HEALTH
                            Cold and flu defense





                 
By Ma’at Seba
SUN HEALTH COLUMNIST

   Fall and winter seems to be the seasons where people are more susceptible to colds and flues (or
influenza) are very similar and they both are caused by viruses, but flues tend to be more serious.

   The natural remedies for colds and flues are also similar, listed are some of the most popular
remedies and their general uses:

   Astragalus - promotes the multiplication of white blood cells for fighting infection, enhances
immune system (do not take if a fever is present).

   Echinacea – purifies the blood, promotes digestion, expels poisons and toxins, is a gargle for sore
throats, and fights viral and bacterial infections.

   Fenugreek – expels mucus, a gargle for sore throats, has cooling effects on the bowels, lubricates
the intestines, and has laxative properties, helpful for stomach ulcers and other stomach problems.

   Mullein – expels mucus, the tea is good for inducing sleep, coughs, hay fever, hoarseness and
bronchitis, boil the leaves in water and breath in the vapors for nasal congestion and other
respiratory problems.

   Elderberry – a tonic and blood purifier, diuretic, promotes sweating, has laxative properties,
enhances the immune system, and relieves coughs and congestion.

   Eucalyptus – boil and inhale the vapors of the leaves or oil to break up mucus and to aid in
breathing, is a decongestant and expectorant.

  Cayenne (capsicum) – is a stimulant, it improves circulation, breaks up mucus, promotes the healing
of the stomach lining, is an expectorant and anti-flammatory.

   Ginger – a hot ginger tea will promote a cleansing of the system through perspiration, it stimulates
circulation, prevents griping or cramps, aids in clearer and easier respiratory breathing.

   Wild Cherry Bark – expels mucus, loosens phlegm in the throat and chest, good for coughs, asthma,
bronchitis and digestive problems.

   Olive Leaf – fights viral and bacterial infections, has laxative properties, effective against fever, has
a tranquilizing effect for nervous tension.

   Red Clover – powerful blood purifier, expels mucus, good for coughs, bronchitis, fights infection
and calms the nerves.

   Hyssop – increases circulation, regulates blood pressure, expels mucus, good for fevers, and
loosens phlegm in the lungs and throat.

   Garlic – expels mucus, powerful germ killer, detoxifies the body, fights viruses, yeast and fungus,
and strengthens the immune system.

   Horehound – loosens and decreases the thickness of mucus and aids in expelling it, is a good
stomach tonic, good for respiratory problems and builds the immune system.

   Olive leaf - is a powerful antioxidant and is commonly used to fight colds and flu, yeast infections,
and viral infections such as the hard-to-treat Epstein-Barr disease, shingles and herpes, lowers blood
pressure.

   Colloidal Silver - has been proven to be useful against many different infections and is used in
concentrations of 3 - 5 ppm (parts per million) against all species of fungi, bacteria, protozoa,
parasites and certain viruses. It can be used internally and externally for infections including eye or
ear, cuts, burns, rashes etc.

   Black Seed Oil - also known as Black Cumin, has been traditionally used for a variety of conditions
and treatments related to respiratory health, stomach and intestinal health, kidney and liver function,
circulatory and immune system support.

   Apple Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother” in it) – has historically been used for thousands of years as
a vinegar tonic to stay healthy and fight off disease, break up mucus, relieve sinus congestion and
infections, soothing sore throats, balancing pH levels, to preserve food, as a deodorant, relieve
muscle pain and arthritis pain, and normalizing weight and helping to maintain levels of cholesterol and
much more.

    Some other helpful hints are to:

   Avoid sugar, diary products (cheese, milk) and other mucus forming foods

   Drink plenty of fluids (alkaline water, herbal teas and pure juices).

   Throw your toothbrush away every three months and especially after any colds or flu (it can
prolong your illness by harboring germs and viruses).

    Wash your hands thoroughly every time you blow or wipe your nose or sneeze.

   Take vitamin C (with zinc) lozenges at the first signs of a sore throat.

   Boil raw apple cider vinegar with a little water and inhale the vapors to open a stuffy head or nose
and to drain the sinuses. Also take  1-2 teaspoons in a glass of water to break up mucus in the body.

   Chew crystallized ginger to aid in respiratory and mucus congestion.

