We received a very positive response to our first issue of The Healthy Beast Program Ezine! We extend many thanks for your enthusiasm and support in spreading the news about breast health. Each month we'll continue to examine one module of the Healthy Breast Foundations Program. This month we'll be working through the Module Two: Getting to Know Your Breasts. We invite your participation, stories, recipes, community events and feedback! Please continue to share what you learn, pass the newsletter along, and encourage women everywhere to join a global initiative in breast health and cancer prevention.
Sincerely,
Sat Dharam Kaur ND, creator of the Healthy Breast Program and
Julie Groulx RMT, Healthy Breast Program co-ordinator |
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Breast Accomplishments
Welcome to Our Healthy Breast Practitioner Program Graduates
These radiant women completed the Healthy Breast Practitioner Program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in January.
From left to right, (back): Stefanie Shaun ND, Ellie Fuke ND, Nadia Roney ND, Sat Dharam Kaur ND, Melissa Howe ND, Caroline Bearss ND, (front) Jeffron Savoye RHN, Patrice ND, Arla Kristina ND, and Mandy Seifi ND. Congratulations all!
We look forward to working with you!
Do You See the Sign on the Overpass?
 Kudos to Karan Kaur (Patricia Aboud) in Guelph for coming up with this idea to advertise her upcoming Healthy Breast Foundations Program. If you know anyone in Guelph who would like to participate in a program beginning March 4, contact [email protected]
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What are Your Choices for Breast Cancer Screening?
by Sat Dharam Kaur ND
Now that the myth that "mammographic screening prevents breast cancer deaths" has been debunked, what are our choices for breast cancer screening? 
If you didn't see it, the results of the Canadian National Breast Cancer Screening Study were published in the British Medical Journal on Feb 10, 2014. This important study of almost 90,000 women ages 40-59 from across Canada revealed that the number of women who died from breast cancer was the same whether women received screening mammograms annually for 5 years or had annual physical breast exams alone. During the five-year screening period, 666 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed in the women who were screened using mammography, while 524 were found in those receiving physical breast exams. Both groups received the usual medical treatment for breast cancer. Out of all of these women, 180 in the screening mammogram group and 171 of the women in the physical exam group died of breast cancer during the 25 year follow-up period. The conclusion - early detection through mammography did not reduce deaths due to breast cancer. So what are we to do? Follow the guidelines in the Healthy Breast Program to stay well and use the recommendations below to monitor breast health.
Dr. Kaur's Guidelines for Screening
1. Women over 20 years of age should practice monthly breast self-exams
2. All women over 20 years of age and especially women with a family history of breast cancer should have an annual clinical breast exam
3. If you are over 20 and under 50, have an annual screening thermogram. Use mammogram, ultrasound, MRI and/or biopsy to explore any irregular thermogram results
4. If you: a) have a strong family history of breast cancer; b) have been on the birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy for over 5 years; c) or have other increased risk factors - have an annual thermogram, ultrasound, MRI and clinical breast exam. Use mammography when necessary to confirm a diagnosis or if there is a lump.
5. If you are over 50, have an annual thermogram, clinical breast exam and use mammography, ultrasound, MRI and biopsy as needed if you discover a lump
Click here for more guidelines for breast cancer screening
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Say No to Parabens!
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and as food additives. They mimic the hormone estrogen, and are linked to breast cancer, thyroid dysfunction, allergy and obesity. We all have been exposed to these chemicals, and they do collect in our breast tissue and can initiate cancer.
Types of Parabens
(Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben)
Action: Hormone disruptor, mimicking estrogen and linked to breast cancer.
Source: used as a preservative in cosmetics, shampoo, and toothpaste (read labels).
Alternatives: Cosmetic companies that do not use parabens include Aubrey, Weleda, AnneMarie Borlind Natural Beauty, Logona, Organic Essentials Skincare, Sigrid Natural Skin Care, and Sant� Kosmetics.
Help us revolutionize the cosmetic industry by writing the cosmetic companies whose products you use, and asking them to remove phthalates, parabens and other harmful chemicals from their products. The companies to write to include Dr. Hauschka, Revlon, Dove, Cover Girl, Jason's, Nature's Gate, Kiss-My-Face, Desert Essence, Avalon.
Find more information about your cosmetic companies here
Join the petition against Revlon here.
