Breast Cancer Awareness - Inspired Living SA

Catrice ~ Going Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Inspired Living, along with Catrice is turning up the pink to support this cause! Having lost my own mom to cancer, when she was just a bit younger than I am now, has made me even more passionate about breast cancer awareness!

It is also vital that my girls are informed and educated about this disease. Many breast lumps are harmless, but they should all be checked. Some people tend to adopt the attitude of rather not knowing and think that Cancer is something that will never happen to them. Well think again – ignorance is no way to live your life! It is important to be informed and educated, ensure that you examine your breasts regularly and if you are over 40, to go for regular check-ups to detect any abnormalities before they become life-threatening.

CatriceSA very kindly sent Inspired Living a makeup hamper to create a pink inspired makeup look! I decided to have a bit of fun with this campaign and involve my girls because well they LOVE makeup! I guess it is hard not to with a mom like me 😉 Below you can see the two looks we created and the products we used.

We used the following Catrice products to create this look: Eyes ~ Absolute Bright Eyeshadow Palette{using the pink and grey shadows on the top lid with a bit of highlighter below the brow bone and pink below bottom lashes}, Smokey Eyes Pencil in The Black Earl, Glamour Doll Volume Mascara. Cheeks ~ Defining Blush in Sunrose Avenue. Lips ~ Long Lasting Lip Pencil in I Got You Babe, Infinite Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Up Your Life.

We used the following Catrice products to create this look: Eyes ~ Absolute Bright Eyeshadow Palette {using the pink shades, with a touch of gold in the crease and the highlighter just below the brow and the bottom lashes}, Smokey Eyes Pencil in The Black Earl, Glamour Doll Volume Mascara. Cheeks ~ Defining Blush in Sunrose Avenue. Lips ~ Long Lasting Lip Pencil in I Got You Babe, Made to Stay Smoothing Lip Polish in Jen & Berry’s, Infinite Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Up Your Life. Nails ~ Ultimate Nail Lacquer in Fuchsiarama.

To include our readers Inspired Living is also giving away two “pink” makeup hampers, similar to the image below, from CatriceSA. I know makeup will not make the disease disappear but it can add a bit of sunshine to someones life 🙂 So follow the simple steps below and show your support to Breast Cancer Awareness and the brave survivors of this disease! Please give a shout out to anyone you know who is fighting this disease, in the comment section below. If you would like to pay it forward and gift the hamper to a friend or family member, who is a breast cancer survivor, please let us know in the comment section!

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Entries are open from 13th October 2014 until the 24th October 2014 the winner will be announced on the 27th October 2014.
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Reach To Recovery Conference 2013

Last month I attended the 17th Reach To Recover Conference held at the CTICC in Cape Town. I must admit that never having attended something like this before I was uncertain what to expect. Cancer is an issue that hits quite close to home, for me, having lost my own mom to Cancer when I was quite young!

The theme of this years conference was Together We Reach and the focus was breast cancer from the perspectives of the patient (both the newly diagnosed and those with metastatic spread), the survivor, the partner, the family, the community, the breast cancer activist and the health professional. How we can reach together to improve the quality of life for women and men with breast cancer.

In essence the conference was aimed at women and men across the world to gain a better knowledge of breast cancer, a better understanding of the needs of low-resourced areas, how to improve service delivery and support for patients, survivors and families, to find sustainable solutions that can be used across borders, to increase networking opportunities to facilitate skills and knowledge transfer and last but certainly not least to empower survivors who are advocates for their rights.

My main aim for attending the conference was to gain more knowledge myself because I believe that knowledge is power and without it we are unable to help and support those around us. Having two daughters of my own I am aware of the responsibility as a mother to ensure that they are informed and have an understanding of the threats that this disease poses.

As a woman of 40, one may think that you know everything you need to about Breast Cancer(BC) but in my opinion unless you are directly affected by BC, you know very little. Attending the conference definitely left me feeling more knowledgeable on the topic but I must admit I did find it quite overwhelming trying to grasp the severity of this global problem! With over 1 million deaths caused by cancer each year the stats are devastating and with BC being the most diagnosed cancer in woman, it is definitely something that we all need to know more about.

There were many doctors who spoke at the conference, all specialists in their own right and extremely passionate advocates in the fight against Breast Cancer. It was great to hear from such a diverse range of people and in essence they all had the same message – it is vital to empower yourself and know your risks and most importantly not be ignorant, like an ostrich with you head in the sand.

It was very interesting to learn that although Mammograms have their place in diagnosing BC, there are other methods that are as, if not more successful and that mammograms are more successful in diagnose of BC, in patients over the age of 50. Another interesting factor was self or clinical examination can be as beneficial when diagnosing BC, so it is important to be vigilant with these things, making them part of your everyday life. Make sure you have regular checkups and if you know you are at risk, genetic testing is a good option!

So what did I take away from this experience? I now have a more balanced understanding of what the risk or contributing factors to BC are. I also know that it is important for patients and survivors to share their knowledge and experiences with those around them, as it may in turn help someone else who is suffering with Breast Cancer.

Education, Family, Healthy Living

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and with 1 in 29 women in South Africa having the potential to be diagnosed with Breast Cancer, it is definitely something we need to be more aware of! Many breast lumps are harmless, but they should all be checked. Many people adopt the attitude of rather not knowing and think that Cancer is something that will never happen to them. Well think again – ignorance is no way to live your life! It is important to be informed and educated, ensure that you examine your breasts regularly and if you are over 40, to go for regular check-ups to detect any abnormalities before they become life-threatening.

Having lost my own mom to cancer when she was the age I am now, health and well-being is something I am very passionate about and I want to ensure that my girls are informed and understand how lifestyle can affect your health. I thought I would include tips from the CANSA website on living cancer free:

CANSA’s Top Tips on living Cancer- Free

Eat smart and healthy – Be cancer-smart when choosing, preparing and enjoying food. Avoid processed foods and include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet.
Exercise and manage stress – Live a balanced, active lifestyle. Exercise is essential for building immunity and strength. If you’re fit, managing your day-to-day responsibilities will be less stressful.
Avoid alcohol and tobacco – Limit the use of alcohol or avoid it completely and avoid the use of tobacco products.
Go for regular screening – Take time to go for regular medical check-ups and screening. Do monthly breast examinations and go for regular Pap smears, every two to three years. Pap smears and breast examinations are important as they help to detect cancer early. The earlier cancer is detected, the higher your chance of surviving cancer. See Women’s Health Infographic and download Leaflets: Breast Cancer| Cervical Cancer.
Establish a support system – Seek the company of those who inspire you, whether family or friends and spend quality time with them.
Find daily inspiration – Feed your mind and soul with daily reflections that uplift you and give purpose and meaning to your life. Prayer and positive meditation can enhance your spiritual well-being.
Nurture a positive attitude and sense of humour – Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to keep you focussed on the positive. Laughter is nature’s medicine and strengthens your immunity. So have some fun!
Complete treatment – Complete the treatment prescribed by medical and care teams if you are ill.
Go for regular follow-ups – To avoid the recurrence of cancer, you should practice a balanced lifestyle and go for regular medical check-ups even after remission.

There are various campaigns running at the moment where you can show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness, so get your pink on and help support this most worthy cause! Buy a pink ribbon in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Super Mom Blog is going pink for the duration of October!

Source: CANSA