   Most importantly, keep your bowels open to allow the mucus and toxins to leave your body (colon
cleansers, castor oil, aloe vera, coffee enemas or a herbal laxative will be helpful if needed).

    The best defense against colds and flues is to strengthen your immune system. You can not take
one kind of pill or herb and think that they will build your immune system up. The immune system is a
system consisting of the complex interaction of cells, organs, and structures etc. within the body
that function synergistically. It is very important to begin to learn about your body parts and how
they function. Learn about and Love on your body, after all, you only get one!

For information, contact Nature’s Very Best Health Center 15224 W. 7 Mile off  Greenfield  or call  
(313) 861-1118.
                              Hope and Healing
By Valerie D. Lockhart
SUN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

    As Laura Brokaw awakened from anesthesia, a doctor leaned over her hospital bed and coldly said,
“You have cancer” then walked out of the room.

   “My first thought was what’s going to happen to my two children? I was 32-years-old at the time
and was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer,” said Brokaw.

   Results of LaTonya Miller Brockington’s biopsy were equally chilling. However, calmness fell over
the wife and mother of two, as a divine source intervened and gave

instructions prior to her doctor delivering the bad news.

   “He told me that if this was confirmed to be breast cancer, that I was to have both breasts re-
moved,” she explained. “Upon receiving the positive cancer diagnosis, I informed my surgeon that I
wanted to have a double mastectomy, but he vehemently opposed my decision. He told me a mas-
tectomy wasn’t necessary in this case and that if I were his mother or his sister that he would only
suggest a lumpectomy. But, God was screaming at me to have a double mastectomy.”

   Both women obtained a second opinion and sought treatment from the Cancer Treatment Centers
in America (CTCA).

   Over 183,000 women and 1,700 men were diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

   Breast cancer appears in two types – in situ and invasive.

   Cancerous cells in In situ breast cancer remain in one location in the breast. It does not spread to
nearby tissues, lobules or ducts.

   Invasive breast cancer affects various parts of the breast that may include tissues, lobules and
ducts. It may also spread to other parts of the body.

    Inflammatory breast cancer is the rarest form of the disease and is difficult to detect even with
an ultrasound or mammogram. It originates within the soft tissues of the breast. A biopsy is usually
performed to detect this form of breast cancer.

    Symptoms of breast cancer can vary from person to person.

    When Brockington felt soar in the upper area of her right breast, she rubbed her hand across the
area and discovered a small lump.

   “I discovered a hard, rubbery lump the size of a plum seed,” said Brockington. “One cannot
imagine the horror that raced through my mind upon this discovery. It was as if I knew instantly that it
was breast cancer.”

   Others may experience the following symptoms:

  Skin changes – such as swelling, redness, or other visible differences in the breast(s)
  Shape or size changes, including an increase in size or change in shape of the breast(s); or changes
in the appearance of one or both nipples
  Nipple discharge other than breast milk
  General pain in/on any part of the breast
  Lumps or nodes felt on or inside of the breast

   Symptoms related to invasive breast cancer are:

  Irritated or itchy breasts
  A change in breast color
  Increase in breast size (over a short period of time)
  Changes in touch (may feel hard, tender, or warm.

   Breast cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence, if detected and treated early.

Brockington decided to put God over man and rejected her initial physician’s suggestion for
treatment.

    “My decision to have a mastectomy was validated when I met with an oncology surgeon in April of
2003,” she explained. “During my initial appointment with him, he told me, ‘Your previous surgeon’s
decision to remove the entire breast was a good one, because the pathology report reflected that
cancer cells were found throughout the entire breast.’ The mastectomy was my surgeon’s decision,
but my surgeon’s name was God. As cancer patients, we must learn to follow God’s directions, have
the faith of a mustard seed and live life as if we were never stricken with this deadly disease!”

   Brokaw opted for a bilateral mastectomy in March 1995.

   “Over the following months, I had chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a stem cell transplant,” she
said. “My treatments lasted through August 1995. Then, in September 1995, I found out I was cancer
free.”

    Surgical treatment options include lumpectomy (breast conserving surgery), simple mastectomy,
modified radical mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

   
Chemotherapy, radiation and drug therapies may also be used to treat breast cancer.

