100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (47 page)

Perk #48: Cancer Helped Me See the World Through the Eyes of a Child

189

whose kidneys don’t work well. Your antiperspirant is a daily source of

aluminum exposure. Look at your antiperspirant label. It reads, “Ask a doc-

tor before use if you have kidney disease.” So we know that it gets into

your body and goes through your kidneys, but does it cause cancer?

A study done in 2005 by Dr. P. D. Darbre in the
Journal of Inorganic Chem-

istry
shows a very definite danger in the absorption of aluminum through

the skin in that the aluminum (specifically aluminum chloride and alu-

minum chlorhydrate) was noted to have
estrogen-like properties.
Alterations

in hormones, like estrogen, have been shown to play a major part in breast

cancer tumor proliferation as well as other hormone-sensitive cancers like

ovarian, cervical, uterine, and prostate. This study showed that the absorp-

tion of aluminum through the skin had a direct affect on estrogen receptors

and binders.

Dr. Darbre has been studying the effects on breast cancer from estrogenic

substances in the environment for over ten years. Dr. Darbre’s words are

strong: “Given the wide exposure of the human population to antiperspi-

rants, it will be important to establish dermal absorption in the local area

of the breast and whether long term low level absorption could play a role

in the increasing incidence of breast cancer.”

Since the publication of this study, researchers have been trying to estab-

lish a definitive connection between the two; however, it’s difficult to study

the use of antiperspirants in a culture like ours where everyone starts using

them as a young teen. Aluminum has been proven to have estrogen-like

properties and remains on the “still-being-studied” list. Aluminum defi-

nitely enters your bloodstream from skin application, is capable of altering

DNA, and has been shown to be a proven metalloestrogen, which is a metal

that has hormonal influence in the body. The American Cancer Society will

not state that the aluminum in underarm products is safe. They simply say,

“More studies need to be done.”

Then there are
fillers
in antiperspirants/deodorants; preservatives and

chemicals that allow the product to “go on dry” and “go on invisible” so

we can get dressed in five minutes in that little black dress and not have to

worry about “white pits.”

Some of these chemicals are harmless: sunflower oil, alcohol—but some

cause concern.

190

100 Perks of Having Cancer

Parabens, or PARAhydroxyBENzoates, are used as preservatives in many

cosmetics and personal-care products. The paraben family, ethyl-, methyl-,

propyl-, and butyl-, is mentioned in literature suggesting their links to all

types of cancers. While parabens are being phased out of the antiperspi-

rant/deodorant ingredient list of most manufacturers, it is still important

to look for them and avoid them whenever you can.

Since 1999 there have been a handful of studies looking at the relation-

ship between breast cancer and deodorants, but because they are conflicting

and the antiperspirant/deodorant products are con-

stantly changing, it’s hard to say with 100 percent cer-

Try a paraben-free,

tainty that there is or isn’t a relationship. The majority

aluminum-free deodorant/

of breast cancers are found in the upper outer part of

antiperspirant to see if this

the breast right by the underarm. That’s exactly where

is something that will fit

products are applied. Coincidence?

into your healthy lifestyle,

We want to smell nice and we don’t like to sweat,

but don’t sweat it if you

but it is important to be informed and choose the best

need the strong stuff once

product. Since natural products without aluminum or

in a blue moon.

parabens are widely available, why not use them? I’m

not waiting for some large research study to tell me

what I already believe. I use the natural salt crystal. The drawback is you

have to wet it and then roll it on your underarm to activate the crystal. I

have to use the blow dryer on my pits for several minutes before I get

dressed, but once it’s dry, it’s fine and works very well on odor (so I’m told).

One crystal lasts me over a year, so it definitely saves me money!

My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that if you know that something
might

affect your risk, even if there is not 100 percent concrete proof, and you can

avoid it painlessly, why not avoid it? I do think that we should avoid

parabens at all costs (something I do). Aluminum-based products should

be avoided as well. While there isn’t 100 percent proof that aluminum causes

cancer, the facts remain:

●
Aluminum is absorbed into your bloodstream and is metabolized by your

kidneys.

