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| The Cancer Blog retires
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Cancer Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Diabetes blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOLPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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Eli Lilly's Evista cancer drug approved by FDA
Filed under: Drug, All Cancers  It's interesting when a drug is re-purposed into something aimed at fighting cancer, but that is what has happened to Evista, a prescription drug made by Eli Lilly which was originally for osteoporosis patients.
The FDA has officially approved Evista for use in breast cancer patients as of late this week, although the drug will now come with a box warning advising patients of a heightened risk for stroke by taking the drug.
I'm not sure -- are some drugs worth the possible benefits when certain side effects can be just as bad as what is trying to be treated?
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| Experience Project to launch The Cancer Support Project on October 1st
Filed under: All Cancers, Events, Services, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Pre-vivors  Experience Project is launching a new online cancer support network , The Cancer Support Project, on October 1st, 2007.
Experience Project is built around dynamic groups of users who come onto the platform, share narratives and personal stories about their life experiences, and then connect with others who are going through the same experiences. Experience Project will never ask for your name; you can keep your identity completely private while meeting new friends who can understand you.
The central goal of The Cancer Support Project is to provide a hub for emotional and psychological support for all experiences involving cancer, including experiences as a survivor or a caregiver, something that is not currently widely addressed as many sites focus on sharing information regarding therapies. The Experience Project will also be launching a Facebook application within The Cancer Support Project to enable people to show their support and raise cancer awareness via Facebook, MySpace, blogs and web pages.
The Cancer Support Project will be launching on October 1st, but you can check it out now. I know I will be checking it out for sure! The Cancer Support Project is located here.
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On Pavarotti and pancreatic cancer
Filed under: Pancreatic Cancer, Politics  Luciano Pavarotti, possibly the most famous classical singer on earth, received a final sendoff this past weekend in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Pavarotti died last week of pancreatic cancer. More than 100,000 people filed through the cathedral and plaza, more than 700 guests attended the funeral mass and millions watched the live broadcast on television.
Pavarotti underwent surgery for a malignant pancreatic mass in July 2006. A month later, after his surgery, Pavarotti told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, "I was a fortunate and happy man. After that, this blow arrived. And now I am paying the penalty for this fortune and happiness."
One could not be surprised that Pavarotti felt this way. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers, with a five-year survival rate here in the U.S. of less than 5%, although surgery can improve survival greatly. Pancreatic cancer is also one of the most underfunded research areas in cancer. For more information about what you can do to increase funding for pancreatic cancer research and raise awareness of this deadly disease, please see PanCAN's action page.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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| Mobile phone cancer link brought up once more
Filed under: All Cancers  In the last decade, we've seen studies that try to link mobile phone use to all kinds of cancer, the most common type being brain cancer. The thinking is that the radiation output from these devices affects the brain when those phones are held close to the head for extended periods.
Well, here's one to shoot this theory down, I guess. In Australia, authorities there have said that mobile phone use does not cause cancer, and talking on a phone in the car is no more dangerous than having a passenger aboard. Wow-- those are heavy hitters.
For many of us, those ultra low-power Bluetooth headsets are the solution for not holding that cellphone near your head for along periods of time. You?
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Millions around the world die in pain due to morphine bans
Filed under: Drug  Millions of people around the world die in severe pain due to bans of morphine, reports The New York Times. While poverty plays a role, doctors also fear law enforcement of morphine bans.
The World Health Organization estimates that 4.8 million people around the world suffer with moderate to severe cancer pain in addition to millions who suffer needless from late-state AIDS pain. At pain conferences, doctors from Africa describe patients whose pain is so bad that they throw themselves in front of trucks.
In another related article, the newspaper examines the slow movement of the Japanese culture away from the fear of painkillers.
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| Testicular cancer linked to birth weight
Filed under: Testicular Cancer  There might be some bad news out there for men with above or below normal birth weights -- new studies are showing that they might be at a high risk for testicular cancer than those who were born a more normal size. To be more precise, men with low birth weights were 18% more likely to develop testicular cancer than their normal-sized counterparts, and high birth weight men were 12% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. It should be noted, however, that the findings are only try to seminoma testicular cancer, which is the most prevalent type.
