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Posts with tag exercise
Posted Sep 1st 2007 7:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Diets, Exercise
I'm dizzy, light-headed, over-heated and just plain worn out after my workout this morning. Why? Because I overdid it.
I've been so focused on running from cancer by eating right and strenuously exercising -- research says it take five hours of vigorous exercise per week to keep breast cancer away -- that I drove myself to depletion this morning. It hit me when a wave of dizziness came over me in the midst of my outdoor workout. My body felt heavy, my strength disappeared, and it took every ounce of energy I could muster to put one foot in front of the other so I could get home. I suspect it was a combination of dehydration -- I didn't take water with me -- and heat -- it's really hot here in Florida -- and pushing myself too hard. The fact that I feel a bit under the weather didn't help either, I'm sure.
My body spoke to me today. And it's got my attention.
Continue reading Take it easy when running from cancer
Posted Aug 24th 2007 7:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Books
She's the guru on breast cancer, the woman who writes the continually updated breast cancer bible. She's Dr. Susan Love, author of
Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, and in the May/June 2007 issue of
MAMM magazine, she shares some of her latest thoughts.
On milk ductsDr. Love says all breast cancer begins in the milk ducts. If we want to get rid of breast cancer, she says, we need to understand where it starts. Until recently, we weren't able to do that. Now, doctors can numb the nipple, thread a catheter into a milk duct and sample the fluid, cells, carcinogens, and hormones. By looking at the location where cancer develops, there's the potential to find out how it started and how to prevent it. In March, Dr. Love's
Research Foundation sponsored a conference on this topic.
On MRIDr. Love is not a big fan of MRI. It's overly sensitive and finds everything -- most of which is not cancer, she says. MRI leads women on wild goose chases so Dr. Love likes to reserve this test for women at high-risk.
Continue reading What Dr. Susan Love thinks
Posted Aug 20th 2007 7:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Exercise
Today, my oldest child begins first grade. I can't tell you how sad and happy this makes me. I'm sad because I realize my first baby boy is truly on his way to growing up. School has him now; I don't. I can't help but predict he will need me less and less as he takes on the world in his own independent way. This makes me happy too. I am eager to see how he fares on his own, how he develops, grows, and soars. And I must admit, I am pretty thrilled about having five mornings per week all to myself -- my youngest little boy begins school today too.
On Friday, we went to six-year-old Joey's elementary school for a meet-the-teacher event. Joey was right at home. He sat at his assigned desk, did a little drawing, and snuggled up in a pile of pillows in the reading corner. I felt right at home too, after reading a parent memo about public school physical education.
Fitness has become an everyday ritual for me. Along with eating right, it's my weapon for staying healthy and keeping cancer far away. I want this same ritual for my boys. It looks like Joey will get to embrace this way of life not only at home but while in the care of his teacher too.
Continue reading Back to school, back to physical education
Posted Aug 14th 2007 7:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Radiation
I hate it when I fit the mold for some not-so-great research finding. Like the recent news about how women with early-stage cancer of the left breast (that's me) who are treated with radiation following lumpectomy (me again) face an increased risk of developing radiation-related coronary damage.
OK, so the benefits of radiation therapy still outweigh the risks. Still, when radiation is applied to the breast on the same side as the heart, there are worries. I knew about these concerns. My radiation oncologist addressed them prior to my treatment. Hearing that an actual, important, convincing study confirms what I already knew
may be a side effect, though, makes my heart race a little bit more.
There were 961 women with stage I and II breast cancer who were followed in this study. Well, the arteries in their hearts were studied anyway. Some had left-sided breast cancer; the others had right-sided. Some 12 years after radiation, 46 of the 485 left-sided women and 36 of the right-sided group needed cardiac stress testing. Among those tested, 59 percent in the left-sided group had abnormalities. Only 8 percent in the right-sided group showed problems.
Continue reading Left-sided breast cancer radiation spikes heart risk
Posted Aug 12th 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Prevention, Diets, Exercise, Nutrition, Vitamins and nutrients, Smoking, Sunday Seven
There are countless methods we can use for optimizing our health. Each of us can surely rattle off a bunch right now. Give it a try. Quick. Name three actions you can take to improve your body, your mind, your soul. Good. Now remember what you picked -- and make each one happen.
In a recent newspaper article, one journalist listed 25 ways to live a healthy life. They're all super ideas. But I only have space today for seven. Here they are. Stop back in two weeks, and I'll give you another seven.
Keep your weight in check Make sure your weight is appropriate for your height, age, sex, and body frame. The
American Institute for Cancer Research reports that having an ideal body mass, eating properly, and exercising can reduce the risk of cancer by 30 to 40 percent.
