Acupuncture and Breast Cancer

The New York Times ran an article yesterday promoting the benefits of acupuncture as a means of relief for breast cancer patients. I'm always a little amused when these methods of healing with centuries and millennia of history are billed as "unconventional," but at least it's getting press. The full text is below; I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
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Treatments for breast cancer can lead to unpleasant side effects for most women, including hot flashes, sweating and lack of energy. Now, new research suggests relief can come from an unconventional therapy — acupuncture.

Research from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, presented this week at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s annual meeting in Boston, studied acupuncture use among 47 women who were receiving anti-estrogen treatments, including tamoxifen or anastrozole (Arimidex). The drugs are known to lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence, but they can trigger menopause-like symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. Half the women were given the antidepressant Effexor, which has been shown to reduce hot flashes in breast cancer patients. The other half received acupuncture therapy once or twice a week during the 12-week study.

The acupuncture worked just as well as the antidepressant Effexor to curb hot flashes. Women who received acupuncture also reported fewer side effects and more energy, and some reported an increased sex drive, compared to women who used Effexor, the study showed.

Dr. Eleanor M. Walker, director of breast radiation oncology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said that while she expected to see some benefits from acupuncture, the results were surprising.

“I was surprised by the duration of the effect,” Dr. Walker said. “I didn’t realize it would last so long or result in an increase in sex drive and energy. That was a surprise.”

Last year, a report in The Journal of Clinical Oncology suggested a benefit of acupuncture compared to a “sham” acupuncture treatment, but the results didn’t reach statistical significance.

Because the most recent study lasted only three months, it’s not clear how long the benefit of acupuncture lasts. The study authors said that more research is needed to find out if regular “booster” sessions after the initial treatment period will continue to relieve a woman’s symptoms.

Wiped Out

It's true, I've been a lousy poster as of late. My post-a-day goal when I started has dwindled to a post-a-week during September. It's not that I haven't been thinking about holistic health, or come up with things I've wanted to share. It's just that I've been absurdly exhausted lately. In bed at 8:30 on a Friday night kind of exhausted. In fact, in the last two weeks, I think I've been asleep before 10pm a record-breaking (for me) four times. I've canceled plans, postponed visits, delayed obligations. I'm not quite sure why I've been so beat, but I do know I had to just give into it and let it win. Maybe my body's been fending off these colds that have been going around, or maybe I've just had trouble adjusting to the change of seasons. Maybe it's work stress, or maybe it's frustration over a lot of little things. In the end, I suppose it's ok that I don't know why I'm so tired, just that I honor the exhaustion and give myself a free pass every once in a while.

That said, I'm an optimist, and there's something about today that makes me think I'm starting to turn the corner. I made myself a delicious raw vegan smoothie packed with all sorts of healthy things, like my magic enzyme powder and flax seeds and mango. I have acupuncture after work, and then my favorite yoga class a little while after that. I've recommitted to a booze-free lifestyle (for the time being), and am letting myself say no to things that seem more draining than restorative.

And now, back to work while my head is still clear. My to-do list is a bit daunting at the moment...

Yoga. Finally.

Yoga has been on my list of my three health things for over a month now. Tonight, I finally went. I had decided yesterday that tonight would be my night off. I would decline all invitations that came my way -- even if, gasp! they were work related -- treat myself to yoga class, and have a quiet evening in to do as I wish. No networking, no catching up on to-do lists, no doing things I should do. Just enjoy an evening nourishing myself.

All afternoon I looked forward to this. Then, at ten of five, I got hit with a whopper at work. Being me, I started spinning and planning and panicking, all in the name of solving it and making it perfect right now. Guess how effective that was. I came home, opened a (gluten free) beer, and called my wise mama for some insight/comfort. I know, I know. With all my liver chi stagnation, a beer was probably the last thing I needed. But sometimes, you just say forget it. Beer or no beer, though I was going to go splurge on a yoga class.

