JEANNIE'S CUSTOM MEDITATION CD'S

Friday, January 28, 2011

Non-Toxic Hair Color for Cancer Patients

Finding a Fabulous, Non-Toxic Hair Colorant

Non-Toxic Hair Color for Cancer Patients 
 A woman’s hair is her crowning glory, a sign of good health and beautyIt’s important for a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer to maintain her appearance – the reflection you see when you look in the mirror will send a signal to your brain, and when it recognizes that you are “looking good,” it reinforces the idea in your mind that you are going to recover and return to vibrant health. That’s why I consider taking care of my hair part of my healing protocol!

Whether you are newly diagnosed or in the early stages of remission, scary thoughts are bound to go through your mind. It’s important to realize that your mind has a profound effect on your healing and the body’s ability to prevent the recurrence of disease. Negative thoughts and anxiety release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline which suppress the immune system, lowering your ability to remain cancer-free. Stress can also cause your hair to fall out! In addition to using non-toxic products on your hair, please explore guided imagery and meditation designed to TURN OFF STRESS HORMONES and allow healing energy to flow through your body.


Within weeks of being diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma (a rare and very aggressive cancer), I went to see an extremely reputable naturopath. Intuitively, I knew there had to be a reason my body got cancer, and I wanted to get to the bottom of what that was. Dr. Mazza ordered several lab tests which revealed that my body had very high (literally off-the-charts) levels of certain chemicals commonly found in grooming and personal care products. The worst offenders were parabens, phthalates, and chemicals found in hair dyes.

Dr Mazza explained that there is only so much chemical contamination the body can tolerate before it leads to a toxic crisis. Many chemicals we are exposed to in our environment are endocrine disrupters, interfering with the production or activity of hormones in the human endocrine system. Unless the cause of the toxicity is discovered and removed, the crisis will eventually lead to organic disease such as breast and reproductive cancers. I needed to reduce the toxic burden in my body which meant that I needed to use non-toxic, self-care products!
Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I was going to the salon on a regular basis to get highlights. This picture was taken several years before my diagnosis. 

Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I was going to the salon on a regular basis to get highlights. In fact, my hair was more blonde than brown! I knew that I had to give up my highlights, and I was okay with that, but I wasn’t ready to stop coloring. So I went in search of the best non-toxic way to color and care for my hair. My hair is naturally curly, and it takes a lot of product to keep those curls looking good. When choosing hair color, I didn’t want a product with peroxide or ammonia because they damage the hair and make it frizzy. So here was the challenge: to find a non-toxic product that would have the ability to cover a little gray without using peroxide while providing a natural looking medium brown color.
Surya Henna Powder gave me gold, red and copper hues.
At first I tried Surya Henna Powder which is free of PPD, parabens, resorcinol, heavy metals, peroxide and ammonia. It left my hair shiny and in great condition, but even their "ash" brown had a lot of red in it. That's because gold, red and copper hues are characteristic of the henna plant. If red highlights compliment your skin tone, this would be a lovely choice for you.

Searching for a non-toxic, non-henna, ash brown hair color, I came across Palette by Nature. They make their hair dye from living plants using the latest scientific achievements in green chemistry. The result is a 100% naturally-derived plant based permanent hair colorant that is free of PPD, resorcinol, m-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, toluene, 2.5 diamine, azo-dyes, diazo-dyes, disperse dyes, ammonia and parabens - all synthetic chemicals which are known allergens and suspected carcinogens. It is the cleanest hair color on the market.
 