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Our February Breast Health Challenge
1) Integrate self-care into your daily life
2) Read the labels on your cosmetics, and replace products that have parabens, phthalates, sodium laurel sulphate or dyes, with chemical free products
3) Refer to EWG to learn what harmful substances are in your cosmetics as well which products are rated safe for human consumption (through your skin)
4) Donate or discard improperly fitting bras, and avoid underwire bras. Tell us about your favourite bras on the facebook group
5) Identify your needs around mothering, intimacy and self-care. Is there an unresolved emotional conflict with a partner, parent or child?
Let us know about the healthy cosmetics you use on our Facebook Group.
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Caring for Your Breasts
by Julie Groulx
Make breast self-care a priority this month by following these guidelines:
- Implement a regular exercise regimen such as walking, yoga, going to the gym, etc.
- Reduce the amount of hours that you wear a bra per day
- Reduce or eliminate clothing that restricts the natural movement of your breasts.
- Reduce coffee intake and increase your consumption of water.
- Breathe fully and deeply for at least 5 minutes once a day.
- Adopt a hydrotherapy regimen to help tone your skin and detoxify your body that consists of dry skin brushing and contrast showers
- Get to know your breasts, with breast self-massage every 1-2 weeks
- Implement a breast self-exam routine at least once a month
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Self-Breast Massage 101
by Julie Groulx
Breast massage is a therapeutic combination of Swedish massage and lymphatic drainage aimed to promote the circulation and drainage of your breast tissue. It can be applied either by yourself or a qualified therapist to treat musculoskeletal dysfunction, reduce scar tissue adhesions, reduce edema, improve drainage and removal of toxins in your body, decrease pain and maintain the overall health of your breast tissue.
Before we start, please review these precautions. Learn the 13 benefits of self-breast massage.
And now let's start the massage!
Estimated time: 5-10 minutes
What you will need: Olive, pomegranate or healthy breast oil A small towel to wipe excess oil
How to do it:
- Massage your upper shoulders and neck to relax the muscles of your shoulders.
- With fingers together and a flat palm, move the skin of your neck back and down towards your collarbone. (5x)
- Crossing your arms, gently press into the space behind your collarbones with your index and middle fingers and release. (5x)
- *repeat up to 5 times
The neck has a very high concentration of lymph nodes. These techniques create negative pressure in the vessels, increasing the flow of your lymphatic system.
- With fingers together and a flat palm, gently pump your armpit by pressing into the tissue and releasing. (5 pumps repeat 3x on each side)
- Using the flat surface of 4 fingers, softly make small 3 semi-circles in an upward direction on the side of your ribs and repeat moving upwards from the base of the breast to the armpit.(1-3 x)
- Warm a small amount of oil in the palm of your hands. Gently massage from your breastbone moving towards the nipple with flat fingers. For women with larger breasts, I recommend supporting the outer part of your breast with the opposite hand.
- Gently massage from underneath your breast towards the nipple with long strokes or semicircles.
- Massage with light pressure from the side of your breasts towards your armpit.
- Gently pull the breast away from the chest wall while cupping it in your hand. Move the breast up and down and from side to side to release any restrictions in the tissue. This allows lymphatic fluid to drain.
Self-breast massage can soften scar tissue and improve local drainage of the lymphatic system. My clients have reported a reduction in pain, a decrease in fear, an improved sense of connection with their bodies and an increase of their general sense of wellbeing when they receive breast massage on a regular basis.
Practice breast self-massage with us using this video as a guide:
 | | Breast Self-Massage with Julie & Whitnee |
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Make Your Own Breast Massage Oil!
Essential Oils that are Good for Breasts
1. Palmarosa, Lavender (contain perillyl alcohol which protects against breast, ovarian and prostate cancer)
2. Lemon, sweet orange, celery (contain limonene)
3. Rosemary, juniper (assist liver detoxification)
4. Frankincense (improves immune system and blood circulation)
5. Eucalyptis (causes cell death in breast cancer cells)
6. Thyme (causes death to breast cancer cells.)
Herbal Oils
Calendula, phytolacca, red clover, dandelion, castor oil (Palma Christi),
Carrier Oil
Olive oil, pomegranate seed oil (from botanicoil.com)
Use 10 drops of Essential Oil per one ounce (30 ml) of herbal oil or carrier oil, or 3-5 drops of essential oil in 1 tsp of base oil.
