THIS SERIES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY LaLunaLove.

Join us for this 5-Week Series to learn more about can be done to change the stats!

Week One  - Healthy Breasts Series: Prevention is the “Cure”

“In the next generation, the Canadian Cancer Society says almost one in two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer.One in two.”

CBC News Marketplace Broadcast March 5, 2006

Chasing the Cancer Answer

Two Action Steps for This First Week

1. Make some time (25minutes) to see CBC Wendy Mesley’s presentation “Chasing the Cancer Answer” (if you haven’t already seen it). It is well worth seeing – in the last month CBC has re-aired it 3 times!!! You can see it by going to the following link and then clicking on the right side column where it says: Watch the Stories: Chasing the Cancer Answer. 

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/cancer/index.html

2. If you are comfortable with doing a self-exam - do so - draw what you feel on paper and date it (note where in your cycle you are if you are still menstruating and know your breast/s will be easiest to examine right after your period).

If you are not comfortable with doing a self breast-exam, book in for a visit with your healthcare provider to have one. Ask her/him to refresh you on how to do a self breast-exam. Do it now.

“Studies show 70-80% of breast cancer may be avoidable.  Only 10-27% of women are born with abnormal breast cancer genes: That means 70-80% of women are born with normal genes and therefore 70-80% of breast cancer may be avoided.”

American Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation

 www.abcpf.com

“Love Your Planet. Love Your Body. Love Your Life.”

                                                                                              LaLunaLove

THIS SERIES IS BROUGHT TO BY LaLunaLove.

    We are including this session on early detection now as we want those of you (in the area) who may be interested in having Breast Thermography done to know about it ASAP as there will be a Breast Thermography clinic in Calgary at the Acadia Wellness Centre on May 12th and 13th. For more information and availability call:  (403)301-0123.

    Having healthy breasts for your lifetime isn’t solely about early detection but it is a piece of the whole puzzle for women’s health - improved detection methods often result in improved outcomes.    

    Every woman should know about Breast Thermography – thermography is an amazing tool for monitoring breast health as it can detect functional changes in breast tissue many years (8-10years!) before a structure (tumor) is present. Many of us experience breast pain monthly or have fibrocystic breasts – these are signs that our breast/s need some extra attention – thermography can educate us as to how much extra attention that may be and help us watch our level of health improve through the improved health of our breast/s. These next weeks we’ll be giving you specific tools and information to increase the health of your breast/s.

** One of LaLunaLove’s dreams is for Breast Thermography to be easily accessible to all. Locally we envision fundraising bringing a Thermography unit to town on a permanent basis. Until then we will raise funds to be able to host subsidized/free thermography clinics four times per year. **

 Three Action Steps for This Week:

1. Learn about Thermography - www.medthermonline.com

“Although at the moment there is no 100 % safe and reliable diagnostic method for detecting breast cancer, Dr. William C. Amalu of San Francisco claims that a blending of three different diagnostic approaches can come very close. By combining breast thermography (aka digital infrared imaging) with mammography and regular, thorough clinical examination by a well-trained clinician and self-exams, Amalu says 95% of breast cancers can be detected before they become invasive. Breast thermography is widely used in Europe and often detects tumors 8-10 years before any other  method. "

                                                                                                                                               www.breastofcanada.ca

Benefits of Thermography

Timeliness  Problems can be found before abnormalities are seen on mammograms.  Early detection provides the best outcomes.

Inclusive     Examines the whole chest, breast and armpit areas. Good for all breast types: young/dense, fibrocystic, pregnancy, women on HRT, breast implants.  Also can be used for men.

Precise       Locates exact problem area allowing for more precise focus with other medical diagnostic tests: ultrasound, mammogram, MRI.

No Risk      No harmful rays emitted so can be done as often as needed without risk.

No Pain      No squeezing, no pressure, no touching by equipment or technician.

     Yes, we need to make Breast Thermography available to all women. It is a safe, non-invasive tool that provides early detection of abnormal tissue changes and helps you to monitor your breast health.  It can help you see the health payoff of any lifestyle changes you make or natural treatments you do to encourage healthy breast function.  Seeing your healthier breasts in a follow-up scan is very rewarding --- very empowering to know you can positively affect your breast health!

At present in Canada many naturopathic clinics offer one-two day Breast Thermography clinics four times a year at the price of $250 per scan. As mentionned, the next clinic in Calgary is May 12 and 13th at the Acadia Wellness Centre.

