That's Fit

It's all about skin this month -- May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. And while everyone who makes periodic appearances in the sun is at risk for skin cancer, there are certain folks most at risk. If you fit one of these categories, say the editors at Family Circle magazine, you should be especially cautious about your sun protection.

• You have fair skin that burns easily; blond or red hair; or blue, green, gray, or hazel eyes.

• You have more than 50 moles on your body.

• You have a family history of skin cancer or have already had an episode yourself.

• You have had severe sunburns as a child or teen.

• You live in a state home to lots of sun, like Florida, Arizona, or Texas.

• You spent summers in occupations with sun exposure, such as lifeguarding or construction work.

• You have used tanning beds frequently.

• You take a medication that increases your sensitivity to the sun.

Uh Oh. I fit all but two.

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.

Oats were featured in a You Are What You Eat SuperFood post on Christmas Day. It seemed fitting for those living in cold-weather climates to spotlight a healthy, warm-yourself-up sort of food. And since January finds more people warming up to steaming bowls of oatmeal than any other month -- that's why January is designated National Oatmeal Month -- it seems a great time to spice up this SuperFood with both flavor and nutritional value. These few ideas do just that.

• Mix some dried organic blueberries into your piping-hot bowl of oats and add a few walnuts too. Enjoy the boost of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids these add-ins provide.
  
  

• Stir in some sliced banana and a spoonful of organic peanut butter to transform your oatmeal into a nutty, potassium-rich extravaganza.
  
  

• Try some low-fat granola, flaxseed, wheat germ, and sesame seeds next time you serve up your oats.
  
  

For a few more oatmeal toppers and some recipes too, visit the Quaker Oatmeal website here.

How do you feel about Broccoli? Love it or hate it, I think we can all manage to choke it down three times a month, right? And according to recent studies, eating broccoli three times a month is all it takes to reap the benefits of the crunchy green vegetable -- if you do, you'll significantly reduce your risk of cancer.

Yes, you read that right -- three times a month, not three times a week, or three times a day -- though I'm sure eating fresh veggies as often as possible can't hurt either. Surely you can manage three times a month? But it's important to note that raw veggies are noted to be better for you than cooked ones in this study. Still, it's an easy task.

Don't believe me? Click here.

I am happy for October and the overflow of breast cancer awareness packed into each of the month's 31 days. But I'm always a bit relieved when these days come to an end. It means I can get back to living, free of the bombardment of facts of figures, and cutesy slogans, and of all things pink.

I'm lucky to be surviving breast cancer and not another form of cancer. Breast cancer gets attention, funding, programming, and lots of great press. But it makes me feel selfish, spoiled, like I'm hogging too many of the resources that could be spread around to others doing battle with their own deadly diseases.

Where are the other awareness months? Actually, there are a few -- March is the National Colorectal Awareness Month, September is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month -- but we don't know much about them because people aren't shouting from the rafters about these critical causes, like they are about breast cancer.

We're almost two weeks into October, the month designated as Walk to School Month. Are your kids walking to school?

Millions of children, parents, teachers, and community leaders across the globe have put on their walking shoes and are logging steps in celebration of this international event. Some are committing to walk for one day; some once per week; some for the entire month. The event, intended to remind parents and kids alike of the simple joy of walking to school, also serves to focus attention on the importance of physical activity and overall fitness.

So lace up those shoes and do your part this month, and for all months that follow -- because it's not really about October. It's about walking. So keep on trekking this month, and next month, and the month after that. You get the drill. For those who live a good distance from school, just drive and park a mile or so away. Then walk the remaining distance. For those looking to spice up this walking challenge, check out this idea: the walking school bus.

Since October is breast cancer month, I recently wrote a post on some of the best websites about the topic and asked readers to contribute their own favorite sites. One response I received directed everyone toward the Survivor Celebration site.

Part of what I like about the site is that it gives information on the 2007 Survivor Celebration Tour, a 23-day cross-country adventure that began in New York on September 23rd and reaches its final destination in Los Angeles on October 15th, after stops in a range of cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

A team of doctors and experts traveling in a pink Survivor Celebration bus are making the trek to raise awareness about breast cancer. If you'd like more information on the tour, visit the website, which also offers survivor stories, personal blogs and photos, information on local support groups and much more.

Sometimes thinking about changing your lifestyle in order to be happier or healthier seems like a daunting task. I know that times when I decide I'm unhappy with my habits and end up on a mission to make changes and improve my overall well-being, I tend to give up easily because I get in the mind frame that I have to change absolutely everything at once.

Of course, overhauling your entire life in a day isn't necessarily the best way to make changes for the better. A few small steps can be taken each day, week or even month to improve your life. Eventually all of these little alterations will add up to some major life changes.

I like this article from the Canadian Living website because it gives a list of 10 things you can do in the month of October to improve your well-being. There's nothing very difficult to accomplish on the list -- suggestions include eating more berries, doing push-ups, taking the stairs and trying out pomegranate -- but I bet if you made the commitment to try them all throughout the month, you'd find that you feel a bit happier, more relaxed and healthier overall.

If you want to see all 10 tips and find out just why they're all good for you, take a peak at the entire article here.

October is breast cancer month so before you pin on your pink ribbon and head out to enjoy a lovely fall day, take a look at a few facts and sites, and learn a bit more about the disease. Risk factors include lifestyle habits like drinking alcohol and smoking, and heredity also influences whether or not you'll get the disease. The good news is you can work to prevent breast cancer by eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol intake and not smoking.

If you're interested in learning a lot more about breast cancer, take a look at some of the sites listed in this piece. As it's a Canadian article, many of the websites are Canadian but the information listed applies to women everywhere. Two sites mentioned in the article that I found interesting were the Breast Cancer Support Services Inc and the Breast Self-Exam website.

The first offers a range of frequently asked questions (with answers) about the disease as well as help on how to deal once you've been diagnosed. The latter gives step-by-step instructions, along with illustrations, on how to examine your own breasts in order to find any suspicious lumps.

Do you know of any helpful sites that you can share?

Ladies, of course you can choose to see the negatives and focus on PMS and bloating or whatever, but when your period rolls around every month why not focus on the positives instead? And the rest of the month, as things are happening and changing in your body, why not use all that to your advantage also? Although hormone fluctuations generally have a bad reputation, they can have benefits if you understand them. For example, in days 1-10 of your cycle (1 being the first day of your period) it'll be easier to quit smoking, days 11-14 are the best times to schedule a routine OB appt or to make a large corporate presentation, and days 15-28 are the most conducive to burning and losing belly fat.

Who knew? Mark your calendars!

Losing weight with no exercise and binging on junk food one day a week seems like a plan that's too good to be true. It's a fact that regular exercise has a number of benefits, but Tim Ferriss who is an adviser to more than 30 Olympic and professional world record holders has written a post about a diet which lost him 25 lbs. in 30 days. Of course no one is saying to throw away your jogging shoes, but if you already work out on a regular basis, try supplementing your regimen with this diet.

His first bit of advice says NO to "white" carbs. We've heard this one before, and many health-conscious people have already kicked this particular food. For everyone else, he classifies white carbohydrates as bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you need bread, it's not hard to get hooked on the healthier wheat alternative.

Another rule he has is to avoid drinking your calories. This is sound advice, especially for someone like myself who can be a sucker for outrageous coffees. Water, unsweetened tea, and diet sodas are perfect for getting you through the day without sneaking in unneeded calories. Tim has more to offer from his diet plan, and it seems to work well for him. Remember to find out how your body vibes with these changes, or discover your own perfect diet!