodorants, can directly bind to estrogen receptors, and can affect estrogen-regulated gene expression in breast cancer cells.

“Lifetime exposure to estrogen is the risk factor which is tied most strongly to breast cancer,” said lead researcher Philippa Darbre, Ph.D., of the University of Reading in England. “If the aluminum salts in antiperspirants enter the body and mimic estrogen it stands to reason that constant exposure over many years may pose a risk.”

Currently, there are no definitive studies linking the use of antiperspirants to an increased risk of cancer. The American Cancer Society still considers commercial deodorants to be safe. Live Green Mom, however, has this to say about those who might have us turn a blind eye to recent studies: “Doctors and researchers always have to say ‘may pose a risk’ or ‘could possibly….’ They cannot speak in absolutes until all research is done and considered conclusive. Until everyone agrees. And not everyone is going to agree, naturally. It isn’t in ‘everyone’s’ best financial interest to agree.”

Read a little more about aluminum and it just doesn’t sound good. According to researcher Dr. Chris G. Mcgrath, M.D., 90% of breast cancer is linked to the environment or a particular lifestyle. “The closest environment to the breast is the underarm and the closest Western lifestyle is the daily application of antiperspirants, deodorants, or more commonly in combination. This daily routine is more often then not, preceded by underarm shaving….Westernized women are applying chemical compounds in antiperspirants/deodorants on the skin daily over decades. These compounds have not been studied long term with respect to skin absorption and possible toxicity. The breasts and underarms are directly linked by the skin and lymphatic system. Interesting when the incidence of breast cancer since the 1940s is plotted against the same time period of antiperspirant/deodorant sales, an eerie parallel is seen.”

Mcgrath goes on to say that in one of his studies, he found that women who more frequently used antiperspirants and shaved their underarms were diagnosed with breast cancer at a significantly earlier age than those who did these habits less frequently or not at all. Other studies have found that aluminum is absorbed through the skin, and has been found in breast tissue of women who have had mastectomies.

Why do manufacturers use aluminum anyway? Well, it’s very effective in preventing sweating. Basically, it plugs up the sweat glands. However, you do have alternatives. Dr. Mcgrath recommends Terra Natural’s deodorants, whose motto is, “Why take a chance if you don’t have to?” Their ingredients are all plant or food based. You can also try the crystal deodorant stones we mentioned in our last post. Finally, Tom’s of Maine makes several non-aluminum deodorants, as does Burt’s Bees.

Have you changed your underarm routine? Share your story!

Photo courtesy HurtRich via Flickr.com.

For Meaghan Edelstein, the answers are “keep fighting” and “reach out to help others.” Diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer in February 2007, she wasn’t given much hope for survival. For two months prior, doctors insisted her symptoms were caused by stress. When they finally realized what was going on, they thought it was too late.

“After dragging herself to the emergency room and having a CT scan performed,” says Meaghan’s boyfriend, Bryan Power, “they basically told her, ‘Call your friends and family. You have cervical cancer.’ They didn’t expect her to survive.”

Fortunately, Meaghan was accepted into the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “They saved her life,” Bryan says. “You could see they actually cared.”

After a grueling period of treatment and surgeries, Meaghan is recovering. According to Bryan and many of her friends and family, it’s a miracle. “She seems almost normal now, physically,” Bryan says. “They can’t claim she’s cancer free yet, but she has come a long way.”

Despite her long battle, Meaghan finished law school and passed the bar exam. After treatment, however, she no longer wanted to be a lawyer. She blogged about her experience and began connecting with other cancer fighters and survivors. She realized many needed help they weren’t getting, so she created a new organization called “Spirit Jump.” The mission? Raise the spirits of men, women, and children battling cancer.

“This is a program that connects those in need to those who want to help,” Bryan says. “If someone has cancer or some other debilitating disease, they can go to our website and sign up as a ‘jumpee.’ If someone wants to help, they can sign up as a ‘jumper.’ There are no mandatory requirements. We simply give people a way to help other people, and the response has been fantastic!”

Spirit Jump sends out regular e-mails detailing the stories of registered jumpees. Jumpers respond as they wish. Most send cards, and some even create homemade gifts. The point is to let fighters know that someone cares.