Palette by Nature does not damage the hair so I can grow my hair much longer than before.
Palette by Nature's 6N Light Natural Brown produced a medium-dark brown color without any red undertones. It changed my grays to golden highlights. In order to cover a minor amount of gray, however, I had to keep the product on my head longer than recommended (about double the processing time). The directions tell you to pile your hair under a cap and keep it warm with a hair dryer in order to open the hair shaft and allow the color to penetrate. That method doesn’t work well with super long hair as only the ends of the hair receive the heat, making the color absorb unevenly. Since my hair is so long, this only served to darken the ends and made the color uneven, but if I had short hair I would definitely use that method. Thus, increasing the processing time was the way I achieved a better result. Once I was finished, the color was permanent and did not fade. I also tried 5N Medium Natural Brown (a very dark brown shade) and 4N Dark Natural Brown (almost black) which offered more coverage for the grays, but were too dark for my complexion.

As the years go by, more grays appear in my crown and temples. I felt like I needed to use a product with a little peroxide in order to get the coverage I need in those particular areas. Naturtint makes a permanent hair colorant with no parabens, ammonia, resorcinol, silicones, paraffin, mineral oils, SLS or formaldehyde derivatives, but it does have a small amount of PPD’s. I purchased a box of 5N Light Chestnut Brown from my local health food store. One box was enough to cover the bangs, crown, and temples of my hair. The application was easy, the gray coverage superb, and the color rich. It was so nice that I decided to buy three boxes and color my now near-waist-length hair, wanting a uniform color throughout. In no time my hair began to feel dry and frizzy. The peroxide was too much for my delicate, curly locks. Frankly, my hair felt like straw – I ended up having to cut quite a bit off in order to reduce the damage it had done!

I returned to Palette by Nature and my hair just loved it! It was full of shine, bouncy curls and a nice dark brown color. But I still needed a product with peroxide to treat just the roots of my bangs, crown and temples. I decided to try another product that is fairly non-toxic but does contain a very small amount of PPD’s – it’s called Tints of Nature.

 According to the manufacturer, Tints of Nature is the only available line of permanent hair colors to use natural, certified organic ingredients wherever feasible. The highly effective formula also has a naturally derived base. It is paraben free and contains no harsh ammonia, resorcinol or nonoxynol, thus helping to ensure damage free results. It contains extra mild, low odor, pharmaceutical grade peroxide and the lowest possible percentage of PPD pigments. I chose Tints of Nature 4CH Rich Chocolate Brown which gave me a gorgeous brown color with golden highlights. But I will not use it all over my head – only to treat the stubborn grays! Once the grays have been treated once with a peroxide formula, Palette by Nature will continue to manage them while keeping my hair shiny and healthy-looking.

Administration Notes:


For shorter hair, one box of Palette by Nature will have ample coverage. For longer hair, you will need two boxes, and if you have thick, near-waist-length hair, you might just need three. Choose from the shades called natural if you want to avoid red tones. Yes, it is the most expensive of all of the non-toxic hair colorants, but it is also the only one that is absolutely free of all harmful chemicals, including PPD. I recommend having 3 large bath towels that are devoted to covering the surfaces around you when you use this product. Cover the floor you are standing on as well as all of the countertop. This hair color will stain! Once you have applied it and have your cap on, make sure to remove all stray color from your skin or it will stain your skin, too. Use plenty of conditioner to aid the rinsing out process in the shower, and take advantage of the bottle of stain remover included in the package to clean the shower floor. Once you are done, this color will last. It does not fade like all of the other hair colors do!

Update - I Love Madison Reed Hair Color!

My hair has turned grayer with age and now requires a hair color product that can cover gray well. I discovered Madison Reed hair color! Like Tints of Nature, it covers gray, but I found it to be more multi-dimensional in color and they offer a huge range of choices. 

                                            December 2020 - age 64 and 12 years free of disease!

As you can see in the picture above in the natural sunlight, Madison Reed creates a very natural shade of brown. The shade I use is called Siena Brown 6NAV. I color my roots as needed, but only color my entire hair every 4-6 months to keep it from becoming damaged. Madison Reed hair color lasts and remains pretty even as it fades a bit over time. 

If you must color your hair, choose the least toxic way to do it! Madison Reed has removed the most toxic ingredients in hair color while still providing you with a formula that covers gray and looks as multi-dimensional as a professional salon colorant. 

