Posted in Breast Cancer

My story is one of love, loss and transformation. It began four years ago with my husband's suicide.
I responded to his death the only way I knew how: I was stoic and resilient. After taking a couple of months off work, I went back to my executive role. I went back to competitive running. I saw a counsellor each Wednesday to "schedule" my grief, but otherwise soldiered on with life and thought I was coping really well.
Two and a half years later, in November 2018, I found a...

Vegan, paleo, keto, low carb, mediterranean, intermittent fasting..... 
There are so many buzz words when it comes to diet these days, and most people are left confused and frustrated, not knowing what to put into their bodies. Particulary when managing or preventing cancer, diet and nutrition are incredibly important. Unfortunately, "dietary trends" don't take into account the individual needs of a person, their health status, and physical and emotional coping abilit...

When someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, they undergo a biopsy during which 3 receptivity markers are tested: ER (oestrogen), PR (progesterone) and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor). Each of these can be positive or negative, suggesting whether cancer cells are receptive to these hormones. This defines the type of breast cancer present. Most common types of breast cancer are: ER/PR+ve HER2 -ve (70-80%) ER/PR-ve HER2 +ve (20%) Triple negative (meaning all the three above...

  Should patients with cancer exercise? Historically patients with cancer were advised to rest, however these days we know better! Physical activity and targeted exercise are beneficial for cancer prevention, recovery and survival, and should be a part of every cancer management program. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Americal College of Sports Medicine, and the specialist journal Oncology all have published multiple studies and review articles confirming...

  Meditation is no longer associated with highly spiritual people sitting cross legged under a tree. It is becoming increasingly popular even with us common folk, and is proving to be very effective for managing stress and anxiety. A cancer diagnosis is clearly one of the most stressful things that can happen, and clinical studies are showing that Meditation and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction are very useful and should not be taken for granted. It is easy, safe and free - ...

Intermittent fasting is the new buzz word in oncology care but which type is best? How do you do it? When? For how long? And what are the benefits? OK, let's start with a few definitions to set the scene... Caloric restriction (CR) is the daily reduction of dietary energy intake by approximately 30% without fasting periods. Intermittent fasting (IF) encompasses eating patterns in which individuals have extended time periods (e.g., 13-48h) with little or no energy intake, wi...