“When I was going through treatment,” Meaghan says, “the things that got me through were the cards, flowers, and little gifts people would send. Cancer can be a really lonely experience. I was lucky in that I had family and friends to support me, but many people don’t have that. I wanted to change that.”

Meaghan and Bryan

To increase it’s outreach, Spirit Jump started a new program called “Cards 4 Cancer” day, scheduled to occur on April 10th. “People are collecting uplifting cards and will deliver them to cancer centers around the world,” Bryan says. “We thought it would be a great way to reach out on a bigger scale.”

Bryan was right. Already over 800 have signed up for the day. Many are putting teams together and having card-making parties, with several planning on delivering hundreds of cards! Participants in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, England, Brazil, and more are planning to help, with many schools getting in on the act. (You can see pictures of some of the cards on Facebook.) Bryan says he and Meaghan never expected such a large response, but they’re excited and plan to continue the event in the future.

“The magic of this is that people can put the time into it, then really see the impact of their efforts,” Bryan says. “We’re not just tossing money into some unseen pot.”

Meaghan agrees. “My experience gave me a gift, really,” she says. “I’m now able to relate to and touch a lot of other people because of it. I want to inspire others to fight, and to never give up. So many doctors wouldn’t listen to me when I was having symptoms, and when they finally diagnosed me they gave me little hope. Through Spirit Jump and Cards 4 Cancer day, we want to tell people—don’t give up. People care. We care.”

If you want to participate in Cards 4 Cancer day on April 10, please go to Cards4Cancer.org.

Your loved one will probably be going through all types of emotions and physical hardships, making your help invaluable as he/she fights to recover. We’ve gathered a few tips here to help make your journey a little easier to navigate. Try not to be overwhelmed as you review this list. Remember to take things one step at a time, and to do your best to continue to exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. Maintaining your  own health is equally as important during this difficult time.

1. Become informed. This may seem like a no-brainer, but the more you know about your loved one’s condition the more you’ll be able to ask the right questions and ensure she is getting the best care. Read about the disease, the treatment options, the side effects, and any possible experimental procedures if necessary. To avoid becoming overloaded with this task, set aside a certain time of day for research, like one hour after dinner, for example, and keep notes of what you find.

2. Create a folder. Writes Meg, a caregiver for her parents, “As an advocate and a caretaker for my parents when they were diagnosed with cancer, I quickly learned the importance of keeping detailed notes and important paperwork with me at all times. Without a moment’s notice, I found myself needing to recite a list of complicated medication names, which were ever changing, along with dosage instructions and allergy information to a member of our healthcare team.”

Purchase a 3-ring binder or other type of folder in which you can place lists, paperwork, and other information, then keep it with you for doctor and pharmacy visits. Use a dividing system to separate insurance cards and contacts, medical team contacts/business cards, legal documents (like Durable Power of Attorney), a calendar of appointments, medical history, medications, lab test results, and medical imaging results. Having this folder with you will prevent a lot of headaches.

3. Put legal documents in place. It may seem premature or unnecessary, but if you can talk to your loved one and put legal documents in place, it will save you a lot of stress and heartache should you face a difficult medical situation in the future. What if your loved one can’t make decisions for himself? You will need the Durable Power of Attorney to make decisions for him/her. Talk to your doctor about the forms you need, then see a lawyer or go onto a legal website to properly fill them out.

4. Prepare for doctor’s visits. When your loved one needs to see her doctor, you can help her prepare by making sure all necessary documents are in your folder, and by creating a list of questions to be asked. If you need some ideas on important questions, check here. Once you’re at the appointment, take notes, help your loved one communicate about her condition, ask questions, and make sure you understand everything. Once again—don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions!

5. Communicate with friends and family. Your loved one will have many people concerned for him, and keeping those people in the loop not only keeps you both connected, but opens up opportunities for others to help. Make phone calls, send out group e-mails, and/or use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to alert people to your loved one’s progress or to enlist help with anything you might need. Remember—don’t be afraid to ask. People want to help and you need to be sure you’re not overloading yourself.

