False Positive Mammograms

Mainstream doctors have convinced many women that the best detection for Breast Cancer is Mammograms.  This information couldn’t be farther from the truth!  

As I wrote about in, Thermograms vs. Mammograms, Mammograms can cause more harm than good.  Mammograms emit a high level of radiation, can increase your risk of radiation inducted cancers, and can produce false positive results.

In 2009, a government advisory group conducted a breast cancer study involving 170,000 women between the ages of 40 and 59.  During this study they found that 61% of women getting annual screens were likely to receive false positive results.

61%!  That’s over half.

One of the scariest things a woman can hear is that her mammogram shows a suspicious mass in her breast.  Can you imagine going for an annual check up and being told you might have breast cancer?  Our mind is a very powerful thing and  news like this can be very physically and psychologically harmful.

Don’t use Mammograms as your early detection tool.  Instead, try other techniques such as a Thermography or Self-Breast Exams.  These practices are much better for your mental and physical health.

Treat your body (and boobs!) with respect.

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Breast Cancer Awareness Month should focus more on PREVENTION!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has already quickly gone by..  While I believe this month is a great way to show your support for yourself or loved ones who have had the disease I think the focus of the month needs to change.

Sadly, October has not become a time of increasing awareness of the preventable causes of breast cancer.  Instead, as Dr. Mercola stated and I agree, ‘it has fed the breast cancer industry’s insatiable need to raise money for research into a pharmaceutical cure, and to promote its primary means of “prevention”: early detection via x-ray mammography.’

Instead of focusing on raising money for a pharmaceutical cure, October should be a month devoted to educating women on the causes and prevention of breast cancer.  This shift would greatly empower women and help them realize that they are in control.  Industries need to focus on this underlying message instead of getting wrapped up in ‘pink’ everything.

Many people believe that there is little, if anything, that can be done to prevent breast cancer.  But as I’ve written in my past posts, this couldn’t be farther from the truth!  Like so many cancers, breast cancer prevention can be greatly increased with a personal commitment to better health through dietary changes, exercise and an avoidance of toxins. 

Next Year (and every day for the matter!) our focus should be on P-R-E-V-E-N-T-I-O-N.  

As women, we should not only take a month out of our lives to remember Breast Cancer but focus every single day on what we can do to promote overall health and wellness in our lives.

Love yourself and treat your body (and your breasts!) right.

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Bras and your Lymphatic System

In the “Bra and Breast Cancer Study,” which I wrote about in ‘Go Bra Free!,’ it was discovered that women with breast cancer had a history of sporting tighter and longer bra-wearing than did the women who had not developed the disease.

Wearing a bra restricts the flow of toxin-removing lymphatic fluid.

Bras apply pressure to the breasts, especially to the lymphatic system.  Your lymphatic system consists of tiny, thin-walled vessels that drain from the breast tissue, removing toxins.  All of our tissues drain through the lymphatics which is essentially the circulatory pathway of the immune system.

The pressure that bras put on this system can cause a congestion of these toxins which leads to fluid build up, swelling, tenderness, and cyst formation.

We can prevent this by not wearing a bra more than 12 hours each day.  On your way home from work- take it off!  This is an easy way to cut down on your bra wearing time.   If you don’t feel comfortable with that or  need more support I suggest wearing a camisole or wireless bra.

You should always be bra free in the comfort of your  home!

And don’t forget to skin brush under your arms!  Skin Brushing, as I wrote about here, will also help flush out these toxins.

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Know your breasts!

Don’t be shy- touch them!

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month rolls on I want to emphasize the importance of Self Breast Exams.  Breasts come in all different sizes and shapes.   It is very important for women to know their own breasts.  Being proactive and aware of our body and health is so important for women.   Self Breast Exams should be a part of your Self-Care Routine.

We should all know our breasts so well that we can detect if there’s something different or abnormal going on with them.  I recommend that all women ages 20+  do a Self Breast Exam every month ( right after your period.)

Is there a spot on one of your breasts that has recently changed? Do you feel a lump that wasn’t there before?

When we perform these Self Breast Exams we are performing an act of love on our body.  Most of us are not aware of how connected everything is in our bodies.    Taking care of oneself vibrates at the cellular level.  This “love exam and vibration” is felt by every cell in our body.  Our bodies are vibrating and the frequency of the vibration determines our health.

Love yourself- Make sure you are doing a monthly Breast Self-Exam.

Stay turned for my next post on ‘How to properly examine yourself.’

VIBRATE IN LOVE,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Thermography- Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I’m all for promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and ‘Early Detection’ but many people recommend and emphasize the wrong thing (Mammograms!) during this month.

In my practice, I focus on overall breast health and ways to prevent breast cancer in your daily life rather than putting the emphasis on testing, poking, and squeezing.  Mammograms have been the gold standard for years and many doctors recommend them because they think they are the best for detecting cancer early- but this is not true!  Studies show that a thermography exam can identify precancerous or cancerous cells earlier and will produce unambiguous results.  This can cut down on additional testing .

