Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts

5 Strategies to Reduce Your Family's Cancer Risk

Preschool Children Particularly Vulnerable to Compounds Linked to Cancer in Food
Preschool Children Particularly Vulnerable to Compounds Linked to Cancer in Food

In a jaw-dropping study published this week in the journal Environmental Health and funded by a Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, researchers at UCLA and UC Davis measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults and found high exposure to cancer causing compounds.  

By pinpointing foods with high levels of toxic compounds and determining how much of these foods were consumed, the researchers found that family members in the study, and preschool children in particular, are at high risk for exposure to arsenic, DDE (a DDT metabolite), dioxins, dieldrin, and acrylamide.

These compounds have been linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, birth defects, hormone disruption and other health related conditions. Even relatively low exposures can greatly increase the risk of cancer or neurological impairment in children.  But here's the good news,  the study also points to dietary modifications that could reduce the risk.

How Are Toxins Getting Into Our Food and What Is It Doing To Our Kids?

Latest News on 9-11 First Responder's Health

I Remember Being On Top of The World

I remember being 14 years old and standing on top of the South Tower and feeling like I was literally on top of the world.  My girls ask me what it was like and it is very hard to put into words other then to say that it was invigorating and somehow hopeful to think that man could create such an unbelievable piece of architecture that I was able to be a part of.  I still remember it like it was yesterday.

First Responders Remember 9-11 Through the Eyes of Illness 

Drinking a Few Cups of Coffee a Day Lowers Cancer Risk in Women. So Should You Fill Up On Caffeine Free or Full Strength?

Image via Wikipedia
A  new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which was backed by the National Institutes of Health, says drinking a few cups of coffee a day lowers the rate of endometrial cancer in women.  Drinking coffee has also been linked to a lower rate of diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

The researchers at Harvard analyzed data on 67,470 women between the ages of 34 and 59 who were followed for about 26 years. Compared to women who drank little or no coffee, those who averaged four or more cups per day had a 25% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer, and those who drank two or three cups per day had a 7% lower risk.

If you can't handle the caffeine don't worry!  The study did not find that caffeine was necessary for the health benefit.  Women who drank 2 cups of decaffeinated coffee still had a 22% reduction in endometrial cancer.  Although a direct cause and effect relationship has not been established between coffee and cancer fighting, the best guess is that coffee acts as an antioxidant.  Interestingly, the same association was not found from drinking tea as it seems that coffee has even more antioxidants than green tea. 

Win a Save the Ta-Tas Laughter Heals Tee and Surround Yourself with the Positive, Healing Energy of Happiness! Laugh Yourself Silly and Laugh with the Ones You Love to Help Fight Breast Cancer this October and Beyond

Win a Save the Ta-Tas® Laughter Heals Tee and surround yourself with the positive, healing energy of happiness!  Laugh yourself silly and laugh with the ones you love to help fight Breast Cancer this October and Beyond

I love the way the Save-the-ta-tas® Foundation laughs in the face of cancer, don't you?  Over the last 6 years, the ta-tas® Brand has donated 50% of the profits from their shop to the cause.  To date, with the help of men and women just like you supporting their brand and purchasing their products, they have donated over $680,000 to fund the fight against cancer. 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Environmental Booty®  has partnered with Save the Ta-Tas® to urge you to support this year's Campaign to FIGHT CANCER YOUR WAY, FIGHT CANCER TOGETHER! by surrounding yourself with the positive energy of laughter.
"Things that used to bother me, like getting my hair wet in the rain, now make me laugh. I don't sweat the small stuff. I've always been a happy person, but in the aftermath of something big, like cancer, you realize how much needless worry we all go through as human beings." - Good Morning America's Robin Roberts who kicked cancer's butt
So when life doesn't go quite right and you feel like you've been dealt a bad hand, do you ever find yourself thinking negative thoughts or worrying incessantly?  Have you ever stopped to think what kind of affect your negative self talk and worry could be having on every single cell of your body? But wait, it's not just the negative or worrisome thoughts you say to yourself that you should be aware of, your body will respond with a weakened immune system to any negative energies (or people) around you...if you let them. This is the negative side of the mind-body connection.

