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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month here in North America and one of the first things that comes to so many women’s minds when they hear the words “breast cancer” is mammography screening.  I don’t know about you, but I personally find mammograms stressful, not to mention painful, but I grin and bear them and have come to accept the screening process as a necessary part of being proactive about my midlife health.

Women are typically advised to get routine mammogram screening after age 40 and, depending on who you listen to, that could be anywhere from every year to every 3 years.  The whole idea behind mammogram screening is to detect tumours early (before they can be felt) so the breast cancer can be treated more successfully, thereby reducing the risk of dying from the disease.

I started going for regular mammograms in my 40s and, as a breast cancer survivor, have continued to go for regular screening.  This has given me some peace of mind although I have to mention here that my tumour was not detected by a mammogram.  It was picked up during a physical exam given in conjunction with the mammogram and I am forever grateful to the clinician who found it and sent me for an ultrasound.  This precipitated a needle biopsy which led to a diagnosis of Stage I breast cancer which, I’m happy to say, was treated successfully.

Of course all medical interventions (in my case it was surgery and radiation) come with some risk and there is always a risk/benefit analysis required.  But did you know that this is also true for breast cancer screening?

I’ve always known that mammograms subject a woman’s breasts to radiation but believed that the exposure was minimal and the benefits of finding a tumour early far outweighed the risks.

But after 20 years of regular mammograms I started to wonder about the risks of so many years of radiation exposure, especially on top of the higher-dose radiation I received to treat my breast cancer.  So I started doing some research and came across this video series which does an excellent job of informing women about the risks and benefits of mammography screening.

I’m all about empowering women to make informed decisions about their health so I highly recommend watching the 14 videos in this series.  Each video is less than 10 minutes long making it easy to fit into your schedule.  I personally found the information presented to be quite eye-opening.

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/9-out-of-10-Women-misinformed-about-Mammograms/

It does get into some nitty gritty science which, as a science nerd I love, but realize not everyone is turned on by this stuff so here are a few key points from the series:

• • Despite the fact that over 600,000 women have participated in 10 randomized trials over the past 50 years, mammography continues to be one of the most contentious issues within the medical community.

• • As a result, there are conflicting guidelines for mammography screening among the organizations charged with coming up with these recommendations. The guidelines differ wildly with one organization recommending that routine mammograms start at the age of 40 while another recommends eliminating routine screening altogether.

• • Contrary to the American Cancer Society’s stand on mammography, a systematic review by the Cochrane Network (a highly respected bastion of evidence-based medicine) concluded that there did not appear to be any significant reduction in deaths from breast cancer as a result of mammography.

https://www.cochrane.org/CD001877/BREASTCA_screening-for-breast-cancer-with-mammography

• • This is because mammography picks up tiny tumours, some of which are harmless and would, given time, normally regress or disappear. It is estimated that 7-39% of women aged 40-70 years are walking around with tiny breast cancers but most of these cases will resolve on their own once the cancer outgrows its blood supply or the immune system takes care of it.  And some are simply not aggressive enough to pose a problem in the woman’s lifetime.

• • The fact that we can detect these cancers so early has led to the most significant harm associated with mammography, and that is over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatments.

• • For every woman saved by mammography, 2-10 women are over-diagnosed and subject to unnecessary risks (including death) due to treatment. It is estimated that radiotherapy of over-diagnosed women kills at least as many as those who are spared dying from breast cancer.

• • Radiation treatments to the chest increase the risk of dying from heart disease by more than 25% and increase the risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 80%. This is a big risk for a woman who may not need the treatment.

• • It is predicted that 2-8 women in 10,000 will develop breast cancer caused by the x-rays in mammograms. The risk varies depending on how often a woman is screened and at what age she starts screening.

• • Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is considered Stage 0 breast cancer and represents 20-25% of mammogram detected breast cancers. Although DCIS looks like invasive breast cancer, it is not, and most of these “cancers” never develop into invasive breast cancer.  However, once detected, doctors feel they have no choice but to treat them because they presume that these lesions are precursors of cancer.  But epidemiological studies suggest otherwise.

• • It’s also difficult for doctors to distinguish harmless cases from potentially life-threatening cancers so they (and patients) tend to err on the side of caution and treat the cancer. Apparently, the only way to avoid this over-diagnosis and over-treatment is to avoid breast screening altogether.

• • Although there has been a decrease in breast cancer mortality since the introduction of mammography screening, it appears that this is due to improved treatments, not because of increased screening.

• • Less than 1 in 10 women say they have been informed that mammography screening carries with it the possibility of over-diagnosis and over-treatment.

• • 92% of women surveyed either overestimated the mortality reduction from mammography or reported that they did not know.

It is these last two concerning statistics that have prompted me to share the information presented in this video series.  I agree with the author, women deserve to be informed about the risks and benefits of mammography so they can choose for themselves whether or not they undergo routine screening.

And an informed choice is an empowered choice!

Need help navigating all this information?  I’d be happy to help you make sense of it all.

