I'm writing today to share with you a victory -- a diet and exercise victory. Let me begin with a little background.

I've always been in the normal weight range for my height. I am about 5'7" and prior to each of my two pregnancies, I weighed 142. For me, that translates into size eight clothing, size six for some oddly made-garments. I've always been generally happy with my weight, and I've never obsessed about the numbers on the scale. Yet there's been one area that's bothered me ever since my first baby was born -- my tummy. Now I like to use the excuse that my babies were big -- 10 pounds, nine ounces and 10 pounds, two ounces -- but clinging to this explanation did nothing to remove the loose skin from my middle. And for years, I guess I wasn't ready to work at whittling it away.

Enter cancer. Research shows many breast cancer patients gain weight during treatment -- sometimes up to 30 pounds. And while I never did gain this much, my weight has increased over the past almost three years. Perhaps it was hormones, the chemotherapy drugs, the anti-depressant I just stopped taking. Regardless, I didn't like the extra weight. So I tried to do something about it -- and about that pesky tummy too. And herein lies the victory.

Here's my problem with health-related advice and wisdom -- it's always changing. And I'm never sure if I'm buying into the right practice. Should I eat low-fat foods, for example, or should I stick with moderate amounts of regular food? Is red meat a good source of protein and other goodies or a direct path to breast cancer recurrence? Will sunscreen save my life or cause malignant lesions to develop on my fair skin?

How about drinking eight glass of water a day? Maybe yes. Maybe no, according to experts who say we get water from sources other than diet alone and while we do need to replace water lost through breathing, urination, and sweating each day, our lost fluids do not total 64 ounces. And it seems we can drink too much water. This can lead to an imbalance of sodium and a condition called hyponatremia.

Vitamin supplements? Eat a good amount of fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, protein, and the right amount of calories and you don't need a multivitamin. But most of us don't eat right. So we probably need one.

OK. Now breathe. Take it all in. Filter it. Use it. Abandon it. As for me -- I'm going with the tactic mentioned above several times -- moderation. Seems to me this approach is the key to both health and happiness.

The second issue of the magazine Beyond: Live & Thrive After Breast Cancer will hit newsstands March 20.

The magazine, one of many targeting individuals with manageable conditions and diseases, such as allergies, heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, stands out as an upbeat, positive, feel-good package of information and inspiration.

University of Mississippi journalism professor Samir Husni says magazines of this sort that succeed are the ones offering up a good dose of chicken soup for the soul. This is definitely a magazine good for the soul.

Beyond editor Martha Miller Johnson calls the magazine a purveyor of hope and information, a source of reliable facts, figures, and features for the growing community of survivors living with breast cancer. Beyond is for "the women who has been through her initial treatment and now sees her life through a different prism," says Johnson.

"Her body's changed, her skin's changed. To her, it's not a death sentence; it's a condition she just has to live with. More and more women are living with breast cancer."

The soon-to-be-released publication spotlights breast cancer survivor Deanna Favre with husband Brett Favre and includes stories about breast cancer and black women, chemotherapy and weight gain, and the most important questions to ask your doctor.

Why pick up a copy of Beyond's Spring/Summer issue this March 20? Because breast cancer attacks so many aspects of our well-being, says one survivor of the disease.

"It's your identity, it's your sexuality, it's your womanhood. Fertility. For many of us, it throws us into menopause early," she says. "Every aspect of your emotional and psychological well-being is impacted by cancer and the treatment. So that kind of puts it in its own category, I think. So you combine that with the fact that there are so many women going through it, and I think you do have a market there for something like this."

I couldn't have said it better.

Findings from an international study suggest that women with a waist size of more than 34 inches are more likely to develop cancer of the womb than women who boast slimmer waistlines.

The study, funded in part by the British charity Cancer Research UK, sized up 223,000 women worldwide and determined that women with a waistline less than 31 inches have half the risk of developing womb cancer than their heavier counterparts.

There has been a significant rise in cases of womb cancer in Britain. And the link between the disease and weight gain is most prevalent among postmenopausal women who have never used hormone replacement therapy or the birth control pill.

According to the National Sizing Survey conducted in 2004, the average British woman now has a 34-inch waist. This is more than six inches bigger than the average size of a woman in the 1950s, says Dr. Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK.

"Women are larger than they were when they existed on a wartime diet and were generally more active and this is having serious consequences," Walker says.

More than 6,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with womb cancer each year. The disease kills about 1,000 annually.