Folks, the term "mind-body connection" is not just a phrase used to sell books. Believe it or not, there's solid science behind the words.
"Our grandmothers knew all along that our minds and our bodies were connected, even if the scientific community didn't. We've simply provided irrefutable data showing that it's true." - Neurobiologist Dr.David Felten,one of the leading scientists on the mind-body connection 
To Felten's own surprise, in 1981 at Indiana University School of Medicine, he and his team of researchers discovered a hard-wire connection between the body's immune system and the central nervous system under control of the brain. Using special fluorescent stains, Felton's team traced nerves to different locations in the body including bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen.

Incredibly, Felten discovered a network of nerves leading to blood vessels as well as cells of the immune system! The researchers also found nerves in the thymus and spleen which ended near clusters of lymphocytes, macrophages, and mast cells, all of which help control immune function.

So there it was, the mind-body connection. Felten's team had produced clear evidence that the brain has the ability to send signals to immune system cells.  Just think of the power laughter could hold for your immunity. 

This discovery gives you one very big reason to find every opportunity to laugh yourself silly and surround yourself with people who make you happy and bring joy into your life. Be sure to give your mind-body connection the attention it deserves.
"You must give birth to your images. They are the future waiting to be born." - Ranier Maria Rilke
You must give birth to the healthy, happy and productive life you want through the images you create in your mind as well as through your relationships with others. What your mind's eye "sees" is an important part of creating the healthy, happy future you desire.  Surrounding yourself with people who love you and bring happy tears to your eyes is just as important.

Plus, LOL, it's just another reason to listen to grandma! 

Enter to Win an Autographed Copy of Cash Peters' Newest Book, "a little book about believing" and Change Your Tomorrows. It's Time for a Self Help Book That Actually WILL Create Change in Life

This Giveaway is now closed.  Please click the Fan Giveaway Tab above for our current giveaway.

It's Time for a Self Help Book That Actually WILL Create Change in Life. 
Enter to Win an Autographed Copy of Cash Peters' Newest Book, "a little book about believing" and Change Your Tomorrows
 "This is an important book because of the issues it raises....I highly recommend it."  Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, Harvard Medical School

So much more than a self help book, a little book about believing: The Transformative Healing Power of Faith, Love, and Surrender indeed has the power to create change in your life.  Quite unexpectedly, reading Cash Peters' newest book has completely changed not only my life, but it has changed my family life as well.  We are all happier because of the changes that I made in my life after reading one little book.

Before I read a little book about believing, I had come to a point in my life where my enthusiasm for living was weighted down with obligation.  Life was about efficiency not surrender.  Love was something I professed but not a deep feeling I shared with all of those around me.  Getting the kids from one appointment to another felt like a chore instead of an opportunity.  There was always somewhere else I needed to be or someplace else I wished to be.  Getting from one day to the next took precedent over getting what I really needed in life.  It's not that I wasn't happy or that I didn't feel blessed, I simply didn't feel alive.

Have you ever felt like that?  Have you ever felt like you needed something so desperately - an old flame, a new job, a cure for your cancer - to create the right change in your life to make you feel fulfilled...or healthy...or to make you really feel alive?  What did you do? Did you ever find what you were looking for?  
"Too many people nowadays are wallflowers. Afraid to live, they shy away from any new experience that might lead to discomfort or feelings of insecurity, in case they trip, or fail, or make a fool of themselves, when in fact tripping, failing and making a fool of yourself is what life is all about." -  a little book about believing
BUY NOW

"a little book about believing, it was called. Not a religious book (for some reason, people look at the beseeching, bleeding hands on the jacket and think: “Must be religious.”), but instead a fascinating and inspiring work about spirituality and nutrition. It’s like THE SECRET, only this time about health and healing, and could be the thing that saves your life.

In a world where, statistically, one in two people – that’s 50% of us – will likely be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives, and where we see our friends, loved ones, and workmates dying around us, this book is one of the most reassuring pick-me-ups you could ever find, especially as a gift for someone who has been misled into believing that cancer is an automatic death sentence.

