That's Fit

Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

If you are a woman living in an urban area, you may have an increased chance of developing breast cancer. It seems women who live and work in large cities have more dense breast tissue than those in suburban and rural areas. Dense tissue increases risk.

This connection -- between risk and big cities -- may stem from the fact that urbanites tend to have kids later in life and are more likely to use hormone therapy. Pollution and stress may also play a role.

Regardless of the cause, researchers from the London Breast Institute say the risk is real. So if you live or work in a city, make sure you get your mammograms as recommended and if you learn that you have dense tissue, go to a facility that offers digital technology -- it can detect up to 50 percent more cancers in dense breasts. Regardless of where you live, really, you should follow these preventative strategies.

I spent an hour sitting and visiting with a neighbor the other night, a neighbor nearing the end of her life, thanks to stage IV breast cancer that has spread to both lungs. We talked about all sorts of things -- how she should have been more vigilant about mammograms, how it's nice for her to know exactly what it is that will take her life, and how she can eat just about anything she wants now. We also talked about exercise.

My neighbor, who is in her early 70s, said she was in the marching band in high school. But ever since that time in her life, she's never really exercised. In her day, she said, exercise was about vanity. Women worked out to achieve a certain figure, to look good. There was very little talk about the benefits of exercise on overall health. And since she didn't buy into the gotta-look-a-certain-way mentality, she'd didn't buy into exercise either. In hindsight, she wishes she would have.

This thread of our discussion really makes me think. It makes me mostly think how lucky the young people of today are to know the health merits of exercise, to realize that while it can make a body look good, it's also a life-saving venture. It makes me feel good that my kids, now seven and five, will likely always know of exercise as a health measure. I'm not even sure they realize it can be used to achieve a certain appearance. Lucky for them.

Clearly, exercise is about wellness. Now, in her unwell days, my neighbor knows this. There's just very little she can do about it now. Unlucky for her.

It's not about the bike, said Lance Armstrong in his book about his fight with cancer. In the fight against breast cancer, though, it is about the bike. It's a bit about chocolate too. And let me tell you, after a 220-mile bike ride from Hershey, Pa. to New York City, riders are going a deserve a bite of the sweet treat this starting city is famous for.

The Hershey's Tour de Pink bike ride, benefiting the Young Survival Coalition -- a non-profit network dedicated to the issues unique to young women and breast cancer -- aims to spread hope and awareness while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Four days of riding from October 3-6 is all it takes. If you can't make it to the big event, you can virtually tackle your miles at home.

The Virtual Ride challenges riders to pedal 220 miles from now until October 6. Start logging the miles you cover on quick rides through your neighborhood or on your stationary-bike excursions. Participate as an individual or form a team. It doesn't matter, as long as you register and ride. Raise a minimum $250 and you'll receive an official Hershey's Tour de Pink jersey. One-hundred percent of the money raised will go to the YSC.

My breasts are dense. I know this because I hear it every time someone examines me, squashes my boobs into a mammogram machine, slides a gooey ultrasound wand up and down and all around my ta tas, or makes me dangle my girls through the slings of an MRI machine. Dense. So dense. Unbelievably dense.

Young women have dense breasts. That's just how it goes. And that's exactly why we youngsters -- meaning any of us under the age of 40 -- must take control of our own breast care. Mammograms are not the best for us -- that's why the imaging test isn't recommended for women under 40. They're not effective because they often don't pick up masses wound up in dense tissue. A mammogram missed my breast cancer a few years back. Ultrasound picked it up, though -- thankfully. But my first line of defense -- and the method that turned up my pea-sized hard tumor -- is self examination. That means once each month, girls, you must check your breasts. Here's how.

Schedule your do-it-yourself boob massage for one week following your menstrual cycle -- fewer hormonal tissue changes this way -- and do this: Recline your body or stand in the shower like I did that fateful day I found my pea. Put your right arm up over your head. Use the fingertips on your left hand to feel your right breast in its entirety. Then switch arms and hands and take care of your left breast. Note what you feel and remember it. Because when you check again a month later, you'll try to detect changes. If you find any, get yourself to the doctor. Because you are young, you may be dismissed -- I was -- but you just stand tall and firm and sure of yourself and demand that you be referred to a specialist, someone who will combine a mammogram with ultrasound, and maybe MRI too. Let your gut guide you. If it tells you something is wrong, it probably is. Pursue your health, my friends. Because no one else will.

Young women, dense as they can be, get breast cancer. I did. You might too. So get to work on saving your life. Now.

For more about young women and breast cancer, visit the Young Survival Coalition here.