Researchers are not indicating whether they believe there might be a reason to these findings. I wonder if some unhealthy habits of mothers that may have lead to low or high birth weights could be playing a role in the health of their sons later in life? What do you think?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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Celeb charm necklaces in support of cancer
Filed under: Celebrity fundraisers  Popular celebrities like Kate Moss and Scarlett Johansson have lent their signature style to the fight against cancer by designing charms that reflect their own character, which will be sold with the profits going to a prominent UK cancer charity. The charms are appearing on a necklace that is being sold at Wallis for about $51USD each. Moss' charm is a petite swallow, while Johansson's is a vibrant yellow and orange lilly. Other contributors include designer Christian Louboutin and comedian Catherin Tate.
I think it's great to see celebrities and designers offering their time and their good taste towards a good cause. Don't you agree?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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| Oncologists critical in managing psychiatric disorders
Filed under: Stress Reduction, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Pre-vivors  According to an article in CANCER, mental illness and emotional distress in patients with advanced cancer is often overlooked by oncologists, but proper management can improve a patient's quality of life.
The review article was written by Dr. Michael Miovic and Dr. Susan Block from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Miovic and Block found that 50 percent or more of patients with advanced or terminal cancer suffer from at least one of three major disorders: adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. Medical management of cancer has improved in the last decade, but management of mental health issues has lagged, according to the authors. Studies show that depressive symptoms can even impact patients' lives even more than pain.
The authors recommend listening as the most important screening tool in the oncologist's toolkit.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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More men need prostate cancer testing
Filed under: Prostate Cancer  In Canada, health officials are wanting more men in the high-risk group (most likely, middle aged) to get screened for prostate cancer. Why? Well, only two in every five men in that country from within that group apparently have tested for prostate cancer in the past year. That's just too low.
An astounding 39 percent (only) of men over the age of 45 have taken blood tests to measure the prostate specific antigen levels, with only 33 percent having undergone a digital rectal exam.
In other words, there could be a lot more undiagnosed prostate problems under development with such a low amount of high-risk men being tested.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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| Heart failure rare in leukemia patients on Gleevec
Filed under: Leukemia  According to researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, congestive heart failure rarely occurs among leukemia patients who take Gleevec (imatinib).
The study was led by Dr. Jorge Cortes who said that there is no need for routine cardio-specific monitoring of all patients taking imatinib, although those with cardiac history should be close monitored. In a separate paper lasat year, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported that imatinib may be cardio-toxic in humans.
Imatinib targets two members of the tyrosine kinase class of enzymes and a hybrid tyrosine kinase known to cause chronic myologenous leukemia (CML) and Ph-postive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Before imatinib, only about half of CML patients survived five years. Now the five year survival rate is 95 percent.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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Routine lung cancer screening gets thumbs down
Filed under: Lung Cancer  Lung cancer screening by using CT scans may not be the best thing to do, according to a recent report by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).
That group stated that, outside of research studies, studying lung cancer using CT technology is not worth the risk since it rarely (if at all) leads to reduced lung cancer deaths.
The reason? Sounds to easy, but with CT tests only looking at lung cancer detection, actual survival rates were not looked at in many cases (and weren't affected anyway).Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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| Two or more drinks a day in postmenopausal women doubles risk of endometrial cancer
Filed under: Endometrial Cancer  Postmenopausal women who consume two or more alcoholic drinks a day may double their risk of endometrial cancer, according to a new study published by Veronica Wendy Setiawan and colleagues at the University of Southern California.
Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system and accounts for six percent of all cancers in women, according to the NCI.
According to Setiawan, previous studies have shown that alcohol consumption has been associated with higher estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, which could be the mechanism that increases the risk of endometrial cancer.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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Yoga benefits breast cancer survivors from ethnically diverse populations
Filed under: Breast Cancer  A new study from researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine shows that yoga can benefit ethnic minority breast cancer survivors, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics, as well as those from under-served communities.
During the 12 week study, researchers compared quality of life measures between two groups of women with early stage breast cancer; one group took a weekly yoga class and the other group didn't. More women in the non-yoga group experienced a worsening of social well-being compared to the yoga group. The yoga classes seemed to offer social support, which may have helped counteract loneliness and isolation, which is common after a cancer diagnosis.