People need to educate themselves and know how dangerous Mammograms can be!

Mammograms emit a high level of radiation and can increase your risk of radiation inducted cancers.  They can also lead to false positive results.

But with a Thermography exam there is no harmful radiation, it is noninvasive and causes no pain or body contact.

Thermography is a safe and efficient way to access your overall health!

Be smart.  Learn what is out there and make your own informed choices.

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This month is dedicated to help people learn more about Breast Cancer and the need for early detection.  As I keep emphasizing in my Blog Posts- Early Detection saves lives!  During this month there are hundreds of fundraising runs, hikes, walks and various other events that raise hundred of millions of dollars for the cause.  This is great but I suggest that every woman take time  out of their busy lives and get a Thermography exam this month!

((Courtesy of emilayusof.com))

Every year about 180,000 women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 44,000 die of the disease.

The motto of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is “Early Detection is Your Best Protection.”

I couldn’t agree with them more!

Thermography is a great tool for early detection of Breast Cancer.

It detects blood flow patterns and areas of inflammation and asymmetry in the breast.  Unlike Mammograms (the popular Breast Cancer Diagnostic Tool) Thermography is noninvasive, there is no harmful radiation, and no pain or body contact.

If you or anyone you know is interested in a Breast Screening please contact me at Thermography for Health NY and Set up an appointment today.

Stay tuned for more on Breast Cancer Awareness Month and how Thermography can save your life!

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

List of Cruciferous Vegetables

As you learned in my last post Cruciferous Vegetables have many Breast Cancer fighting properties.  It’s easy to have at least 1 serving of these delicious vegetables every day.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite cruciferous veggies:

• Arugula
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chinese cabbage
• Collard greens
• Daikon
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Radishes
• Turnip
• Watercress

We are very luck that Nature provides us with our own Cancer fighting pharmacy!

I’m also including a SIMPLE and delicious Recipe anyone can make using these Veggies:

Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 Organic Lemon

1 Bunch of Lacinato Kale

1 Tsbp Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil

1 pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

1) Take Lacinato Kale leaves off the stem

2) Put in a bowl and squeeze 1/2 lemon

3) Add Olive Oil and sea salt

4) Lovingly squeeze kale with your fingers until it becomes tender (this will make the kale easier to chew)

And voile you’re done!

Enjoy

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Plants are Nature’s Pharmacy

Plants have been used for thousands of years across every continent as medicine.  But with the development of modern technology a lot of people have abandoned herbal medicine in favor of modern chemical medicine. Many people believe that herbal medicine ‘doesn’t work,’ ‘takes too long,’ or ‘is dangerous.’  While Modern medicine are ‘advanced,’ ‘dependable,’ and ‘have been tested properly.’

This couldn’t be further from the truth! Research shows that side effects from modern medicine can cause you more harm than the illness itself!

Herbal medicine is focused on treating the whole person while modern medicine is more focused on the disease.

Prevention is a key component in Herbal Medicine.  Instead of waiting until you get sick to be healthy focus more on an overall healthy lifestyle.

The amazing thing is that we have the power to prevent many illnesses from occurring just by the daily choices we make.

Stay tuned for some healthy plant suggestions to incorporate into your diet!

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Top Breast Cancer Fighting Herbs and Spices

Issac Cohen, a doctor of oriental medicine, licensed acupuncturist and one of the leading authorities in the field of cancer treatment and Traditional Chinese medicine, reported in the book Breast Cancer: Beyond Convention, that several Chinese herbs including ginseng, show good anti-cancer activity against breast cancer.  He also points out that over 60% of chemotherapy drugs are made from natural products.

Research has also shown that the spice rosemary protects against the initiation of breast tumors.   When rats were given rosemary before the administration of breast cancer inducing chemicals, they developed 74% less tumors that the rats that were not given rosemary.

And according to researchers at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, extracts of several weak estrogenic herbs including hops, black cohosh, and vitex also inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells in the laboratory.

Using these herbs and spices in our foods will help us increase breast cancer fighting properties.

There are lots of herbs and spices on the market.  In the next post I will share with you some more beneficial ones to add into your diet!

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP

Breast Cancer Tip- Eat more Herbs and Spices!

Many herbs and spices  are effective natural medicines against breast cancer (and other types of cancer also!)

The  use of herbs and spices dates back thousands of years.  Traditional Chinese and  Indian medicine  ( Ayurveda ) both evolved more than 5000 years ago and focused on using herbs and spices for the prevention and cure of disease.

Current research shows that breast cancer is four to five times lower in countries where large quantities of spices are eaten.

A study published in The Medical Journal of Australia  found that “culinary herbs and spices contain high concentrations of antioxidants and phytonutrients [plant-derived chemical compounds important to human health] and may provide long-term health benefits that even outweigh their short term taste sensations”.

We should all include these wonderful and tasty ingredients in our daily diets.

Stay tuned to learn which herbs and spices I recommend and are the best for you!

Be Well,

Tammy Kohlschmidt RDH, CCT, CBP