  2. Start looking at what chemicals you’re exposed to/use in your home...

...toiletries and cleaning supplies are a good place to start. This week pick something you use on a daily basis and upgrade it to something that is healthy for you, your family and the environment. Health food stores (Nutters/Weeds and Seeds) are good bets to find healthier options. Our locally owned and operated Rocky Mountain Soap Company is amazing for toiletries - treat yourself!

   3. Last week

If you haven’t seen the incredible CBC broadcast report of Week 1, go back and watch even just 5 minutes of it. It is changing people’s lives daily and motivating them to make healthy changes they’ve been holding off on making.

Speaking of Week 1, for those of you who haven’t done a breast exam ask yourself why. It’s important to point out that it is a scary thing for many women – am I doing it right? what if I find something? … Many of us don’t think/feel about our breast/s in the same way we do the other parts of our body that we more easily touch/ nuture/connect with. To have healthy breast/s it will help to acknowledge how we feel about it/them. 

  Commit to learning how your breast/s feel and look.

• If doing a breast self-exam seems too overwhelming at the moment just start by feeling them – just as you would your foot or a hand or face … not searching for anything that’s right or wrong but just starting to get to know.

• If you’ve been wanting a refresher on breast self-exams, see excerpt from the breast of canada calendar found at the link www.breastofcanada.ca  
• This Series Will Continue Until Rachel Carson Day/Week

• You’ll have the opportunity to join us for Canmore’s  2006 Annual Walk/Run/Roll for Breast Cancer Prevention on May 27, 2006 - Rachel Carson Day (environmentalist and writer - author of "Silent Spring": book most influential in banning DDT in North America - she passed away on May 27 from breast cancer.) Details of the Event to follow.

“Love Your Planet. Love Your Body. Love Your Life.”                                          LaLunaLove

WEEK THREE: THIS SERIES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY LaLunaLove.

Week Three: Healthy Breasts Series - Creating Healthier Breasts

Some Breast Cancer Facts/Stats That We Will Positively Address This Week:

• One of the factors that promote tumor growth is poor microcirculation in the area where the tumor develops.
• There is a 21-fold greater chance of developing breast cancer in women who wear their bras more than 12 hours daily and a 113-fold increase in breast cancer incidence among women who wear their bras all the time.
• Four hours per week of exercise can result in a 37% reduction in risk for breast cancer.

     The above facts come the book The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to BREAST CANCER: A Practical Manual for Understanding, Prevention and Care. This is a very comprehensive, well-referenced book written by Sat Dharam Kaur, ND. Dr. Kaur is the Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario who has created the 12-Week Healthy Breast Series that many naturopathic doctors have been educated in as part of their training.

    LaLunaLove feels that every woman should have access to this book as well as Kaur's first book ( A Call to Women). As a start in this direction LaLunaLove will be ensuring that there are at least 6 copies in the local library by the end of the summer. Already, the Rocky Mountain Soap Company has stepped up to purchase several copies for the library! To order a book for yourself and/or your local library visit www.healthybreastprogram.on.ca or go to our local Cafe Books.

Three Action Steps for This Week:

    The three facts/stats at the beginning of this e-mail have a common underlying message: actions that support/promote circulation and lymphatic drainage increase breast health and those that restrict these natural processes do not. This is going to be our main focus this week -- educating you on some simple techniques and ideas that you can implement into your life on a regular basis to support circulation and lymphatics.

1. Improve the Circulation and Lymphatic Drainage in Your Breast/s

*Read this paragraph if you would like to understand more of the why behind this action step:

    The lymphatic system and circulatory system may be new concepts for some of you. Here's an analogy to help you understand why supporting these systems is important in having healthy breasts. Your breasts (like the rest of your body) are made up of microscopic units called cells. Imagine that your breasts are like a neighborhood and that each of the cells in your breast tissue is like a house. For each household to run smoothly groceries and perhaps maintenance supplies need to be brought in and the day-to-day garbage and waste must be regularly removed. What would it look (and smell!) like if the waste wasn't cleared out? Or if nothing was brought in to maintain the house or feed the household? Not great...(and your cells deserve great!)

    The system that brings each cell its "groceries"(oxygen, nutrients, immune cells, etc.) to keep it nourished and in good shape is the circulatory system and the system that is mainly responsible for taking away the day-to-day waste products and disposing of them properly is the lymphatic system. These two systems are key in keeping things healthy and running smoothly.

