MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

 

This is the last installment of Michael Sieverts' Tips/Tricks to Recover Your Life.  Please see past posts for valuable information and resources from Michael on a variety of topics, including nutrition, meditation, and support.

 

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and in Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attitude/Belief/Support:

Last but not least: the goal is not to live forever, nor to return to an old place, but rather to transform ourselves into healthy people, utterly at peace with ourselves, our families and our friends. Create a tradition of peacefulness:

● Feel gratitude

● Forgive yourself, lighten up, and loosen your grip. Find some humor in your situation.
● Cycle through the Mel Brooks catalog and other comedies.
● Connect to others, don’t try to keep everything internal. Cultivate relationships with those who support your healing process and your medical choices.
● Be aware of whether someone is being helpful or not—and if not, find a way to marginalize and ignore them.
● Develop an immune-competent personality, monitoring and taking care of your own needs, and resisting becoming a self-sacrificing martyr.
● Reduce your anger, stress and anxiety.
● Don’t do anything you hate doing—if it’s something that you have to do, find a way to re-frame it so that you’re not flooding your system with stress hormones.
● Use your illness as a teacher—learn what it can tell you about medicine, about compassion for yourself and others, and about how to care for yourself.
● An illness is a terrible thing, but with the right attitude it might be a benefit—and it might wind up being the best thing that ever happened to you.
● Find your true talent, discover your purpose in life. Why have we been put here?

Reading List and Web Resources:

• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
• A General Theory of Love by Thomas;Amini, Fari;Lannon, Richard Lewis
• Cancer As a Turning Point: A Handbook for People with Cancer, Their Families, and Health Professionals by Lawrence Leshan
• Wellness Community Guide to Fighting for Recovery from Cancer by Harold H. Benjamin
• http://www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org/
• http://www.simmsmanncenter.ucla.edu/

I’d like you to keep in mind Raymond Carver’s last poem:
Did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To find myself loved,

To feel myself loved, on this earth.

 

CHANGE ISN'T ALWAYS BAD

By Victoria Moore

   The hardest thing I've had to do since I started my breast cancer journey is transition back into the "real world" as a newly disabled person. At times I have a difficult time conceptualizing who I actually am now until I become exhausted or come down with a virus after visting "Costco" or going to a movie. Outwardly, and fully dressed, I look like the same old me but unclothed my body is a tapestry of scars amid smooth skin and a slim physique. I am imperfect, and a woman with a warrior's spirit, but still with the awkward shyness of a bewildered little girl. If I were an animal I'd probably be a six-month old kitten.
   Due to the way I see my body now I also look for new ways to express who I currently am and aspire to be. Lately I've been drawn to very tactile looks-faux fur coats, puffy jackets, satin blouses, velvet skirts and cozy sweaters-that look luxe and feel luscious. Through the pages of "Vogue," "Harper's Bazaar," and "Elle" I fantasize about all of the clothes I'd buy if I had deep pockets and how wonderful I'd look if I were model perfect. Lately, my new perspective has led me to seek out other style resources on the internet, too, where personal style is prized over perfection. Photographed in various locations, especially on the street, I regularly check out other "fashionistas" on "LookBook.nu" and "Tokyo Fashion". Besides making internet connections with like-minded individuals around the world I've also been able to check out how others dress without exposing myself to germs at the mall or in a store.
   This, in turn, has taught me to see my appearance as an integral part of the environment. So now when I'm out and about in the city, I'm more observant. You could say I've become a visionary who instantly transforms my surroundings to fit my new internal landscape. Whenever I pass by a street with run-down buildings, trash on the sidewalk, and graffiti on the the walls, I mentally repaint and refurbish the surfaces, pick up the trash, powerwash the sidewalk, and replace the tagging with glorious murals. Before my diagnosis, and subsequent path, this wasn't one of my concerns but today it is. It's important for me to be aesthetically fulfilled by my surroundings as a way of coping with all of the physical, emotional and psychological compromises I've had to make.
   In the beginning I was unsure how to do this until I started visiting various art galleries every month. "The Word is Art" is one that I've recently added to my list of favorites, along with "Trunk," "Buckwild," WWA," and "G2." Spacious and wonderfully decorated with paintings, photographs, jewelry and other art pieces when I visited, it's an enervating oasis in the middle of a vibrant walking area. When it replaced a floor store that had been there for years, I realized that all change isn't bad and some things can even change for the better. Hopefully the same will be said for me as I enter an exciting, but uncertain, future.

MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555 for more information.

(Photo by Bill Aron)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Part 2 (adapted from “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman): Other rules:

● Don’t eat food that comes through your car window.

● Read labels-- avoid foods with sugar (or sugar equivalent) as one of the first 3 ingredients.

● Avoid food with more than 5 ingredients, or made with ingredients you wouldn’t plausibly have in your pantry.

● Junk food is fine if you make it yourself. If you had to clean up after every batch of French fries, you’d rarely make them.

● Get the best ingredients, from farmers if possible. If you shop in supermarkets, buy only on the perimeter—it’s where they put the freshest food.

● Eat until you are satisfied, not full.

● Don’t feel like you have to finish what’s on your plate.

● Don’t go back for seconds.

● Spend more on ingredients, but eat less.

● Transparency is important—don’t buy from vendors who are secretive about where their food comes from.

● Local non-organic is better than organic from long distances—foreign agricultural practices are unregulated.

● Eat food in season—it tastes better, has traveled less.

● Eat a rainbow of plant foods—the phytonutrients in the colors are very healthful.

● Spend at least as much time eating a meal as it took to prepare it.

● Try not to eat alone.

● Break the rules occasionally.

Reading List and Web Resources:
Anticancer, A New Way of Life, New Edition by David Servan-Schreiber MD PhD
What Color Is Your Diet? by David Heber
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman

Dr. Jeanne Wallace:

http://www.nutritional-solutions.net/

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL: Attitude/Belief/Support

CSC’s Brain Tumor Group—for patients & family members—meets the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of each month from 7-9pm. No RSVP required. 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 100, LA, CA 90025. 310-314-2555. CSC validates parking. This blog originally from 'Your Brain After Chemo' http://www.yourbrainafterchemo.blogspot.com/

MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555 for more information.

(Photo by Bill Aron)

 

Nutrition-Part 1 (adapted from “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman):

Eating should be a source of pleasure. The reality is that we’re omnivores, and people have been thriving on a wide variety of diets for millenia. Michael Pollan says that the field of nutrition today is like the field of surgery in 1650—promising, and interesting to watch, but not yet deserving of our total trust. The popular press has made a total hash of the field of nutrition by using the latest headlines to sell papers— findings which gyrate wildly. Margarine, fats, carbohydrates, —sometimes they are the villains, causing all sorts of health problems—then they regain or fall out of favor. And the government is under the sway of the agriculture and food lobbyists; federal dietary guidelines and recommendations are compromised and getting worse.

But don’t stress too much, it’s not difficult to make good food decisions, especially now. Make sure to enjoy yourself, to make eating a pleasurable, slow, and social, function. Follow some simple guidelines, and use your self-awareness to inform you whether what you’re choosing to eat is helping you or causing you setbacks.

Whenever feasible, do your own cooking with organic, local, seasonal, sustainable fruits and vegetables. (Support farmers and the local economy with your money—you are voting for a healthful food system.) Not only can you control the ingredients and the cooking methods, but you are taking an active role in your fight for recovery. Plus you will save money by not eating out. It’s estimated that as much of 2/3 of the cost of medical care in this country is attributable to our poor eating habits. Cooking is a profound way to influence your health: “The best public health tools are a sharp chef’s knife, two cutting boards and a salad spinner.” (Preston Maring, MD, associate physician-in-chief at Kaiser Permanente Oakland)

Restrict wheat, dairy and try to eliminate sugar—but aim for “90-10”: allow yourself some small indulgences to retain feelings of pleasure, since mood affects how you digest. A happily-enjoyed burger is probably providing better-absorbed nutrients than an organic raw kale salad that you are forcing down. Savor what you eat.

