That's Fit

Although great strides have been taken in recent years in spreading awareness and information about breast cancer, it seems there is a lot of confusion about what the symptoms are. Besides the well-known "lump," do you know what else to look for? And do you know what symptoms don't usually mean breast cancer? Apparently 25% of women wrongly believe a persistent cough is a sign of breast cancer.

For an easy to read run-down of the most common breast cancer symptoms click here, and if you ever have any questions or concerns make sure to ask/see your doctor!

It has been known for quite some time that flavonoids reduce the risk of heart disease. But, what scientists are now finding is that flavonoids may also slow cognitive decline in older adults.

Researchers had a very large pool of participants -- more than 1,600 men and women -- on which to base their study. From the start, this is a good thing, as it is all too often that studies are based on, like, seven people. So, as I said, 1,600 people aged 65 years or older who were initially dementia-free were involved in this study, and researchers assessed their dietary consumption of flavonoids.

For ten years, the subjects' cognitive performance levels were measured. It become apparent to researchers that subjects with the lowest flavonoid intake demonstrated two times the rate of cognitive impairment as the subjects with the highest amount of flavonoid consumption.

Flavonoids, which are naturally occurring antioxidants, can be sourced from a variety of fruits and vegetables. In addition, red wine is a great source of flavonoids, as is dark chocolate that is made of at least 70-percent cacoa.

Let's face it, disease is no laughing matter. It many times ushers in times of great distress and emotional tumult, leaving families and friends in its devastating wake. Still, there are some situations where one of the best coping mechanisms available is to simply allow yourself a good laugh. Call it the healing power of laughter, if you will.

That's the prevailing sentiment over at the popular humor website LOL Diabetes (www.loldiabetes.com). As an offshoot of the popular diabetes patient web blog Six Until Me (www.sixuntilme.com), this site allows readers to submit humorous photos, stories, videos, etc. that are related to diabetes and, most importantly, funny. And sometimes they can get REALLY funny.

The best part of this site is that it brings together people with diabetes -- and the loved ones of those with the disease -- and allows them to decompress a little bit. Let their guard down, even. Type-2 diabetes affects nearly 21 million people living in the United States alone, and close to 3 million people have type-1. These are big numbers; and the disease carries with it the possibility of additional physical complications. So, to have the ability to let off some steam and release some stress once and a while is certainly a good thing.

As far as I could tell, there are not any other LOL sites on the web that center on a specific disease. If you know of any, please let us know.

In the past, studies have suggested that being married is good for your health. But a recent study of 9,000 British citizens found that being in a bad marriage may literally break your heart. People who had toxic relationships with their spouses, near relatives, or friends were 34% more likely to have heart trouble in the 12 years following the study than those who reported being in solid relationships.

A separate study that looked at the issue found no relationship between bad relationships and heart health, but did find that women who sat silently through martial spats were more likely to have health problems than women who expressed their emotions.

So while the link is tentative, it's pretty clear that being in a bad marriage is stressful. Stress can have a lot of negative health effects, so maybe it's not too far a stretch to say that it could contribute to heart disease. What do you think?

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. I know I'm a little young, I'm 13 years old. I'm not a weight obsessed person, but I just hate the weight that I'm gaining. I was always the thinnest person in my grade and I didn't have to work to stay trim. I'm 5 foot 6. I love to play basketball, but that's only one season and I don't really practice outside of it. I push myself to run, but it's just not really my thing. How can I get back in shape and lose the extra fat on my tummy? Can you help me out? I would love to be fit again! Thanks, Jessica

A. Hi Jessica. Just received your question yesterday along with about 40 others. Apparently my last column appeared on the AIM Today Welcome Screen and it generated about 95,000 hits. Nice to be able to teach so many people in one day! I chose your question, but if anyone would like to link back, you'll see dozens of other questions from teen readers in your same situation. It left me feeling both concerned and inspired. Concerned because so many teens like yourself are stressed, and unhappy with themselves physically. Inspired, because so many of you are seeking out sound advice on how to properly become more fit.