The women in the yoga group participated in a gentle, seated form of yoga based on Integral Hatha Yoga, and classes were provided in both English and Spanish.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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| A mutation in BRAF can predict likelihood of recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer after treatment
Filed under: Thyroid Cancer  A mutation in the BRAF oncogene, BRAF V600E, has been linked to the most common type of tyroid cancer, conventional papillary thyroid cancer or PTC. A new study shows that this mutation is also significantly associated with cancer recurrence after treatment, according to Dr. Electron Kebebew at UCSF.
Most patients diagnosed wtih PTC have small, localized PTC, but may receive aggressive treatments becasue their risk of recurrence cannot be predicted before surgery.
According to the researchers, this result shows that this particular mutation is a reliable indicator for recurrence likelihood and testing for the mutation may be useful for selecting the initial therapy.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Filed under: Ovarian Cancer  September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. Advocates and researchers at the University of Michigan hope that increased awareness about ovarian cancer can save lives.
Here is what they want you to know.
1. Symptoms do exist. Bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating, feeling full quickly, and frequent or urgent urinating are have been shown to be related to a possible case of ovarian cancer and if they persist you should see your doctor.
2. There is no early detection screening test currently.
3. All women should get yearly pelvic exams.
4. Ovarian cancer is difficult to treat because it's often resistant to current treatments.
5. Survival rates are better at the early stage.
6. Most common in older white women.
7. A small number of ovarian cancers are hereditary, linked to the same genes that are linked to breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2.
8. The best person to treat ovarian cancer is a gynecologic oncologist.
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| Take if off with trainer Jillian Michaels
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Celebrities, Fit Fashion  BIggest Loser trainer Jillian Micheals, once a chubby girl who transformed her body and her life, has just the plan for shedding a few pounds prior to that perfect party, wedding, or class reunion.
Cut the carbs, says Michaels. Not permanently -- just two days before the big event. Ditch the grains, rice, pasta, cereal, sugar (even fruit sugar) and you'll look stunning and feel fabulous.
An idea for more long-term weight loss: Make a list of reasons why you want to lose weight and get into shape. Be realistic -- don't plan to run a marathon right off the bat -- and use your list to guide your efforts. Take responsibility, says Michaels. Choose your actions wisely. And your actions will influence your results.
Now get to work -- Jillian continues to pave the way right here, at AOL's AmericaTakes It Off location.
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Just add water
Filed under: Fitness, Food and Nutrition, Women's Health, Men's Health, Diet and Weight Loss, Obesity  If we continue at the rate we're going, the entire U.S. population will be obese in 50 years. That's what a recent University of Missouri study suggests, anyway. Even if it doesn't turn out to be completely true, it's easy to see how it can still end up being quite close.
What can we do about it? Best I can tell, the only solution is to shape up. Through diet and regular exercise, the obesity epidemic can become a thing of the past, rather than an inevitable part of our future. With that little pep talk over, I feel obliged to now offer up a quick health tip. OK ... here goes.
Random Health Tip of the Day: add water to your cereal. Well, you don't have to add it directly to your cereal; drink a glass of water while you eat it. Men's Health magazine states that doing so will help slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, thereby preventing hunger-causing blood sugar spikes. In addition, the water will help make the fiber in the cereal expand, which will also help you feel fuller longer. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| How Halle Berry got her body back after baby
Filed under: Fitness, Women's Health, Diet and Weight Loss, Celebrities  Halle Berry was seen this weekend at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in Los Angeles (possibly with an engagement ring on her all-important finger), and let me tell you -- she looked fantastic. And the fact that she gave birth to her daughter, Nahla Ariela, just about a month ago makes her fabulous body just that much more amazing.
New moms in the real world shouldn't hold themselves to Halle's standards -- I mean, she had a ridiculously amazing figure before the baby. However, she dished about her post-pregnancy fitness routine to People, and I've got the scoop for you!