6. Help empower your loved one to control pain. If your loved one is in pain, encourage him to speak up, or speak up for him. According to Cancer-Pain.org, “By believing your loved one and validating his or her pain, you empower the person to ask for the help he or she needs.” Don’t assume the doctor or nurse knows about your loved one’s discomfort. Bring up the subject and ask for solutions. If the nurse doesn’t seem able to help, request a meeting with a pain-management specialist.

7. Keep your eyes and ears open. Many healthcare professionals are efficient, but still, mistakes can be made. Sometimes hospitals are understaffed. Nurses may be distracted. Double-check medications, ask questions about procedures, and watch for anything that can cause allergic reactions. Your loved one won’t be able to focus as well during this time, so staying alert for her could save her from additional setbacks.

Have you found techniques that help you fufill your role as advocate? Please share them with us.

Photo courtesy angelamaphone via Flickr.com.

Isn’t it interesting, though, that as we grow more and more conscious of the food we’re putting in our mouths, we’re still applying all kinds of chemicals to our bodies on a daily basis? The skin has the potential to absorb the toxic ingredients in those products, but many still haven’t gotten the message that what’s listed on the bottle could end up inside the body. Hopefully, Cinco Vidas readers are being more careful!

Women are especially at risk, as we use so many more products than men, particularly make-up products. Let’s talk about three of the most concerning items—these may be in your makeup bag right now.

Powders. Mineral makeup has made a big splash on the market, with manufacturer’s praising it’s even coverage and natural look. However, those in powder form come with a risk of inhalation. Particles in these products are smaller than they used to be. According to Dr. Oz, some are a thousand times smaller than they were even 10 years ago. The smaller size means a more flawless look, but it also increases the risk that these particles could penetrate the lungs, potentially causing inflammation, irritation, and even lung disease.

To lower your risk, choose a liquid-based foundation with shimmer, or a cream or mousse blush and bronzer. If you are sold on your powder, tap the excess off before applying, don’t inhale, and make sure you’re in a well-ventilated room.

Anti-Wrinkle Creams. They’re supposed to help you look younger, but be careful—some anti-wrinkle creams may help you look better today, but worse tomorrow. For example, if your formula contains petroleum-based alcohols, it could be irritating your skin, as well as removing the natural acidic layer which makes skin vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. Petroleum-based oils can clog pores and over long-term use, create dry, more wrinkle-prone skin. Mineral oil clogs pores and irritates skin, and can cause acne breakouts and premature aging. Parabens can absorb into the blood stream, and remain in the body where they can act as endocrine disruptors, while fragrances can add all kinds of unknown chemicals to your skin.

To protect yourself, look for fragrance-free and color-free formulas, and read labels. We like brands like Ren, Intelligent Nutrients, and Jeune d’age Organics.

Lip gloss. We mentioned in a previous post that lip gloss may increase your risk of skin cancer. In addition, many formulas are made with petroleum jelly, which has been banned in the European Union because of it’s potential link to cancer. Remember: What you put on your lips usually ends up in your mouth, and then inside your body, so be extra careful with this product! Stay away from brands that list petroleum jelly or mineral oils on the label, and avoid “plumping” products that actually irritate the lips to make them look larger. Choose instead formulas made with beeswax and natural flavors, and that contain a safe sun protectant like zinc oxide.

Are you purchasing your makeup products more carefully? Let us know if you have any tips.

Photo courtesy Pixels of deborah jaffe via Flickr.com.

Maybe not! It all depends on what you’re using to clean. According to the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia, “Many chemicals contained in household cleaning products are the same as those used in industrial settings. Many scientists are becoming concerned that long-term, low-level exposure to chemicals may be just as dangers as short-term, high-dose exposures. They also worry that we do not understand the impact of exposure to the cocktail of chemicals found in household air and dust.”

We researched a few common household cleaning products and found some surprising information. If you’ve got some of these items in your cupboards, you may want to consider replacing them.

Carpet cleaner. According to the Labour Environmental Alliance Society of Canada, some carpet cleaners can contain an ingredient called “2-butoxyethanol,” which if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, can cause blood disorders, liver damage, and kidney damage—even reproductive damage if exposure is long-term. In addition, they can contain perchloroethylene, a known cardcinogen, as well as 1,4-dioxane, ammonia, and unknown fragrances. If you clean the carpet in an entire room, your exposure could be high. Look for a non-toxic alternatives like those from Green Home, or make your own with these recipes.