I can also offer some dietary and lifestyle strategies that have been shown to reduce your chances of getting breast cancer in the first place.  I began implementing these strategies myself about 9 years ago after my breast cancer diagnosis and am very pleased to say that I have not had a recurrence.  The changes I’ve made have also contributed to my overall sense of well-being and have given me a new lease on life.

If you’d like to chat you can learn more about my free Jump-Start Session here.  I look forward to meeting you!

Have you ever wished you could take a month off just to focus on your health and well-being?

As midlife women, most of us have some kind of health issue we know we should address, but never get around to, because it doesn’t feel urgent enough right now.  Or, we’re simply so accustomed to putting our family’s needs first that our desire to improve our health keeps getting pushed to “someday”.

Well, I can tell you from experience that if you don’t make a conscious choice to put your health at the top of your list of priorities, your health will eventually put itself at the top of your list when you become ill.  You know what they say…

Unfortunately, it seems to be in our human nature to be more reactive than proactive so we tend to wait until a health crisis occurs before we take action.

Maybe it will be a stroke or heart attack or a life-threatening illness.  Whatever the health crisis, it’s a wake-up call.

I have been blessed with two health-related wake-up calls in my life, both of them cancer.  I use the word “blessed” because in both cases the cancer was discovered at an early stage and these events ultimately changed my life for the better.

Don’t get me wrong, I know getting a cancer diagnosis can be a tremendous shock to the system and the uncertainty of such a diagnosis was, for me, extremely unsettling to say the least.  But, to be honest, a shock is what I needed to start paying attention to what I was doing to my body.

Let me be clear here, I’m not saying that all illnesses are the result of neglecting one’s health.  There are many diseases and cancers, especially those in young children, whose causes are as yet unknown.

But regardless of how one becomes ill, there is no doubt in my mind that a conscientious approach to the healing process improves outcomes.

In my case, and in hindsight, I feel dietary and lifestyle habits were contributing factors in both of my cancers.  My first wake-up call came as thyroid cancer in my late twenties.  I had been under a lot of stress for several years, having left my full-time job to start a photography business, and was not taking very good care of myself.

Eventually, as a consequence of the cancer treatments, I had to close my business and let go of my entrepreneurial dream.  Needless to say I felt a great sense of loss; however, I also felt relieved that I was getting off the hamster wheel that my life had become.

I was being given the gift of time to focus on my healing and it was the beginning of a transformative health journey.  I began exploring a more holistic approach to healing and made meditation and healthy eating a priority.  And although I experienced ongoing challenges as a result of the surgery and radiation, I remained cancer free for over 20 years.

Then came my second wake-up call…..breast cancer.  I must confess that I had become somewhat complacent about my health by then and was also in the throes of menopause at the time of diagnosis so my anxiety levels were at an all-time high and my hormones were getting the better of me when it came to making healthy choices.  I was using alcohol almost daily to take the edge off after a stressful day at work, and I also had a serious sugar addiction.

How could I have let cancer invade my body again?

I’d like to say here that cancer has many moving parts and it would be simplistic of me to say that I caused my cancer.  But I had to acknowledge, once again, that I had let my health slip way down on my list of priorities.  The hormonal fluctuations of menopause may have played a role in my illness but I certainly wasn’t helping the situation by adding these unhealthy habits to the equation.

So I began anew to give my health the priority it deserved….and which it was clearly demanding!  I quit my stressful job to focus once again on healing and dove deeper into the health and wellness space, which was that much easier now that so much great information could be found online.

I devoured everything I could about midlife health and disease prevention and, 9 years later, I haven’t stopped!

I went back to school to become a health coach so I could share what I had learned and am once again pursuing my entrepreneurial dream.  And the lessons I have learned from the past have served me well, although sometimes it takes a few taps on the shoulder to remind me of those lessons.  If I ignore the taps on the shoulder I soon find myself in an energy crisis and survival mode.

For example, this spring I began to have more and more episodes of debilitating fatigue and brain fog which made it difficult to do anything productive and carry on with business as usual.

This prompted me to take an honest look at myself and I realized, once again, how all-consuming my business had become.

Since my business was a 100% online venture, I was spending way too much time on the computer. And because the pandemic meant I couldn’t go to the gym anymore it became very easy to let my physical activity slide, which in turn led to weight gain and a general sense of malaise.

So I decided to take, what I like to call, a “health sabbatical” to figure out what was going on, recharge my depleted batteries, and find some life balance again. This ended up being much longer than I anticipated (3 months!) but it was so worth it.

Since my tolerance for exercise had diminished considerably and I frequently became short of breath with any kind of exertion, I began by incorporating yoga into my daily routine as a gentle form of exercise.

Eventually I introduced some mild resistance training with free weights and was able to build up enough strength to tackle some projects in the garden which in turn improved my fitness level.

I began devoting more time to my spirituality through reading and mindfulness practices which really helped me nurture that ever-so-important mind/body/spirit connection.

I also put myself through a liver cleanse, which I’d never done before, and it was life-changing!

All of this required a significant commitment of time and energy, so having taken leave from my business made it that much easier to follow through on my intentions.  I immediately began to get my focus and energy back, I lost the weight I had gained during the pandemic, and it feels like I’ve hit the reset button when it comes to my health.