Basically, I joined a group of 24 people on a life-saving trip to spend time with faith healer John of God. The results were mind-blowing. Miracles happened while we were there. Discoveries were made that were truly extraordinary. We saw things and felt things that we’d never experienced before. The biggest discovery of all related to healing. Doctors can take it so far, we found, but in the end only you can do what’s necessary to save your life. Faith healers like John of God may help too, but the individual must play his or her part, by making changes. As it says on the jacket, there’s only one savior, and it’s YOU."  The TV Swami - aka. Cash Peters
You will find all that you have been searching for, and all that you need, to create the healthy, fulfilling life that you desire in a little book about believing.

Oh and Mr. Peters, although I haven't read The Secret, a little book about believing helped save my life and I wasn't even sick...yet.

Why 41% of Americans will be Diagnosed with Cancer at Some Time in their Lives and What You Can do About it. Latest Report from the President's Cancer Panel

A report by the President’s Cancer Panel, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now was published in April 2010 This latest annual report, for 2008–2009, was written by Suzanne H. Reuben for the cancer panel and published by the National Cancer Institute.
Why will 41%  of Americans will be Diagnosed with Cancer at Some Time in their Lives?  Check out these Highlights from a new report on the Environmental Causes of Cancer
  • A growing body of research documents a myriad of established and suspected environmental factors linked to genetic, immune, and endocrine [hormonal] dysfunction that can lead to cancer and other diseases.
  • Air emissions from vehicles, particularly from burning diesel fuel, are responsible for about 30 percent of cancer resulting from air pollution. “Diesel engine exhaust from school buses is of special concern because many children are exposed to it on a daily basis,” the report says.

Cancer Sucks


Yesterday was not a good day for bad news.  Is any day?  It seems that, as I get older, each day presents itself as an opportunity to be reminded to enjoy life to its fullest.  I found out yesterday that three people I care about have just been diagnosed with cancer; two of my friends moms have lung cancer and one of my girlfriends who is my age has breast cancer.  Cancer sucks. 

How to Fight Breast Cancer? Get Your Mammogram, Never Stop Giving and Take Pink...It's SoTru!

How to Fight Breast Cancer?  Get Your Mammogram, Never Stop Giving and Take Pink...It's SoTru!
Last week I had to go through the indignity of getting my yearly mammogram.  I say indignity because I was never busty, but after nursing three girls for a total of six years, my breasts are a member of the itty bitty...well you know the rest of that saying right?  I am always surprised that the poor tech can actually fit my "little" girls into the machine and get a picture of my breasts.   It is truly one of the best ways to save the girls and keep an eye out for breast cancer right?

10 Ways to Reduce Cancer Risks

Click on the picture above to learn more
about the components of cancer prevention.

Apparently the American Institute for Cancer Research has kindly pulled all of their research together on preventing cancer plopped it into ten easy recommendations. All of the recommendations can be boiled down into three areas: weight, diet and physical activity.  This is really amazing information and we can all take part in greening our lives in these ways to reduce our cancer risks!

The following ten recommendations for cancer prevention are drawn from the WCRF/AICR Second Expert Report and each recommendation links to more details.

McDonald's TBHQ Laced Nuggets Sold in the U.S. but not in Europe? I'm Lovin' It...NOT!

Unless you live under a rock (which these days seems like a great way to get off of the grid, shield yourself from the coming end of the world and decrease the general stress related to living in America in 2010), you have probably heard the news that McDonald's Chicken nuggets sold in the United States contain a food preservative for vegetable oils and fats called TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone).  This has been pretty big news.  Just in case you missed it though, the McDonald's chicken nuggets sold in Europe do not contain the same ingredient which when fed in large quantities to rats can increase the risk of cancer.  For better or worse, the Europeans have much stricter regulations for ingredients in pretty much everything from food to personal care products.  The stringent European regulations do not allow the nuggets to contain TBHQ...but so what?

Perfect Green Baby Gift for Every New or Expecting Mom...The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding


The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (La Leche League International Book)

One of the most natural and sustainable ways to feed your baby is to go green, breastfeed and ditch the formula.

