Keeping Healthy when Chemotherapy takes its toll.....

Having to go through Chemotherapy is double edged sword, on the one hand its going to fight the cancer but the other side is that its going to damage some of your healthly cells.....  One of the biggest problems is the tiredness that you can face, even walking from one room to another can be too much at times. 

There were two things that I relied upon to help my energy levels, one was juicing - I would have an apple and carrot juice daily.  I also took supplements, the majority of them from Neways who dedicate themselves to making superior products that are easily disgestable like Maximol, something you need when chemo is taking its toll. 

Details of these products can be found on http://www.healthplan.ineways.eu/

Juicing just once a day with a simple receipe of 3 apples and 2 carrots will help maintain order in the intestines, they are great detoxifiers. Carrot juice is a super nutrient, with lots of beta-carotene in a natural form that has been reported to go after cancer cells for quite a while now. Beta carotene is turned into vitamin A by the body. There is no risk of ovedose as with taking vitamin A pills. The body will make what it needs and no more. Manufactured products do not do the same job. Carrots are also high in minerals and when they are juiced all their nutrients are more accessible. 

Apples can also be a primary source of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is a great way to prevent cholesterol build-up, which is found in the lining of blood vessel walls. This reduces the chance of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber in apples provides bulk in the intestinal track. The water is then held and used to cleanse the intestinal track and moves food rapidly through the digestive system. Apple juice is a powerful cleanser and an important necessity for the health of your body. 

This juice combination is especially good for the liver, skin and is also taken as part of the Gerson Cancer plan.

The nutritional benefits of drinking a glass of fresh juice far outweigh that which you get by drinking packaged juice, so make the effort to go for fresh juice.  When should you drink juice? Ideally, the best time to drink a glass of juice would be a minimum of 20 minutes before a meal. Don’t gulp it down. Juices should be sipped slowly as the enzymes in our saliva digest the carbohydrates present in our juices.

Essential Liquid Nutrition

Visit http://healthplan.ineways.eu/ to see the most comprehensive range of Neways' toxin free, environmentally friendly products which are available to you on the internet at affordable prices.

I used Maximol throughout my chemo and never missed a treatment I also kept my blood counts up.  Maximol is a highly bio available liquid nutritional supplement, containing a unique blend of minerals, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins, all derived from natural sources, which are readily absorbed by your body.

An Important Change You Can Make....

What we eat and drink – Diet
What we eat and drink makes a very big difference to the way our bodies cope with the modern day stresses and strains. Food has totally changed in the last 50 years and with it the way our bodies deal with it, or not.

I have started this section with water, as I feel that this is often the simplest way we can support our bodies but is so often overlooked for more complex solutions.

Why should we drink water?
Most people have learned either at school, or since, that our bodies are made up of 70% water. Water is the liquid gold that our bodies crave to flush out all the debris that is not required like toxins and waste. Water helps with our digestion, cleans our internal system, reduces disease in our cells and prevents premature aging – approximately we can live without food for 3 weeks but only 3 days without water.

Dehydration
You can be dehydrated without even knowing you are – there are various signs and depending how dehydrated you are, you may not even notice them. Being thirsty is one of last signs our bodies give us to let us know it needs water. One of the main culprits is what we are drinking in place of water such as, tea – coffee – fizzy drinks – all these are diuretics and not only cause our bodies to lose water but lead us into a false feeling of not being thirsty. If we are drinking these instead of water, our thirst may be quenched but our bodies are not, it still needs the pure unalderated water.

There are a few signs of dehydration that I have noticed myself, such as cracked lips and dry hands. Before I started to drink water regularly I always carried with me lip salve and hand cream as I used both many times a day. It was not until I was regularly drinking water that I realised that I did not need either of these items anymore. I was shocked – I had been walking around subtly dehydrated for years and did not know it. Even now if I get busy and forget to drink I will notice my lips getting red and sore and my hands dry – this is my sign from my body that it needs pure water. You may have a different reaction, when you start to increase your water consumption take time to notice if there have been any changes, maybe less headaches and you notice you do not need those painkillers as much as you used to. It could be that you are sleeping better or that you can bend down to pick something up without your knees hurting.


Whatever it is, I would love to know if you have found a difference. Please email me and let me know on breastcancerplan@eircom.net


Just How Important is water?
In recent years there has been a lot of hype about water - how much we should drink, do we really need it, what if we are drinking other things, does this matter?


In my experience, water is ‘absolutely’ necessary to the mechanics of the human body. It cannot work without it and if we do not give it enough, it starts to break down – all the cell and organ functions within the body depend on water in order to function.


Water serves as a lubricant
Water forms the base for saliva
Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.
Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.
Water regulates our metabolism
Water feeds at the cellular level


It stands to reason that not only do we need water for the daily maintenance of our bodies, but not having enough will also have an effect on our immune system and therefore on the likely risk of disease. Drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water daily can reduce your risk of further disease and go a long way to help you recover from any existing disease. It is the most underrated solution to many of the body’s problems that we have today.


So Now, Which Water?
Never before have we had so much choice for such a simple product. Not so long ago we would have just asked for ‘water’ and been given a cup of good old plain water. Today there is an array of choices such as: Filtered, Bottled, Spring, Mineral, Still, Sparkling, Flavoured and the list goes on. I feel that the most important choice however is still just ‘water’ – as long as you are drinking the right amount for you (see below for a suggested calculation) that is what counts.


Even if you start small, say 500ml per day and gradually increase this, you are doing more than you did before. Also if you miss a day or two, don’t give up, just start again.
As a guide I have outlined the various types of water so you can decide based on your own circumstances:
- Types of Water
Filtered Water (Jug)
Filtered Water (Filtration System)
Bottled Water
Spring Water
Boiled Water

How much Water?
There is such a debate about this, but I have found that a good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide in half, this gives you the amount of ounces of water you need to drink every day. For example if you weigh 10st that’s 140lbs ÷ 2 = 70lbs. This calculation indicates that you should therefore be drinking 70oz of water a day which is about 8 glasses. If you are exercising or drinking alcohol you should increase this relative to the amount of exercise being taken or alcohol you are drinking. The same suggestion is made if you are in a hot climate or travelling by air.


However, as mentioned earlier the more you get to know your body the easier it will be for you to calculate the right amount for you. You have to watch for signs from your body, the above calculations are only there as a guide to get you started