Five Easy Ways to Do So...

• Hydrotherapy - On a daily basis, it's simple to promote good circulation to your breast tissue. Contrast showers are excellent ways to improve the microcirculation, bringing nutrients and oxygen to the cells and removing waste more efficiently. A contrast shower is - in essence - the "at home" version of the enlivening hotspring/sauna-followed-by-a-dip-in-the-river routine that some of you may have partaken in at some point in your life. This is certainly an invigorating way to start your day! Basically all you do is take a shower following this sequence of water temperature changes: 1-3 minutes hot, 30 seconds cold. Repeat 3 times - always making sure to finish with the cold water. Some people need to slowly work up to the 3 cycles - if this is you start with one cycle. While showering, tap the area at the top of your sternum with your fingertips for a minute to give your thymus gland some stimulation (good for your immune system) and take another minute to do the following: "With your hands cupped around your breast/s, gently pull your breast away from your chest wall and move your breast/s in a circular or up and down movement. This allows breast generated lymph fluid to drain into the retromammary space and out through the external lymph tubules in the axilla." p.176 - The Complete Natural Guide to BREAST CANCER.
• Breast Massage - massage by an RMT (registered massage therapist) trained in breast massage is excellent in facilitating healthy lymph flow and thereby local waste removal. RMTs can also give us tips as to how to do our own breast massage. Women whose breasts feel sore and heavy experience great relief from breast massage. Note: In Bowen therapy there is a simple lymph move that is specifically for breast drainage - if you see a Bowen practioner ask her/him to show you this.
• To Bra or Not to Bra - truth is that for many of us this is not an option but what can you change? Choose a bra that is cotton, has no underwires and allows the breasts to move a little. Wear it less than 12 hours daily. Make sure it's comfortable.  Don't wear your bra to bed.  Breast Anatomy 101: There is a space between your breast tissue and your pec muscle underneath it called the retro mammary space. Ideally this space is not compressed and allows for the free movement of the breast over the muscle as well as the important natural lymphatic drainage of our breast/s that help keep our breast/s healthy and decongested. It follows then that because bras can restrict that natural movement and healthy drainage that their overuse/misuse is reflected in poor breast health outcomes.
• Exercise - increases blood and lymph circulation throughout the body - find something you enjoy and do it regularly!
• Castor Oil Packs - this is a relaxing treat for you and your breast/s! Soak a folded piece of flannel(uncolored or organic) or a towel with organic castor oil(health food store) and place directly over your breasts. Place some saran wrap/plastic bag on top of this to prevent the oil from getting all over and place a hot water bottle on top. Take this time to listen to your favorite music, read a book, or simply de-stress by breathing deeply. The length of time for the hot water bottle to be on depends on your breast health but in general half an hour is good. The castor oil without heat can be on as long as you like. "Castor oil's topical affects include: softening adhesions and scarred/fibrotic tissue, increasing our immune response by increasing the effectiveness of white blood cells and opening up lymphatic channels to increase lymphatic flow." www.ndclinic.com

2. Continue Clearing Out UnHealthy Cleaning Supplies/Toiletries

* For those of you who like making your own supplies, Dr. Kaur's book has a section on healthy, easy recipes for everything from Contact Lens Solution to Soap to Blush! *

a. Some of Our Favorite Cleaning Alternatives:

• Laundry - Ecosave Laundry Discs - very economical and environmental - 7 cents/load - won the Alive Gold Award for Best Cleaning Product, Seventh Generation Products
• Dishwashing Liquid - Seventh Generation Products
• Dishwasher Powder - Ecover
• Bathtub Cleaner - "Sprinkle a layer of baking soda around the tub. Use a sponge and water with some eco-friendly soap in it, and scrub the paste onto the tub. Let the paste sit for 15-20 minutes, and then scrub and rinse away. To get rid of that stubborn ring around the tub, use a cloth or sponge dipped in white vinegar, rubbed along the stain. There’s no need to rinse when you’re through!There are plenty of natural ways to clean mildew on your shower curtains and tiles, too. Tea tree oil, grapefruit seed essence and vinegar can all kill mould and mildew. Pick one that suits your budget and wipe away as needed. For sinks and countertops, use a sponge or cloth in hot, soapy water and baking soda." www.davidsuzuki.org

b. Self-Care Item Alternatives:

    * * Attached to this e-mail each of you will find your surprise gift from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company! **