Please visit some of my other posts for more ideas on how to use the mind-body connection to fight cancer and explore clinically proven natural and integrative treatments that promote cancer cell death while increasing your quality of life and well-being.

A Note About Supplements for the Hair:



I lost 1/3 of my hair and had to cut it off just past my shoulders following my cancer surgery/hysterectomy.  I was feeling extremely fatigued, depressed and my hair was falling out in huge fist-fulls due to a sudden loss in hormones. After meeting with naturopath Dr. Monique Mazza, I began taking a small amount of bio-identical hormones. Just a tiny amount applied vaginally turned my world around. I felt happy and full of energy. My hair grew back! Other great supplements I take that also benefit my hair include Natural Factors Biosil,  Barlean's high lignin flax seed oil and Carlson's fish oil. This is the first time since I was in my 20's that my hair has grown this long!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Cancer Fighting Supplements

Supplements augment what we eat, but never replace the need for daily consumption of organic vegetables.

Note: Supplements are very expensive and should only be taken if you absolutely need them (as determined by your Naturopathic doctor). The foods that you put in your mouth must be your PRIMARY source of nutrition. You can heal with quality food alone. Supplements are just that - things to supplement your food intake because of a lack of nutritional value.


Making Decisions about Supplements 

There are many supplements on the market, and distinguishing which ones are best for you can be daunting. Fortunately, I found two different Naturopaths that helped me determine where to start. After analyzing the results of my lab tests, I based my supplementation on concrete medical data.

The first Naturopath I worked with was Dr.David Getoff who is skilled in performing the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test. I was diagnosed with ULMS in November 2008 and had my first appointment with Dr. Getoff one month later. One visit with Dr. Getoff allowed me to return home with a solid foundation of nutritional supplements that I knew were effective for my body. He requested blood tests to check certain nutrient levels in my body, including vitamin D.

The next month, shortly after my second surgery in January 2009, I had my first consultation with Dr. Monique Mazza who specializes in strengthening the immune system and detoxification. Dr. Mazza identified though lab tests that I was carrying excessive levels of parabens and phthalates in my body. Parabens are preservatives that are found in most commercial self-care products such as shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansing products and moisturizers, cosmetics, shower gels, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and even toothpaste. Phthalates are compounds used in plastics which increase flexibility and durability. Exposure comes from food packaging, heating foods in plastic, and, in my case, breathing in the fumes from a laminating machine! 


My Current Supplements (2011)


Digestive Support (Foundation of the Immune System)
Dr. Michael Murray's High Potency Multi Enzyme (helps you get the most out of your food - so important!)
Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS Probiotics (keeps digestive flora and fauna strong)
G.T.'s Kombucha (Strawberry Serenity - yum!)

Vitamin-Mineral Supplements
Synergy Whole Food Liquid Vitamin-Mineral 
Unique E by A.C. Grace
ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops
Liposomal C (in Liposomal Can-Help, anti-cancer supplement) by Healthy Items
New Chapter Bone Strength Whole Food Calcium
Carlson's Liquid Vitamin D-3

Overall Immune Strengtheners
CoQ10 (anti-oxidant; used by cells to produce energy)
Carlson's Fish Oil Liquid Omega-3 Lemon Flavor

Blood Strengthener and Detoxifiers
BarleyMax Wheat Grass Powder

Bone Strengthening
Ortho Molecular Strontium

Estrogen Metabolism (Anti-Cancer for estrogen positive tumors)
Integrative Therapeutics Lipotropic Complex (methylation support)
Nature's Way DIM Plus
Jarrow MK-7
Barlean's High Lignan Flax Seed Oil

Anti-Angiogenesis, Anti-Cancer
Liposomal Nano Curcumin from Healthy Items (stops cancer from connecting to blood vessels)
Source Naturals ECGC (amplifies the effect of curcumin)
Natural Factors Liquid Biosil (Silica)
Melatonin (before retiring)
Liposomal Can-Help by Healthy Items (delivers Vitamin C straight to the blood - must have if you are not doing IV Vit. C infusions)
Pancreatic Enzymes (they eat the protein coating off the outside of the cancer cells, making them vulnerable to attack) German-Zyme by Young Again is one brand.