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL:

Nutrition-Part 2 (adapted from “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman):
CSC’s Brain Tumor Group—for patients & family members—meets the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of each month from 7-9pm. No RSVP required. 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 100, LA, CA 90025. 310-314-2555. CSC validates parking. This blog originally from 'Your Brain After Chemo' http://www.yourbrainafterchemo.blogspot.com/

MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Sleep (adapted from “Brain Rules” by John Medina; resources at end of blog for both 'Exercise' & 'Sleep')

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555 for more information.

 

Sleep is incredibly important, for cognition, for the immune system, for mood and happiness, so develop good sleep hygiene. Avoid going deep into sleep debt—accumulating consecutive nights of short sleep. “You can’t be healthy if you’re not getting good sleep”:

● Go to bed at a regular time, preferably before 11pm.

● Avoid stimulating activity for the few hours before bed, prepare.

● Avoid eating before going to bed.

● Don’t watch television, or work on a computer in bed.

● Use relaxation techniques to help yourself fall asleep.

● Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex, not for eating or working.

● Keep the bedroom dark—light interferes with the functioning of your pineal gland.

● If you are occasionally unable to sleep, don’t stress about it, get up for a little while and do something else, preferably not too stimulating.

● If you feel drowsy, be extremely careful, you literally could fall asleep in a heartbeat—do not drive!

● If you’re having regular trouble sleeping, see a specialist.

Reading List and Web Resources:

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman

The Way of Energy: Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise (A Gaia Original) by Kam Chuen Lam

The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness, and a Good Night's Sleepby William C. Dement and Christopher Vaughan

 

http://www.bettermovement.org/author/toddhargrove/

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL: 
NUTRITION (adapted from “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman)
Having difficulty sleeping? Try one of these relaxing classes at Cancer Support Community. All classes are at no cost to those with cancer and their families/support.
1)'Meditation' every Thursday from 6 - 6:45pm with Malcolm Schultz, LMFT; 2) 'Mindfulness' from 11:30a.m. to 1:00p.m. once a month on Monday (date varies check calendar) with Lisa LaCorte-Kring, LCSW; 3) Relaxation/Visualization every Wednesday from 6:00 to 6:45pm with Christel Trink; and 4) 'Mindfulness Series' with Lisa LaCorte-Kring, LCSW offered throughout the year--check calendar or call 310-314-2555 for information.

And exercise classes: 1)'Core Strength' every Wednesday from 6:15 - 7:00pm with Eileen Johnson, PT; 2) 'Feldenkrais Method' every Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30p.m. with Marci Spiegler, MS, GCFP; 3) 'Move to Heal Dance Class' every Monday from 6:00 to 7:00pm with Eva Wieland; and 4) 'Pilates: Return to Health' every Tuesday from 3:45 - 4:45pm with Sandy Shimoda; 5) 'Qigong' (see schedule at top of blog) with Michael Sieverts; 6) 'T'ai Chi' every Tuesday from 5 - 6pm with Marianne Lu; 7) 'Yoga' CSC has 7 yoga classes-please check website for dates and times; 8) 'Zumba' every Tuesday from 6:15 - 7pm with Alejandra Ortiz. 

Always check calendar at www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org for schedule changes or call 310-314-2555 for more infomation. CSC vallidates parking.

MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Exercise (adapted from “Brain Rules” by John Medina)

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555 for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Properly done to avoid depletion and injury, exercise is one of the best things you can do for your cognition. Early human brains developed in almost continuous motion, hunting and gathering food, walking vast distances daily. Only recently have we become physically idle.

 

All exercise increases blood flow and oxygen levels. Increased oxygen to the brain is associated with improved cognitive function. Exercise rids the body of stress chemicals, and boosts brain power. It cuts the risk of dementia in half.

My observation is that the healthier you are, the easier it is to survive the treatments. If you have the “luxury” knowing that a treatment or procedure is imminent (as opposed to requiring an emergency surgery), prepare yourself by getting as strong as possible. Train as if you’re training for a triathalon, you’ll need all the strength you can muster.