There is something to be said for the power of prayer. On the morning the lump in my breast was removed, a friend rallied more than 80 friends from our local MOMS Club to say a prayer for me -- at the exact time I was wheeled into an operating room. I know nothing of the prayer they said for me, but I do know I emerged from surgery with my breast intact and with the knowledge that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes.

I don't know for sure what role prayer played in my good fortune -- but I don't discount that it is in some way responsible for the fact that I am alive today.

But there are other obvious factors responsible for my survival -- like chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, targeted drug therapy, and counseling. So I don't think prayer alone saved me. I think it took a balance of varied forces to save my life -- a balance one Ohio man was not able to achieve.

The children of Darrell Perry are filing suit against their aunt, Darlene Bishop -- Perry's sister and an evangelical preacher -- who claims both she and Perry were cured of cancer through prayer.

Perry was not cured and died a year and a half ago from throat cancer. And Bishop now reveals she was never diagnosed with breast cancer -- like she claimed at one time -- but was merely worried she may have had the disease. Yet the message in her book Your Life Follows Your Words speaks loud and clear in its message -- that prayer can cure cancer.

Perry's children says their aunt is lying and exploiting their father for her own financial gain. They have filed two suits -- one accusing her of mismanaging and misusing Perry's estate and the other alleging wrongful death for convincing Perry to pray rather than seek medical help.

Carrying extra weight is a risk factor for developing breast cancer. But it's not been clear how the timing of weight gain affects this risk. Evidence is mounting, though, and it's now believed that weight gain in adult life is more predictive of breast cancer risk than absolute body weight.

A new study, published in December's International Journal of Cancer, reveals a link between gaining weight in adulthood and an increased risk of breast cancer after menopause.

"We did find some suggestion that weight gain during the 30s and 40s, weight gain since a woman's first pregnancy and weight gain since menopause, especially for women with a longer time since menopause, may all be of importance in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk," report the researchers who followed 1,166 women with breast cancer and 2,105 without the disease.

A 70 percent increased risk was found among postmenopausal women who gained more than 60 pounds between age 20 and the onset of menopause. This was in comparison to women who gained less than 20 pounds during the same period of time. Overall, there was a four percent increase in breast cancer risk for each 11-pound increase in adult weight.

Over the years, here is an on-going conversation I have with my family physician:

Doctor: What kind of exercise are you doing?

My reply: I have three kids and a house to keep clean. I think that is all the exercise I need.

Doctor then rolls his eyes.

End of conversation.

I am 5-foot, 7-inches, weigh 120 pounds and am on the go from 5:30 AM to about 10 PM each night. Aside from work as an artist and writer, which requires that I sit at a drafting table or in front of the computer (which is not prolonged sitting -- I am up and down, up and down -- because as every parent knows, somebody always needs something or something needs to be done) I am in movement.

I am physically able to climb down riverbanks and over river boulders when we go fishing, and I can hike up any hill with the best of them. I do not worry that I am out of shape. I know I am not physically inactive. You can bet I will be taking a copy of this latest research with me to my next visit to see the doctor. He asks the same exercise question each time, only this time, I have data to back up my claim that I am indeed getting a very good form of exercise.

According to researchers, when it comes to the best workout, cleaning the house outranks playing a sport as a better form of exercise and "far more cancer protective." They state "that moderate forms of physical activity, such as housework, may be more important than less frequent but more intense recreational physical activity in reducing breast cancer risk."

The women in the study spent an average of 16 to 17 hours a week cooking, cleaning and doing the laundry, and the researchers found housework cut breast cancer risk by 30 percent among the pre-menopausal women and 20 percent among the post-menopausal women. The study focused on women and breast cancer, but there is no reason to believe that these findings will not translate into cancer prevention for all cancers, and for men as well, as exercise is known to offer protection against the development of cancer. And in weighing in for the guys, men do housework too.
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This past summer, a man in the business of helping smokers quit, was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Just months later, anti-smoking guru Allen Carr lost his battle with cancer. On November 29th, Carr died at his home in Malaga, Spain.

A heavy smoker for 33 years before quitting 23 years ago, Carr claimed to have found an easy way to quit smoking. From that discovery, he founded The Easy Way to Stop Smoking Program, which would eventually grow into 70 clinics in 30 countries. In addition, his company publishes how-to quit smoking books, CDs, tapes and DVDs.

Using cognitive therapy, Carr told smokers interested in quitting that they could do it without willpower, without suffering withdrawal and without gaining weight. The celebrity endorsements for his program include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Bean, Marie Helvin, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Lisa Stansfield, Sir Richard Branson, Britney Spears, Susannah York, Bruce Oldfield, Stefano Gabbana and Julie Christie.