Dishwashing soaps (hand). The Environmental Protection Agency has listed chloroform as a probable human carcinogen—capable of causing cancer. Did you know that if your dishwashing soap contains triclosan, that triclosan could react with chlorine in your water to create chloroform? Many areas use chlorine to clean the water supply, so even if you don’t add the chlorine yourself, it could still be there. Avoid dishwashing soaps with triclosan. Even dishwashing soaps without triclosan can contain quarternium 15, an irritant that can release formaldehyde. Look for natural alternatives like those from Seventh Generation.

Dishwashing detergents (automatic). Each time you put your dishes through the dishwasher, some residue is left that can later mix with your food. These detergents can contain chlorine-based sanitizing ingredients, as well as phosphates capable of choking off life in our rivers and streams. For a natural alternative, mix equal parts of borax and baking soda and store in a tightly sealed container. Use 2 tablespoons per load. If you have hard water, double the amount of baking soda.

Bleach. Bleach can irritate or burn the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If ingested, it can cause vomiting and injury to the esophagus. Combined with acidic toilet bowl cleansers or ammonia, it creates extremely toxic fumes. Furthermore, the chlorine in bleach can bind with organic material in the marine environment to create toxic compounds dangerous to fish. Use a bleach alternative, or try adding a cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle for whitening.

All purpose cleanser. According to Katherine Gallia, writing for “Natural Health,” all purpose cleansers can contain a synthetic solvent and grease cutter called “butyl cellosolve,” a hazardous petroleum-based chemical that can irritate skin and eyes, and over time, cause liver and kidney damage. Casey Kellar, author of Natural Cleaning for Your Home: 95 Pure and Simple Recipes, suggests a homemade alterative made by mixing the following in a spray bottle and shaking gently: 1 cup liquid Castile soap, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon tea tree extract, 2 tablespoons witch hazel extract, and 4 drops of essential oil (your choice).

Are you using less toxic alternatives to clean your home? Please share any recipes you may have.

Photo courtesy ac hardman via Flickr.com.

You’ve probably heard about radiation exposure—radiation that you may encounter through x-rays, or even as a part of your occupation. It’s not about radiation, necessarily, but about how much radiation your body is exposed to over your lifetime.

When you think about chemicals in personal-care products, you can think about them the same way. How much is your body exposed to over several decades of your life? Using shampoo on one day is probably not going to increase your risk for disease, but using it every day for 60+ years could. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the average adult uses about 9 personal-care products a day. A study by Bionsen, a product company in the United Kingdom, found that the average woman applies about 515 chemicals to her face everyday! Think about it. Your shampoo, conditioner, body wash (or soap), shaving cream, body moisturizer, face moisturizer (or after shave), hand soap you may use several times over in one day, perfume, cologne, and makeup—mascara, foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow, brow color, liptstick, etc.

Most of these products contain one or more of the dangerous, potentially carcinogenic ingredients we’ve been talking about, that can disrupt hormones, depress immune function, cause developmental problems, and even cause dangerous diseases like cancer. If we’re not careful about the products we choose, we could be exposing ourselves over and over again to chemicals that could ruin our health.

“The perpetual advent of new and innovative beauty products has led to a massive increase in product usage over the years,” writes E. Huff for “Natural News.” “What was once a basic cleansing protocol has turned into a lifestyle of trying the latest and greatest products in an effort to maintain youthful beauty. As a result, women are exposed to more toxic carcinogens from beauty products than ever.”

How do you reduce your overall exposure? First, learn about certain ingredients to avoid, and watch ingredient labels. You can also try a few of these steps:

• Reduce your use of nail polishes. When you do use them, choose the non-toxic variety.
• Use mild soaps. Choose organic and those with few chemical ingredients, and avoid anti-bacterial types (read labels and stay away from “triclosan”).
• Choose fragrance-free products, or those with essential oils and natural-source fragrance.
• Reduce your use of perfumes and colognes, and/or choose organic varieties.
• Switch to natural, organic products like Pangea Organics or Intelligent Nutrients.
• Take a break from your products! Choose one day a week where you will cut down to less than 4 products used.

