On Monday, the sublimely hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, dedicated her show to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During the monologue, Ellen discussed the philosophy of laughter being the best medicine, and in her uniquely funny way gave an example to support this view by stating that Elton John is proof that looking through rose-colored glasses will alter your optimism because Elton John is a very happy person.

She imparted wisdom that being in a good mood makes your body feel better, that optimistic people heal quicker and that positivity is an energy you cannot see but is very real. Again, Ellen provided an example of how this works when she compared what happens when you hug someone who is wearing too much perfume and you walk away smelling like the perfume. Energy is like that. It rubs off on others.

Breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow appeared on the show, as did Christina Applegate, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor. Four audience members had their hair cut on television and donated the locks to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. Pantene's Beautiful Lengths makes wigs for women with cancer. Ellen blogs her monologues and other tidbits of information and this month, her website provides breast cancer information.

A few breast cancer fast facts:

• One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer. In 1960 it was one out of 14.
• An estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US during 2006. This does not take DCIS into account.
• An estimated 41,430 breast cancer deaths are anticipated this year.
• Female breast cancer rates have continued to increase, although at a slower rate than in years past.
• Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women.
• Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women 40-55 years of age.
• There are 2 million women living in the U.S. who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.
• There are another 1 million women living with breast cancer who have not yet been diagnosed.
• Every woman is at risk for breast cancer, and that risk increases with age. About 77 percent of breast cancer diagnoses occur in women age 50 and older.
• Seventy percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors.
  

As Ellen told the audience of breast cancer survivors, "We can beat this thing."

Welcome back from the weekend! Here is a review of what we were talking about during the second week in July in our other health blogs.

From The Cardio Blog:

• Bucindolol: experimental heart failure drug.
• Mammograms can find heart health problems.
• Eggs: bad or not bad for heart health -- which is it?
• The clock of life and time of day determines heart health.
• Extreme obesity raises mortality rate in women.
• Austrailian stem cell research innovates new heart treatment.
• Public physical activity program helps weight loss, lower blood pressure.
• Tuna imported from Latin America has highest mercury level.
• Eating less helps slow aging process.
• Teens helped to learn healthy diet habits with household food rules.
• Volunteer work helps seniors stay active and healthy.
• Working overtime worse for womens health.
• Aging and single living combined linked to higher heart disease risk.
• Tubby kids motivated to exercise by reward of TV time.
• Humidity and high temps linked to rise in summer heart attacks.
• Comedian Red Button dies of vascular disease.
• Migraine aura linked to increased heart attack stroke risk.
  

From The Diabetes Blog:

• Martial arts black belt uses youth group to fight diabetes.
• FDA approves GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug.
• Pink Floyd Syd Barrett dies from diabetes complications.
• Update on fatal NC car crash involving diabetic driver.
• Major study links Type 2 diabetes and glaucoma risk.
• Life insurance industry plays catch-up.
• A1c Champions program trains diabetes mentors.
• Danish study confirms suspected diabetes, multiple sclerosis link.
• Debate continues on virtues, shortcomings of inhalable insulin, Exubera.
• Blogger's advice to T2 diabetics: follow in footsteps of movie producer Weinstein.
• Diabetes, obesity blamed for sky-high US kidney failure rates.
• Canadians await approval of inhalable insulin.
• Lifestyle ed could greatly reduce diabetes onset in older Americans, say researchers.

To your good health! To a great week!

The outlandish comedian Tom Green will sit at home in his livingroom and host an internet-only talk show. During his stay at MTV, he taped The Tom Green Cancer Special, an intimate sharing of his diagnosis, surgery and recovery from testicular cancer in the usual Tom Green style of humor. It appears, in his new weekly phone-in internet-only talk show, his cohost will be his pet parrot Rex Murphy. Debuting June 15, Green will tape 50 episodes from his Hollywood Hills home.

"It seemed like the ultimate playground for someone like me," Green told the Associated Press Monday. "I've always enjoyed doing goofy experimental stuff that sometimes was too weird to put on a TV show but was fun artistically." The anything goes Tom Green show will air on ManiaTV.com. According to ManiaTV's VP of programming, Richard Ayoub, ManiaTV has no standards and practices.

Green is a six-year cancer survivor who proves that there is an uproarious life to be lived after a cancer diagnosis. Green certainly doesn't appear to have lost his sense of humor. In addition to his upcoming internet-only talk show, Green keeps a website and a blog.

So, Katie Couric is moving to CBS, and Meredith Viera, one of the ABC co-hosts of The View, accepted an offer to replace Couric at NBC. Which left Viera's job at ABC open. Who did Barbara Walters choose as the new co-host? Rosie O'Donnell. What are Walters and ABC thinking? Jerry Springer ratings steeped in controversy is all I can figure out.

Once upon a time, I was a Rosie O'Donnell fan. As a comedian, I thought she was funny. As an advocate for children, I thought she was generous. But she cancelled all that out the day she allegedly told one of her staff, who was battling breast cancer, that "liars get cancer," because apparently, O'Donnell was feeling even more mean-spirited than usual that day. To be accurate, during a lawsuit Rosie magazine publishers filed against O'Donnell for breach of contract -- Cindy Spengler -- who was head of marketing at Rosie magazine, testified that O'Donnell made the remark after a meeting to discuss the magazine's problems. Spengler said O'Donnell told her that her silence in the meeting was tantamount to lying. "You know what happens to people who lie," the witness tearfully quoted O'Donnell as saying. "They get sick and they get cancer. If they keep lying, they get it again.

Before that, I do not think the larger audience had any idea O'Donnell harbored such dark spite in her heart. The statement, while obviously appalling and unforgivable, is also stupefying considering O'Donnell -- at the age of 10 -- lost her mother to breast cancer. But no matter now, as to the why of it all. You can't unring a bell. I am not a huge daytime television viewer, but come September, you can rest assured, no one at my house will be channel surfing ABC. People has the bland noncommittal announcement of The View's choice for new co-host. The Boston Herald has a snarkier version of the story. As a breast cancer survivor, now you have mine. 

Laughter Yoga is a technique based on the philosophy of acting happiness. In other words, you do not need to be happy, have a sense of humor, or even have a reason to laugh in order to participate in laughter yoga. Laughter Yoga is not religious. According to the founders of Laugher Yoga, it is not a joke. "It is the very nature of life to be joyful. Research has shown that young children laugh an average of 300 to 400 times a day, versus an average of about 15 laughs for adults. Children live in their heart. They laugh for the sake of laughing. Adults live in their head. Most often than not, they fear. The human mind has rules and inhibitions."

John Cleese traveled to India to witness laughter yoga firsthand and report about his experience. Cleese, a legendary comedic talent of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, observed that laughter is the great social connector, and that it is impossible to feel isolated when laughing with others. A feeling of connection is known to promote healing. Research has proven that cancer patients who are involved in social support systems recover better. In addition, research has proven that laughter boosts the immune system. The immune system plays a significant role in fighting cancer. And as Cleese found out, forced laughter leads to genuine laughter in the yoga of laughter.