• Toothpaste - Healthy Mouth by JASON
• Shampoo - check healthfood stores for the latest  - Aubrey Organics
•  Moisturizer - Body Butters (Rocky Mountain)
• Soap - Rocky Mountain Soap Company
• Suntan Lotion - Newco (Nutters)
• Mosquitoe Repellant - Catnip Essential Oil by Mountain Parameters (Nutters)

3. Decrease Your Exposure to Xenoestrogens(Estrogen Mimickers) & Potential Carcinogens

• You are doing this already by doing Action Step #2 above. Just wanted to acknowlegde that  our lists in Step #2 may only cover a small portion of what you use on a daily basis. Continue to read labels and make healthy choices with what you're exposed to and what you consume. Pick up the Cancer Smart Consumer Guide if you need a hand in this. LaLunaLove has ordered a copy of this booklet for the local library - it is a very thorough guide. You can find it reviewed at the following website http://leas.ca/CancerSmart-Consumer-Guide.htm.
• We will cover the topic of xenoestrogens and the role of hormonal health in breast health next week.

"Love your planet. Love your body. Love your life."

                                                                                                                                                LaLunaLove

WEEK FOUR: THIS SERIES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY LaLunaLove.

Week Four: Healthy Breasts Series – The Hormonal Connection

Understanding xenoestrogens and the role of hormonal health in breast health is the main focus for Week 4. For those of you who would like a basic intro/refresher on hormones to help you better understand this topic we will start with just that ...

HORMONES 101: A Basic Overview

• Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands(ovaries, adrenals, etc) in your body.
• Hormones are responsible for regulating many biological processes. They tell cells about how and when to grow, produce bodily substances, divide and then die.
• Hormones are created in precise amounts in response to your body’s needs.
• Hormones communicate their messages by binding to receptors in cells, like a lock and key.
• Hormone receptors are located throughout the body – breast tissue is one area that contains a high amount of receptors for female hormones especially estrogens. 
• The main class of hormones linked to breast cancer is the estrogens. Of the three forms of estrogen, estradiol(E2) and estrone(E1) are most linked with increased breast cancer risk.

Five Action Steps for This Week:

1. Understand "Xenoestrogens" and Decrease Your Exposure to Them

    By reading labels and clearing out unhealthy household and daily use items these last weeks you have already decreased your exposure - good work! Important Note: For those of you not sure where to dispose of the toxic products, Canmore is having a Toxic Roundup at the Recycling Center in the Industrial Area on June 3rd from 10am - 4pm. If you will be away then please bring your products to the walk on the 27th and LaLunaLove will happily bring them to the Toxic Roundup for you.

So, what are xenoestrogens and how do they specifically affect breast health?

• Xeno means "foreign" - need we say more. Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals found in our environment also known as estrogen imposters or hormonal disruptors.
• They are called imposters because they mimic the estrogen in our bodies. They attach to the receptors the body has solely for the purpose of receiving internally made estrogen and the body can't tell the difference and responds. When they attach they throw off the body’s careful hormonal balance and messaging system by sending messages that are not coming from what the body needs but just random messages that do not take into account maintaining health and balance in the body at all.
• An added negative aspect is that they persist in our bodies and in the environment because we have not adapted efficient ways to clear them. One net effect of the body not being able to clear the xenoestrogens is that we are chronically exposed to a higher level of estrogen stimulation than our bodies(and breasts more specifically) are used to. Not healthy.
• Breast tissue consists of hormone sensitive tissue – most of us know this, having observed changes the week before we menstruate or the changes during puberty or pregnancy.  Breast tissue has some of the highest concentration of estrogen receptors in the body and xenoestrogens bind here easily too throwing the hormonal balance off kilter in favour of unhealthy changes in breast tissue.
• Our internally made estrogen stimulates duct development in puberty and pregnancy, causing breast cells to multiply. If this process of estrogen stimulation was unmonitored as it pretty well is in the case of xenoestrogens it probably comes as no surprise that the excess/ unregulated estrogen stimulation could result in excess and perhaps unhealthy breast cell replication.
• Xenoestrogens are fat-soluble and because they are not easily cleared they end up accumulating in fat cells. Breast tissue has a high content of fat cells that serve to provide shape and to cushion the active breast tissue. The cellular accumulation of fat-soluble toxins and xenoestrogens in the breast tissue can initiate adverse chemical and physiological changes and make cells more vulnerable to abnormal changes - not what we want. Note: There are ways to clear them in the form of intensive sauna protocols, homeopathic drainage protocol, etc. but your body generally doesn’t clear them as it would your body-made hormones. Best approach is to do all we can to decrease the presence of these in our lives.