How are you reducing your exposure to toxic personal-care chemicals? Please share your tips.

Photo courtesy slynnro via Flickr.com.

Enter Rebecca Katz, your personal culinary translator. Consultant, teacher, speaker, author, and first and foremost—cook—Rebecca has created (with co-author Mat Edelson) a book just for cancer patients and their caregivers. It’s called Cancer-Fighting Kitchen, and inside, she shares delicious recipes sure to get you eating again, as well as tips on what foods battle various side effects.

“Nutritional analysis can lead to culinary paralysis,” she says. “You can have all this information, but if you can’t turn it into something that’s yummy and nourishing to eat, it’s only information. My job is to help people rediscover a healthy connection to food.”

Having cared for her father when he was going through throat cancer, Rebecca knows well the frustration of watching someone you love suffer from being unable to eat. “I had gone through culinary school,” she says, “and I was a chef in Northern California, but I didn’t know how to cook for him. It was difficult for me, as before the cancer, my father had never met a food he didn’t like. But he was undergoing radiation, and taste changes became an issue. No matter what kind of cook you think you are, trained or not, it’s a whole different ball game when you’re working with someone who’s going through cancer treatment.”

Rebecca tried to find some resources to help, but had little luck. “There was nothing I could turn to that provided what I would call healthy and delicious options. You know, things that were really appealing, that would turn on someone’s taste buds.”

As fate would have it, she got a call from the Commonweal Cancer Health Program in Bolinas, California, to cook for a retreat. (She is now senior chef and nutritional educator there.) That experience increased her desire to work with cancer patients. “What fascinated me were the transient taste changes—I wanted to figure out how to turn people on to food, when they had every reason to be turned off. After all, to find nourishment during treatment can make the difference between a really successful treatment and not being able to make it through.”

Connecting the latest scientific research with her own talent for creating delicious foods, Rebecca helps people navigate the inevitable changes that occur throughout the cancer journey. She includes a chapter on dealing with taste changes—if things taste metallic, for instance, she recommends adding maple syrup, lemon juice, or nut creams to recipes. If things are without taste, try sea salt. Another section, called the “culinary pharmacy,” links herbs and spices to their various health benefits. For example, ginger can help reduce nausea, allspice is a great digestive aid, and cumin stimulates the appetite.

“In the book I have a whole menu-planning section,” she says. “Let’s say you’re about to go into chemotherapy. I have things you may want to eat before treatment, and things you may want to eat afterwards. If you’re dealing with anemia, there are certain recipes for you. Or if you’re struggling with nausea—I have a recipe for homemade ginger ale with frozen grapes, or a cinnamon ginger tea.”

For Rebecca, it’s all about making food taste good again, so as a cancer patient, you’ll want to eat. However, she says you will need to change how you go about it. “When you’re going through treatment, it’s not about sitting down and eating a big meal. You learn to deal in smaller portions. Different foods become little life rafts, tasty bites of ‘yum.’ Maybe every hour you take a few bites of something, or a few swallows of a smoothie. You make one of the recipes, then you freeze most of it in single-serving containers. Later, when you get hungry—or if your hunger signals are screwed up, when you know it’s time to eat—you defrost a little bit and have a few bites. It’s about having different things available at different times.”

The whole idea is to be able to eat well—and enjoy it—even when you may not feel like it. “My philosophy,” she adds, “is the power of yum. I want great taste and great nutrition to sit joyously together at the table. During cancer treatments, you just can’t have great nutrition if you don’t have great taste.”

For more information, see Rebecca’s website, or get your own copy of Cancer-Fighting Kitchen at Amazon.

The danger is still out there, but we’re happy to report that a few people are doing something about it. In 2008, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) conducted their own study and found 1,4-dioxane in leading organic personal-care products. In June of 2008, in part because of the OCA’s findings and in part because of their own studies, the state of California filed a major lawsuit against body care household-cleaning product companies whose products tested highest for 1,4-dioxane. California’s Attorney General alleged the companies should have put warning labels on their products telling consumers of the 1,4-dioxane content, since they knew it was present.

