Holistic therapy / lifestyle changes

Hi Tiggymusic 

Interesting thread! Looking forward to hearing from others. 
I had ear acupuncture at the Maggie’s centre at Addenbrookes way back in early 2020 (just before lockdown). It was aimed at helping to reduce hot flushes for a group of us who were on hormone therapy (Anastrozole in my case). It definitely helped and I also felt I slept better. It was a course of 6 weekly sessions. I am still in touch with 2 of the women I met in the group (I call us the hormonally deranged friends). 
Other than that, I’ve mainly done lifestyle stuff - diet, exercise and overnight fasting for 13 hours. Walking became my sanity saver during my 3 weeks of radiotherapy, I made myself walk each afternoon, often in the dark as it was January. I’d read that gentle exercise helped with fatigue. Then when I developed lympheodema in the radiated breast, the nurse recommended Nordic walking. I did a course, joined a group and am still doing it 6 and a half years later! Apparently the arm action when done correctly (so I’d recommend doing a course) gets the lymph moving. Definitely helped me, the nurse was very pleased at a follow up appointment.

As well as Nordic walking, I do an exercise class for people who’ve had cancer, and also joined a small gym for weight bearing exercise. And I still love any walking. 

Diet wise, I’ve been to a couple of sessions at Future Dreams House in Kings Cross. Fab place, they do online stuff as well as in person. Luckily I’m only an hour away by train. Particularly useful was a dietitian led session for hormone receptive breast cancer. I’d already started fasting for 13 hours overnight as I’d read a study where the people that did this (by chance, not as a practice as such), had a statistically significant lower rate of recurrence than those that had a shorter gap between last food/ drink in the evening and the first in the morning. The dietitian recommended a minimum of 12 hours, with 13/14 being ideal. I think it may have a connection with inflammation? But I don’t really know. She also of course had lots of dietary recommendations. 

I’m very interested in medicinal mushrooms. Mushroom supplements are used in many countries alongside conventional treatments and apparently can enhance effectiveness and help reduce side effects. But I’m not a medic or a scientist! I’m going to look into it more as I’ve just finished 7 years of Anastrozole. I’ve been wary of taking anything that might interfere with its effectiveness. Im still very wary so will seek guidance ! 
Sorry for the long ramble - I blame the hormone therapy for my inability to be concise!! Love and hugs, HFxx

Hi Happyfeet,

About the 12/13 hour fasting. Could you please elaborate on that, sounds very interesting to me. Sometimes I do that unintentionally and I didn't know it might affect how our bodies work! Thank you!

Best,

Lana xx

Hi Lana65 

I can’t remember the study but it was posted here by someone who seemed to be really good at researching! Of course I can’t remember their username either. It was one of these incidental findings where a study group (all having had early stage hormone receptive breast cancer) had to fill in questionnaires which included this particular information. Then I think a different researcher , studying the data, ‘found’ this link between going more than 12 and a half hours overnight with no food or drink with calories, and a lower rate of recurrence. At least I hope I’m remembering it correctly! Roughly that, anyway. And it was affirming that the dietician at the Future Dreams session was also advocating this same fasting gap. 
So basically I finish my evening meal say at 7pm; then I wouldn’t have anything other than water or herbal, unsweetened tea until 8am. I start my day with hot water. I’m not completely rigid about it but try to mostly follow it. It’s much harder when staying away from home obviously but I can generally more or less manage it. 
I can’t tell you the science behind it though! Xx

Thank you very much, Happyfeet! I think I'll give it a go. xx

The way I see it, can’t do any harm and might do some good! It’s certainly stopped me snacking in the evening! The only thing I’d add though is that obviously it’s likely not applicable to anyone going through chemo as I think the advice is usually to eat when you can as people often lose their appetite. And also not applicable if you have to take any medication at a particular time with food. Xx

Wow what a great reply , thank you.

i visited an holistic therapist yesterday who gave me  loads to think about , lifestyle was a really big thing along with some other things to explore to support treatement. 

he spoke about fasting so this definately something I will do, the way he explained it was after 17hours of fasting ur body starts to eat away at cells , starting with the bad cells. He suggested oe a month , but I can’t remember his long for  ( I did record the info so I’ll add more once I have listened back )