Chamomile and Apple Peel Tea

Just holding a warm cup of this tea and inhaling its sweet fragrance can make your body feel as happy as your mouth. Any chamomile tea will work, but organic chamomile with lavender from Traditional Medicinals puts more ingredients to work for you. Eat a peeled apple earlier in the day; cover and refrigerate the peel, then use it later for this tea. The soothing tea is sweetly calming and is great to drink an hour or so before bed.

Makes 2 cups; serves 2 • Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes

 

2  cups water

2  chamomile with lavender tea bags

Peel of 1 small apple, preferably organic

Fresh lemon juice

1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and apple peel, cover, and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Strain into cups or glasses, and add the lemon juice to taste.

Calories 9 • Total Fat 0g • Saturated Fat 0g • Carbohydrates 3g • Protein 0g • Dietary Fiber 1.5g • Sodium 3mg

Energy Balance!

To lift or not to lift?

 

In the past, breast cancer survivors have been told not to lift weights for fear of developing lymphedema, the buildup of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under the skin of the arm, breast, and chest. Lymphedema is a possible side effect of surgery and radiation therapy. The swelling that results is more common in women who have had radiation therapy and many lymph nodes removed. Today, the risk of lymphedema is lower because of advances in patient care, including the sentinel lymph node biopsy, a procedure that removes fewer than five lymph nodes that are the first nodes, closest to the breast.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2009, “Weight Lifting in Women with Breast-Cancer-Related Lymphedema,” found that “in breast cancer survivors with lymphedema, slowly progressive weight lifting had no significant effect on limb swelling and resulted in a decreased incidence of exacerbations of lymphedema, reduced symptoms, and increased strength.”

In addition, a December 2010 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) noted that the “findings of our study remove concerns that slowly progressive weight lifting will increase risk of lymphedema onset in breast cancer survivors. The many health benefits of weight lifting should now become available to all breast cancer survivors.”

It may be helpful to seek advice when starting a weight-lifting program to understand physical limitations or risk of lymphedema.

 

Calories Out Recipe No. 4

 

Try to avoid muscle strain.

 

If you’ve had surgery or radiation treatment, ask your doctor or nurse when you can start to exercise and what type of exercises you can do. But keep in mind that overuse, which can result in injury, has been linked with the start of lymphedema in some women. It’s a good idea to follow these tips:

• Use your affected arm as normally as you can. Once you are fully healed, about four to six weeks after surgery or radiation treatment, you can begin to go back to the activities you did before your surgery.
• Exercise regularly but try not to overtire your shoulder and arm. Before doing any strenuous exercise, such as lifting weights or playing tennis, talk with your doctor, nurse, or physical therapist. They can help you set goals and limits so that you can work at the level of activity that is right for you. Ask your doctor or physical therapist if you should be fitted for a sleeve to wear during strenuous activities.
• If your arm starts to ache, lie down and raise it above the level of your heart.
• Avoid vigorous, repeated activities, heavy lifting, or pulling.
• Use your unaffected arm or both arms as much as possible to carry heavy packages, groceries, handbags, or children.

The guidelines above are included in Lymphedema: What Every Woman With Breast Cancer Should Know, a booklet from the American Cancer Society. To download the report, including more instruction on how to prevent and control lymphedema, go to cancer.org/treatment.