She's been working out five days a week for an hour with her trainer, Ramona Braganza. She implements three cardio segments using the elliptical, stairs, and kickboxing, as well as some strength-training that works her abs and legs.Continue reading How Halle Berry got her body back after baby Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Over half of Americans taking prescription drugs
Filed under: General Health, Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits  Look at the person on your left. Now turn to the person on your right. Chances are, one of those people are on some sort of chronic prescription medication. For the first time ever, over half of Americans are.
You might think that this is good news, that all that medication means that pharmaceuticals have caught up with chronic conditions. But actually, say health experts, it means that America's health is in a downward spiral. Most of those meds are for conditions like coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
Experts say it's our couch potato mentality and drug company advertising that's gotten us into this position. What's worrisome is that children's use of prescribed medication is on the rise as well.
Small but healthy changes in lifestyle can mean disease prevention. If you haven't had a chance to join our Summer Quick Fix program, check it out today. Check out this healthy meal plan for some tips on better nutrition for your body.
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| Fit Beauty: 3 steps to your best breasts
Filed under: Women's Health, Fit Beauty  Whether your (bra) cups runneth over or the only cleavage you are able to show is with your toes, you still want to have the best breasts possible. And no, I'm not suggesting implants or augmentations -- this post isn't about surgical enhancement. I'm talking about simple things you can do at home to get "wow" breasts, and according to Fitnessmagazine.com, it only takes three steps!
You might not be planning to wear tops cut "down to there," but chances are good that sometime this summer you'll find yourself in a top with a neckline that shows at least a little bit of your chest. And when that day comes, you'll be glad you've been taking care of the "girls," believe me!
- No more zits! Did you know that the skin of your decolletage has just as many oil glands as the skin on your face? And, be honest -- even if you wash your face every night before you go to bed, how often do you wash your cleavage in between showers? I don't know about you, but I can truthfully say never. If your chest is prone to breaking out, use an anti-acne body wash with 5% benzoyl peroxide once a day. And, when you work out, wear fabrics that breath and wick away sweat. You can also treat trouble areas with a 2% salicylic-acid body spray after exercising to banish bacteria.
Continue reading Fit Beauty: 3 steps to your best breasts Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Monkey see, monkey eat
Filed under: Food and Nutrition  Good role modeling never goes out of style. It may even be the exact reason why people gobble down Goldfish crackers -- or animal crackers.
In one study, cited in June's The Oprah Magazine, college students who watched a video of a colleague talking while eating Goldfish crackers chose Goldfish over animal crackers 71 percent of the time. Those watching someone eat animal crackers went for Goldfish only 44 percent of the time, despite a reported overall preference for Goldfish.
This Monkey See, Monkey Do phenomenon holds true for babies too.
Chow down on fruits and veggies while your baby is in the womb and while you're breastfeeding and your little one will be more likely to consume these items when offered them, say researchers mentioned in the May issue of Woman's Day magazine.
The lesson here: Think before you eat, because people, even babies, are likely to mimic your actions. And be careful about whose eating habits you watch, because you're likely to pick up the very snacks you see.
For some strategies and tips for healthy eating, check out AOL's America Takes It Off series.
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| Don't L'Eggo Whole Wheat Eggos
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Vegetarian, Healthy Kids, Healthy Products  Grocery prices are getting out of hand -- I bypassed a $2.49 box of frozen, multigrain waffles today to buy two boxes of the less healthy/not whole-grain variety because they were a buck a box. I'll sprinkle some flax on top of them before sliding the plates over to the kids, but I'm still having waffle-purchase regret. My kids eat a lot of waffles -- we're missing out on a golden whole-grain opportunity here.
If you're into frozen waffles, a group of five San Francisco-area food aficionados from Taster's Choice have analyzed the whole-grain variety. Here are the Top Three:
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1st Place: Scoring a 75 out of 100, Van's multi-grain waffles are eggless, dairy-free and the tasters reported a "good crunch." Unfortunately, they are outrageously expensive at $3.29 for six waffles at Whole Foods. How come the good stuff is out of reach for the average middle-class family? Maybe we need to re-prioritize our waffle budget.
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2nd Place: Scoring a 59 (much lower than Van's), Safeway's Eating Right had a nice texture and a nutty taste. Cost: $2.75 for 10 waffles -- now we're talkin'!
