Grocery costs are a bit crazy right now. I was forgiving of it when fuel costs were also outlandish ... after all, food has to be transported so fuel costs directly effect grocery costs. But now the fuel costs are down and grocery costs are staying high. I don't know about you, but I think it's totally unfair.

In these tight economic times, we all have to be penny-pinchers. Since meat is one of the most expensive grocery items to buy, it only makes sense to cut back. Beans and tofu spring to mind as meat-replacements -- they're inexpensive, filling and high in protein. Another great option -- though not high in protein -- is mushrooms.

Swapping mushrooms for meat isn't only economical, it's healthful, lower in calories, filling and completely tasty. Try them in lasagna or grill up a marinated portobello as a burger. A recent study found that when participants ate meals where mushrooms replaced beef, they consumed an average of 420 fewer calories. Great news if you're trying to lose weight!

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Gaining weight at any age and stage of life boosts a woman's risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, says research from the National Cancer Institute. This may come as a surprise to some who think lifestyle plays no role in the development of cancer. But as many as 20% of cancer deaths are due to being overweight or obese. Clearly, weight does matter. If you're tipping the scales in a dangerous direction, then, you'd be wise to drop a few pounds in the name of cancer prevention.

Other lifestyle factors that deserve your attention are as follows.

Hormone Replacement Therapy. It slightly increases a woman's breast cancer risk, according to the large Women's Health Initiative. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the smallest effective HRT dose for the shortest period of time.

Exercise. Women who exercise more than six hours a week cut their risk of invasive breast cancer by 23 percent. It's never to late to start. So lace up your athletic shoes today.

Alcohol. Even small amounts of alcohol spike breast cancer risk. Taking folic acid in addition to consuming alcohol helps, but cutting down on drinking is your best bet. An equivalent of one glass of wine per day is all you should drink. Less is better, if you can manage it.

Vitamin D. A supplement with at least 1,000 IU of the vitamin is recommended.

Five easy steps -- lose weight (OK, maybe this one's not so easy), limit HRT, exercise, cut down on drinking, and supplement with vitamin D -- and you'll be on your way to good breast health.

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In the spirit of this brand new year, let's usher in some good health by ridding our lives of the habits that compromise our overall well-being. Small changes are all it takes. How about starting with these seven, featured in this article.

• No more energy bars. They contain too many calories and too few beneficial nutrients that come in fresh food. Stick with apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and bananas -- they're portable, high in water content, low in calories, and great for a swift energy boost.

• No more heavy duty vitamins and mineral supplements. They can cause imbalance in our bodies and can sometimes be toxic. Try eating a range of whole foods -- and lots of veggies and fruits -- and see if you can get what you need without supplementation.

• No more meal replacement drinks. They just aren't a permanent solution for weight loss -- they quickly lose their appeal and can cause us to go overboard on solid food when we allow it into our diets. Try keeping a food diary to track calories and see if this isn't a better option.

• No more restaurant entrees. They are far bigger than necessary and unless you split one with a friend, you're better off with a small appetizer, salad (no creamy dressing), and a side.

• No more specialty water. You're paying more for these when good old tap water in refillable bottles will serve you best.

• No more fast food. It can clog your arteries, cause constipation, boost blood pressure, and make you fat. Opt for a bowl of cereal or two pieces of whole grain toast instead for breakfast, a healthy brown bag lunch, and whole dinner at home.

• No more outdoor grills. Why? Experts say we just don't need that much meat and if we grill it, we're cooking up all sorts of cancer-causing chemicals. Go for veggie burgers and meatless hotdogs and cook them in a conventional oven or microwave.

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More than two-thirds of the half-million Americans who have knee replacement surgery every year are women, according to the November 1 issue of Ladies Home Journal. In the next 25 years, as baby boomers continue to age, that number is expected to increase by 673 percent. Ouch.

Check out these facts: Young female athletes are more likely than men to injure their knee-stabilizing anterior cruciate ligaments. Women with wider pelvises have the least stable knees. And more than two-thirds of people with osteoarthritis, which leads to knee pain, are women.

What's a woman to do? If your pain has already begun, look into physical therapy and prescription and over-the-counter medications to alleviate discomfort. For prevention, you can identify fitness activities that support the knees. To get you started, here are some sample good-for-the-knees exercises.

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I don't know about everyone else out there but I think that the amount of factors that can potentially lead to breast cancer are pretty scary. Things like genetics, radiation exposure, early onset of menstruation, having a first child later in life, using the birth control pill, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can all increase your chances of getting the disease.

Being overweight or obese is also a risk factor and, according to this, women who maintain a healthy weight after menopause have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who start out at a normal weight, but steadily put on pounds as they get older. Apparently, this increased risk was not a factor for women who took hormone replacement therapy after menopause. As the piece points out, the study helps show why it is so important to work to maintain a healthy weight as we age.

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Smokers looking for a way to quit now have yet another option: Thrive nicotine replacement gum by Novartis. Just approved by the FDA, Thrive is designed to help smokers kick the habit in 12 weeks. The bold mint flavored gum tingles as users chew it and lasts about 30 minutes.

1 in 5 American adults smoke, but the majority of that number admit to being interested in quitting. That's a good thing, and hopefully this new Thrive gum will be also because smoking kills as many as 438,000 people every year. What a horribly large number of people dying from something completely preventable!

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