A plant-based diet plentiful in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, combined with stress management techniques, slowed or stopped the spread of prostate cancer, according to a pilot study conducted by University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers. A diet with less meat, dairy products and refined carbohydrates was encouraged.

During the six-month study, results found nine out of 10 men had a reduction in their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rates.

To reduce stress, the study participants were taught meditation, yoga and tai chi exercises. When the six-month study was completed, four out of 10 men experienced an absolute reduction in their PSA levels. You can read the abstract concerning this study, Potential Attenuation of Disease Progression in Recurrent Prostate Cancer Progression With Plant-based Diet and Stress Reduction here. You can access the entire study for a fee.

For cancer survivor and Tai Chi, Yoga and Lebed Method teacher Dawn Stasko, her classes lead to more than a physical improvement in balance, a relaxing means of reducing stress, a boost to the immune system and increased energy for participants. It is a place for newly-diagnosed cancer patients, cancer patients undergoing treatments and cancer survivors to bond and find group support. Stasko accepts the initial non-belief of newcomers that Tai Chi and Yoga could possibly make a difference in the quality of their life, and is touched when they discover the classes do help.

"For me it is pure joy to have someone come into my class and say how can this help," she said with tears in her eyes and in a broken voice. "They listen to me and they are kind of hesitant and skeptical, and at the end of the class I get a 'thank you' and that makes the biggest difference in the world."

Valerie Cutshall features the benefits cancer survivors feel they have received by participating in Stasko's classes in Yoga, tai chi classes help cancer patients survive.

Tai Chi is referred to as a graceful form of exercise and described as meditation in motion. Yoga, when used as a form of alternative therapy to enhance flexibility, relaxation or stress relief, is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation. The Lebed Method focuses on healing through a therapeutic exercise and dance movement program designed for women who have had breast cancer, for all cancer patients who have undergone cancer treatments and for lymphedema. For more information, visit the Lebed Method.

The Mayo Clinic has created the Complementary & Alternative Medicine Center that publishes articles about Yoga, Tai Chi and other alternative therapies that can be incorporated to complement conventional cancer treatments.

You can find Tai Chi and Yoga classes in cities throughout the United States. To locate a class in your community, contact the local hospital, community center, community college, the YMCA or YWCA, health club or wellness center.

Caregivers are quiet heroes, helping and caring without asking for anything in return. Caregivers step in when there is a need and they bring with them a sense of hope and comfort during the challenges facing a loved one diagnosed with cancer. In the selflessness of love, they sometimes forget to take time to care for themselves. To avoid caregiver depression, frustration, resentment, illness and burnout, here are six ways a cancer caregiver can care for themselves while caring for someone else:

Take a daily walk. Exercise is a great stress reducer. Taking the time to stroll through the neighborhood or local park is like a deep calming breath for the body and emotions. If you are a jogger, go jogging. The point is to get away for a moment, get the body moving, and enjoy a change of scenery as you go.

Keep a journal. Daily journaling is a way to outwardly express your thoughts and emotions and can act as a relief value for emotions that are building up inside. It can also give you a better perspective. Sometimes we need to see what we are thinking and feeling to sort it all out.

Pursue personal interests. If you have a hobby or activity -- like writing poetry, photography, crafts, painting, knitting, reading, gardening, or listening to music, that has always been fun and brought you a sense of joy and contentment -- make time each day for your personal pleasurable pursuits.

Maintain friendships. We need our connection to others for the enjoyment of company and for comfort and support. Make regular weekly dates with friends and meet for coffee. Join a book club or start a book club. If there is a caregiver support group in your area, or a support group for families affected by cancer, consider joining.

Learn ways to relax. Try breathing exercises and muscle relaxation exercises. Schedule a massage. Take a weekly yoga or tai chi class. Cannot get away? Pop in a yoga or tai chi video and follow along.

Make your health a priority. Eat well-balanced meals, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids. Find inspirational quotes that lift your spirits and display them where you can read them each day. Remember to laugh each day. Hug and be hugged.

To offer the very best care for your loved one, you must take care of yourself too. It's not selfish, it's wise.

If you are a caregiver that has found unique fun ways to take a moment to take care of yourself while taking care of someone you love, please share your ideas with other caregivers in the comment area following this post. If you are a reader with fun tips or ideas on ways a caregiver can take care of themselves while caring for someone else, please share in the comment area. We are all in this together, and we will get through the challenges and struggles of cancer much better with each other's support and encouragement.

I think I would feel pretty alone if it weren't for all the support out there for cancer. All the recognition given to cancer patients and survivors. All the cancer information floating around. And all the survivors who hold each other up in times of distress and despair. What a horrible thing that cancer is so widespread that there has to be so much focus on this life-threatening disease. But how wonderful that all this attention can have such great outcomes. At the infusion center I visit every three weeks for a dose of Herceptin for breast cancer, there are two social workers available for patients. There are genetic counselors and psychologists. There are signs and posters all over the medical facilities advertising support groups and studies. There are organizations like Sacred Cliffs and Chemo Angels. And there is Team Survivor.

Team Survivor, started in 1995 in conjunction with the Danskin Women's Triathlon Series, exists to provide free weekly exercise programs and periodic fitness events and education for all women affected by cancer. Programs have grown throughout the U.S. and in my city alone, women can attend events such as yoga and tai chi and walking groups. Some travel all over the state to participate in dragon boating, biking, and triathlons. They also gather for social camaraderie and support. Their goal is to encourage physical activity for women of all ages and stages of fitness and in all stages of cancer treatment and recovery.

Team Survivor grew of out the unfortunate existence of cancer.  But it helps women grow and develop and succeed physically.  And that is a gift.