FitSugar

Cancer Confusion

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:30:00 -0700

It being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have been reading a lot about cancer. I was surprised that after all my research there were some basic facts about women and cancer that I was still missing. I learned a lot from this article What Women Don't Know About Cancer and here are a few facts you should know.

The vast majority of cancers occur in women who have no family history of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society only five to ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary. So family history may be part of the equation, but most cancers occur in women with no family history at all.
Taking oral contraceptives is associated with a reduced risk of ovarian, uterine, and possibly colorectal cancer
Though more women get more breast cancer than lung cancer, far fewer breast cancer patients die. Eighty percent of lung cancers in women are caused by smoking. I am going to say it one more time, quitting smoking is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body.

start training in the gym, you're also going to want to check out all the cool new gear available this year.

One of my favorite board sport watch companies, Nixon, is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month with this Boarding for Breast Cancer Vega Watch ($59.95). This oversized bracelet watch features polycarbonate stretch links and a stainless steel case and square face. It's pink, so you can still show off your girly side as you thrash down the mountain. Two dollars from every pink Vega watch sold goes to Boarding for Breast Cancer!

Another Way to Get Involved: Pilates for Pink

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

October is almost coming to an end, and so is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but there is still time left for you to get involved, physically and monetarily.

Pilates for Pink is a national awareness aimed at raising money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation through Pilates. To find a participating studio near you and see if they have any more classes for the Pilates for Pink event, just click here. If you don't have enough time to take a class before the month is over, the list provides a great resource for Pilates studios near you, so take a look anyway.

Rethink Breast Cancer: Touch. Look. Check.

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

The more I write about breast cancer, the more I realize the face of the disease is getting younger and younger. Women under 30 are regularly diagnosed with breast cancer – it is no longer a post menopausal disease. I just found the Canadian organization Rethink Breast Cancer. Their focus is not only fundraising for research, but creating awareness about the disease, and their target demographic is women under 40.

As a fundraising event RBC just hosted The Boobyball complete with a Tit for Tat Auction. If the events were as fun as their names, I am sure they raised a lot of dough.

Here is a PSA they have produced to remind you to check your girls. It will definitely give you a feel for the organization.

Remember: TLC = Touch. Look. Check.

Breast Cancer: Prevention and Treatment

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Breast cancer is a deadly disease that 12.6% of all women will get in their lifetime.

As women, it's important for us to know all we can about breast cancer, about what we can do to prevent it, and also what to do if we're diagnosed.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take this quiz to test your knowledge.

Source

Take the quiz

Yoplait Lids for Lives Campaign: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I am all for retail philanthropy. I buy (and giveaway) pink ribbon products with a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer research and support. Truth is, that some purchases don't really add up to much of a donation for your breast cancer organization of choice; it just seems like you should give money directly to the source.

The Yoplait Lids for Lives campaign definitely has its heart in the right place, but it seems a little more like a marketing tool than a fund raising project. All you have to do is eat Yoplait yogurt with a pink lid and save the lid. Wash the lid and flatten it. Put it in an envelope. Mail the lid or lids to El Paso, Texas. Then Yoplait will donate 10 cents for every lid you send in to the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation.

I don't know about you, but I think I would like to just send the Susan G. Komen for a Cure a check directly. I guess if you already eat a lot of pink capped Yoplait yogurt this program makes sense.

What do you think:

Sun Bathe to Prevent Breast Cancer?

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would tell you about a recent and interesting study on the disease. A research team found that increased exposure to sunlight, which increases levels of vitamin D in the body, may decrease the risk of advanced breast cancer. Although researchers have not yet determined why this is so, it appears that vitamin D may play a significant role in slowing the growth of breast cancer cells.

This does not mean you should start laying out to work on your "tan." Skin cancer is still a serious issue. You should, however, look for vitamin D in food sources like fatty fish as well as fortified milk products, cereal and fruit juices. You can also find vitamin D in many multivitamins as well.

Weekend Reading: Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I was surprised to learn that there was more than one comic book memoir about breast cancer. I would like to write pleasantly surprised, because I love comics and graphic novels, but the memoirs could only be written if the authors went through dealing with the horrible disease. See – not so pleasant.

Miriam Engelberg's memoir in comics, Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person, made me laugh out loud repeatedly. Full of black humor and neurosis, Engelberg honestly explores the dark and odd places her mind wandered during her battle with cancer. Cancer Vixen, another comic memoir of breast cancer, reminded me of Sex and the City, and Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person has more the feel of a Woody Allen film. Self deprecating humor, combined with the simple drawings, works as an entertaining page turner.

Engelberg shares how instead of "living her life to the fullest," like a heroine from a LifeTime movie, she found solace in celebrity crossword puzzles. She laments that during chemo her hair will fall out since she just found the perfect shampoo and conditioner combination. She wants to design a t- shirt with an arrow pointing to the breast with a tumor, since she can feel people staring at her chest when she tells them of her diagnosis.

This wonderful little book is pretty powerful. Full of personal details that make her entire ordeal very real. I really appreciate that Engelberg included, at the back of the book, a resource guide for breast cancer support.

You can buy it for $11.21 from Amazon. Or look for it on the shelves of your local bookstore.

Win a Pink Ribbon Vigor Jacket by New Balance

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Help me help you stay warm while I support breast cancer research. Talk about a win/win situation. New Balance teamed up with the great breast cancer research foundation Susan G. Komen for the Cure to create the Lace Up For A Cure clothing line. I am giving away five Pink Ribbon Vigor Jackets with a percentage of the proceeds from the purchase of the jacket going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

Just log in and take this quiz. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to take the quiz. So if you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Also, this part is important, YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO TEAMSUGAR FOR YOUR VOTE TO COUNT.

The contest ends Monday, Oct. 22, at 1:00 p.m. PDT, and then I'll randomly select five winners from among the quiz-takers. Make sure to log in and take the quiz before then and don't forget to e-mail this to all your friends and family so they can have a chance at it too!

Breast Cancer Patients Feel Better With Yoga

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:45:00 -0700

The one thing we can all agree on is that everyone can benefit from doing yoga. It strengthens our bodies inside and out, and makes us feel relaxed and happy.

A new study has found that special yoga classes, with more restorative poses, can also help women battling breast cancer, especially those not taking chemotherapy. The study included 128 women, and the researchers randomly assigned half to a 12-week yoga program, and the other half were in a control group waiting list.

The classes were offered three times a week, and patients were encouraged to take at least one class a week. This wasn't a typical yoga class. The sequencing of postures was designed specifically to benefit those with breast cancer. During the study, the women doing yoga showed improvement in their quality of life, and in their spiritual, emotional, and social well-being. The more classes they attended, the better they felt.

Yoga programs are increasingly being offered in hospitals and rehab centers to benefit cancer patients, as well as prisoners and women in recovery. Knowing that yoga benefits people in need motivates me to practice even more.

Source