The most healthy thing that I have added to my daily menu to fight cancer right now is this simple drink that helps give me energy and gives me antioxidants and vitamins. It helps boost the immune system. It detoxifies and cleanses the body. It gives a quota of daily veggies. It has a high alkalinity that helps balance acid PH levels in the body. It is simple and it tastes good too.

Vicki's Twice Daily Wheat Grass Cocktail
4 ounces of organic tangerine juice
4 ounces of organic carrot juice
1 organic banana
1 8 grams packet of Organic Wheat Grass (I prefer Amazing Grass brand)

Mix together well in a blender until smooth and pour into a large glass.

You can find Wheat Grass in your local health food store.

I think all the time about how I'm treating my body. Just yesterday, while making a tuna sandwich I wondered if I was using too much light mayonnaise. I considered the fact that tuna contains mercury, that I should monitor how much of this product I consume.

How much is too much anyway?

I worried that my tuna was slathered on white bakery bread, a true diet no-no, and I found solace in only two items -- my hand-picked strawberries and the water I poured in my cup.

Wait, the strawberries were pretty plump, ripe, red, and juicy -- an indication they were possibly pumped full of hormones and sprayed with pesticides before I washed and gulped them down.

How did I do overall at lunch? I think maybe not so good. I did run 2.5 miles and completed 20 push-ups, a bunch of sit-ups, and few core exercises. Maybe I come out balanced in the end. Maybe not.

I think about this sort of stuff every day because of cancer. I've already had it -- and I don't want it again. So I try to eat right. I exercise. I don't smoke. I don't drink alcohol. But here's my dilemma: I did all this before my cancer diagnosis (with the exception of an occasional drink), and the disease still lived in my body -- maybe for many years before I knew it was there. What should I do differently now when I didn't do all that bad before?

Shall I exercise all day long? Eat only the most pure and untainted of foods? Somehow that doesn't seem much like living. So I suppose I'll keep on doing what I do every day -- living in moderation -- with hopes that I've had my one and only brush with cancer and that the bout I had was caused by something other than how I treat my body.

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.

There are various risk factors that can contribute to the development of breast cancer. Being female is the single biggest risk factor that on its own puts all women in jeopardy. But there are other risks -- many beyond our control and some more significant than others -- that can help explain why some women are diagnosed with the most common cancer in women in the United States. And why others are not.

Sometimes drinking alcohol is healthy. And sometimes drinking alcohol is harmful. Studies show that one drink per day -- compared with no drinking at all -- can reduce a woman's risk for heart disease and stroke by 50 percent. And other research indicates that older women who drink moderately have better cognitive skills. But there are also downsides for women who drink even moderate amounts of alcohol.

Even as little as one-half drink per day increases the risk of breast cancer -- possibly because alcohol raises estrogen blood levels which can promote growth of breast tumors. Women are also more likely than men to become dependent on alcohol and to experience other consequences too -- including damage to the brain and other organs. One in 13 adults in the United States has a serious alcohol problem -- and at least six million of these adults are women. And because the risk for alcohol-related health issues increase with age, older women should be especially careful of their alcohol intake for the purpose of maintaining health and limiting the odds of a breast cancer diagnosis.

In the interest of balancing the healthful and harmful effects of alcohol, The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests that women over the age of 65 limit themselves to one drink per day. Or less.

On Monday, the sale of a Japanese brand of aloe juice was banned by the Department of Health after it was determined that it contains high levels of benzene -- seven times more than the World Health Organization recommends for maximum levels in water. Benzene is a colorless and flammable liquid with a sweet smell and was once used as an additive in gasoline. It is carcinogenic -- and has been cause for concern worldwide. So samples of the drink, produced by the Japansese cosmetics brand DHC, will be sent to the Bureau of Food and Drug Analysis for further investigation due to such concerns. In the meantime, the sale of this aloe juice, sold in convenience stores and through mail-order, will be suspended.

About ten years ago, Oregon State University researchers took an interest in hops. In particular, the flavonoid compound xanthohumol found in hops. Although xanthohumol was first discovered almost 100 years ago, no one was aware of the possible health benefits of the compound. In the last ten years, Fred Stevens, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in OSU's College of Pharmacy, as well as a Linus Pauling Institute researcher -- with a team of researchers -- have been able to determine that hops might be effective in the prevention of cancer. In the latest published research paper, the researchers are stating that beer looks promising in prostate cancer prevention and prevention of prostate enlargement. Before you get excited at the prospect that drinking beer is cancer prevention, according to the research, you would need to drink more than 17 beers to consume the same amount used in the study. Or you could travel to Germany.

There is a microbrewed beer manufactured and distributed in Germany that is xanthohumol-enhanced, and contains ten times the normal amount of the compound found in regular beer. The beer is not available outside of Germany. Researchers think that a drug containing a highly concentrated amount of xanthohumol might be an effective treatment for cancers in the future.

When Amy Turner Tunick, an actress and writer who wrote The Feel Good Column for the South Florida Sun-Times, was first diagnosed with cancer she wrote:

"It doesn't seem real. There were no signs or symptoms. Maybe it's a genetic thing. But will I ever really know? I've been a very healthy active 44 year-old woman. I don't drink or smoke.  But, sometimes, unfortunate things do happen to good people. And I don't doubt I'm a good person. Actually, I believe I'm an exceptional person. I'm positive, optimistic, inspiring and enthusiastic. I try to be caring, loving and honest. So, sadly, I'm not blaming anyone, including God, that I've just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." 

Tunick did not exaggerate when she described herself as a positive, optimistic, inspiring and enthusiastic person. Her columns reflected that, and she had a way of inspiring the reader to feel optimistic about life. She had a way of reminding you of the simple joys of life and the importance of the people in your life. In one of her last columns, she wrote, ''Cry, scream, feel sorry for yourself -- but not for long. Basically, this is all about hope. Never lose it. Never give in or give up.''

Tunick had this to say about death, "I believe that Death teaches us that the time is now. The time is now to pick up a telephone and call the person that you love. Death teaches us the joy of the moment. It teaches us we don't have forever. If teaches us that nothing is permanent. It teaches us to let go, there's nothing you can hang on to. And it tells us to give up on expectations and let tomorrow tell its own story, because nobody knows if they'll get home tonight."

Tunick won't be getting home tonight. She lost her battle to cancer and the world lost more of its light. Tunick was 47.

Earlier this month, I shared the results of a study that drinking coffee reduces the risk of a genetic type of breast cancer. Good news for women who enjoy a cup of java -- or two -- or three -- to start the day. I have found more good news about coffee. Did you know that a cup of coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet? So this could mean that we do not get very much in the way of antioxidants in our diet, or it might be that coffee has antioxidant super powers.

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close," says study leader Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton.

Dr. Vinson explained that, "Although fruits and vegetables are generally promoted as good sources of antioxidants, the new finding is surprising because it represents the first time that coffee has been shown to be the primary source from which most Americans get their antioxidants." Antioxidants protect from the potential damage to cells of free radicals. Past research findings have indicated that coffee provides a certain level of cancer prevention for breast, colon and liver  cancers.

Researchers analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages and the amount of daily consumption. Coffee was number one on the list. According to the National Coffee Association, over 50 percent of Americans drink coffee. With all the constant news concerning what is bad for you, this is better than good news for coffee drinkers.