I was 35 pounds heavier in high school than I have been for the past 14 years. I grew up playing sports and began teaching aerobics at age 15, but I still had issues with my weight. In fact, I ended up dealing with Bulimia (which never lost me a pound by the way -- a foolish answer for anyone!) for several years as a result of my insecurities. It stunk! It was so bad that today I spend oodles of time volunteering with kids your age and younger trying to teach the importance of caring for their health. I never want another child to face: eating disorders, poor self-image, depression and more. We are NOT our bodies! Our bodies are vital to getting us around in this world for the next 80 years, but it does not and should not define who we are!

Fitness is crucial to a long healthy life Jessica, and I want you to focus on that. Focus on being strong, capable, flexible, energetic and vibrant. If you visit any doctors office and read the little pamphlets available, you'll see that almost every ailment out there can be prevented, controlled or cured by a healthy diet and regular exercise. That's what counts! G.E.R.D., Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, premature death, etc... can be avoided by simply taking care of yourself! Let's start there, with the BIG picture. Look yourself in the mirror each day and convince yourself to pursue a fit lifestyle in order to live well and live long. If you do that, and make good on your pledge...belly fat will never be an issue again.

Want to lower your risk of developing ovarian cancer? Try eating less fat. Though a low-fat diet has not yet been linked with prevention of breast or colon cancer, a recent large study found that diet does play a role in the development of ovarian cancer. Researchers believe that fat in the diet leads to more estrogen in the diet, and that estrogen may be hard on the ovaries.

The benefit isn't immediate -- participants had to follow it for four years for it to take effect, but those who followed for 8 years lowered their risk by 40%. Researchers tried to keep fat calories to under 20% of total calories -- ambitious, but doable -- but even women who let their fat intake slide up a little bit saw a benefit. Interesting news!

Whenever we write about high heels and how treacherous they can be on your feet and joints, we always have several readers who comment that -- pain or no pain -- they'll never give up their heels. Fair enough. After all, we all have our vices and there are worse things to love than shoes. But if you're going to wear them, at least try to minimize the damage with these 5 tips from WebMD:

• Go for the best fit. Make sure there's plenty of room for your feet, but not so much that your toes slide forward leaving too much room at your heel.
• Invest in inserts, or better yet silicone metatarsal pads to cushion the ball of your foot.
• Wear a thicker heel and alternate heel heights on different days.
• Look for a gradually sloping heel.
• Choose open-toe shoes to take the pressure of your toes (and corns and callouses).

So there you go. Go out and wear those sassy new shoes ... just don't tell your podiatrist we said so.

We're routinely told that our own waist size can have an effect on our future health, but a recent study found that the width of your mother's hip may have something to do with your risk of developing breast cancer as well. By studying the records of over 6,000 Finnish women who gave birth between 1934 and 1944 (when hips were routinely measured before childbirth), researchers found that women of mothers who had wide, round hips were three times more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.

There's an excellent Q & A on the topic here that also helps explain why we all need not run out an measure our hips (it's not a circumference, you can't measure at home) or worry because our mothers had curvy figures. Wider hips are a sign of higher levels of estrogen, and exposure to estrogen in the womb may be the cause of this elevated risk. What this finding will do is help researchers focus in more on embryonic development and understand better how exposure in the womb relates to future disease.

Flu season is just around the corner and the CDC is ramping up its annual campaign to encourage Americans to get their annual flu shot. But what if you're pregnant? Are you included on that list? Yes.

In fact, pregnant women can be especially vulnerable to the flu. With your immune system weakened, you're at a higher risk of catching the virus. And as your body deals with the changes from pregnancy, it puts more stress on your body which can make handling the flu that much harder for you and your baby. Standard advice used to be that only women who would be in their third trimester during flu season should get the shot, but health experts are now saying that all pregnant women should be vaccinated.