“These companies need to stop treating the inclusion of cancer-causing chemicals in their products as ‘business as usual…’” he said. And just as a reminder that you can’t always trust labels—many of the products tested claimed to be organic.

In New Jersey, a class-action lawsuit was filed against manufacturers of children’s bath and personal-care products in early summer of 2009. Again, the complaint alleges that the defendants manufactured, distributed, marketed, tested, and/or sold children’s bath and personal-care products containing formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.

In March of 2009, consumeraffairs.com reported that as a result of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study, over 80 families and more than 50 attorneys in China were planning to file a suit against the U.S. companies selling bath products contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. (Talk about embarrassing! Will this wake up our manufacturers?) A major Chinese supermarket suspended sales of some of the products tested. Later that same month, the Vietnamese Drug Administration announced it would begin testing similar products.

The OCA has put out a “Myth vs. Fact” sheet on 1,4-dioxane. Here are a few of the interesting points they make:

• Though manufacturers insist the “small amounts” of 1,4-dioxane in products won’t hurt us, when animals were tested with it at the lowest parts-per-billion level over their lifetime, they developed cancer.
• The levels of 1,4-dioxane in many personal-care products is higher than those found to cause cancer in lab animals.
• 1,4-dioxane is readily absorbed through the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. In the bath, a person’s skin is warmed, pores are opened, and the skin may be soaked in contaminated water where 1,4-dioxane exists.
• According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 1,4-dioxane “should be handled as carcinogen—with extreme caution.”

We’re hoping that these various lawsuits will spur change in U.S. manufacturing of personal-care products. In the meantime, watch labels and avoid products with “sodium myreth sulfate” “PEG,” “oxynol,” “ceteareth,” “oleth,” and “polyethylene”—all potential precursors of 1,4-dioxane.

Have you noticed any actions against 1,4-dioxane in your area? Please let us know.

Photo courtesy The Doctr via Flickr.com.

But pH goes a lot further than that. In fact, the entire body is affected by pH, and a body out of balance is more likely to be at risk for disease—including infections, bone and joint deterioration, digestive disturbances, and cancer.

We can think of the body as an environment, or what Steven H. Horne, writing for healityourself.com, calls our “biological terrain.” Just like a stagnant swamp is more likely to breed mosquitoes than a bubbling brook, an out-of-balance body is more likely to serve as a favorable environment for disease. Contributing to the health of this environment is pH, or what is known as the balance between acid and alkaline in our body’s tissues and fluids.

In the body, a mildly alkaline state contributes to fluidity and relaxation—this is the body’s most healthy place to be. Excess alkaline makes tissues too lax, lethargic, and instable. Mildly acidic compounds, on the other hand, keep tissues firm and toned. Too much acid, however, and tissues get rigid and dry. Excess acid can show up as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, arthritis, muscle stiffness, tension, kidney stones, weight gain, immune deficiency, premature aging, and increased risk of cancer. In today’s world, an excess of acid is the most common pH imbalance. In fact, many doctors think that the high acidity in our bodies today is the cause of many of our current diseases:

“The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause…too much acid waste in the body!” (Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.)

According to lifeenthusiast.com: “There are two factors that are always present with cancer, no matter what else may be present. Those two factors are acid pH and lack of oxygen. Cancer cells do not survive in an oxygen-rich environment. At a pH slightly above 7.4, cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells die, while healthy cells will live.”

How do we get out of balance? In a word, diet. The typical American diet—too high in acidic animal products and too low in alkaline-producing vegetables—creates imbalances in our bodies, to the point where we cannot properly absorb nutrients, even if we’re taking vitamins everyday. Pile on extra acid-producing foods like sugar, white flour and soft drinks, along with artificial sweeteners (extremely acid forming), and you have a body drowning in acid that is no longer able to process it all. Meanwhile, cells are swimming in a dangerous environment where cancer can thrive.