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3rd Place: Eggo whole-wheat waffles garnered 57 points. Tasters commented it was crispy and even looked homemade. 10 L'Eggo-My-Whole-Wheat-Eggos cost $3.49, a bit pricey.
Lifestream and Kashi also make multi-grain frozen waffles, but they didn't make the Top Three.
After you start your day with a whole-grain frozen waffle, head on over to AOL Body's America Takes It Off!: Summer Quick Fix weight loss program and accept the challenge to drop a few pounds. You'll find a bunch of tips to help you get started, even how to stock your fridge! Focusing on whole-grains is a good start.
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New Yorkers face calorie facts
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Health in the Media, Healthy Habits  Would you steer away from that juicy restaurant burger if next to its menu description came a whopper listing of its calories? New Yorkers are facing this very question now that the city's chain restaurants are legally required to post calorie counts on their menus.
Officials are hoping that publishing calorie facts will inspire healthier dining and minimize out-of-control obesity. It might. Kind of like journaling your every bite might prevent you from over-eating, staring at the number 2,900 while you drool over the Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries just might cause you to pull in the reigns. Gazing at a Starbucks pastry case may become a whole new experience too. Apparently, people were recently seen backing away from the glass at one location as they read labels.
"Oh man, I never would have guessed it was that much," said one woman about the cookie calorie counts. "It definitely discourages me from buying."Continue reading New Yorkers face calorie facts Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| Skin cancer should alarm you
Filed under: General Health, Healthy Habits  May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Are you aware? I am, as I look at my husband's left hand, fresh out of surgery to remove a squamous cell cancer, in all of its stitched and bandaged glory. I am aware when I look at my pale, pale skin and attempt to cover up as much as possible before heading out into the blazing Florida sun. I am aware when I lather my blond-headed little boys with sunscreen, hide in the shade at my neighborhood pool, and think back to all the skin cancer-y spots my grandma was forever having frozen off her her aging body. I've had a few frozen myself. And my sister just last year had two basal cell cancers carved right out of her chest. Her scars are constant reminders of summers spent basking on the beach.
Skin cancer should not be taken lightly, no matter how strongly you believe the disease won't happen to you. Of all the cancers out there, you might think this one is no big deal. You'd be wrong. Just ask Miss Melanoma who lost a toe because a mole on her foot turned up as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Ask anyone battling the disease and fighting off death. There were an estimated 59,940 new melanoma cases in the U.S. in 2007 and 250,000 cases of squamous cells carcinomas, the second most common type of skin cancer. Basal cell cancer, the most common form, strikes one million people each year.
Skin cancer should alarm you. Because if left undetected, it can kill you. Awareness is key. So do you part this month. And every month. Inform yourself. Your family. Your friends. All the information you need -- how to prevent it, how to detect it, how to treat it -- can be found right here at The Skin Cancer Foundation.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Celebrity Fitzness Report: "Lazy Man Stretches" with Pro Ice Skaters Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman
Filed under: Fitness, Food and Nutrition, General Health, Health in the Media, Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Spirituality and Inspiration, Stress Reduction, Work/Home Balance, Women's Health, Men's Health, Diet and Weight Loss, Celebrities, Celebrity Fitzness Report, Obesity Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.
Continue reading Celebrity Fitzness Report: "Lazy Man Stretches" with Pro Ice Skaters Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| Life Fit Chat with Laura Lewis: The Fat Rules for Weight Loss Success
Filed under: Life Fit Chat with Laura Lewis  Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!