Continue reading Sunday Seven: Seven ways to fine-tune your health
Posted Aug 1st 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Research, Daily news
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston say exercise helps combat breast cancer. Not the first time we've heard this fact. But these same researchers have something new to say -- about the reason physical activity lowers the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Jennifer Ligibel, MD, of Dana-Farber, reports that exercise lowers levels of the hormone insulin in the bloodstream. This is significant because there appears to be an association between relatively high levels of insulin, seen in obese and sedentary people, and an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer-related death.
"We know that women who are overweight at the time of breast cancer diagnosis have a higher risk of recurrence than lean women, but the reasons for this have not been clear," said Ligibel.
Continue reading Lower insulin levels cut breast cancer recurrence
Posted Jul 30th 2007 2:50PM by Patricia Mayville-Cox
Filed under: Skin Cancer, Research
Researchers from Rutgers University have recently reported that
the combination of exercise and caffeine in mice increased apoptosis, a cell's self-destruction, in precancerous cells that were damaged by the sun's ultraviolet-B radiation.
According to Dr. Allan H. Conney, there is a protective effect observed from either exercise or caffeine, but combined, this protection is even more than the sum of the two.
The mice who drank caffeine had a 95 percent increase in apoptosis of damaged cells and the mice who exercised showed a 120 percent increase. However, the mice that did both saw a 400 percent increase in cell death of damaged cells.
Conney expects that this will apply to humans and not just mice, but cautions that it must be tested first and people should continue to use sunscreen.
Posted Jul 29th 2007 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Politics, Exercise, Celebrity news, Cancer Survivors
It was all about the bike for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards this past Wednesday. Decked out in spandex bike shorts, he pedaled with champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong on the Register's Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). Riding at an easy pace of 10 to 12 mph from Hampton to Cedar Falls, Edwards chatted with riders about their pressing issues, including their concern for his wife Elizabeth who was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer this year.
About his bike trek, Edwards commented, "This is an accident waiting to happen."
Why did he take on the challenge? "Lance has become a friend," Edwards said. " Proud of what he's doing, particularly on the cancer issue. It's obviously very important to us personally. And I've heard about this race -- err, race -- this ride, ever since I'd been coming to Iowa so I wanted to see what it looked like."
Continue reading John Edwards, Lance Armstong bike across Iowa
Posted Jul 23rd 2007 6:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Thought for the Day
Cancer made me tired. It's a common side effect of the disease and its accompanying treatments, and it's been known to linger long after therapy stops. In order to combat my own drowsiness, I get plenty of sleep at night, I exercise just about every day -- physical activity, even when you feel too pooped to lift a finger, can increase energy levels -- and I try to eat only the healthiest foods, nothing that might make me feel sluggish. I'll take a stab at anything that might give me a boost. Maybe even lemonade, if I can find one low in sugar.
Research indicates that the taste of lemons can fight fatigue by stimulating a nerve in the nose, which then sets off "wake-up" sensors in the brain. So next time you need some extra pep in the morning or a lift during the afternoon, think about about sipping on some lemonade. And then let us know if it works.
Source:
Family Circle, July 2007
Posted Jul 15th 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: All Cancers, Environment, Diets, Exercise, Smoking, Sunday Seven
Who knows which pieces of cancer information floating around out there are actually true? I don't. Do cell phones cause cancer? Some say
yes, some say
no, I say
I'm confused! Luckily, I happened upon this
Discovery Health article that highlights a variety of myths and then offers the lowdown on each one. Here are seven of them:
Myth #1. There is currently a cure for cancer, but the medical industry won't tell the public about it because they make too much money treating cancer patients.Chalk this up to urban legend. And consider this: doctors, laboratory scientists, and their families and friends die of cancer at the same rate as everyone else in the United States. How about this: medical breakthroughs happen all the time and are quickly applied. Think about antibiotics and vaccines -- like the polio vaccine -- that have transformed health care. How about this? Not too long ago, less than one in 10 kids with leukemia survived 10 years. Now, the cure rate is nearly 80 percent. Seems like progress to me.
Continue reading Sunday Seven: Seven top cancer myths
Posted Jul 13th 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Prevention, Diets
I like to be in control sometimes -- not always, but sometimes. I don't ever wish to be the top boss in any work scenario. I prefer to have a job and do it well without the stress of managing a whole operation. But I do like to be in charge of my schedule, my kids, my thoughts and emotions, the way my life progresses. Cancer? I'd love to have direct supervision over this pesky subject. Sadly, I don't. So I do my best at controlling the factors that might increase my risk of cancer recurrence. I do it through exercise and diet.
Recently, I realized that controlling my diet is best done at home. I can buy the most nutritious foods at the grocery store, bring them home, prepare them in a healthy fashion, and concoct the perfect portion sizes. Take me out of this home element and I get a little scared.
