Even with the recent medical advancements in diagnosing and treating all forms of cancer it’s still easy to feel apprehensive about developing breast cancer.  There are no guarantees when it comes to disease but there are many things that you can do to hedge your bets and greatly reduce your chances of developing disease.  Protect your health by learning all you can.

- Eat your veggies.  Studies suggest that a vegan lifestyle can be an excellent source of protection against all forms of disease, particularly cancer.  Don’t be a “bakery vegan”.  Make sure that your diet includes plenty of those cruciferous vegetables which contain sulphorafane, believed by some to keep cancer cells from multiplying.

- Keep an ey on your alcohol consumption.  It’s been suggested that more than two glasses of wine a day can increase your risk of breast cancer.  Opt for the pre-wine version…fresh grapes.  Resveratrol, found in the skin of grapes, may reduce estrogen levels.

- Break a sweat.  Exercise will boost your immune system and ward off obesity.

- Get checked.  Do we really have to say this?  Do your self exams.  Visit your doctor.  If you feel uncertain about a change, respect your instincts and INSIST on follow up tests.  Your health is YOUR responsibility.

Now that we’re well into October it’s “marathon season”.  The Chicago marathon was earlier this month and New York is right around the corner.  It’s important to understand our needs for hydration and the science behind it.  Too much can be as harmful as too little. 

You might not be a marathon runner but with many people showing interest in running as part of their fitness regimen we’re certain this information, recently published in the New York Times, will be useful to many of our members. 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/how-much-to-drink-during-a-marathon/?ref=health

It’s no surprise to anyone here that Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory is getting a lot of press these days.  Earlier this week MSNBC featured an article about a man named Frank Healy who is one of the gentlemen being studied along with Marilu at The University of California, Irvine.  That piece is included here, along with Marilu’s interview with Meredith Viera from earlier this year. 

As Marilu was sharing in chat last week, her new book will be appearing on shelves in the early half of 2012.  Stay in touch for more information on this fascinating subject. 

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/10/8258570-man-remembers-every-detail-of-his-life-since-age-6

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/06/5778163-marilu-henner-remembers-every-single-minute-of-her-life

If you were in chat with Marilu last week you know that there was conversation regarding the difference between Mammography and Thermography, with some members sharing their experience with both types of testing.  We all know the importance of regular screening and we encourage you to speak with your doctor about what’s right for you.  Insurance companies vary in what they will cover so you’ll want as much information as possible before you pursue one avenue over another.  This article may serve to help you. 

Knowledge is power.

http://www.drnorthrup.com/members/guest_author.php?id=317

Summer may be over but caring for your skin should still be on your to-do list.  For many people the harsher winter weather is just around the corner.  The right cleansers and moisturizers can only do so much. What you put IN your body has as much effect on your skin as what you put ON it.  If you think a skin care regimen has to be punishing, expensive or time consuming read this to find out how it can be incorporated into your meals to make skin care delicious.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4Yedis/honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-market-bag

With portions growing and obesity rates on the rise it’s encouraging to know that with a growing awareness positive changes are happening all over.  Hotels are reporting that many travelers are becoming more focused on their health goals while on the road. 

“Probably fitness equipment is the biggest request we get from guests,” said Vivian A. Deuschl of the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “It’s the biggest preoccupation of business travelers besides getting their work done, so we try to make fitness available on any basis they ask for.”

In room fitness options are available upon requests for guests who prefer not to work out in the hotel gym.

The Kimpton chain of boutique hotels has provided guests in-room 24-hour yoga channel classes and a basket of yoga gear since 2003, according to president and COO Niki Leondakis.

Leondakis believes the modern business traveler’s focus on wellness coincides with the aging of the baby boomers.

“Twenty years ago it was wine, dine and work, not about maintaining a healthy lifestyle on the road,” she said. “People today are looking at work/life balance in a more integrated way.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/13/hold-pillow-mint-send-yoga-mat/#ixzz1Yt36ESaW

We all know that having the courage of your convictions is a lot easier when you’re surrounded by others with the same convictions.  That’s how and why supportive communities like Marilu.com spring up.  Like minded people not only share ideas but cheer one another on towards our goals.

That’s a lot easier for adults than it is for kids.  If you have a school aged child who is vegetarian or vegan search out activities and organizations that will help appeal to them and show them that they are leading a pretty popular lifestyle.  VegNews has some interesting sites, blogs and newsletters that can help you find animal friendly activities in your area.

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3630&catId=7

Doesn’t everyone deserve some great peer support?

Here at Marilu.com we believe that everyone should educate themselves and choose their lifestyle based on the best information out there.  Here’s something recently released by The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine regarding the U.S. Regulation of antimicrobials in agriculture.  Did you know that in 2009 approximatley 90 million pounds of antibiotics went to farm animals, and that 70 percent of that was administered subtherapeutically?

It makes you wonder how that affects your own reaction to antibiotics when you’re ingesting them through your late night snack or your Sunday brunch. 

We’re all responsible for our own decisions. Read the full article and have a little more knowledge on which to base yours.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/animal-agriculture-us-regulation-antimicrobials

Later this month the United Nations will hold only it’s second ever summit to deal with a global disease issue.  The first was the 2001 HIV/AIDS meeting which led to the creation of the Global Fund.

You can read more about the summit here:

http://www.esmo.org/policy/political-initiatives/2011-un-summit-on-non-communicable-diseases.html

We’re including this today because these are issues that YOU are involved in.  Your presence here and your participation helps to educate, and may very likely lead others down a path that could spare them from the devastation of these diseases.  

Your questions, comments and encouragement matter.

ANDI is the acronym for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index and it’s based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s (Eat to Live) nutrient density scoring system.  Whole Foods has recently adopted, and is promoting, this easy to use system to make it easier to choose whole foods according to their nutritional worth. 

Of course we all realize, as does Dr. Fuhrman, that eating strictly from the top of the list would deprive us of the healthy fats and calories that we need to sustain our active lifestyle.  File this under “knowledge is power” and you’ll find that a list can make for fascinating reading.  It can also make healthy choices easier to determine and meal planning less stressful.

You can pick up an easy to use index at Whole Foods or on line.  Check out these articles to learn more:

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article17.aspx

http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/01/28/whole-foods-market-adopts-andi-nutrition-rating-system/