Anti-Inflammatory
Avesta Boswellia
Jarrow Milk Thistle
Natural Astaxanthin (powerful anti-oxidant)

Anti-fungal, Anti-viral, Anti-bacterial
Extra-Virgin, Organic Coconut Oil (delicious on flourless, sprouted toast)

Homeopathic Detoxification
Professional Complementary Health Formula's Xenobiotics (a homeopathic line of liquid drops, each specifically designed to aid the body in metabolizing and excreting toxins - I systematically went through about a dozen that applied to me). If you can't get those, I hear that Professional Health Products Homeopathic Remedies carries a similar line.

The truth is, many of these supplements serve more than one purpose, so don't just go by the headings I have listed.

Check out Vitacost for great savings on supplements.


Saturday, January 8, 2011

Retreats for Natural Healing

My Experience at a Retreat for Natural Healing

OHI San Diego (Lemon Grove)
There are many fine treatment centers that offer programs featuring juicing and raw food preparation, detoxification and a spiritual connection. In the sunshine state we are blessed with the Optimum Health Institute located in Lemon Grove, CA. A short distance up the coast we also have the Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Center in Fallbrook, CA. The Optimum Health Institute offers one, two, and three week programs. Prices start at $1,000. per week, but scholarships are available if you apply in advance. The Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Centers offer 2-day, 5-day and 10-day programs. Prices are $550, $1200 and $2300, respectively. OHI has a center in Austin, Texas as well as the San Diego campus. Hallelujah Acres offers lifestyle centers throughout the country.


Because Optimum Health Institute had helped someone that I was acquainted with conquer stage III colon cancer, I chose to go there in July 2009. I paid for a private room for my first week then applied for a scholarship for the second week in which I shared a room with another guest. OHI features a three day juice fast to begin your detoxification and offers classes in cleansing your body, quieting your mind, and renewing your spirit.

Organic Gardens at OHI
We are introduced to the Wheat Grass Room where everyone comes to juice their own fresh wheat grass throughout the day. Gentle exercise is included in the form of walking/jogging and beginning yoga classes. During the first week we attend classes to discover how to eliminate toxins with wheatgrass, rejuvelac, juice fasting, raw organic food, colon cleansing, exercise, and massage. We learn how to optimize digestion in all organs (brain, mouth, throat, stomach, pancreas, liver, intestines, and colon) and how our body works to absorb healthy nutrients. Everyone discovers the best way to combine foods to optimize the way your body digests food and absorbs nutrients. Another class was how personal and household products can bring toxins into your life. We discover organic products that are better for us and our planet. Another class features useful tools such as juicers, dehydrators, and sprouting supplies that can help you at home.

The Mind-Body connection is addressed when we learn to practice Alpha meditation techniques to quiet the mind, manage stress, release tension, and control pain.  A class in emotional detoxification teaches us how to feel, process, and understand the important role your emotions play in creating and maintaining health and well-being. We discover the healing power of forgiveness. In mental detoxification we learn how beliefs, thoughts, and emotions can make you sick. We learn how to cancel, reframe, and replace negative thoughts with positive ones to facilitate the healing process and develop a mindfulness practice for maintaining a positive attitude – gratitude, affirmations, visualization, journaling, and living in the present.
Food Preparation
The second week at OHI introduces more hands-on cooking classes where we learn to prepare the raw foods we have been eating at the institute. We learn how to preserve enzymes during food preparation, make fermented foods, plan menus and start an organic garden. The third week covers dehydrated food preparation including "live" crackers, advanced breathing, and advanced Alpha meditation techniques for directing the mind to heal the body.