   Positive thinking and strong religious faith are also attributed to winning the fight against breast
cancer.

   “This experience has taught me to always have hope and to never give up,” advises Brokaw. “It is
so important to stay positive. You can’t fight cancer if you don’t have hope.”

    For Brockington, hope and healing came from a higher power.

   “I have always been a woman of faith. I was raised on faith and I have always lived my life by faith,”
says Brockington. “I believe that God speaks to all of us, and thus, he spoke to me. God has guided my
steps and decisions since day one.”

Breast Cancer Stages

Stage 0 – Cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast duct. Stage 0 breast cancer is sometimes
called non-invasive carcinoma or carcinoma in situ.

Stage I - Cancer resides solely within the breast and spans up to two centimeters.

Stage IIA – There are three ways this phase may manifest itself:

·  There is no tumor found in the breast, but cancer is found in the underarm lymph nodes.

·  Cancer in the breast spans two centimeters, and also encompasses nearby lymph nodes.

·  Cancer located within the breast is larger than two centimeters and smaller than five centimeters,
but does not affect the lymph nodes.

Stage IIB – This stage may include the following:

·  The tumor is between two and five centimeters and has spread to underarm lymph nodes

·  The tumor is larger than five centimeters, but lymph nodes remain unharmed.

Stage IIIA – This stage is defined by either of the following:

·  The tumor measures larger than five centimeters.

·  There is significant involvement of lymph nodes. The nodes clump together or stick to one another
or surrounding tissue.

Stage IIIB – This stage is defined by either of the following

·  Cancer has spread to tissues near the breast, such as the skin or chest wall. The tumor may
range in size.

·  Underarm lymph nodes or those beneath the breast under the ribs may be affected.

Stage IIIC – Cancer may or may not be in the breast and may have spread to the breast skin or chest
wall. Cancer permeates lymph nodes around the collarbone and may also be in the lymph nodes sur-
rounding the breast bone.

Stage IV – Cancerous has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body near to or distant from
the breast. Also called metastatic breast cancer.
              Granholm recognizes October as
                       Breast Cancer Month

Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm is again recognizing October as National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month (NBCAM) by increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection
of breast cancer. NBCAM is celebrating its 25th anniversary this October, and during this month
women are encouraged to get screened for breast cancer.

   Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Michigan women. In 2009, the American
Cancer Society estimates that 6,480 Michigan women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and
1,350 women will die of the disease.

    "Early screening is estimated to reduce breast cancer deaths by 20 to 25 percent," said Dr. Greg
Holzman, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). "This
means you have the power to do something. Small steps like talking to your health care provider
about recommended screenings for breast cancer can reduce your risks."

   Although every woman is at risk of developing breast cancer, some factors increase a women's
likelihood of developing this disease. These risk factors include:

- Increasing age
- A personal history of breast cancer
- A family history of breast or ovarian cancer in a mother, a sister, a daughter or other relatives
- High breast tissue density
- High-dose radiation to the chest
- Never giving birth or having a first child after the age of 30
- A long menstrual history

The Michigan Cancer Consortium recommends that women of average risk get an annual clinical
breast exam and mammogram starting at age 40.

   To find a mammography facility near you, please consult the 2008 Michigan Mammography Facility
Guide at: www.cancer.org/downloads/COM/MI_Mammography_Facilities_2008_Revised_02_09_Final.pdf

  Developed by the American Cancer Society, the guide is designed as a complete and unbiased
source of information on mammography facilities in Michigan. The guide compares services, price,
and other important information to help women choose the mammography facility suited for them.

   If you cannot afford a mammogram, you may qualify for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control
Program (BCCCP). The BCCCP provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic
services to women who meet the following eligibility criteria:

- Have an income < 250 percent of the federal poverty level (e.g., a family of four can earn up to
$55,125 per year)
- Be uninsured or underinsured
- Be between the ages of 40-64

    Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer through the BCCCP may be eligible to receive
Medicaid for cancer treatment. Since the program began in 1991, over 130,500 women have been
screened through the BCCCP with nearly 2,400 breast cancers diagnosed.

   For more information, call 800-922-6266 or visit www.michigancancer.org/bcccp.