It really makes me feel so good when ladies message me and tell me that they went and had their mammogram because of my story…. If any goodness comes out of this situation, it is awareness…. My best friend never had a mammogram. She was called back for more pictures…. she wasn’t at all nervous, she told me… seriously, what are the odds we could both have breast cancer! Fortunately, she got the all clear…. I know a special lady who hadn’t had a mammogram for 7 years… and she told me yesterday she went because of me…. Since I’ve found out I have breast cancer… I think I’ve had at least 5 friends let me know they have had a dear friend or family member diagnosed…. My friend Sharon is on her way as we speak, to have her mammogram…. praying for the “All Clear”…. 🙂 My situation is one of those that is just odd… My cancer was not detectable on mammogram. So, ladies… it’s really important that you also do self breast exams to make sure there are no changes…. I epic(ly) failed at self breast exams….. and what I did feel was probably cancer, but wasn’t detectable on mammogram….. Fortunately our bodies give us signs… we need to pay attention to them!

Click on this diagram….. to see the symptoms to pay attention to! http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/WarningSigns.html

In my blog the other day… I want to clarify one point. I absolutely LOVE talking to breast cancer patients….. but some stories don’t have the happiest outcomes…. and those are the stories that I’m trying to keep myself sheltered from. Anyone knows someone newly diagnosed…. or someone that had breast cancer… I ENCOURAGE you to put me in contact with those people…. I’d love to talk to them. It feels good to encourage someone. I have a friend who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma… and she’s going through her first chemo and we chat daily…. and hopefully in some way being a couple chemo’s ahead… I can help in some way. That feels sooo good. Being a source of help, is amazing.

Also… I have mentioned a lot about how I’ve drastically changed my diet. When I was very newly diagnosed.. my husband and I of course did some research and we came across this one particular website… http://www.cancer-prevention.net/ and on that site… it said…. Cancer Strategy #3:  Acidic pH Levels Lead To Cancer… Normalizing pH Levels Can Stop Cancer In Its Tracks

So in that… I researched diet… and what it’s important to drink and not drink…. what’s important to eat and not eat… I found a couple of really helpful websites…. http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm and http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/Alkaline-Foods-Chart.htm – I thought I would share….

Cancer thrives in an acidic environment. And it cannot survive in an alkaline environment… I read somewhere and I can’t remember the resource… That NON cancer patients should eat a 60% alkaline and 40% acidic balanced diet…. and CANCER patients should eat a 80% alkaline and 20% acidic diet… I actually found a tracker on my Iphone aps… too, if you research alkaline diet….. That is so helpful so when you’re out and you don’t have the lists handy – you can quickly find out what the alkalinity of a food is….

I started eating this way and drinking Kangen water (alkaline water) right away when I found out I was diagnosed…. by the time I’d had my first treatment, I had already lost about 12 pounds…. I’ve lost quite a bit more since… but, it’s also from chemo…. It’s just a really healthy way to eat….

I stay away from…

Alcohol

I have one cup of coffee per day… (I can have a little acidic)

Red Meat & Pork

Gluten & Wheat

Sugar

Alcohol is really bad for not only acidity… but it causes estrogen to form in your body and so women with estrogen driven cancers should really stay away from alcohol. Does that mean I won’t indulge in a glass of wine every once in awhile… No. I will. I think you have to be balanced.

Sugar feeds cancer… it’s bad. I use a lot of stevia & agave nectar for sweetening my teas and baked goods…

I eat Ezekial bread.. it’s made from sprouted grains…. it’s really good toasted! I eat it every single day….

Coffee is highly acidic, but if you use Kangen water which is alkaline, it balances it out….

I’m a firm believer… that we are what we eat! And it can prevent not only the spread of cancer… but it can prevent new cancer from forming. We ALL have cancer cells in our bodies…. it’s a matter of whether they grow…I was the poster child of eating badly….. I was on the run, I ate out a lot… I ate a TON of sugar… Alcohol was my friend…. I was the poster child of Atkins for YEARS… red meat, bacon, processed foods…. artificial sweeteners… Diet soda….  it’s really no wonder…