I bought an unlimited month. Not the best move for my credit card (it seems I can't quite focus on all three of my health things at the same time, can I), but a great move for my body and heart. It was a 101 class, back to basics, especially as I hadn't gone since May. Some poses felt so wonderful and familiar, some poses left me surprised that I could do them, and others left me able only to focus on the burning in my muscles. All of it left me feeling more peaceful and in tune with my body than I have been in a long, long time. Going to the gym in the morning is great, and I feel satisfied when I crank out time on the erg or lift weights, but it just doesn't compare to my yoga high.

My back and shoulders are already sore, but my posture is also naturally better than it was just this afternoon. I'm breathing easier. Much (not all) of my tension and panic from 5pm has dissipated. I don't know how the situation is going to be resolved, but I know I'll make something work, and I know I have family and friends around to support me along the way.

The added bonus to a yoga practice is that it makes it really easy for me to honor my body's wants and needs. Comfort food becomes something that nourishes me rather than some processed fatty, salty food. Tonight I had half of a perfectly ripe avocado, a serving of delicious quinoa pasta with organic sauce from Trader Joe's, and two tablespoons of flax seeds sprinkled on top. A far cry from the M&Ms and Tostitos I wanted to pick up on my way home from work.

(The opening photo, of Eagle Pose, was taken from here, and was my favorite pose of the night.)

Celiac Disease and Enzyme Deficiencies

One of my favorite people in the entire world, my friend Mo, is in med school right now. I would say she's pretty old school Western medicine, but she always listens with an open mind when I talk about my latest health and medical findings, regardless of whether it's from an Eastern or Western background; so long as the science is there, she's all for it. She's infinitely better at science than I am (I think I scraped out a B- in 9th grade bio; she's, um, in med school), and sometimes my attempt at scientific explanations fall a little (or a lot) short, which leaves me frustrated. Every once in a while, though, something I've read or experienced will come up a few days later in one of her classes, which causes us both to geek out a little bit. I'm also happy to report that Celiac Disease gets a semi-regular mention, so with any luck, future doctors will be even better equipped to help patients navigate that lifestyle.

Mo and I grabbed dinner towards the end of my elimination diet, and we talked a bit about what I'd uncovered about how my body processes food. Yesterday, I got a pretty awesome e-mail from her. Here's an excerpt:

As for the celiac tidbit, I learned that the disease affects primarily Caucasians, esp. Celtics and Swedes! So yeah, you know... you! AND that virtually all Celiac patients have a disaccharide deficiency, which is an enzyme that breaks down disaccharides into monosaccharides, and therefore often have an intolerance to lactose and sucrose. Which makes your elimination diet results you were telling me make TOTAL sense! It was sugar and milk right?? (I don't think I made that up... haha)

So there you go -- it turns out I might not be quite the medical mystery I thought I was. Man do I love when all the little pieces start to fit together.

Food Journal

I hate them. I've tried keeping them numerous times over the years, and every time, I make it one, maybe two days before I say forget it. Part of my problem, I think, is that I was trying to be too detailed in what I logged. Neurotic measurements, precise calorie counts, time records to the minute. For some people, that may be the right path to take; for me, it was too much.

It's time for me to take another stab at it though. This time, I'm just going to jot down the time and rough amount of what I ate. Portions aren't my big problem. An overwhelming love for sugar is. To that end, the point of this food journal will just be to bring a mindfulness and accountability back to what I'm eating. It's already helped me make better choices this morning -- I had 3/4c. organic plain yogurt with a tablespoon or so of sunflower seeds and a handful of raisins mixed in, instead of having puffed corn cereal with rice milk. Or, more to the point, instead of also having puffed corn cereal with rice milk.

Part of why I decided to start this today is that it's a baseball day -- hurrah! I'm going to the last businessperson's special of the season for the Phillies (which means I'm going to be tempted by gluten free beer and crab fries), and then the Sox are on ESPN (which means I'll be grabbing a stool at my favorite bar to watch the game). I don't expect to be a saint, but maybe a food journal will help me scale back the indulgences a little bit. Stay tuned.