The other night, my husband and I went to Red Lobster for dinner. We had a gift card and were eager for a night out. Before we escaped our crazy kid household, though, we went
online to investigate the nutritional values of Red Lobster dishes. We were shopping for the healthiest options, and we were quite shocked to learn there aren't so many. Now we knew the all-fried fish platters would top the charts in calories, fat, and such. But fresh fish and veggies? Also fairly high in these same categories. We surmised it's the butter and oil used to cook our normally healthy fares that compromised these items and while we weren't so happy about the situation, we still went and did the best we could.
Continue reading Controlling cancer, one bite at a time
Posted Jul 7th 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Diets, Stress Reduction, Exercise, Worthy Wisdom
In this
Worthy Wisdom series, I have been spouting off all sorts of grand ideas about health and healing, diet and nutrition, exercise and fitness. What I share all comes from
Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. I spent four days there. I plan to spend a lifetime practicing what their experts preach.
Canyon Ranch worked for me. I bought into every one of their healthy living approaches and for the two months since I've departed this desert destination, I've done just about everything right -- the eating, the exercising, the de-stressing. And as I sit here eating a bowl of red raspberries instead of a bag of chips and handfuls of M&Ms, I think it's only fair I make a confession.
I've made many attempts at changing my lifestyle. I've gone without sweets several times in my life, only to later reintroduce them into my daily routine and inevitably go way overboard on my consumption. The same goes for soda. There have been times when I've obsessed about exercise. And times when I've let it go altogether. My stress levels have been up and down and all around. I've searched long and hard for the motivation to change, to do better, be better, feel better. It took cancer to push me over the edge, toward positive and long-lasting change.
Continue reading Worthy Wisdom: A confession in health and healing
Posted Jun 25th 2007 9:17AM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: All Cancers, Environment, Diets, Cancer prevention foods, Smoking
Unless you've been touched by it, cancer can seem a world away. But it's not, and no matter your age, there are steps you should be taking to avoid getting cancer.
My Doc Hub has compiled
this list of thing you should be doing now to avoid getting cancer in the future. They are:
-Maintain a healthy weight
-Exercise regularly
-Don't smoke
-Eat healthy
-Cut your alcohol consumption
-Cover up in the sun
-Don't have unprotected sex
-Compile a medical and family history
-Talk to your doctor about risk factors and getting screened
If you're not doing these things right now, there's no time like the present.
Posted Jun 25th 2007 6:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Exercise, Thought for the Day
It's my boys who distract me most from exercise. That's just the way it is. They're kids. They have needs and wishes and demands that keep me busy from sun-up to sun-down. It's hard to find time for fitness. I don't go to a gym. I prefer to use my own treadmill, walk the seven hills in my neighborhood, run outdoors, and conduct my scrunching, pushing, lunging, squatting, and resisting in the privacy of my own home. I don't have a gym membership with free childcare offerings or a list of babysitters who will come to my rescue when I need to huff and puff. I have me, my kids, and the hours in the day, though. And I am trying desperately at fitting fitness in.
Today, after enduring what seemed like endless little-boy fighting and tormenting, I determined my guys needed a workout just as much as I did. I threw them in the car. I threw their scooters, a big wheel, and a football in the car too. We drove to a nearby community college track, unloaded ourselves and our gear, and got to work. I ran two miles. And six-year-old Joey and four-year-old Danny scooted, pedaled, walked, ran, climbed a pile of dirt, and threw their football until their faces were splotchy from the heat, their little bodies zapped with fatigue.
Our whole fitness feat took no more than one hour and ended as we guzzled water and poured our sweaty selves back into the car. Back home, I felt so much better about my day. And I was better equipped for the fighting that continued as soon as we walked in the door.
Continue reading Thought for the Day: Fitting in fitness
Posted Jun 23rd 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Worthy Wisdom
I couldn't help but leave
Canyon Ranch a few months back without a fresh take on healthy living. I'd spent four days healing myself from the inside out. I'd eaten the freshest and most nutritious foods, energized my muscles with twice-daily exercise, and invited therapists to fine-tune my chakras and balance my out-of-whack cancer body. I had my hair cut, my make-up done, my mind cleansed. I was massaged, scrubbed, pedicured, and pampered. I'd become relaxed, refreshed, recharged, revitalized. There's no way I could throw all that away.
Now back in Florida, I'm trying to live like I'm at Canyon Ranch's Tucson oasis. I've changed my diet, committed to exercise, and perhaps most important in the whole scheme of lifestyle change, I'm letting go.
I've identified three priorities in my life -- my family, my health, and my sanity. Any extraneous stuff, I'm tossing it. Commitments that take me away from my kids: no. Jobs that cause me stress: gone. Responsibilities I don't wish to tackle: I won't. A jam-packed calendar: never again. I tend to go with my gut. If something comes up and I feel a sick little feeling inside, I pass that something right up. I simply let it go.
Letting go makes me feel happier, healthier, more in charge of the joy in my life. It's good for my health, good for my soul. It's just plain good. And there's just no way I'm letting go of that.
Thanks
Canyon Ranch for the inspiration.
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