According to The Environmental Working Group:
  • The makers of Nestlé, Similac, Enfamil and PBM (who make store-brand formulas sold at WalMart, Target, Kroger and dozens of other retailers) all said that they use BPA in the linings of metal cans holding liquid formula.
  • BPA is widely used in powdered formula containers as well. Every manufacturer except Nestlé said it uses a BPA-based lining on the metal portions of their powdered formula cans. Nestlé failed to provide EWG with reliable documentation of their alternative packaging, and thus is not a clear improvement over other types.
  • Powdered formulas are a better choice. Our calculations indicate that babies fed reconstituted powdered formula likely receive 8 to 20 times less BPA than those fed liquid formula from a metal can. 
  • BPA has been linked, in over 200 animal studies, to cancers and hormone disruption.

Breastfeeding is not for every mother and that is okay.  But think about it; obviously it is sustainable, it doesn't require you to use fuel to drive to purchase it and it is the healthiest choice for baby.  As to whether or not it is the choice for you or a new or expecting mom, that can be deciphered with The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding guide.

You must Run Over to my Fellow OpenSky Shopkeeper, Trish Vawter's Scent Hive, and Pick Up Some Paraben Free Mascara from Dr. Hauschka!


Dr. Hauschka - Volume Mascara Black



I was checking out my fellow OpenSky Shopkeepers the other day and I found out that my girl Trish over at Scent Hive is a fan of all natural Dr. Hauschka.  I love their mascara because it doesn't contain parabens!  Parabens have been linked in some studies to breast cancer in women and low sperm counts in men. Obviously I do all I can to go paraben free but I  find it so hard to find a great mascara that is paraben free.

This all natural mascara is a winner and with free shipping at OpenSky it's a no-brainer-beauty-green deal.

I am heading to The Scent Hive on OpenSky to pick up some of the blue colored mascara for my daughter and some black for me. Hope to see you there!

Trish and I would love to hear about any great paraben free products that you have found and and can't go without.  Leave us a comment below and fill us in on your paraben free beauty secrets. 

Click HERE to join our community!

Open Your Eyes and Meet Your Sugar


I am not against sugar. I love the stuff and I hate artificial sweeteners. Still, there are important things to remember when you are making your food and drink choices throughout the day or making choices for your kids. Children learn what they live and your choices are setting healthy or unhealthy eating patterns they will carry with them for life.

There is considerable information that tells us that sugars leave you more susceptible to
cancer.


There are even recent studies which point to sugars contributing to acne. We all know how sugar contributes to obesity and diabetes and I bet most parents out there (regardless of the research) can tell you that too much sugar makes their kids wack out...but how much is too much? Do you really know how much sugar you are taking in when you are making your food choices every day?

My father sent me the following photos via email with the message to, "Stay well & sugar-free (or diminished)." I am not sure where these photos originated or I would certainly give him or her credit. These are visuals that are hard to ignore.

Resveratrol - What You Need to Know about this Piece of the Anti-Aging Puzzle



Hi all, we are very lucky to have Michael Hill with ReserveAge Organics (follow on Twitter) put this post together for us. I have had a lot of questions about Resveratrol and I am excited to share Michael's knowledge about this piece of the anti-aging puzzle. - Shane


For untold generations the people of France have benefited from a phenomenon called the “French Paradox.” This paradox observes that despite eating a diet rich in fats, just like most Americans, they suffer from lower levels of heart disease and tend to live longer.

Interestingly, modern medicine points to one natural compound as the key to this phenomenon: Resveratrol. Resveratrol made by plants, most famously the red grape, as a natural defense against fungi and other dangers in the environment. In addition, this means that Organic crops actually contain more Resveratrol than non-Organic crops.

Some of the most important Resveratrol breakthroughs have come out of Harvard during the last decade. Research on mice was conducted, where mice given Resveratrol were compared to control groups not using Resveratrol. The mice taking Resveratrol, had fewer health problems, had more endurance and had fewer incidences of obesity related illnesses like heart disease and a disease similar to diabetes. Research has suggested that Resveratrol might help our bodies fight cancer, Alzheimer’s, aging itself and a number of other diseases that we typically associate with age.