Carr is credited with helping over 25 million people to quit smoking.

An Easy Way to Stop Smoking Program clinic spokesperson was quoted as saying, "Allen spent many years in smoke-filled rooms after he quit, while treating smokers for addiction. He is certain that had he not quit, he would have died 20 years ago." Near the time of his death, Carr wrote a letter to Tony Blair urging his government and NHS to accept the easy method program. Carr was 72.

Tamoxifen has been used successfully for over 20 years. The researchers know that over time Tamoxifen can lose its effectiveness. Many women diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer that have tumors that are estrogen-receptor positive can be put on Tamoxifen to control the disease. After some time the patient becomes resistant to Tamoxifen and has to be switched to another drug.

A molecule, called disulfide benzamide or DIBA, could provide a way to overcome that resistance and restore the effectiveness of Tamoxifen. Findings are published in the December issue of Cancer Cell that show how mice engineered to develop Tamoxifen resistant tumors and human breast cancer cells in the lab were given the molecule. In both cases the tumor growth slowed.

William Farrar, head of the Cancer Stem Cell Section of the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research and the studies lead author, says "DIBA is what is known as a lead compound, which means it merely opens the door to suitable drugs." He also says that "DIBA itself is probably not appropriate for humans, because of solubility problems". The team plans to try and develop another compound fashioned after the properties of DIBA and hopeful have this be able to be administered orally.

One important aspect of the research was that it focused only on an acquired resistance to Tamoxifen over time. It did not study why some estrogen positive tumors initially are resistant to the drug.

A low-protein, low-calorie diet might prevent the development of some cancers, according to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers. Previous research has established that being overweight increases breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer and esophageal cancer risks but this research indicates findings to suggest that a low-protein, low-calorie diet offers protection in addition and independent of a healthy weight.

What you are eating seems to be as important as how much you eat.

A low-protein, low-calorie diet lowers the levels of a plasma growth insulin-like factor called IGF-1 and hormones responsible for increased cancer risks. High levels of IGF-1 is associated with some cancers and cell proliferation.

The participants in the study were divided into three groups: low-protein, low-calorie, raw food vegetarians; endurance runners who ate a diet higher in calories and protein than the vegetarians; and sedentary people who consumed a diet rich in sugars, processed refined grains and animal products.

Not surprisingly, the sedentary group fared the worst in IGF-1 and hormone levels. However, because exercise is known to provide a cancer prevention benefit, it is a little surprising that the endurance runners had higher levels of IGF-1 and hormone levels that increase the risk of cancer. This has led researchers to the conclusion that the amount of protein and calories consumed plays a greater role than exercise alone in offering optimum cancer prevention.

"Many people are eating too many animal products - such as meat, cheese, eggs and butter - as well as refined grains and free sugars," states Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Washington University. "Our intake of vegetables and fruits is low, and beans are vastly underconsumed in the U.S. and Europe these days. We hope to further clarify what happens to cancer risk when we are chronically eating more protein than we need."

Stapling the stomach of an obese child is a last resort, but the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued a stamp of approval for bariatric surgery as part of a national guideline aimed at reducing obesity in children and minimizing the long-term adverse health effects that being overweight has on health.

This is the NICE organization's effort to find solutions to England's rising obesity epidemic where the number of overweight and obese people in the last quarter century has tripled.

Stomach stapling is not the only solution, but it is now an approved option. Other recommendations include the following: local authorities working with local partners, such as industry and voluntary organizations, to create safe spaces for physical activity; providing cycling and walking routes, cycle parking, area maps and safe play areas; creating pedestrian-friendly streets; designing building and spaces to encourage more physical activity; requiring schools to provide an environment that promotes healthy eating and physical exercise; healthcare professionals taking the time to educate and give advice on how to maintain a healthy weight; raising public awareness and encouraging daily physical activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics or gardening.

Obesity cannot go unchecked and it is a threat to the health and welfare of children and adults alike, as obesity is linked to greater increased risks for a number of life-threatening diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But, it is uncomfortable to think that one of the solutions to childhood obesity is a scalpel. The NICE press release New NICE guideline calls for urgent action to stem the rising tide of obesity in England and Wales is available as a pdf document here.

Approximately 3 percent of all new cancers in the United States are linked to obesity, according to the US National Cancer Institute. Stay trim to cut cancer risk, that is what the headline reads. Researchers hypothesis that fat might be preventing apoptosis -- the process in which cancer cells perform a sort of suicide. But it's all untested speculation at this point as to how fat might affect cancer development and growth.