“Xenoestrogens affect the DNA in the cell in the same way as estrogen does. They may cause mutations in the genes that regulate cell division or cause abnormal cell growth – the effect is that the breast cell multiplies out of control. The dramatic rise in breast cancer rates over the last half-century is not so much due to female hormones but to environmental chemicals that mimic female hormones and our body’s inability to eliminate them.”

                                                                                                                                        A Call to Woman, Dr. Kaur, ND.

Some sources include: synthetic estrogens (birth control pill, HRT, fertility drugs, hormones in meats/dairy products), chemicals leached into food from microwaving in plastic containers or with saran wrap, organochlorine compounds, certain detergents, plastics, cleaning supplies, herbicides and pesticides.

Minimize your exposure to these above sources and …

• Avoid plastic cling wrap – use wax paper to wrap sandwiches.
• Reduce consumption of fatty foods packaged in plastic and heat-sealed containers – buy oils/fatty foods in glass.
• Before accepting the new plastic coating treatment for your children's teeth, ask your dentist whether it contains bisphenol A.
• Use a glass water bottle.

 * See Smart Plastics Guide attachment on this e-mail for an excellent consumer guide to safe and harmful plastics.*

For more information on this topic check out World Wildlife Fund Canada’s website. www.wwf.ca. There is an informative article called Reducing Your Risk: A Guide to Avoiding Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals.

2. Include Some of These Nutritional Tips for Healthy Hormones and Breast/s

a. Increase Your Veggies – eat rainbows! The more colors that are on your plate the larger your spectrum of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Increasing your veggies is common advice these days - good nutrition makes cells healthier and more resistant to unfavorable changes that could make the cells more susceptible to cancerous changes. On the veggie-healthy breast/s front, it is especially great to increase foods high in Indole-3 Carbinol(I3C) – broccoli, broccoli sprouts, kale, cabbage and good ol’ brussel sprouts (darn it all - mom was right again!). Indole-3-carbinol protects breast tissue from stimulation by excess estrogen and helps balance the ratio of good to bad estrogens in the body.

b. Go Organic – organic foods do not contain the xenoestrogens we’ve been talking about. Certain herbicides and pesticides on produce as well as hormones found in conventional meats have been implicated in breast cancer. Eating only organic saturated fats is key – red meat, milk, cream and cheese are high in saturated fats. Unless organic, these fats carry fat-soluble toxins that store in our fat tissues.

If going completely organic may not seem possible for you right now and is too big a step to take, don’t instead take no step at all – what can you do to move in this direction? Pick a couple foods to start – as mentioned above the saturated fats are good ones to buy organic.

Or, here is a short list adapted from Dr. Kaur’s book – these are 16 foods that contain a very high amount of pesticide residue and are best to buy organic or grow yourself:

Canadian grown (in decreasing order starting with the ones with highest pesticide residue): celery, carrots, apples, lettuce, sweet peppers, strawberries, blueberries.

Imported foods: all peppers, oranges, strawberries, spinach, grapes (and raisins), apples, tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers.

c. Decrease Chlorine Exposure  – Drink chlorine-free water. Chlorine in the water kills the good bacteria in the gut(weakens immunity), combines with organic matter in water to create cancer causing trihalomethanes and all in all is just not something we need to be ingesting. Chlorine’s sole job is to protect stagnant water on its way to us for consumption from contamination from bacteria - when it reaches you its job is done. Dr. Percival, ND puts it into perspective with this paraphrased analogy, “Drinking water with chlorine is like eating the plastic bag covering your loaf of bread – it protects when in transit but is not meant to be consumed!”

Besides, filtered water tastes way better. Britta at the very least to filter your water. Aquasmart (www.aquasmart.com) sells reasonably priced home water filter units that work out to be cheaper in the long run than Britta– they are offering these units at 10% off to you at this time. Aquasmart also sells easy-to-install filters for your showers – a simple way to decrease you and your family’s daily exposure to chlorine. If you get together with a few friends you get can great deals on these filters!