People often have strong opinions about vaccinations -- pro and con -- so you may still have some questions about the shot. At your next check-up, bring it up to your doctor. If you decide to go ahead with it, you may be able to get your shot right there.

Ah, PMS. Wouldn't the world be a nicer place without it? Unfortunately, it's a reality for the majority of women out there. But if you're finding that your symptoms are far worse than most of your girlfriends', you might be suffering from something more than PMS -- you might have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD.) How do you tell if it's plain old PMS or PMDD? Look for these symptoms:

• Crying and sadness
• Irritability; feeling nervous and anxious
  
• Really strong cravings for certain foods
• Problems with concentration
• Tender breasts, bloating, swelling, headaches and/or joint pain.
• Trouble sleeping

Hmmm ... aren't these the normal symptoms of PMS? Perhaps we all have PMDD? But seriously, what I think you need to pay attention to is how your PMS symptoms stack up to others'. I know I have very mild symptoms compared to some of my girlfriends.

instead of holding back on eating fish and taking fish oil supplements, pregnant women should actually eat more fish in order to get those healthy oils in their system, according to a new recommendation from a coalition of nutrition experts and groups this past week.

Several federal agencies joined the coalition's suggestion that came to challenge government warnings about fish consumption by pregnant women due to mercury contamination in most volume-processed fish.

While that may be true (to a point), the health benefits of eating about 12 ounces of fish per week outweigh possible exposure to small amounts of mercury. A report from 2004 put out by the FDA and EPA is being criticized in the process here as well.

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.

This go-go cardio workout does not require shiny white go-go boots. Just gym shoes. A go-go class has you following the instructor in the jerk, shimming and various other go-go moves from the '60s designed to make you raise that heartbeat and sweat.

Kaara Kallen of Chicago has co-founded a 60-minute go-go class at The Galaxie Chicago. This all-body workout kicks off with sit-ups and push-ups, followed by 35-45 minutes of straight go-go dancing. The hip shaking, arm swirling moves to groovy tunes sound like a blast. I'd pick go-go over the recent pole-dancing trend any day. If it gives me a chance to look and laugh like Goldie Hawn from Laugh In, I'm game!

Go-go club dancing has made a comeback on the West Coast and Hawaii, but now it's coming to the gym. If cardio go-go isn't in your neighborhood, don't fret. Exercise trends have a way of spreading faster than zipping up a pair of knee-high boots.

A recent meta-analysis on magnesium-rich foods -- such as nuts, leafy green veggies, and milk -- revealed that a diet rich in this mineral may reduce the risk of diabetes.

The Swedish reviewers (not to be confused with the Swedish Chefs) looked at studies involving a total of over 280,000 participants. They found that for every 100mg increase in magnesium consumption, the development risk of type 2 diabetes decreased by 15%. Researchers speculate that magnesium may improve insulin sensitivity, hence the risk reduction.

The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 420mg per day for men and 320mg per day for women. The trouble is, people tend to fall quite short of this mark. If you're finding it difficult to get the RDA of magnesium from your diet, taking a daily multi-vitamin - such as Centrum - could also do the trick.

I can't imagine what it must be like to be diagnosed with any form of cancer. I can only guess that initially, amoung many emotions, one would feel terrified, angry and upset. I hope that I never have to find out what it's like but realistically, I know that some day I could have to deal with all of these emotions and prepare for battle.

I also imagine that it must help to hear the stories of those who have been where you are, and are surviving. The three women featured here, for example, offer advice on how to deal with cancer but more importantly, they offer hope to those facing a similar fight against the disease.

Donna McGrath, who battled breast cancer, insists that getting out and getting on with life is a good way to deal, Barb Brooks, diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, says that maintaining a healthy mind helped her deal with her overall health and Lina Prevedel, currently in remission from breast cancer, found that her friends and family helped her fight the disease.

To read these women's stories in full, please check out the full article here.