Your regular exercise:

● Exercise daily, but not necessarily vigorously—at least 30 minutes, out in natural light and fresh air when feasible.

● Power walking, swinging light weights in your hands to involve your upper body, is a great way to get exercise. Human brains evolved as we walked great distances, and it remains the best all-round exercise.

● Gentle yoga, Feldenkrais, Qi Gong—explore to find the ones that work best for you.

● Any exercise that makes you feel light—that’s the right one for you.

● Avoid exercise that depletes you, which is bad for your immune system.

 

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL: SLEEP (ADAPTED FROM"Brain Rules" by John Medina)

The Cancer Support Community-Benjamin Center offers many different exercise options for its members.   All classes are at no cost to participants. 1)'Core Strength' every Wednesday  from 6:15 - 7:00pm with Eileen Johnson, PT; 2) 'Feldenkrais Method' every Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30p.m. with Marci Spiegler, MS, GCFP; 3) 'Move to Heal Dance Class' every Monday from 6:00 to 7:00pm with Eva Wieland; and 4) 'Pilates: Return to Health' every Tuesday from 3:45 - 4:45pm with Sandy Shimoda; 5) 'Qigong' (see schedule at top of blog) with Michael Sieverts; 6) 'T'ai Chi' every Tuesday from 5 - 6pm with Marianne Lu; 7) 'Yoga' CSC has 7 yoga classes-please check website for dates and times; 8) 'Zumba' every Tuesday from 6:15 - 7pm with Alejandra Ortiz.  Always check calendar for holiday changes or call 310-314-2555 for more infomation.  CSC vallidates parking.

MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555.

 

Meditation:

There are many forms of meditation, and choosing one over the other is a matter of personal preference. I happen to like mindfulness-based meditation, as promulgated by Jon Kabat-Zinn—the tone of his advice is just right for me and many others, but it might not be for you.  You might prefer a meditation technique that utilizes a mantra, like Transcendental Meditation, or any of the other forms. No matter—you can use any one of them to deeply explore your consciousness.

The key thing to remember is that learning to be in the present, in the now, is both utterly simple and very challenging. It can take a lifetime to learn. Even the Dalai Lama says that he’s still learning.

There’s a reason they call it a practice:

When we are giving ourselves the experience of being relaxed, calm, alert and objective, we are practicing and perfecting mindfulness. When we are being tense or angry or anxious, we are practicing and perfecting being those states as well—BUT, if we are observing that we are going to those places while we’re doing it, we have the opportunity to take ourselves back to the relaxed place. It’s ultimately about cultivating an inner strength.

I’ve heard the distinction made between prayer and mediation is that when you pray you’re talking, you’re asking for something—and when you meditate you’re just listening. Some people call it “falling awake.”

There’s a huge body of literature, and courses offered everywhere, many for free.

You can study in classes, and go on retreats, which are great, but ultimately the idea is to be able to live your whole life with a mindful aspect. As my teacher says, “lead an ordinary life and make changes from within that life.”

Don’t let your environment throw you off, cultivate inner strength and the ability to not let your mind wander.

Reading List and Web Resources:

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn (You can Google Jon Kabat-Zinn for tapes, CD’s and online videos)

The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra by Thich Nhat Hanh

http://www.plumvillage.org/

 

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Library) by Pema Chodron

Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a Path to Freedom by Peter Levitt

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL: EXERCISE(ADAPTED FROM "Brain Rules" by John Medina)

The Cancer Support Community-Benjamin Center offers several different meditation options for its members.  All classes are at no cost to participants.  1)'Meditation' every Thursday from 6 - 6:45pm with Malcolm Schultz, LMFT; 2) 'Mindfulness' from 11:30a.m. to 1:00p.m. once a month on Monday (date varies check calendar) with Lisa LaCorte-Kring, LCSW; 3) Relaxation/Visualization every Wednesday from 6:00 to 6:45pm with Christal Trink; and 4) 'Mindfulness Series' with Lisa LaCorte-Kring offered throughout the year, check calendar or call 310-314-2555 for information.