THE DISH

DO YOUR BODY GOOD.

Bananas' high carbohydrate content makes them good sources of energy. They're rich in potassium and magnesium, minerals that you lose as you sweat.

STAY OFF SUGAR

Whether you are training for a race or not, it's best to eat only minimal amounts of refined sugars.

DRINK UP!

Even if it’s cool outside, you need to drink plenty of water. If you’re not properly hydrated, it won’t matter what else you put in your body; your performance will suffer.

SUPPORT

IF YOUR EVENT CALLS FOR CARB-LOADING, FOLLOW THESE TWO STEPS:

ONE WEEK BEFORE EVENT Adjust your carbohydrate intake so that it’s about 50 to 55 percent of your total daily calories.

Increase protein and fat intake to compensate for any decrease in carbohydrates.

Continue training at your normal level. This helps deplete your carbohydrate stores and make room for the loading that comes next.

THREE TO FOUR DAYS BEFORE EVENT Three to four days before the event, increase your carbohydrate intake to about 70 percent of your daily calories.

Cut back on foods higher in fat to compensate for the extra carbohydrate-rich foods.

Also scale back your training to avoid using the energy you’re trying to store up. Rest completely the day before your big event.

EAT UP

For high-intensity or long events (90 minutes or more), “carb-loading” is a good option. It will provide the energy needed for endurance so you perform better and faster and experience less fatigue when you’re done.

GET IN GEAR

A new line of Joy to Life gear is now available to suit up for workouts and runs. Designed to bring awareness to breast cancer, the messages urge others to believe, inspire, fight and remember in the name of survivors and loved ones.

WWW.TOLIFESTUFF.ORG

HIT THE ROAD

Be sure to burn some calories training for

JOY TO LIFE'S

WALK OF LIFE in downtown Montgomery on April 21, 2018! To learn what the Walk does for your Alabama, check out JOYTOLIFE.ORG.

HOORAY!

YOU DID IT

FINISHLINE

SKIP THE CANDY

AND TRY THIS POST-WORKOUT, POST-RACE SNACK PACKED WITH BETTER-FOR-YOU SIMPLE CARBS.

AFTER YOUR TRAINING SESSION OR EVENT IS WHEN CARBS CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. Your body has just depleted its energy stores and is ravenous for replacement. At this point, simple carbs are an acceptable option since your body will quickly convert them to glucose and replace what was used up. (See the below recipe.) Protein is also an essential post-exercise nutrient.

EASY ENERGY BITES

1 1/2 cup oats 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup ground flax seed 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together and use your hands to form into small balls. Store in a sealed container in at he fridge for up to a week.

About 90 PERCENT OF WOMEN who will develop lymphedema do so within three years of breast cancer treatment. It occurs in about 20 PERCENT OF WOMEN who undergo axillary lymph node dissection.

Living with

WITH MORE TREATMENT OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE, CANCER IS NOT THE HOPELESS DIAGNOSIS IT ONCE WAS. BUT EVEN CUTTING-EDGE TREATMENTS ARE NOT RISK FREE. MANY PATIENTS FIGHTING CANCER ALSO FIND THEMSELVES CONTENDING WITH LYMPHEDEMA. IT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH BREAST CANCER, BUT FOR THOSE FACING PROSTATE CANCER OR GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS, LYMPHOMA OR MELANOMA CAN BE AT RISK TOO.

PINK YOUR RIDE

a risk for cancer survivors

What is lymphedema?

Lymphedema, as the name suggests, affects the body’s lymphatic system. It happens when excessive lymphatic fluid settles into the interstitial tissue (the solution that surrounds tissue cells) and causes excessive swelling in the arms and legs, and sometimes in the chest and breast. Lymphedema can develop after an infection or trauma but when cancer patients are diagnosed, it is likely brought on by the cancer itself or any accompanying treatment (such as radiation or surgery). If a high number of lymph nodes are removed, the risk for lymphedema increases.

How is it treated?

Lymphedema can be treated, but early detection is important. Symptoms can include swelling, limited function of extremities, a breakdown in the skin and infection. It isn’t (always) particularly painful, but it can be uncomfortable with a tight, stiff feeling. Non-surgical treatments include massage, lymph drainage, exercises to improve range of motion and other therapies that stimulate the lymphatic system. Compression bandages and clothing can help with swelling and medications may also help treat inflammation and infections or prevent blood clots.

Mild lymphedema can be reversed, but it leaves you susceptible to lymphedema in the future. In that sense, lymphedema can’t be “cured,” but it is far from being terminal. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment, talk to your health care provider about your risks of lymphedema and what you can do to prevent and treat it.

RESOURCES: www.breastcancer.org and Cancer Treatment Centers of America

survivor:from a

“LYMPHEDEMA IS A SERIOUS AND DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

Those that have it should educate themselves on how to manage it to avoid infection. I have suffered through six infections in 20 years, and this bypass surgery could mean no more life-threatening infections.”

-Joy Blondheim,

FOUNDER OF THE JOY TO LIFE FOUNDATION AND BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR

Getting your best strength:

Typically, an exercise plan for anyone at risk for or diagnosed with lymphedema includes some combination of: • flexibility and stretching exercises • strength training • aerobic exercise that uses the upper body, helping with weight loss and encouraging deep breathing, which in turn helps lymph move along

It is recommended to work with a professional who specializes in lymphedema management and breast cancer rehabilitation.

GOOD NEWS

a groundbreaking surgery

Joy to Life Foundation founder Joy Blondheim has struggled with lymphedema since her breast cancer diagnosis 20 years ago. Recently, Dr. Fred Ames, Joy’s surgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center, suggested she make an appointment with Mark Schaverien, Ph.D., to discuss her issues with lymphedema. Schaverien has been working with MD Anderson on a groundbreaking surgery for the condition since 2005.

Schaverien explains the procedure known as lymphovenous bypass surgery was “initially considered to be experimental,” but “has now been accepted as the gold standard for treatment and over the last two to three years [we have] experienced a steep increase in the number of patients we are treating.”

Lymphovenous bypass surgery is a procedure which involves removing a patient’s lymph nodes and relocating them to other lymphedema-affected areas in the body.

During Joy’s meeting with Dr. Schaverien, he said, “We cannot determine if Joy is a candidate for this procedure until she has a few more simple tests. But if we determine she is a candidate for this surgery, then it would mean she should never have another infection in her affected arm again.”

“Because of the seriousness of lymphatic infections, it was an aha moment. I realized I could go through this elective surgery and never have to experience an infection again,” Joy recounts. “That’s a game-changer!”

Schaverien pointed out, “For patients with advanced chronic lymphedema, such ‘physiological’ surgeries are no longer possible. However, liposuction debulking (which reduces the size of the limb) improves function and reduces the risk of future infections. However, the patient will need to wear a compression sleeve to prevent it from recurring.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LYMPHEDEMA AND THE LYMPHOVENOUS BYPASS SURGERY, VISIT MDANDERSON.ORG.