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Upcoming Healthy Breast Training Programs
The Healthy Breast Program is now composed of three different streams: the Healthy Breast Foundations Program, the Healthy Breast Yoga Program and the Healthy Breast Practitioner's Program.
We have several Healthy Breast Programs coming up soon. If you have already attended one of these program, you may attend the same program again at half price.
The Healthy Breast Foundations Program, with Julie Groulx, China, April 23-27 2014, November 12-16 2014
The Healthy Breast Foundations 12 week Online Program, June 6- August 29 2014, September 5- November 21 2014
The Healthy Breast 12 Week Foundations Program (with yoga class), with Julie Groulx, Toronto, Lotus Yoga Centre, www.lotusyogacentre.com, contact Julie for more information.
I am so, so, so excited to partner with Dr. Gabor Mat� in teaching the program in May. For those of you who may not know him, he is a brilliant doctor and writer, author of "When the Body Says No" and several other wonderful books. Please come to the whole May course (Foundations + Yoga) if you can, or to his workshop May 30, 31.
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Our Annual Fundraisers!
We've come up with two annual fundraisers that every Healthy Breast Educator can initiate annually in their own community to generate funds for local and/or global programs. Let's do them at the same time each year to make a bigger collective impact!
Bangara for Breasts, Friday May 30, 6 - 9pm, Toronto
Join us for a scrumptious vegetarian Indian dinner followed by a lesson in Bangara dancing! Bangara is a joyous Punjabi dance style that will have you shaking all over. Bring your partners and friends. All proceeds will go towards funding Healthy Breast Programs and creating a charitable organization.
Tickets: $80/person or $60 each if you buy 2 or more.
Experience yoga to stimulate your immune system, improve your lymphatic system, and increase awareness of breast health. Support the Mammalive Foundation for Women's Health and Education with your class donation.
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Recipe of the Month
Cholay Curry
Yields 4-6 servings
2 cups Chana daal (black garbanzo beans)
2 onions, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped or grated
2 tomatoes, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 green chili, chopped
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
� tsp black pepper
� tsp cinnamon, powdered
4 cloves, powdered
Wash chana daal and soak overnight. Cook chana daal in the same water until soft, either on the stove, in a slow cooker or using a pressure cooker. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add onions, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Add the spices and stir for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the cooked beans and water to the mixture in the pot and stir. Add sweet potato and tomato and cook until the sweet potato is tender, stirring often. Cook until most of the water evaporates and a thick gravy is formed. Add lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Black garbanzo beans are high in protein, low in fat, and have a very low glycemic index, the lowest of all legumes. This meal is great for a cool fall or winter main course.
Sat Dharam Kaur ND |
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About Us
The MammAlive Foundation was founded in 2012 by Sat Dharam Kaur and Julie Groulx to support a vision of women empowering women through breast health education.
The causes of cancer are multi-factorial and there are preventative strategies that are available today. Empowering women to take a proactive approach in preventing or reversing the disease is essential. This can be achieved by forming a global network of healthcare practitioners, yoga teachers and advocates who are passionate about women's health. We can spread our message of hope, wellness and accountability towards global change for one another, our daughters and Mother Earth. We invite you to work with us. You may forward this ezine to friends, students and patients by clicking below.
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Breast Story
| Loving Our Shadows
by Julie Groulx
We sat together and drew our breasts on large pieces of white paper, a collection of spirals, forms and lines. Women added sparkles and dark marks of black, browns and reds. I was delighted to see them at play; connecting to one another and also to the stories of their own bodies. 
At the end of the exercise, a woman spoke up and wanted to share. She held up her breast story, two mountains one green and one brown. A river flowed between them. She recalled a time that her breasts felt fertile like the mossy earth, the blue sky, like birds in flight. Her eyes sparkled when she recounted stories of youth and motherhood. She pointed to the darker side of her drawing. Now the river has dried up, she said. The earth is dry and cracked, like our Mother Earth. Standing strong, she smiled and tears welled up in my eyes.
Our personal stories and the story of all women are etched in our bodies. Within each of us is a story waiting to be expressed. It's my belief that sharing these stories heals us, the planet and one another.
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Focus on Research
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How to Decrease Breast Density
Increased breast density, as detected through mammography, is a strong known risk factor for breast cancer. Breast tissue is composed of fat, epithelial and stromal tissue. Fat is radiolucent and appears dark on a mammogram, while epithelium and stroma are radiodense and appear light. When more epithelial and stromal tissue is present, breast density is greater.