Prevention. There's nothing like it. And what great news it is that girls as young as 12 can already start protecting themselves against breast cancer.

Just like middle-aged women are encouraged to work out to lower their risk of developing this disease, new research concludes that exercise during the teen years can prevent breast cancer in later years.

So here's the scoop: Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23 percent less likely to develop pre-menopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary. Having the biggest impact was regular exercise between the ages of 12 to 22. And the women with the lowest risk reported running or exercising vigorously three or more hours per week. Although post-menopausal breast cancer was not studied, it's likely exercise helps all the same.

Time to get your daughters off the couch!

I'm a fan of honesty when it comes to my kids and teaching them about life. Not brutal honesty -- they're only seven and nearly five -- but gentle and age-appropriate honesty. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago, saying I had cancer wouldn't mean much to a then-three-year-old and 18-month old. So I explained that I had a "boo-boo" in my "boobie," that a doctor would take it out, that I'd take medicine and my hair would fall out, that I'd be sick for a little while. They understood. And that's exactly how it all happened. We didn't talk about worst-case scenarios. If ever one comes up, we'll discuss it then.

I was also honest with my guys about the tummy tuck I had 12 days ago. I didn't use the word "tummy tuck" and I didn't introduce the term "plastic surgery." But I did tell them I would have an operation on my belly to fix some skin, a muscle, and a hernia. I told them the truth: Mommy's skin stretched a lot when she was pregnant, her muscle separated, and she has a hernia just like Danny had a hernia when he was three years old. Danny had an operation. And mommy will have an operation -- for the hernia and the other things too. My boys understood what would happen, that I'd be resting for a few days, that Daddy and Nana would be taking them to and from school, that I couldn't lift them or race around in the back yard for a short time. By the time I had my tummy tuck, the whole event was somewhat of an non issue. And now I'm better. And they've moved on.

Experts say not being up front with kids about major life events opens up the possibility that little minds will concoct their own versions of what's going on. Since these interpretations are often worse than reality, they say honestly is the best policy. I do too.

Consuming alcohol can lead to weight gain. One bottle of beer contains about 150 calories. Have a few drinks a few times per week and your waistline may begin to bulge.

Have one or two small drinks per day and alcohol can lead to breast cancer too.

Monday, it was revealed that a large U.S. study is linking alcohol consumption to an increased risk of the most common type of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The study is the biggest of the three major studies concluding that drinking and breast cancer risk are connected.

Good news: Trans fats are linked to breast cancer risk. Why is this good? Two reasons. One, it unravels another bit of the mystery surrounding why people get cancer. Two, it gives us more reason to ditch trans fats from our diets.

We already know trans fats are artery-cloggers. That's why they're being phased out of various foods. Now researchers suspect they cause breast cancer too.

Women with the highest blood levels of trans-fats had about twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels, say the findings of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. We'd all be wise then to limit our consumption of processed foods, the source of trans-fatty acids. Trans-fats are mostly found in cooking fats, baked goods, snacks, and a variety of other prepared foods.

Interestingly, this study found women with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids -- the good stuff, found in fish such as salmon, walnuts, and leafy green vegetables -- were not any less likely to have breast cancer. So the mystery continues. And all we can do is the best we can, with the information we have. See how good you're doing with this AOL Body cancer quiz.

Whoever decided that big breasts, impossibly tiny waists, and curvy hips was a good look for a woman must not have had these features themselves. Well-endowed women often deal with aching backs, shoulder pain, and other issues due to their breast size. In fact, breast reduction surgery is one of the top five cosmetic procedures.

According to doctors at a London hospital, many surgeries could be avoided if women wore a properly fitted bra. The London Free Hospital started a bra fitting clinic and, so far, 100% of the women have been wearing the wrong bra size. For women with large breasts, an improper fit can lead to the shoulders bearing the brunt of the weight instead of the chest. This can create severe back, neck, and/or shoulder pain.

I think I need to head to my favorite Mexican restaurant, a place I typically avoid because I just can't stop myself from inhaling chips and salsa. Maybe if I stick with Mexican cheeses, beans, soups, tomato-based sauces, and meats I'll be OK, though. I may even prevent breast cancer from paying me a return visit.

A tradition Mexican diet may help prevent breast cancer, says a study of hundreds of women living in the Four Corners region (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona). Hey, low fat diets and moderate consumption of red wine are credited for warding off heart disease. Why not Mexican food and breast cancer?

Researchers happened upon their study after noting lower rates of breast cancer among Hispanic women. They looked at diets such as the Native Mexican diet, the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet, and low-fat diets. The lowest risk of breast cancer turned up among those who closely followed the Mexican and Mediterranean diets.