3. Learn What Tests are Available to Assess Your Hormonal Health and Breast Cancer Risk

    There are two simple, lesser-known tests available these days to give you information regarding your hormonal balance and to help assess your breast cancer risk as it relates to hormonal levels and ratios. Clearing up hormonal imbalance in general translates to a healthier, happier you – there are many natural ways to do this!

Rocky Mountain Analytical Lab is a company in Calgary who provides the following two tests to Naturopathic Doctors (kits available at Morning Dew – 678-7901) and Medical Doctors. For more information on these tests and information on hormone levels and testing go to www.rmalab.com.

·         The Female Saliva Hormone Panel gives an overview of where or if your hormones are out of balance allowing you to address any imbalance more precisely. Also, since there are common hormonal patterns that show up in women with breast cancer this is another test (thermography and EMR being some of the others) that can provide us with valuable information regarding our breast cancer risk.

·         The Estrogen Metabolite Ratio Test (EMR) is a simple urine sample that shows how the body breaks down hormones. The ratio of the “good” to the “bad” estrogen metabolites can be helpful in predicting breast cancer risk.

 LaLunaLove is pleased to let you know that we have two free tests

 (* $420.00 Total Value - $200 for the Female Panel and $220 for EMR *)

to add to the prizes to be raffled off at the Walk/Run/Roll on May 27^th in Canmore!

 4. One More Tool to Improve Lymphatic Drainage 

    Our main focus last week was on educating you on some simple techniques and ideas to implement into your life on a regular basis for the purpose of supporting your circulation and lymphatics. Keep working with making some of these into habits. The nutritional tips in Action Step #2 benefit you much more if you are supporting your circulatory system. Your circulatory system is the river which brings the healthy nutrition(goods) to all the cells in your body; supporting circulation keeps the goods on the river flowing nicely and getting to where they need to go!

Dry skin brushing is one technique that we thought we’d talk about on its own once you’ve got an idea of the other techniques. This is an easy way to stimulate the lymphatic system, which as you learned last week enhances the body’s natural detoxification processes. It can easily fit into a morning routine and very quickly becomes as second nature as brushing your teeth.

Instructions:  Have your brush hanging on the inside of your bathroom door for easy access. Right before showering or bathing, start with your feet and gently brush up towards your heart.  Brush from the extremities toward the center.  Brush gently in a circular motion around your abdomen and breast/s/ chest area. It only takes a minute or two!

* Good News: For those of you joining us for the Walk/Run/Roll on May 27^th, you will have the opportunity to win some breast-body-environment friendly baskets – the one from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company has a skin brush in it (as well as many other wonderful products) so you’ll be able to see what the brush looks like and know that you can pick one up (if you don’t win the basket) for only $7.99 at one of their store locations.*

5. Lastly, Some of You Have Asked Specifically: What About My Deodorant?

Some food for thought on this topic…

• The most common locations for breast tumors are the top areas close to the armpits.
• Paraben is a synthetic, antimicrobial agent used as a preservative agent in many cosmetics including most deodorants. Parabens are xenoestrogenic. In a laboratory study, “parabens were found in 18 out of 20 human breast tumors. The parabens were ester-bearing indicating that they came from skin absorption such as from underarm deodorant, cream, body spray.”  Alive Magazine September 2004
• Aside from parabens, deodorants contain several questionable ingredients that fall into many ‘probable carcinogen’ lists: these include BHT and talc.
• "for deodorant, I use straight up Aloe Vera gel (the fresh, refrigerated, unpreserved kind) and mix in a few drops of pure essential tea tree oil or lemon oil or juniper oil or lavender oil before I apply. For some reason, rotating the oils seems to work great." Amanda Fredrigo
• If you have really nasty B.O. and a healthier health store option isn’t cutting it for you, maybe it’s time to look at your B.O. for what it really is – your body telling you that things aren’t quite right inside. Maybe you’d benefit from some detoxification support or some health advice that involves addressing whatever the cause may be – there are many natural options for this!

WEEK FIVE: Healthy Breast Series - Nuturance and Changing the Bigger Picture

Welcome to the final week of this series and congratulations of any healthy changes you have made! We will be running this series every year from Earth Day till the Event on Rachel Carson Day. You can access the entire healthy breast series anytime at www.naturalhealthcanmore.com- just click on LaLunaLove.  During the year we will keep you up-to-date with our fundraising successes and let you know what healthy breast initiatives and resources we have brought to the valley to support you!