Many of the people I met at OHI had been there before. They make a yearly pilgrimage to rededicate their commitment to the lifestyle. The campus includes lovely garden areas to sit and relax in the sun, rest and read. I hope to go there again in the future. It's hard for me to do a complete juice fast at home, even for a day, but I was definitely able to accomplish it at OHI.

Juicing at H.A. Lifestyle Centers
Hallelujah Acres offers a ranch-like home setting where guests learn to prepare delicious, healthy foods and juices. Instruction is based on the idea that God has designed our bodies to eat this way for optimum health. You will learn tips on how to stock your kitchen and how to continue the program at home. Participants are encouraged to exercise in the great outdoors and spend personal quiet time in reflection and relaxation. Fellowship, support and devotions are also part of their program. The second week of the program is a repeat of the first with a different menu, so most people will be fine just attending one week.


Optimum Health Institute

Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Centers

.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Diet for Recovery

Vegan Recipes



This Diet is My Lifestyle

When my doctor called to say that the lab had found a rare cancer following my routine hysterectomy, I immediately began treating myself with the Hallelujah Acres Recovery Diet. I first learned about the healing diet about 15 years ago when I was suffering with Chronic Fatigue. At that time I cured myself by drinking BarleyMax and following the Hallelujah Acres Diet.

The Hallelujah Recovery Diet is a supercharged version of The Hallelujah Diet, increasing the number of servings of an optimally processed barley juice powder and the number of servings of fresh pressed vegetable juice (2/3 carrot and 1/3 greens).

Juicing is the most efficient way to nourish the body at cellular level. Consuming a vegetable or barley juice drink on an hourly basis will provide the body with powerful nutrition in an easy to assimilate form. These 12, hourly juices provide the body with a broad spectrum of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and trace elements often missing from our foods, that the body uses to rebuild the body’s self healing ability.

Note: The Hallelujah Diet is a vegan diet. I began my program with this exact diet. After a few years I added organic, pastured beef and chicken and eggs for protein/fat with no harm. I found that protein was essential for maintaining muscle in my body. I now believe that the most important aspect of the anti-cancer diet is avoiding foods that increase glucose levels, soliciting an insulin response. 

Breakfast

Before eating anything, take one serving of BarleyMax. You may take the powder dry, allowing it to dissolve in the mouth or by mixing it with a few ounces of purified water or fresh vegetable or fruit juice. I like to combine a heaping tablespoon of BarleyMax Mint in a large shaker of ice water. Begin the hourly juice regime:
  • Start with barley juice powder at 7:00 a.m.
  • Then a fresh pressed carrot juice at 8:00 a.m.
  • Have another barley juice powder at 9:00 a.m.
  • Alternate the two juices every other hour, skipping at lunch and dinner
Note: If you can, it is best to wait a while before eating solid food in the morning so that the body’s cleansing and eliminating efforts which are associated with overnight fasting continue for several hours after rising. This is also known as intermittent fasting. If and when you feel you need something with fiber at breakfast, have a piece of flourless, sprouted toast (Ezekiel 4:9, Oasis flourless, etc) with a teaspoon of coconut oil or raw, organic almond butter. 

Mid-Morning

Drink an 8 oz glass of fresh vegetable juice. Hallelujah Acres recommends two-thirds carrot and one-third greens. I personally like to juice a pitcher of carrots with a few stalks of dandelion greens or kale leaves, a pinch of ginger and a quarter of an organic apple.

 If you did not have any fiber food for breakfast, a green smoothie is an excellent way to take ground flax seed or B-Flax-D.  In a Vita-mix blender, combine 1 cup cold water, 1/3 frozen banana, 1 heaping teaspoon BarleyMax Berry flavor, and a fistful of organic parsley. The parsley added to this green shake tastes great and is a great diuretic that flushes out toxins from the body. (Don't try this in a regular blender - a Vita-mix is a powerful blender that can pulverize the stalks of parsley.)