Losing weight is challenging for many people. But you know, if you simply get your proportions "right" and eat the "right" foods, then magically, you will lose weight ... healthfully! Believe me, I know. I have seen people complain about not being able to lose weight. If they eat right and get active, things can shift dramatically. Here is an interesting story I remember from years ago. I attended a conference where the "legendary" expert on weight loss, Covert Bailey, who wrote the highly popular book Fit or Fat, was speaking. I loved his book, as did many others at the time, but in person he was brilliant ... and crass! When I interviewed him on one of my radio shows, he actually hung up in the middle of it ... big radio station too! Lovely eh? Anyway, he said one thing that stands out in my mind. "Put an overweight person on one coast, give them a loaf of whole grain bread and some water. Then tell them to walk to the other coast. Do you think they'll lose weight? You bet!" Wow. He had a point. For over 20 years, I have helped many people achieve their health and fitness goals. And a back to basics program WORKS. But what about fat in your diet? You NEED Fat. Read on! Here are the Fat Rules!1. Saturated Fat is Good for you. Real animal fats are rich in nutrients, have antimicrobral qualities that "help your body fight viruses, yeasts and pathogens in the gut." Why is it that so many arrows point in the direction of negating saturated fats from our diets when in reality we need "good fat" to help us to absorb fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K?! We need "good fat" to help us manufacture hormones, maintain the integrity of our cellular membranes as well as to keep our immune system strong. How much? Some say 10% of your daily calories should be from "sat fats." Did you know coconut oil is 92% fat and is deemed highly beneficial for protecting the immune system? Mother's milk is over 50% saturated fat. Interesting facts to ponder! 2. Replace "fake fats" with "real fats." Margarine is typically hydrogenated with nickel, has been bleached, whipped, heated and becomes a type of fat that may actually elevate cholesterol levels. You might be consuming a margarine that is "free of trans fats" but I recommend going the "real" butter route. Just use it moderately and don't go crazy! 3. The Mighty Trio? Extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and real organic butter all in moderation will keep your body healthy. What about other vegetable oils? Many have been heated and also treated with chemicals thus leaving them highly unstable. Unstable oil may turn rancid. Rancid oils introduce peroxidases into the body which in turn may cause free radical damage. Free radical damage has been correlated with elevation of cholesterol! Hmmm. Is it time to get "real" with your fat? 4. Eat good fat daily! Yes, that is correct. Here is what I suggest: One tablespoon of Olive Oil (keep it refrigerated!), one tablespoon of Flax Oil, a few pats of real organic butter, maybe a bit of avocado, some raw almonds. Then "build" your diet around that. Lean protein, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of pure water. Avoid highly processed foods, especially refined sugar and white flour! Some believe that elevated cholesterol levels correlate to the increased consumption of those "white" foods! 5. How Much? Ten to 20 percent of your total calories should be from fat, according to the USDA Food Pyramid. Basically 20 to 40 grams of fat for women when trying to lose weight and 30 to 50 grams for men. Once you've lost the weight, bump up to the higher percentage of your calories as fat!
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Daily Fit Tip: Pimp your greens!
Filed under: Daily Fit Tip  If you're trying to lose weight, you'll have to fill up on salads and veggies. But salads can get boring -- fast! And when you get bored with your meals, that's when you reach for the junk food.
Which is why we need to keep our healthy foods fresh and interesting -- Fitsugar calls it 'Pimping your greens.' Here are some of my favourite ways to spice up my salads -- feel free to share some of your own in the comments.
- Try different dressings, but make sure to check the label before buying because certain dressings (like the creamy ones) can be loaded with fat and calories. Better yet -- try making your own!
- Add some nuts and seeds. They'll add protein and flavour to your greens.
- Think outside the veggies. Slices of fresh fruit can add a lot of flavour to your salad -- strawberries, grapes and mango are my favourites.
- Cheese, please. I love cheese and if adding it to my salad means I look forward to chowing down on my greens, so be it.
- Get inspired. I sometimes spend my lunch hours perusing the internet for interesting salad recipes -- I rarely follow a recipe by the book but it's great for ideas and inspiration.
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| Go green
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Men's Health, HealthWatch Guys, are you getting your greens? No, I'm not talking about the type of M&Ms that, in a hard-to-forget TV commercial from the mid 1980s, reportedly helps a batter take the ball down...town. Rather, I'm talking about the type of greens that are far less tasty than a piece of candy-coated chocolate, but vastly superior in terms of health. Greens, man. You know, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, etc.? You're right, I should have just mentioned Popeye from the start.
Nevertheless, a study out of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York shows that as little of three daily servings of raw greens can slash your risk of bladder cancer by as much as 40 percent. What's more, you may be surprised to learn (I know I was) that bladder cancer is actually the fourth most common form of cancer in men.
