Understanding Breast Cancer and how to prevent it have been my primary focus and mission for two decades now. There are many good books on this subject, and as an author myself, I'm always interested in new information and different approaches to this subject. 

When I started reading Dr. Odell's latest book, "Breast Cancer - The Rest of the Story," I realized that this is probably the most comprehensive and almost exhaustive book ever written on the subject. My compliments to Dr. Odell on completion and publishing this incredibly essential and integral addition to the issue of breast cancer, prevention and treatment.

Naturally, I wanted to bring his knowledge and perspective to all of you who are interested in this subject. That is why I reached out to Dr. Odell via a mutual friend for an interview, and he graciously accepted.  

Please watch Part 1 of this interview HERE.

By popular demand, we have invited Carol Peterson, BS Pharmacy, to discuss women's hormones and how they change and affect your health. 

For the last 25 years, Carol has been working with Women's International Pharmacy, specializing in compounded bio-identical hormone therapies.

In this short interview, we managed to cover several essential topics, such as: 

• Is hormonal balance vital to your health? 

• HRT vs Bio-Identical Hormones, is there a difference?

• What type of testing choices are available? The advantages and shortcomings of each method.

• What kind of health conditions or symptoms would indicate a hormonal imbalance?

Don't miss this informative interview; it's filled with valuable information.

To watch this interview, please click HERE

Hormones are chemical messengers made by the body that control how cells and organs do their work. About 2 out of 3 breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive.

In our 2nd Part of a 3 Part Webinar Series of Fears vs. Facts about Breast Cancer, we explore the role of hormones and how they interact and the role they play in promotion or prevention of breast cancer.

Watch the 2nd of our 3-Part Webinar Series that will:

• Dispel any fears, 
• Empower you with facts, and
• Provide you with important ways to improve your health.

We hope you learn and enjoy! Click here to watch 

I’ll make a bold statement:  low functioning thyroid gland, or what is known as hypothyroid condition, usually precedes most breast conditions. By correcting this problem as early as your first symptoms develop, you will decrease your risk of developing breast cancer and improve your breast health. 

Women are more likely to develop thyroid disease than men. In fact, women are eight times more likely to suffer from a dysfunctional thyroid during their lifetime than men. Most thyroid dysfunctions start in the peri-menopausal and menopausal stages, when the endocrine system experiences many changes. Countless women will make the same complaint: "I'm gaining weight”; “I have no energy”, “I feel chilled all the time”. 

After seeing  a medical doctor, many women are assured that there is nothing wrong with their thyroid gland, because the blood test results were within a “normal” parameter. How could it be that the symptoms and complaints are irrelevant, while demanding attention, yet the blood results do not support the obvious? Could it be that the current tests are not complete or thorough? 

A common connection often overlooked is that proper thyroid function also depends on proper function of the adrenal glands. Adrenals become physically exhausted after prolonged stress or a prolonged illness. Therefore if adrenals are not functioning well,thyroid issues won’t get resolved either. 

Another contributing problem to an under-active thyroid is estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance decreases the function of the thyroid gland. Since the organs of the endocrine system are interdependent, the hypo-function of one organ will have a cascading effect on the rest of the system. Estrogen and progesterone imbalance, which frequently starts in peri-menopause, is often overlooked as a contributing factor to thyroid dysfunction. 

How can YOU be sure?

You can use different methods to check your thyroid and adrenal function, including blood, saliva and urine tests. Your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) may be in the ‘normal’ range and because of this you may not be getting proper treatment. Make sure, when  testing, to also check Free T-3,T-4 as well as Thyroid antibodies.  DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) and Cortisol levels are also important indicators of adrenal function. If you have high cortisol output and low DHEA you most likely have other hormonal issues as well. 

Seek the help and work with a healthcare practitioner who can test properly and is able to support you with a holistic approach. It is very important that you are treated as a whole rather than just a part that is dysfunctional.

Take charge of your health today, be proactive and help others to prevent breast cancer NOW!

In his best selling book ‘What your doctor may not tell you about breast cancer’, Dr. John R. Lee gets to the bottom of why women get breast cancer and how to prevent it.  According to Dr. Lee, one of the most important risk factors associated with breast cancer is Estrogen Dominance that seems to affect more and more women these days.

By taking a closer look at this we can see that not all estrogens are created equal; some are cancer protective while others are cancer-permissive. There are three main estrogens in your body: estrone, estradiol and estriol. The ratio in your body should be: Estriol 80%, Estradiol 10% and Estrone 10%. 

As long as they’re in that ratio, everything seems to be working fine. Estriol is a hormone of pregnancy and when women are pregnant, they are protected from breast cancer as well as many other diseases. Estradiol, on the other hand, is a cancer-permissive estrogen and too much of this particular estrogen definitely increases the risk for breast cancer. 

To oppose your estrogen there is another hormone called Progesterone. Estrogen and Progesterone are in a yin and yang relationship. Estrogen says ‘grow’, while progesterone says ‘stop growth’. Most women in the peri-menopausal and menopausal stages of their life appear to be progesterone deficient and thus become estrogen dominant. 

What can you do?  How do you know if you’re estrogen dominant or progesterone deficient? There is no need to guess, test it. 

Make sure that you get the proper hormonal testing done and check your estrogen levels but also check your progesterone levels as well. Your estrogen may even be in a low range but if there is no progesterone in your body, you are still estrogen dominant. There are several ways to check this; blood test (most common), saliva and urine. Saliva and urine tests maybe useful since you can take samples over a period of time and thus giving you additional information as to your hormonal fluctuation during your monthly cycle. Blood tests are somewhat static as they can only provide you with the information for the period of time when the test was done. Once you get tested you can start correcting your hormonal imbalance by regulating your estrogen metabolism or supplementing with progesterone if required. 

Take charge of your health today, be proactive and help others to prevent breast cancer NOW!