For those who need to stabilize blood sugar, or keep hunger under control and support body weight, some celery sticks, broccoli, or cauliflower florets, etc., spread with raw, organic almond butter can be consumed.

Lunch

At least 20 minutes before lunch, have another serving of BarleyMax, as at breakfast.
If fruit has been consumed during the morning hours, have a vegetable salad. Too much fruit in a day is not advised, and though the sugar is natural, too much sugar can cause problems when you have cancer. (Fruits cleanse the body, while vegetables feed the body.) While it is preferable to keep the lunch meal raw, a little cooked food at noon is fine, especially if you want to maintain weight. A whole grain pita pocket filled with veggies is a good option.

Mid-Afternoon

Continue alternating BarleyMax and vegetable juices.

Dinner

At least 20 minutes before dinner, have another serving of BarleyMax. Then have a LARGE green salad of spinach and leaf lettuce (never head lettuce as it has very little nutritional value) along with a variety of vegetables, including some avocado or ground seeds or nuts.

After the salad comes the cooked food portion. This could be steamed veggies, baked sweet potato, whole grains, whole grain pasta with organic marinara sauce, squash (baked or steamed), or beans.

Evening

Continue sipping BarleyMax until bedtime.


It's okay to be flexible; just remember the basics:
  • Keep 85% of your menu as raw, plant-based foods with the addition of organic, pastured meat and eggs for protein
  • Ensure that no more than 15% of your daily intake is cooked or processed plant-based foods
  • Alternate BarleyMax and fresh pressed carrot-based vegetable juices throughout the entire day 
  • Foods to Include: Organic vegetables with the exception starchy vegetables such as regular potatoes and corn; Organic, pastured meat and eggs; Food4Life Ezekiel flourless sprouted breads and tortillas or Food4Life Gluten-Free Multiseed muffins; Fresh, organic, low-glycemic fruits such as berries, citrus fruits, melons, papaya, avocado, stone fruits and apples; Raw, organic nuts such as walnuts and almonds.

Foods to Avoid:  Sugar and sweeteners, goods made with flour, most grains, high glycemic fruits, dairy, soy, processed foods, caffeine, soda, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, roasted nuts.


If you are fighting cancer, in addition to aggressive juicing, the following supplements are a basic foundation to support the body’s self-healing:

  • Using a good probiotic supplement aggressively for 3 to 4 weeks by taking up to 24 billion CFUs three to four times daily to help in rebuilding a healthy balance of intestinal flora. Afterwards, many choose to continue a maintenance serving of 1 to 2 capsules daily.
  • Using a good digestive enzyme with each juice and 2 to 4 with each meal for the first 3 to 4 weeks to maximize the absorption of nutrients from foods so that the body receives the most nutrition available from these foods. 
  • The use of curcumin, the biologically active extract of the turmeric spice, can help supply the body with an abundance of free radical fighting nutrients. 
  • Iodine supplementation to support the thyroid and the immune system. 
  • When following a plant-based diet, it is important to insure that a good source of essential fats is available. Taking 1 to 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil or Carlson's Fish Oil will help meet the essential fat needs of the body. High Omega-3 oil aids in the metabolizing of hormones which can have a positive impact if your tumor is hormone positive.
  • It is also important to avoid a B12 deficiency by taking a sublingual B12 supplement (the active methylcobalamin form) if you don't eat beef.
  • As the body begins cleansing it is important that the toxins are eliminated timely and efficiently through optimal bowel function (2 to 3 well-formed stools daily). A good fiber supplement may be helpful in achieving optimal bowel function. 
  • Stress can have a detrimental impact on the body’s ability to heal; stress should be eliminated
  • Ample amounts of sunshine are important for optimal production of vitamin D. If adequate sunshine is not possible, a vitamin D3 supplement can help meet the body’s need for vitamin D. It is wise to have vitamin D levels tested prior to supplementation. My vitamin D level is usually between 80 - 100. 
Hallelujah Acres Recovery Diet

content footer