Research looking into Resveratrol and Cancer is still in its early stages. However, current studies suggest that Resveratrol, either on its own or combined with other drugs, may actually destroy cancer cells by increasing Apoptosis, which is self destruction within the cells.

Alzheimer research has also led to interesting findings in mice. Mice taking Resveratrol show improved memory in older age when given tests. In addition, they show a lower occurrence of plaque on the brain, plaque is what actually causes the symptoms seen in Alzheimer’s. Research suggests that a person may be able to use Resveratrol as a way to stop the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s. This means that despite having Alzheimer’s a person may be able to use Resveratrol as a way to retain their mental faculties.

Resveratrol in any form is a polyphenol and an antioxidant, the key to anti-aging claims is its active form Trans-Resveratrol. Trans-Resveratrol is currently the only antioxidant known to trigger the SIRT1 “Longevity Gene.” The SIRT1 gene has been studied for decades. Animal research found that calories restriction activated the SIRT2 Gene, of which SIRT1 is an analogue in humans, found that it led to better health and a prolonged life span.

Organically grown foods are healthier and better for the environment than their non-organic counterparts. Eating organically grown foods and taking organic supplements can save our bodies from expending vital energy to digest and process the harmful chemical additives commonly found in non-organic products. In addition, not all of these harmful additives are easily eliminated from our body—some stay in our organs, sapping us our essential energy as our bodies fight to break them down.

If you could examine the origins of the foods that you consume every day, you might be shocked to discover that they may contain more than 150+ chemical factors, which are ingested with each bite. Needless to say, these foods can have toxic effects on your well-being and vitality. Instead of gaining energy and health benefits from your food, your body becomes saturated with unwanted harmful chemicals. On the other hand, when eating organically grown foods and supplements, your body is nourished, leaving you vibrant and energized. What you put into your body is also reflected in your outward appearance, so you'll not only feel better but you are going to look better too.

The largest study, to date, of organic food was completed in 2007 and found organic fruits and vegetables contain 40% more antioxidants than non-Organic ones. In addition non-Organic foods contained twice as much pesticide residue. Washing the fruit doesn’t help because these chemicals are absorbed into the food as its being grown. This is the reason that ReserveAge Organics uses only certified Organic Grapes whereas other companies use non-Organic products to make their Resveratrol.

This should be of utmost importance to people who would like to take Resveratrol. Non-Organic plants are able to use man-made chemicals as a way to protect themselves, which means they don’t need to produce as much Resveratrol. Organic plants have to use their natural defenses and produce the strongest Resveratrol they can. In addition, when using non-Organic Resveratrol, many of those man-made chemicals are present when it enters your body.

As of now, only one company, ReserveAge Organics, uses Certified Organic ingredients when it makes its Resveratrol supplements.

http://www.prlog.org/10288377-resveratrol-what-you-need-to-know-about-this-piece-of-the-antiaging-puzzle.html

Our Health IS Our Future - WHO Director, Maria Neira "Protect Children from Environmental Health Risks."







Recently in an interview with The Korea Times, WHO Director, Maria Neira had some very interesting things to say.

"Major afflictions confronting children now are chronic and disabling conditions: the new pediatric morbidity",she said. "It is reported that asthma mortality has sharply increased, as have the incidences of leukemia and brain cancer; neurodevelopmental dysfunction is widespread; and hypospadias incidence has doubled.

"Furthermore, we are concerned about new chemicals present in household products, cosmetics and toys, about the impact of some new technologies."

Is anyone able to listen to important information like this when the economy is "screaming" so loudly and this country seems to be in such a mess? It seems like almost everyone is hurting: losing hobs, taking pay cuts, living uninsured, having retirement investments wiped out...

Then add a little dose of worrying that someone is going to break into your child's room at night and steal your sweet baby or worse.

But wait, there's more. Take a look at the troubled world we live in today. Personally, I barely recognize my country anymore. It's a place where Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez calls our leader "Comrade" and talks of Obama being more left-wing than himself.

