Apricots are one of my favorite fruits, mainly because they are so perfectly sized for a small snack. Plus they're so tasty. I've heard so much lately about how good they are for you and I thought I'd share. They're good at helping you prevent cataracts, heart disease and even cancer. Apricots -- especially dried ones -- have a good supply of lycopene, a cancer-preventing nutrient often found in tomatoes. Apricots are also high in beta carotene, an antioxidant.

Have them fresh, dried, in a dessert -- simply put, just get them in to your diet somehow.

How do you like your apricots?

Canned pumpkin or cooked pumpkin is a super cancer food. One half cup of cooked pumpkin has over five times your quota for beta carotene vitamin A per day. According to research at Tufts University it may be used to protect against many cancers but especially colon cancer. Here is a fun way to eat pumpkin besides the traditional pumpkin pie and will start your morning off right.

Vicki's Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine first 6 Ingredients in a large bowl. Combine milk, pumpkin, egg and vegetable oil in a small bowl and mix well. Add the wet batter to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Lumps in the batter are fine. Heat your griddle or skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with vegetable oil or spray with non stick oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle and cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

This makes two in one week:

In yet another example of contradictory research, some scientists now believe that beta carotene does not offer any benefit in the fight against cancer. Prior to some of these new findings, all previous data I came across (and still continue to come across) posits just the opposite.

Beta carotene, an antioxidant found in such foods as squash and carrots, was -- and still is, in some circles -- considered a powerful cancer fighter and a combatant against free-radical damage. While the evidence regarding the latter still, at least ostensibly, holds true, some new research suggests that beta-carotene is completely ineffective as a cancer fighter (of course, it can be argued that by helping to fight against free-radical damage, beta carotene is also battling against the increased risk of developing cancer). Just the same, what is perhaps the even more shocking discovery is that beta carotene may actually increase the chances of lung cancers in smokers (note: beta carotene, although not effective in battling cancer, demonstrated signs of increasing lung cancer risk in smokers only. There was no evidence to suggest that beta carotene could increase one's risk of developing any other type of cancer. Simply, it just won't help fight it against it, though.).

Too many studies, too many dissenting opinions. All we want is accurate, well-researched information. Is that too much to ask?