Muscle Head

Yesterday I did something I don't think I'd ever done before.

I went to the gym before work.

Sure, there've been days that I've done some crunches and lunges in the morning, taken a walk. But I can't recall ever being at the gym at 7:30am, setting myself up at the free weights, and pumping out sets. The experience surprised me -- not only did I get up in time to go work out, but I was able to push myself enough so that I feel just the right level of sore this morning. It wasn't my longest workout, or my hardest workout, but it was a good workout.

Cardio isn't my thing. I like running around the city (can't wait to lace up my sneakers when my foot is healed), and I love riding my bike along the river or trails, but slogging away on the machines at the gym bores me. I'll do it when I go, but it's not what I look forward to. Lifting weights, however, is something I actually find fun. Free weights almost exclusively. As someone who likes structure and the ability to monitor progress, I've decided I need to get more deliberate in my lifting in order to stay motivated.

Which is why I want to start keeping workout logs. For now, I suppose I'll just mock something up in Excel, but if you have template you like, or any pointers on a good way to do this, I'd love to hear about it. I also found this workout from Women's Health. It looks like it hits all the major muscle groups, and is certainly an efficient way to get hrough your a.m. routine. I'll give it a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Thanks, Lovies.

Over the past few days, I've gotten so many wonderful comments on this little thing. Some were from friends (thanks DD, thanks Maggie), and one or two came from strangers or anonymous folks. These comments -- coupled with live-time encouragement from my spectacular friends and family -- have given me a much-needed boost. I feel like I've lost my holistic health mojo a little bit as of late, and all this positivity has, I hope, given me the push I needed.

My icky-tasting, nowhere-near-cheap enzyme-loaded powder came in the mail today, and I can't believe how excited I got about it. I hadn't reordered in time, so I haven't had it these last two weeks. This time I ordered a month and a half's supply. That's one point for health. And, lucky for me (in this case, at least), I tend to be all or nothing, which means the health crusade is back on.

Part of the fire in the beginning was the challenge to figure out the unknown. At my cousin's wedding this weekend, my mom and my friend/brother's girlfriend were talking about the creative process, and how projects can seem so exciting in the beginning -- just up until the point when you can see how it's going to end up. I think, in a way, that's how I felt about my health. This summer tipped me over the edge to finally solve my health problems. Crazy part is, now that I know what I need to do (no caffeine, strict sleep regimen, exercise, acupuncture, tons and tons of raw fruits and veggies, minimal booze, meditation, skip the sugar, get lots of sunlight, take my thyroid medication, keep the probiotics coming, and, by all means, stay on the enzyme-fueling powder), I feel, well, lazy about it.

Which, of course, makes me want to shake myself by the shoulders and yell, "What are you doing?!" For years I've just wanted someone to tell me what the heck I should do to feel healthy. Now I know. So why have I only been doing it about 70%? How do I get myself up to that 95%-100% range so I can wake up feeling spectacular and energized, with glowing skin and radiant energy? After all, who wouldn't want that?

So here's the game plan. First, give myself credit for what I am doing. (Um, hello zero caffeine, to name the biggie.) Second, get excited about the powders and pills and other tools I have to jump start my system; all I have to do is take them. Third, and the part I'm most excited about, go to the gorgeous gym at my alma mater/current place of employment. I joined last week, and can't wait to go lift weights again in an environment I know and am comfortable in. Plus, I can see the gym every time I walk out of my office -- no pretending it's not convenient. I think (hope) that with this redevotion, the pieces might start to fall back into place.

Another thing I'm working hard on is to be kinder to myself. I forget where I heard it, but you should never speak to yourself in a way you wouldn't speak to your best friend or your daughter. I would never berate my best friend for only succeeding 70%. But I would encourage her to keep pushing herself so she can feel her best. We'll give it a shot, right?