Back in 2002, photographs of a somewhat plump Jamie Lee Curtis appeared in many popular magazines. At the time, Curtis was just two years into pursuing sobriety and had gained upwards of 20 pounds. It appeared Curtis was flaunting her new look, perhaps even giving the public permission to be happy in their own skin. Not a bad thing, right?

It was a bad idea, says Curtis who now regrets communicating to the masses that letting yourself go is OK. Because it's not. Now fit and trim -- not skinny, just trim -- Curtis says in the July 2007 issue of Ladies Home Journal, "So I think what some people took from those photos was: Love yourself, no matter what. And the problem with this is: What if what you're doing is unhealthy?"

"And the problem is that how many of us are killing ourselves every day? Who here has high blood pressure and is still eating salt and French fries? Who has been told that her liver is enlarged and unless she stops drinking she's gonna end up with liver disease and/or need a liver transplant? We create senseless acts of violence against ourselves every day. And we live in this amnesia that we're not."

Patrick Wayne, son of late actor John Wayne, says Larry King has true grit. And that's why the CNN talk show host will receive the True Grit Award next month, an honor that hails from the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

King, 73, will receive his honor at the annual Odyssey Ball on April 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Jamie Lee Curtis will host the event that will commemorate the centennial of John Wayne's birth.

The Odyssey Ball began 22 years ago and has helped raise more the $14 million to support the John Wayne Cancer Institute's research and treatment programs.

"Larry King epitomizes the strengths and qualities that characterized my father, and for which the True Grit Award was created," said Wayne, who serves as chairman of the board at the institute, located at the Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

Founded by the Wayne family in 1981, the institute honors John Wayne who died of stomach cancer in 1979.

Chemotherapy can upset the digestive system. It can cause nausea and vomiting -- although I never did throw up during my own chemotherapy, thanks to medication for these side effects. Chemotherapy can diminish overall feelings of wellness and can cause sore gums and mouth sores and dry mouths. Clearly, chemotherapy can ruin an appetite.

But patients receiving chemotherapy need to eat. And they need to drink. They need to maintain nutrition and energy and strength during a physically taxing time. And so the challenge facing many entrenched in chemotherapy is how to eat when the act of chewing, swallowing, and digesting food is so completely unappetizing.

Barbara Curtis shares in a chapter of Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul a recipe that made a difference for her sister during her worst days of chemotherapy.

Her recipe -- for chemo popsicles -- includes essential ingredients. Fruit and tofu provide phytochemicals, protein, and liquids for depleted bodies. The cool popsicle soothes sore mouths and settles stomachs. And the ease of putting together this simple snack is nothing short of tempting.

My advice -- save this recipe. And savor it too.

Chemo Popsicles

Fresh-squeezed orange juice, one 8-ounce glass
Frozen mangoes, 1/4 package, or 1 cup frozen berries
1/4 square tofu, medium firmness
One banana
Add passionfruit juice or other fruit juices for flavor

Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend to liquify. Add more juice if mixture is too thick -- it should be as thick as a smoothie. Pour blended mixture into Tupperware or plastic popsicle molds and freeze.

The Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation has honored Dakota Fanning with the 2006 Heart of Gold Award. The award was presented by Fanning’s friend and Dreamer co-star Elisabeth Shue, in the foundation's acknowledgment of Fanning's devotion and dedication to helping others. Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation A Stellar Night award evening was hosted by actresses and Starlight Starbright supporters Jamie Lee Curtis and Teri Hatcher. Dakota Fanning is a beloved and phenomenally gifted child actress who has starred in a number of major films and it is not surprising she is also phenomenally compassionate and highly sensitive to the needs of others.

The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation is making a difference in the lives of seriously ill children and their families with innovative and valuable programs such as PC Pals that provide laptop computers to pediatric patients loaded with a variety of entertaining and educational software and filtered Internet access that allows hospitalized kids to email and instant message their friends and family; Great Escapes which hosts ball games, picnics, cruises, spa days and movie premiers, allowing families time to connect with other families, make new friends, and spend family time together; Explorer Series CD-ROMs that helps seriously ill kids and teens a fun way to find out more about common medical procedures like IVs, Xrays, MRIs, CT Scans, Bone Marrow Aspirations and spinal Taps; and Coping with Chemo -- animated episodes and stories that help teens cope with the challenges of living with cancer -- including getting diagnosed, dealing with grief and isolation, telling friends, the side effects of treatment, making tough decisions and celebrating the last treatment. Coping with Chemo is free and available online.

I am a long-time fan of legendary harmonica blues musician, soulful singer songwriter, and Pacific Northwest hometown boy Curtis Salgado. While working in Eugene, Oregon during the filming of Animal House, John Belushi visited a club Salgado was performing in, and created his Blues Brother persona after watching Salgado perform. Belushi dedicated the first Blues Brothers album to Salgado. Salgado, who came home from kindergarten with a note from his teacher pinned to his shirt saying that he could sing, went on into adulthood to tour as lead singer for Robert Cray and Santana.

Salgado is a highly-respected musician among his peers in the blues world, and he explains soul music by saying, "If a song is sincere and you believe it, that's soul. To me Pavarotti is as much a soul singer as Otis Redding; Merle Haggard and Hank Williams are soul singers as much as Sam Cooke. Soul is about heart and about belief." Salgado has soul.

According to his friend and manager Shane Tappendorf, Salgado will receive cancer treatments next month with the hope of liver transplant surgery in the future. A benefit concert is planned to help Salgado with some of the medical costs. In Oregon, donations can be made for the Curtis Salgado Fund at any US Bank or can be mailed to:

US Bancorp
2550 NW 188th Avenue
Hillsboro, OR 97124

Visit the Curtis Salgado website for more information.