Maria's Breast Cancer Walk and Breast Cancer Talk

On May 15-16 Maria, one of the co-founders here at The Bitch Stopped Cooking, is participating in theAvon Walk for Breast Cancer. It is a 2-day, 40-mile walk around the Greater Boston area. Maria is aiming to personally raise $2,000 to contribute to breast cancer research, treatment, and support. She is well on her way to reaching that goal.

If you are interested in donating, follow this link:

www.avonwalk.org/goto/mariamontague.

Breast cancer is a deadly disease that can affect any woman (or man!) in their lifetime. It is important to remain aware of this and keep up with your yearly exams and self-checks. Some other important lifestyle factors are diet and exercise. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, recently came out with a book, Anticancer: A New Way of Life . In this book he outlines some important dietary considerations that will help you lower your risk of cancer.

Some interesting ones are:

Change your oil: Use only olive and canola oil in cooking and salad dressings. Go through your kitchen cabinets and throw out your soybean, corn and sunflower oils. (And no, you can't give them to your neighbors or your relatives... They're much too rich in omega-6 fatty acids!) You may know our friends over at Gustare Oils and Vinegars, they will come in handy for this healthy step!

Go green: Instead of coffee or black tea, drink three cups of green tea per day. Use decaffeinated green tea if it gets you too wired. Regular consumption of green tea has been linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing cancer.

Remember not all eggs are created equal: Choose only omega-3 eggs, or don't eat the yolks. Hens are now fed on mostly corn and soybeans, and their eggs contain 20 times more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than cell-growth regulating omega-3s.

Skip the potato: Potatoes raise blood sugar, which can feed inflammation and cancer growth. They also contain high levels of pesticide residue (to the point that most potato farmers I know don't eat their own grown potatoes).

And, importantly: Make room for exceptions. What matters is what you do on a daily basis, not the occasional treat.

Follow this link to check out an article that outlines all of Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s 20 New Anticancer Rules.

In addition to keeping track of the foods you eat, don’t forget to exercise! Exercising 30 minutes, 5 days a week is what is best for you, but that can be a very difficult undertaking for some people. Our friend Diana has been keeping a blog of fun different ways that you can work out every day, no matter how busy you are. It is inspiring and might open your eyes to new activities you can partake in to get exercise.

Stay healthy, readers!