As you know LaLunaLove has created empowering stickers as well as temporary tattoos to serve as reminders and inspiration for the lifestyle changes and choices you are making/undertaking to make a difference for yourself, your family and future generations. In town they are currently available for sale at Nutters, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Total Recovery and Spirit of the Earth.

Some of You Have Expressed Interest in Being Part of Fund-raising …

Wonderful. Thank you!

A Couple Local Fundraising Ideas

• Some individuals are buying batches for their office or a particular event and using the tattoos and stickers as fundraising items for support of Healthy Breast & Environment Initiatives. We think this is a great idea as it’s a simple way to raise awareness and funds, and educate at the same time as on the back of each tattoo is the link to access the 5-Week Healthy Breast Series. Bulk orders of pink and green ribbon items are available through e-mailing LaLunaLove at lalunalove@canada.com.
• In Canmore, Nutters and Lavender Harvest are raising money for Breast Cancer Prevention through having draws ($1 per ballot) for some wonderful, healthy baskets. The draws will take place at the walk tomorrow. Rocky Mountain Soap Company has a beautiful basket for tomorrow as well that all participants will have an opportunity to win.
• Get creative and have fun with any fund-raising you do!

Three Action Steps For This Week:

1. Be Gentle and Loving to Yourself!

The last 4 weeks we have given you some practical tools and information to bring you closer to having healthy breasts for your lifetime. Lifestyle changes take some time to become regular habits so go at your own pace and be gentle with yourself.

Breasts symbolize nuturance – you watch a mama and her babe and see this nuturance in action. Beautiful. Breasts remind us to care for ourselves with the tenderness, love and compassion of a mom for her babe. Easier for women it seems to save all that for everyone else but not so great for anyone in the long run….

Where to Start…

·         This next week reflect on/incorporate something for yourself on a regular basis that reflects this nuturance. A massage, asking for help, saying “no”, baths, girls night-out, whatever makes your heart sing.

·         If you are not living your dream or don’t feel like you are on your path do something this week to bring yourself towards it. You deserve it! The clearer we become on our dreams and path the easier it is to say “no” (and yes!) when it we need to.

·         Stress exerts a huge influence on our immune system and endocrine system – two systems integral in creating health in your body. Living a life true to ourselves and knowing what is and is not important is a huge, important step in transforming the daily stress in our lives.

2.  Support the Bigger Picture

You’ve probably gathered from Wendy Mesley’s eye-opening CBC broadcast of Week #1 and from Week #4’s talk of xenoestrogens and chemicals that are used every day in industry that the “Cure” for Cancer is more than a local endeavor and that the sort of changes that Rachel Carson was able to create are what needs to be up for us as well if we are going to make our desired huge impact on cancer reduction statistics for ourselves, our future generations and the animals we share this planet with. We need to make time for this on a political, local as well as national level.

Local Action

LaLunaLove’s passion and focus lies in prevention --- in decreasing the statistics of women acquiring breast cancer. To change these kind of statistics we know we must address and do everything we can to change the fact that our Valley, our drinking water, our air, our bodies are being exposed on a daily basis to known and probable carcinogens and xenoestrogens.

One positive step that many communities across Canada are taking is creating Pesticide-free communities and LaLunaLove and several other organizations in town are ready to make this happen for the Bow Valley. We cannot do it alone but can easily do it with your support! At this Saturday’s Walk/Run/Roll there will be a petition to sign to start the ball rolling in this direction – for those of you unable to come to the walk we will let you know how to sign onto it in the next weeks.

Nationally

Due to the persistent nature of carcinogens and xenoestrogens and the fact that they are so still so prevalent in industry nation-wide it’s key to do some work at the national level. Fortunately, there are campaigns already in action that we can support – the attachment on this e-mail called The Declaration is by a group in Ottawa called www.preventcancernow.ca. All you need to do is e-mail them at info@preventcancernow.caand give them your name and contact info and say “Yes! I am on board with this Declaration.” Simple but powerful.

3. Show up at the Event on Saturday(tomorrow!) – people of all ages are walking, running and rolling at Rachel Carson Events across Canada and in the States tomorrow. If you do not live in the Bow Valley and don’t have an event near you still make some time tomorrow to reflect on what you are doing and can do to love your planet and body and life more (and organize an event for next year!). Dream big – Rachel Carson did.

Lastly from Margaret…

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
                                                                                                                                     - Margaret Mead

"Love your planet. Love your body. Love your life."

                                                                                                   LaLunaLove