Recently, Rutgers University researchers conducted tests on mice and found leaner mice were less susceptible to developing cancer. Cancer cells in fatter mice died much more slowly, twice as slow as their skinny counterparts. The study is published in the National Academy of Sciences.

In other weighty health-related news, University of Pittsburgh researchers are reporting that overweight middle-aged people who walked briskly for 30 to 60 minutes a day lost 7 pounds in 18 months, while similar adults who didn't exercise consistently gained seven pounds in that time.

During the study, the participants were advised to eat healthy foods but not to restrict the amount of food beyond the norm. Seventy-five percent chose walking as their form of exercise.

Walking is a wonderful exercise for the body, mind and spirit. Most people do not walk alone, and this is a leisurely time to visit and enjoy each other's company. In addition, it's a way to slow down and reconnect with the world around you. Walking is a time to take deep breaths. Living Out Loud author Keri Smith, who blogs The Wish Jar Journal, often blogs about her many observances and adventures in walking and uses it as an exercise in creativity and a renewal of wonder in the every day. Delightfully, she collects things on her walk.

I am a fan of walking. Anyone can walk. During breast cancer treatments (except for the time my red blood cell count dropped so low I didn't have enough steam to make it across the room) walking was something I could do even if I did not have the stamina or will for more formal exercise.

Medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal has been indicted again by a federal grand jury on a number of counts including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana; money laundering and filing false tax returns related to a marijuana operation.

This is not the first time Rosenthal has been brought up on charges involving medical marijuana activities. Three years ago, he was convicted for cultivating marijuana for a city of Oakland medical marijuana program. An appeals court overturned the conviction this past April, citing jury misconduct, but it upheld federal powers to charge marijuana growers.

The Ask Ed columnist for High Times magazine Rosenthal, 61, known as the Guru of Ganja and author of marijuana cultivation books, is quoted as saying, "What they're trying to show is that they can close down anybody, a legitimate club, a legitimate provider who's sanctioned by the city. They're trying to stop patients from getting their medicine."

Other medical marijuana-related posts include:

• Montel Williams: poster child for pot
  
• Medical marijuana pot pill approved for chemotherapy
• Breast cancer has made me a criminal patient story
• FDA rejects medical marijuana use

Medical use of marijuana on a doctor's recommendation is legal in a number of states but prohibited by federal law.

According to Breast Cancer UK, maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of developing cancer. The organization is featuring the efforts of three women and one man as they chronicle their progress in the Ten Top Tips ten week weight loss program.

Led by specialist dietician Weight Concern Alison Chipperfield, the four volunteers Liz Ainsworth, Emma Russell, Stacey Delaney and Mike Chapman will share the personal efforts of losing weight with diet and lifestyle changes in reaching a greater level of health. To follow the weekly updates, visit Ten Top Tips Reduce the Risk.

Cancer Research UK also features a Healthy Eating area of the organization's website highlighting comprehensive information and resources in cancer prevention through diet and healthy eating tips.

According to Cancer Research UK, "Experts think that about a quarter of all cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy diets and obesity. Our diet influences our risk of many cancers, including cancers of the colon, stomach, and breast. You can reduce your cancer risk by eating a healthy, balanced diet that is high in fiber, fruit and vegetables, and low in red and processed meat and saturated fat."

Through support in funding, Cancer Research UK is involved in the EPIC study. The study -- called the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) -- is an enormous undertaking involving 521,483 individuals in 10 different European countries. EPIC is unique because the populations being tracked are so diverse in eating habits. But this is precisely what gives the study the advantage it has in making comparisons and noting trends.

When it comes to portion control and weight gain, you would think that 85 food and nutritionist experts would know better than to serve themselves heaping bowls of ice cream. One of the common sense theories that links the continuing increase of weight gain in this country has been the tendency of Americans to super-size meals.

Cornell University researchers held an ice cream social and invited 85 food and nutritionist experts to the serve yourself function. The guests were given a choice of bowl and spoon size. The ones that chose the bigger bowls and bigger spoons served themselves over 50 percent more ice cream than the guests who chose the smaller bowls and spoons.

Based on the experiment, the researchers recommend anyone interested in losing weight to downsize their plates, bowls, forks and spoons. It might be as simple as that -- smaller portions on smaller plates looks like more food. Smaller portions on larger plates looks like deprivation and not exactly a motivator to eating less. Perception is everything.