The next time you're at the supermarket, don't forget to stop by the produce section and go green!!
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America Takes It Off cookbook
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Diet and Weight Loss, Healthy Recipes  For many people, when they change their eating habits in an effort to lose weight, their menu becomes a little limited. When you're used to cooking with butter and covering everything in cream sauces, your recipe box can become a little useless. But healthy eating certainly doesn't have to be boring and your options are limitless.
AOL Body's America Takes It Off program has been in full swing for a couple of weeks now. Have you decided to take the challenge? If you're hard at work trying to shed a few pounds before summer, don't limit yourself to the same old foods over and over. America Takes It Off has pulled together a great collection of healthy recipes that will tempt your taste buds and keep you on the right diet track.
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| Count your osteoarthitis risk factor on two fingers
Filed under: Fitness, General Health, Women's Health, Men's Health, HealthWatch  Remember the coup de toe episode of Seinfeld? You know, where Geroge tells Jerry to use a joke in his stand-up routine about the situation wherein a person's second toe is longer than their big toe, ostensibly positioning itself to be the new the leader of the foot. Well, it turns out that this digit disparity is much less of a laughing matter if your ring finger is longer than your index finger.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham in England found that people whose index finger is shorter than their ring finger have double the chance of developing osteoarthritis. Great - just checked ... my ring finger is longer than my index finger. Never, ever noticed that before. Anyway, researchers posit that a small index finger can be an indication of low levels of estrogen, steroid compounds involved in the prevention of bone density loss.
But if you're like little ol' index finger me, you can still protect yourself against osteoarthritis by keeping your weight under control. Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce pressure on your joints, thereby reducing your risk of developing this degenerative clinical syndrome -- regardless of how long or short your fingers may be. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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An aspirin at bedtime lowers blood pressure
Filed under: Health in the Media  The results of a recent study show that an aspirin taken at bedtime lowered the blood pressure of pre-hypertensive patients, whereas an aspirin taken in the morning didn't have the same effect. While the exact reasons are unknown, researchers suggest that nighttime aspirin usage could slow the production of clot-producing hormones and other substances that are typically generated at night.
The three-month study followed 244 adults with blood pressure that hovered just below the 140/90 mark. (Consistent readings greater than 140/90 are considered high blood pressure (HBP). Readings that are just below that threshold are considered pre-hypertension -- a warning that the patient is at risk of HBP. The group was divided into thirds: one group followed a blood pressure reducing diet, the second took a 100 mg aspirin at bedtime, the third took an aspirin in the morning.
The group that took the aspirin before bedtime saw the best results -- an average drop of 5.4 points in systolic pressure and 3.4 points in diastolic pressure.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| Fall of the machines
Filed under: Fitness, Women's Health, Men's Health  If there's one thing gyms have a lot of, it's machines. Some of the larger fitness facilities have so many machines that they look more like you'd build a car there than a new body. With so many different machine options available, though, it's sort of unfortunate that you're better off not using any of them.
Many machines are designed to isolate a single muscle by guiding your movement on a fixed path. This may sound like a good thing at first blush, but it's not really that good at all. Over time, the isolated muscle you work can become stronger than its supporting muscles, possibly resulting in muscular imbalance or injury.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't ever use machines; rather, I'm merely suggesting that you do not spend your entire workout -- or even the majority of it -- on them. For maximum return on your effort investment, stick to free weights as often as possible during your resistance training. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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I'm a big fan of Fat Bastard wine, which I picked up a bottle of a few years back simply because of the odd name. If you enjoy their wine too be sure to pick some up during the months of September and October because the makers will be donating $0.25 from every bottle sold to breast cancer charities. 
It's never a good thing when a drugmaker sends letters to doctors saying that a drug they are prescribing has resulted in confirmed deaths.
It's something that many women would cheer about -- the use of oral contraceptives actually lowers overall cancer risk as a side effect.
It what seems like an obvious result, a recent U.S. study found that breast cancer survivors who received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy were the most apt to have severe fatigue. In addition, that fatigue lasted for prolonged periods of time.