DIET COLUMN

Thanks to each and every one of you who participated in our October Biggest Donation and Biggest Giveaway Ever! We asked you to sign-up for our DietsInReview.com newsletters, and for each new subscriber, we promised to donate $1 to breast cancer research.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation was selected as the recipient of our $555 donation. There were 535 new sign-ups, and four people published the Blogs Against Breast Cancer button for a $5 donation each.

We are pleased to offer this donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and hope that it’s one more step toward finding a cure.

Learn more about the ways diet, nutrition and fitness can reduce your risk of breast cancer.

The guest blog today is written by Jade, an author specializing in disease prevention and alternative health information, writing at HealthMiracles.net.

1.  Your underwire bra is highly suspect!
A healthy lymphatic system is key to cancer prevention.  It cleans out toxins and waste products in our blood and is fueled by proper blood circulation.  Many important lymph nodes are located in the armpit area.  The wire from a bra commonly cuts off circulation in that area, disabling the lymph system to properly eliminate cancer-causing waste materials we accumulate.

2. Plastic water bottles can’t be trusted!
It is known that carcinogens are released from plastic bottles when exposed to sunlight.  Although you can be careful not to expose your bottled water to sunlight, who is to say how much exposure it received in transit?

We’ve decided to up the ante and make an even bigger impact on finding a cure for breast cancer. During the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, if your site or blog publishes this “My Blog Cares” button, or a link to the DietsInReview.com Diet Blog, we’ll donate $5 for breast cancer research in honor of your site.

To participate follow these 3 steps:

1. Copy this code
   <a title=”Health News” href=”http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column”>
   <img src=”http://www.dietsinreview.com/images/breast-cancer-donation.gif” alt=”breast cancer donation” border=”0″/></a>
2. Place the HTML on your blog
3. Contact us here with a link to where your My Blog Cares button is placed

During the month of October you’ll find everything from soup cans to tennis shoes dyed pink all in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness. It’s an important cause, as breast cancer will be a diagnosis heard by one in eight women.

Eating a healthy diet and staying physically fit are two of the most important ways your body can fight to prevent breast cancer. Here are 10 products that are blushing pink that you can take to the gym, and proceeds will go to support breast cancer causes.

1. Susan G. Komen Nintendo DS - You can use this hand-held video game to run the My Weight Loss Coach “game.” It acts as a virtual fitness coach, with a built-in pedometer, measures progress with graphs and daily reminders and advice. 

2. Koss “for the Cure” SportsBud Ear Phones - The right tunes jamming in your ears is often all the motivation you need to get moving in the gym. Plug-in with these hot pink ear buds.

3. MioPINK Heart Rate Monitor Watch with Calorie Burn Calculation - Be sure you’re getting the most effective workout possible, by watching your heart rate and monitoring the total calories burned while exercising.

I’m sure you know that breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer in women, but did you know drinking as little as a half of glass of wine may increase your risk of developing breast cancer? You hear it all the time that a glass of wine is good for your heart, but are you sure you’d want that glass if you knew it could increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer? And it’s not just wine, switching to beer or spirits (liquor) increases your chances just the same. The more alcohol consumed on a regular basis, the greater your risk.

I’m not saying avoid alcohol all together, I’m just saying be aware and practice moderation. Women thinking about having a few glasses of wine a day for their heart-healthy effects need to figure in the new findings when weighing the risks and benefits. It’s important to realize the regular, repeated use increases the chance of breast cancer and having a glass of wine or beer on occasion is not a problem. Besides, by limiting your alcohol intake not only will you help reduce your risk of breast cancer, but you can also cut calories and slim down your waist line.

Learn how you can help DietsInReview.com donate $1 to breast cancer research on your behalf during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and win some great prizes!

You commonly hear how important folate is for women in their childbearing years.  This is because research has proven time and time again that folate is critical in reducing risks of neural tube defects. Studies also show that folate can help reduce your risk of breast cancer. Now knowing this information, you may be wondering how to incorporate more folate into your diet.

Some great sources of folate, include:

- Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas)
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Leafy green veggies (spinach, broccoli)
- Fortified grains
- Liver

Take care when cooking and storing these items though, heat and oxidation can destroy as much as half of the folate in foods.

Learn how you can help DietsInReview.com support breast cancer research during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and win some great prizes!

It’s a new day at DietsInReview.com and we want to celebrate with you! In honor of our relaunch, we’re offering our biggest giveaway and biggest donation ever!

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign-up for any of the DietsInReview.com newsletters.

2. We’ll donate $1 to further breast cancer research for every new newsletter sign-up in October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

3. New subscribers will automatically be entered to win some amazing prizes!! Current subscribers, please email your entry.

4. On Nov. 1, we’ll draw 3 names for our Grand Prizes and 5 names for our Runner-Up Prizes.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Besides showing your support by wearing those famous pink ribbons, it’s a good idea to make sure that you optimize your chances of preventing the potentially deadly disease.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 40,480 female and 450 male deaths caused by breast cancer in 2008 in the U.S. There are several things that you can do to avoid being a statistic, and instead a survivor- not the least of which is minding your diet.

There’s a fantastic article from the folks over at WebMD.com on what you should eat to fend off breast cancer. Here are their seven strategies, and a brief description. For more, check out Fight Breast Cancer at Every Meal:

1. Increase Your Produce Intake
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that help protect against all forms of cancer.

2. Cut Down on Fat
Studies on dietary fat have been conflicting, but most experts say it’s still wise to steer clear of saturated fat.

3. Get Lots of Calcium and Vitamin D
A 10-year Harvard study found that pre-menopausal women who got 1,366 milligrams of calcium and 548 IU of vitamin D daily slashed their breast cancer risk by a third, and their odds of getting invasive breast cancer by up to 69 percent.

4. Sprinkle Flaxseed on Your Cereal
Flaxseed is a good source of lignans, compounds that may play a role in preventing estrogen dependent cancers by inhibiting the development of tumors or slowing their rate of growth.

5. Keep BBQ to a Minimum
This one is a real bummer. A recent study showed that post-menopausal women who had consumed a lot of barbecued and smoked red meat or chicken over their lifetimes had a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

6. Moderate Alcohol Intake
More than one daily drink increases your odds of developing breast cancer.

7. Fill up on Fiber
A diet that’s rich in fiber (30+ grams a day) can cut the risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women in half.