The risk of breast cancer is four to five times greater in women who have increased density in more than 75% of their breast tissue, than in women with little or no density in the breast.
One third of all breast cancers are found in women who have increased breast density in over 50% of their breast tissue.[iii]
See more ...
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Spotlight on
Sheryl Crow and
Self-Care
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 In 2006, Sheryl Crow was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. We were impressed with the self-care practices she uses to stay well. Here are some of Sheryl's healthy habits, shared during a 2009 interview in Health Magazine. Sheryl: 1. has omega 3 oil daily 2. eats walnuts, almonds, veggies, prunes 3. drinks pomegranate juice 4. eats tomato soup 5. has a high fiber diet 6. meditates for 20 minutes each morning 7. exercises regularly 8. believes that the best is yet to come 9. embraces aging 10. she's fluid ... "When you let go of the story you tell, a lot of times it creates a whole world of expansion for other things to come in" See more ... |
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Are You a Healthy Breast Educator? Please tell us how you have been sharing The Healthy Breast Program.
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For those of you who have taken the Healthy Breast Foundations Program and/or the Healthy Breast Yoga Program, submitted your exam and would like to teach the program, you must fill out an annual MammAlive Association membership renewal form, with your membership fee. available here
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Communicate Your News!
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Healthy Breast Programs
will be offered with:
Ruthanne Soutter, Sarnia, ON, starting Feb 18
[email protected]
Karan Kaur, Guelph, ON,
Mar 4- May 6
[email protected]
Sat Ardas, Montreal QC,
Mar 16 - June 8 [email protected]
Sandra Briand, Halifax NS,
starting Mar 15 [email protected]
If you have a recipe, research, personal Breast Story, or Community News to go into our newsletter about your upcoming Healthy Breast Program classes or fundraising events, please send us an email and photo and we'll try to include it in our next issue.
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Sponsor Us!
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We invite you or your employer to sponsor one of our Healthy Breast Programs. We would like to be able to offer programs free to women newly diagnosed, or to women identified as having dense breasts, and in hospitals worldwide. If you would like to sponsor a program, please contact Julie.
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MammAlive Association Monthly Meetings
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In order for us to stay connected and develop and promote the Healthy Breast Program, the MammAlive Board of Directors and general members meet monthly "virtually".
The monthly meetings will be held Tuesday evenings from 8:00-9:00pm EDT (Toronto time) on the following dates in 2014:
Mar 25
Apr 8
May 6
june 10
July 8
Aug 12
Sept 9
Sept 30
Oct 14
Nov 11
Dec 9
If you are a Healthy Breast Educator or Yoga Instructor, you are required to attend 4 annual virtual meetings or listen to their recordings
The dates for the four annual mandatory meetings in 2014 are Tuesdays 7:00-8:30pm EDT (Toronto time) on the following dates in 2014:
Mar 25
June 10
Sep 9
Dec 9
You must be a member of the MammAlive Association to attend any of these meetings. Fill out the online membership form here and click "Submit " at the end.
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Volunteer Positions
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 Are you passionate about breast health and have time and enthusiasm? We have several volunteer positions available. Let us know if you are: 1. A culinary artist who can enter recipes on the MammAlive website and help compile a cookbook to be used as a fundraiser. 2. A researcher and writer who can put together a monthly research article for this ezine (we'll give you the themes) and add new research to the MammAlive website. 3. An environmental activist who can create a monthly online petition that we can collectively sign and share to make the world a friendlier place for breasts. (We'll tell you what to focus on) 4. A volunteer co-ordinator to communicate with volunteers. 5. A fundraiser co-ordinator who can help with programming our fundraising events. 6. A computer geek who can help create online forms and research questionnaires. 7. A lawyer who can help us create a charitable organization. 8. A graphic designer who can help design newsletters and promotional material or create a new layout for the manual. 9. A marketer who can help us create databases and strategies to promote the program. Other ways you can support us: 1. Share our Ezine with your contact list. 2. Promote some of our events. 3. Submit your breast stories, meaning mandalas and breast drawings for our blog. 4. Hold a fundraiser for The Mammalive Foundation. 4. Review a research article, and more. If you are interested in a Volunteer Position, please send an email and summary of your relevant experience to Julie. |
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