How do you know if you have a pH imbalance? First, you can test your pH levels with pH test strips you can use in your own home. These typically test the pH in your urine and your saliva—optimal levels are 6.0–7.0 and 6.5–7.5, respectively. If you find you’re out of balance (most people are too acidic), you can do several things. First, change your diet to include more alkaline-producing fruits and vegetables. (Check the levels of many of your favorite foods here and here.) Choose honey and maple syrup for sweeteners over sugar and artificial sweeteners, and green tea over black tea. Breathe more deeply on a regular basis—lack of oxygen contributes to more acid waste. Next, consider an enzyme supplement. Since we eat so many processed and cooked foods, we often lack the proper enzymes to break food down and extract nutrients from them, which again, increases acidic waste. An enzyme supplement can help improve digestion.

Heard enough about reducing stress? Here it is again—stress stimulates the nervous system, which drives an acid reaction in the body. Adapt coping techniques like yoga, meditation, exercise, and/or massage. You may also want to try a calcium and magnesium supplement—both alkalizers for the body. Finally, work with your own digestive system—avoid foods that you have a hard time digesting, as these will increase the acid content in the body. Take a regular fiber supplement or eat yogurt to maintain regular bowel movements.

Have you tested your pH? Did you make changes as a result? Please share your story.

Photo courtesy varf via Flickr.com.

Ms. Hay asserts that disease is caused by mental thought patterns—particularly patterns of criticism, anger, resentment, and guilt. In her book, Heal Your Body, she talks about different diseases and the mental patterns associated with them. When she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she put her money where her mouth was, and embarked on a regiment of therapy, (as well as nutrition and reflexology), working through her own resentments over being raped when she was 5 years old. She says she rid herself of the cancer.

Holistic healer Poorvi Mittal writes that while running a small homeopathic practice, she treated many people suffering from various types of cancer, and found that what they all had in common was tremendous anger and resentment. “The body, like everything else in life,” she says, “is a mirror of our inner thoughts—it is always talking to us. We must listen to it.”

In a presentation made to the Q.E. Hospital Birmingham U.K. oncology nurses, James Middleton said, “Cancer patients often have unresolved resentments…We experience stress not only when we go through the experience which created the resentment, but we re-experience it each time we recall the event, or experience a similar event. This locked-in or long-term stress and tension can produce inhibition of the body’s natural defenses.”

Are there any studies supporting these ideas? Researchers at Stanford University showed that women who repressed their emotions were more likely to show disruptions in stress hormones—disruptions that predicted early death in women with breast cancer in earlier studies. The Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that extreme suppression of anger was the most common characteristic among 160 breast cancer patients. (Resentment is often described as a form of anger.) And recent studies at the Public Health Institute in California confirm that hostility and resentment tear down the immune system and increase risk of heart attack, cancer, and diabetes.

“So many diseases, like heart disease and cancer, can be triggered by unresolved resentment,” writes Lori Radun, CEC and certified life coach. “By choosing to forgive, you can dramatically improve your emotional and physical health.”

Indeed, it seems forgiveness is the solution to resentment. A new study from Duke University Medical Center showed that among people with chronic back pain, those who had forgiven others had lower levels of pain than those who hadn’t forgiven. According to Dr. Everett Worthington Jr., psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, “Chronic unforgiveness causes stress. Every time people think of their transgressor, their body responds. Now, if you can forgive, that can actually strengthen your immune system.”

If you feel you may be holding on to some resentment and want to let it go, try the following steps. You can also try the “Resentment Release Worksheet” provided at growbeyondcancer.com.

1. Recognize that forgiveness doesn’t deny the other person’s responsibility for hurting you. Rather, it’s a way to help you feel better, and to safeguard your own health and peace of mind.
2. Face and release the anger that you feel. Talk about it with trusted people, spend time journaling, and or pray about it.
3. Write a letter to your perpetrator. Pour out every emotion you feel. Tell her everything she did to hurt you and make you angry. Don’t hold anything back. When you’re done, burn or bury the letter as a symbol that you are ready to move on. Do not give the letter to the person.
4. Make a choice to forgive, and see if you can reconnect to the love in your heart. Realize that everyone makes mistakes, and try to find understanding for why the person did what he did.
5. Try to look for anything good in your experience. Did it make you stronger? Increase your resilience? Expand your understanding?

Have you been able to forgive someone who wronged you, and let go of a long-standing resentment? Please share your story.

Photo courtesy insk0r via Flickr.com.