●
Aluminum is found in breast tissue.

Perk #48: Cancer Helped Me See the World Through the Eyes of a Child

191

●
Aluminum has been classified as a metalloestrogen, meaning it mimics

estrogen in the body.

●
Aluminum increases human breast cancer cells in the lab.

If you must use antiperspirants, choose the one without parabens and

choose the one with the lowest percentage of aluminum on the label. I use

the crystal most of the time, but if I am going out and dressed nicely, I will

use the antiperspirant containing a low level of aluminum. It is not worth

it for me to worry about wetness and have a crappy time constantly looking

at my pits and being self-conscious for just one night of aluminum exposure.

Because I don’t get out much, I think this plan is a safe one for me.

The thought on chemical exposure, especially paraben and aluminum

exposure, is that it’s the long-term, low-level use that may increase risk for

cancer. Think about making a change in your habit, as this is usually a prod-

uct that you use every day of your life. A small change here might make a

big difference on your health in the long run.

Perk #49

Cancer Motivated Me

to Eat Healthier

B
y mid-January, with chemo behind me, I was gearing up for the next

phase of my cancer treatments, a mastectomy. With this major surgery

looming just around the corner, I needed to get my immune system pumped

for another convalescence. It was time to make or break those healthy living

New Year’s resolutions.

Before getting cancer, I wasn’t really motivated to eat healthy. I ate

“healthy-ish” but indulged in junky foods and beverages whenever I felt like

it. Most people I know eat a healthy diet in order to control their weight,

but the truth is, I am just not prone to weight gain. Hey, don’t hate me

because I am thin! Once I was in cancer-fighting mode, however, I realized

that I would have to trade in my diet colas for green teas and my potato

chips for carrot sticks.

In keeping with my resolution, I set out on a trip to the supermarket to

stock up on nutritious foods. I was obviously not the only person starting

the new year with a promise to eat healthier. I couldn’t help but snicker at

my fellow shoppers pushing carts laden with fruits and veggies, while hun-

grily eyeing bins of marked-down Christmas goodies. I noticed one woman

greedily fondling a half-price gingerbread house, then throwing it back in

the bin and making a hasty retreat with her cart full of green beans and

broccoli. I felt quite proud of myself as I checked in my groceries: sweet

potatoes, zucchini, celery, quinoa (which I cannot even pronounce, let alone

cook!), and some lovely green kale. I did have one question, though: what

the heck is kale anyway and what am I supposed to do with it?

You are what you eat! For optimum health,

try to eat green leafy veggies every day.

I 192 J

Perk #49: Cancer Motivated Me to Eat Healthier

193

HEALTH TIP #49

Then There’s Kale (Pronounced “Kale”)

K
ale is definitely one of those vegetables that you look at and say, “Okay,

it’s green, so I know it’s good for me, but what the heck am I supposed

to do with it?”

Kale, being one of the leafy greens, has all the goodness you would expect

from such a beautiful veggie. Use it as you would spinach or turnip greens

by sautéing it in olive oil and garlic as a side dish,

or tear up some raw leaves and mix it with your

salad greens for a bit of healthy bitter. (Bitters aid

digestion by increasing digestive enzymes.) Throw a

handful into your favorite soup or stir-fry it. You can

even give your morning shake a healthy boost and

beautiful color by throwing in a handful of kale!

(Blanch it in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes first.)

Kale is best when eaten soon after harvest, so

this would be a great veggie to buy at a local farm-

ers market, when it’s in season.

With all of the health benefits of kale, it is little wonder

Curly or flat, kale has great

nutritional value.

that it is considered one of the new “super foods.” If kale

could talk, I am sure it would be boasting about its:

●
Anti-inflammatory properties:
Inflammation is the number-one cause