How about you?  Is there something about your health that you know needs your attention? 

I realize not everyone has the luxury of taking several weeks off work to be proactive about one’s health but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

It’s about taking small incremental steps that take into account your life situation and circumstances to build the confidence and motivation to keep going.

Are you ready to get proactive about your midlife health and give it the attention it deserves?  If so, let’s chat!

I know from personal experience that making positive, lasting change is SO much easier when you have someone to guide and support you on your journey.  I’d love to be that person for you!

You can learn more about my free Jump-Start Session here.

What is mindfulness anyway?  There are many definitions but, to me, it means being in the present moment.

Sounds simple enough right?  In fact, as children we were masters at it.  We easily got absorbed in what we were doing and were so content with the ‘now’ that we had no desire to think about anything else.

Unfortunately, as we get older, that care-free nature gets covered up with memories of the past and worries about the future.

In fact, as adults, we typically spend most of our time thinking about the past or future and very little time grounded in the present.

Most of us aren’t even aware that we’re doing it because it has become such an ingrained way of being that it feels normal.

We spend a lot of time doing things that will either numb the pain of the past or get us to some future point in time when things are better.

And although we do these things in the present moment, our attention is not on the present moment. It is either on the past or the future so we never actually experience all that the present moment has to offer – peace, calm, contentment and all the health benefits that result from this state of mind.

With stress being the number one cause of disease, it only makes sense to do everything we can to manage our stress.  And the research is clear, cultivating a mindfulness practice is a very effective way to do that.

Here are just a few of the many approaches to mindfulness:

• • Conscious breathing
  • Guided meditation
  • Focused attention
  • Sound meditation
  • Body awareness
  • Mindful movement

These and other mindfulness techniques are also effective in reducing hot flashes and many of the other symptoms of menopause and perimenopause such as irritability, depression, anxiety, poor concentration and sleeplessness.

I have experienced, firsthand, many of these benefits which is why I incorporate the practice of mindfulness into my coaching programs as an essential element of healing and transformation.

But it’s called a’ practice’ for a reason.  As with anything you want to get good at, the more you practice, the more skilled you will become and the greater the benefits you will experience.

Do you need help incorporating stress-reducing practices into your life?

Schedule Your Free Jump-Start Session

I have a confession to make.  On Sunday I slept for 14 hours, had ice cream for breakfast and spent all day in my pajamas.  Yep, even health coaches fall off track and have “bad” days.  Fortunately, my good days far outnumber the bad, but every now and then I’ll experience a sudden downturn in my energy and mood.  For me it’s usually due to a thyroid crash which often follows a period of stress or over-exertion.

Whatever the reason, how I respond to these off days makes all the difference.

In the past I’d usually react by throwing a pity party for myself which would devolve into some form of self-judgment or negative self-talk and a complete withdrawal from the people in my life.  This would often go on for days at a time.

Now, having come to understand the powerful influence my thoughts have over how I feel, I choose positive self-talk over self-judgment and self-compassion over self-blame.  I listen to my body with curiosity and make self-care a priority.  If this means resting and unplugging for a while, so be it.

I also try to focus on all the things I have to be grateful for and all the things that are going right in my life instead of all the things that aren’t.  And this will often inspire me to reach out to someone else who’s having a bad day and help them in some way, creating an upward momentum of positive energy rather than a downward spiral of despair.

By making these simple, although not always easy (they require practice), mindset shifts I begin to feel better and get back on track a lot sooner.  By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed that ice cream, without the guilt, which made it all the more satisfying.  Now of course I’m not suggesting you start your days with ice cream, far from it, but when you do succumb to your cravings, don’t beat yourself up.  Rather get curious about why you’re having the cravings in the first place.

In my case, my body was suffering an energy crisis and needed fuel ASAP, so I honoured that.  Sometimes, however, the craving has nothing to do with hunger.  It may very well be that your craving for sweetness is an attempt to fill an emotional void, hence the term “emotional eating”.  (And I admit, there may have been some of that going on for me as well when I ate that ice cream.)  We are looking for comfort, and sugary foods give us that.  But they don’t actually fill the void, they just take your attention away from it for a while.

What if there was another way to fill that void…..one that didn’t involve junk food, guilt and weight gain?

One of the tools I use in my coaching practice is a nourishment menu.  This is something I develop with my clients as an alternative to emotional eating.  And it’s different for each client.  What it does is provide them with an opportunity to think about the choice they are about to make…..eating their go-to comfort food or choosing something on their nourishment menu instead.

This brings awareness to the decision being made so that it is no longer a default behaviour pattern.  It becomes a conscious choice which they can get curious about.  And I find curiosity to be far more productive when it comes to habit change than self-judgment.  Beating ourselves up for making a certain choice only makes us feel worse whereas curiosity gets us closer to the truth which will set us free from our conditioned behaviour.

“The truth discovered is far more powerful than the truth told.”

I can’t remember where I heard this phrase but it really resonated with me and I’ve adopted it as one of the paradigms of my coaching practice.

Need help getting to the bottom of your cravings?

Schedule Your Free Jump-Start Session