This isn't a one-size-fits-all diet, though. To read more about the folks who benefit most -- like premenopausal women with a BMI of less than 25 -- read more here.

Incidentally, the diet associated with the highest risk of breast cancer, regardless of menopausal status is the Western diet.

You may think a health crisis will never happen to you, especially if you consider yourself pretty healthy. It can happen, though. I didn't think cancer would ever strike me. But it did. It got Hoda Kotb too.

The co-anchor of the fourth hour of Today, correspondent for Dateline NBC, and host of the weekly syndicated series Your Total Health says she was sure she wouldn't ever get cancer.

Three breast lumps and one mastectomy prove that Kotb did in fact get the disease. It was shocking, she says, since she didn't ever give much thought to her body before her diagnosis.

Now, Kotb knows her body. And here' s what she thinks you should know about yours.

• Think about your body. Care for it. Eat well. Exercise well. Report any and all symptoms to a physician. Get screened. Be proactive.

• "Forward." That's the work Kotb kept repeating to propel herself through each cancer day. Just get through it, she'd tell herself. Good everyday advice, I think. Having trouble eating healthy? Just move forward and get through it. Need to stick to a better exercise routine? Forward. Need to get through a stressful time. Forward.
  

• Cancer survivors know how to live. Think about how many times we say, "I'm going to change. I'm going to be different" yet make no change at all -- think in terms of stress, diet, and fitness. Cancer survivors, though. They want to live differently. And usually, they make good on their wishes. Call it clarity. See if you can embrace it. Before cancer forces you to do so.
  
  

For more words of wisdom from Kotb, click here.

On Monday, I graduated from my rehab stint. Physical therapy rehab, that is. There was no big ceremony or anything. Just me and my therapist reviewing my progress over the past five weeks. It was pretty enlightening, what we talked about, and I left the clinic feeling both successful and motivated.

When I first walked through my rehab clinic doors, I wasn't sure anything could be done to fix the tightness, the limited range of motion, the sometimes pain I felt in the area of my left arm. It had been three long years since I'd had surgery to remove a breast cancer tumor, after all, and almost that long since radiation zapped the whole cancerous area. Both are to blame for what I was experiencing and the way I considered it, if my problems weren't solved long ago, there was little that could be done now.

I was wrong.

My therapist took tons of measurements when we first started working together. I moved, bent, stretched, pushed, and pulled so she could record numbers of all sorts. Then we spent weeks on our tasks. She massaged and manipulated and broke down scar tissue, stiffness, knots. Armed with weekly exercises, I stretched and strengthened by body at home. Together, we achieved victory -- my improved numbers prove it. I'm responsible for 50 percent of the success, my therapist tells me. She takes credit for the other 50 percent.

Before I left my final appointment, my expert shared a few parting words. Here they are.

• My posture is better. She could tell the moment I walked in the door. Must be the exercise in standing tall she'd given me during one visit and my new awareness of the poor posture I'd been carrying with me all these years.

• I should be sleeping on my back, not on my side. Back sleepers enjoy better alignment and less rounding of the shoulders -- one of my posture problems. My assignment from this moment on is to sleep on my back with one relatively flat pillow under my head. I should make sure my pillow fills the gap between my neck and my bed. I should enjoy the benefits of this technique immensely, says my therapist.

• Keep at it, says this same gal who streamlined all my at-home exercises and told me precisely what I need to do to hang on to the results the two of us have achieved.

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.

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts is bald, thanks to breast cancer and chemotherapy. She's done a bang-up job of covering up since she shaved her head in preparation of the big fallout -- her wig is a perfect match for the hair that once sprouted from her scalp -- but she recently decided to bare her shiny scalp. She did it to challenge her comfort zone, she says.

What started as a dare had Roberts braving the catwalk the other day as part of Isaac Mizrahi's runway show, live from New York Fashion Week. All of her friends and fans knew she was doing the show -- they just didn't know she'd do it bald.

"This is who I am," Roberts said about her decision to ditch the wig.

When Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer last July, the last thing she felt was beautiful. When the folks at Good Morning America dared her to be model, she seized the opportunity. It was a perfect way to push herself outside a certain comfort zone.

To transform herself into a supermodel, Roberts worked with Tyra Banks on walking the runway, Mizrahi on finding the perfect gown, and model Nikki Taylor on photo shoots -- a special layout will appear in an upcoming Redbook magazine.

Check out Roberts here in this video where you'll see a courageous woman make a bold statement as she fights to regain her health. Now that's what I call a model -- a role model.