Plus, do not even get me started on the war. Wait a minute, are we still supposed to call it a war?

I am trying to find a balance in my life. Trying to balance my desire to create a beautiful life for my beautiful family with my so many other desires: to inform as many people as I can about how they impact our environment and health with our consumer choices, my love of health and wellness, my love of so many things that only serve to destroy my health and wellness, my desire for new information, my concern for the children of our world, my worry about the political climate of the world...

This balance thing is not so easy...

This life thing is not so easy...

But just because it isn't easy, we cannot just tune out and choose to stay uniformed. What we are leaving for our future generations politically, financially and environmentally are intertwined and will prove to have an enormous impact on a healthy future. Keep listening and do all you can to protect your health, the health of our environment and the health of future generations.

Dirty Industries Have a Long Trail of Consequences


In recent years there has been a great deal of national attention focused on the improvement of industrial environmental standards. Even as we attempt to rebuild our economy, we seem to be focused on not only restoring industry, but also using this as an opportunity to do it in a way that is not environmentally destructive. This provides us, the MAA Center, and many others the opportunity to improve all aspects of these industries, including the workplace hazards among workers and the health hazards affecting members of the surrounding communities that were all too common.
What many people may fail to realize is that not only does the health of our planet depend on improved environmental standards, but our health may as well. Health complications of industry can essentially be divided into two categories, both direct and indirect.
Direct health conditions which have arisen as a result of the burning of fossil fuels, for instant, are increased asthma rates in areas with high smog indices. Even mild cases of asthma can deteriorate overall respiratory capacity over time and leave breathing seriously diminished if the quality of the air people breathe is unimproved. Release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere has shown to lower our filtered sunlight, increasing ultraviolet light exposure. Ultraviolet light has been conclusively link to skin cancer. Perhaps it is no surprise then that skin cancer incidence in countries like South Africa and Australia, where the atmosphere is most diminished, is much higher than other areas of the earth.
Indirect health consequences include those which can be attributed to antiquated industrial infrastructure, including toxin exposure among workers. Oil refinery workers, for instance, are shown to have a much higher chance of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, than those in cleaner industries. While asbestos was banned for most uses in the late 1970s several of these refineries and factories are still using pre-ban equipment which is exposing workers to harmful asbestos fibers.
We see then, that there is a clear advantage to implementation of cleaner, more sustainable energy policies and environmental attitudes, not only for the health or our planet and our posterity, but that of world’s population even today.

Note:
Asbestos exposure is an even more present danger in countries which lack environmental regulations on par with those of the United States. Several of these countries, including those of the Middle East like Israel have noted in recent years, a disturbing trend in the rise of asbestos-related disease. Countries with older or antiquated infrastructures are considered those with the biggest asbestos risk pool, as asbestos can still be found in nearly 80% of all structures built prior to 1980. The generational surge in infrastructure improvements, while good for economic growth and stability, may be endangering contractors and municipal workers who encounter the material. We must continue to urge national and international institutions to improve asbestos regulations and worker safety standards to prevent this problem from growing.


Thanks to the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center for this article

Yoga Bear Guest Blog by Founder Halle Tecco


By Halle Tecco Founder of Yoga Bear

Yoga has played a huge part in my life-- giving me the strength to constantly recenter and find peace in whatever happens. But the role yoga has played in my life hit its pinnacle when I figured out how to use my admiration for the practice in service to others.

I have always been a cancer advocate. Shouldn't we all be concerned about fighting this disease that affects one in three of us? But I'm not just concerned with finding a cure or preventing cancer (although these are very important things). We should also be concerned about the 11 million survivors who have gone through months or years of treatments, out of the hospital ready to obtain the highest quality of life. Looking to get back to their jobs, their families, and to a meaningful, happy existence. The cancer world defines this as 'survivorship'.

Cancer-oriented non-profits and research disproportionately support programs that focus on people in active treatment for cancer. And many of the services that are provided to people while undergoing treatment, are taken away once the treatment is over. I saw this as an opportunity, and founded Yoga Bear in 2006.

