That's Fit

Cynthia Nixon, well-known for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City, has recently revealed that she's been battling breast cancer. Diagnosed over a year ago, Nixon understandably decided to keep her news private. "I didn't want paparazzi at the hospital while I was going through this," said Nixon. The 42-year-old actress even scheduled surgery at a time that wouldn't cause her to miss any performances of the play she was in.

Nixon has a family history of breast cancer as her mother also had the disease. Nixon admitted to feeling very scared but she also stated "I was very cognizant of if it's going to happen, this is the best way for it to happen, that it's found so early and we can just get right on it,"

Nixon underwent surgery and radiotherapy and has made a good recovery. She is now an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen foundation. Look for Cynthia Nixon in the upcoming Sex and the City movie soon. She offers this advice for women "Talk with your doctor, make healthy lifestyle choices and most importantly, know your body as that can make all the difference in the world."

For the weight I've lost, the healthy eating habits I've gained, the workout tricks I've gathered, and the wellness tips I now practice, I thank Canyon Ranch. They do a lot of good there in Tucson, Arizona -- the location I visited -- and this very health and healing spa destination is now cooking up a new way to make a difference in others' lives.

In addition to their Thriving After Breast Cancer programs, Canyon Ranch is expanding their efforts to support finding a cure for breast cancer. They're tackling their mission by hosting 10 breast cancer survivors for Cook for the Cure Survivors Week, taking place April 10-14. Each trip is being auctioned with 100 percent of the proceeds -- yep, that's everything -- benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Made possible by KitchenAid, Canyon Ranch, and Continental Airlines, selected survivors will not only bask in the glory of luxurious accommodations, healthy meals, endless fitness and wellness classes, powerful nutrition consultations, and spa services -- they'll also receive hands-on cooking lessons in a fully-equipped KitchenAid demonstration kitchen. Wow. I'm jealous. Mostly, though, I'm happy for those who will benefit from this week -- those whose spirits will soar at Canyon Ranch and those who just might live a little longer because of the funds raised during this week.

Interested in more information about this Canyon Ranch venture? Contact Stewart Goodbody at sgoodbod@digitas.com.

Sometimes incentives are all it takes to motivate the masses to lose weight. For the masses of breast cancer survivors out there, here's an incentive: New research indicates that for every 11 pounds a woman gains following her diagnosis, the chances of the disease proving fatal rise 14 percent. While I didn't previously know these precise numbers, I was aware of the fact that carrying extra weight hurts chances of breast cancer survival. This is, in large part, why I've been tweaking my diet and exercise practices over the past seven months. I'd gained 10 pounds throughout my own treatment. Now I've lost 15. In light of this new finding, I'm certainly relieved I'm not going in the other direction.

This new study -- paid for by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation -- is not completely definitive at this point, but it does supply strong evidence that controlling weight gain may be especially important after breast cancer. For women considered obese, researchers found the death risk to be more than twice that of women with a normal weight. Pretty compelling, I think.

The sad reality of breast cancer treatment is that it often causes women, like me, to gain weight. And while this may not be preventable throughout the treatment phase, it's critical that survivors get back on track as soon as possible so they can keep from gaining weight over the long term. This is exactly what I'm trying to do.