Yoga Bear brings free yoga classes to post-treatment cancer survivors. Our work is driven by a staff of 30 volunteers, and a nearly non-existent budget. And the model is simple. It costs little for yoga studios to offer a space in their regularly instructed classes, but the aggregate impact of hundreds of yoga studios offering a few spaces is HUGE. So we work with studios across the US-- from California to Texas to Florida to NYC-- to make this possible. Each studio donates at a level that is comfortable and meaningful to them. Some studios donate 1 or 2 six-month passes, while other studios donate 20. We call this the Share a Mat Campaign.

Being disease-free does not mean being free of the disease. Many of our participants, even 5 years out of treatment, are still dealing with the symptoms of treatment, both psychological and physical. Many of them are finding that a yoga practices allows them reduce suffering and find peace, community, and strength.

The term yoga itself is a Sanskrit word meaning union. And that is exactly what Yoga Bear aims to do-- bring together a community in the mission of providing more health and wellness opportunities to cancer survivors.

A Message from After Cancer...Everything Changes Giveaway



If you have followed my blog for a while you may have seen a link in My Blog List to "Everything Changes". This is a wonderful blog by Kairol Rosenthol who has written a new book called "Everything Changes - The Insider's Guide to Cancer in Your 20's and 30's". My best girlfriend for 30 years was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease at 20. Although she is healthy now, I have a big spot in my heart for anyone who is doing anything to lessen the immense crush that this cancer brings to anyone's life; especially someone in the time of their life when cancer isn't even thought about.
This is a message from a fellow blogger about a way to get yourself in a drawing for an autographed copy of Kairol's new book. Good Luck!

Everything Changes - Giveaway

In honor of the 7th Annual National Young Adult Cancer Awareness
Week, author Kairol Rosenthal has donated three autographed copies of her book for giveaway on my blog. I've read this book, I've reviewed this book and I can't recommend it enough.Here are the rules to enter. Comment on the blog, earn an entry. Subscribe to the blog, earn another entry. Tweet it and get another entry. Write a post on your blog about the giveaway and earn five entries. Let me know what you've done in the comment section. The last day to enter will be Wednesday April 15th.
Click on the title above to leave a comment and enter.

Toxic Makeup


Toxic Makeup By Vriti Saraf
The Ticker

The dangerous effects of toxic chemicals in cosmetic products has been a topic of discussion for the Food and Drug Administration for many years.Thanks to persistent complaints by consumers and a 2002 report by the Environmental Working Group, which indicated that 72 percent of popular cosmetics contained dangerous chemicals, the FDA, along with major cosmetics companies, have worked to improve products.


A 2008 report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says that many leading companies have reduced the use of chemicals in their products. However, there are still several products that continue to use toxic chemicals in their ingredients.

Overlooking Evidence: Media Ignore Environmental Connections to Breast Cancer




Breast cancer is now epidemic, affecting one in eight women, according to the American Cancer Society and others. The leading cause of death in women in their late 30s to early 50s, it's estimated to have killed 40,000 people in 2008.

Known risk factors for breast cancer-such as age, genetics, reproductive history and alcohol consumption-account for only half the cases. (Genetics, the culprit du jour in the media, accounts for just 5 to 10 percent of all cases.) What about the other 50 percent?

In the 1950's, women in industrialised countries were at a one in twenty risk of developing breast cancer over their lifetime. Today that risk has skyrocketed to one in eight.

A growing body of private, university and government environmental health research on animals and human populations is implicating the chemicals and radiation to which women are unwittingly exposed every day. The suspects include scores of toxic and hormone-disrupting substances that are listed as known, probable or possible carcinogens-and thousands of others that (in the U.S., at least) remain untested for their safety. Among others, they include pesticides, plastics, consumer-product additives and industrial byproducts.

Moreover, science is finding the causes of breast (and other) cancers are complex and multi-factored, and the timing and pattern of chemical exposure are proving as important as dose. While these findings, focused on causes and prevention, are relatively new and few compared with much better-funded work on detection and treatment, they merit further research and a place in the headlines.

For the rest of the article please visit http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/02/26/overlooking-evidence-media-ignore-environmental-connections-breast-cancer