It's not necessary to travel all the way to Tucson, Arizona or Lenox, Massachusetts for a little health enlightenment -- although I highly recommend it. Canyon Ranch professionals are not stingy with their health secrets. They offer a website for all to view, complete with all sorts of diet and fitness tips and and even an opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter. In a binder I brought home from my trip to Tuscon in May, I've found even more resources, these specific to cooking. Take a look.

Recommended Magazines

Cooking Light (www.cookinglight.com)
Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)
Fine Cooking, (www.finecooking.com)

Recommended Cookbooks

Canyon Ranch Cooks (1-800-726-8040)
Canyon Ranch Cooklets (available at canyonranch.com)

• Salad & Appetizers
• Soups
• Fish & Seafood
• Poultry
• Vegetables & Vegetarian
• Desserts
• Mexican
• The LPGA Cooks with Canyon Ranch

The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison & Edward Espe Brown
Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver
How to Cool Everything by Mark Bittman

I've always loved BBQ beef. I'm not a red-meat eater anymore, though, so BBQ chicken will be my new love. Here's a recipe for either option. My mouth is watering already.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef brisket (or other lean cut) or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 sliced onion

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a crock pot
• Cook on low heat all day
• Before serving, shred the meat using two forks in opposing fashion across the grain of the meat
• Serve on whole grain bread, buns, or tortillas
  

High in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, this healthy recipe is one worth trying. It's easy too. I love easy.

Black Bean Chili

8 ounces lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup water

Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer for the next national teleconference, Bone Health After Breast Cancer, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Tuesday, September 11.

Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will give an overview of the topic of bone health for women after breast cancer diagnosis, including:

• Causes of bone loss
• How to measure bone health
• How breast cancer treatment impacts bone loss
• Strategies for monitoring bone health before and after treatment
• Using exercise, fitness and supplements to keep bones strong
• Bone-strengthening medications

Riedel Crystal USA has created a special limited edition wine glass with a soft pink stem and a clear bowl. A set of two of the Pink Vinum glasses sell for $50 on the Living Beyond Breast Cancer website.

If you purchase them here right on the LBBC website, 100% of the proceeds will support the educational programs and services for women effected by breast cancer.

As a national education and support organization, LBBC's goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means. They hope the information and support offered on this site brings you comfort, empowers you to ask questions and enables you to make sound choices about health care that will help you manage a breast cancer diagnosis, through treatment and beyond

Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) for their next national teleconference, Follow-up Testing: What You Need to Know, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Thursday, August 16. Virginia F. Borges, MD, of the University of Colorado Health Science Center, will answer your questions about follow-up testing after initial treatment, including:

• An overview of follow-up testing guidelines and insights into future tests
• Uses or limitations of screening tests
• Emotional impact of follow-up testing
• Routine follow-up tests for other health matters affected by treatment
• Creating a plan to monitor your overall health
• The role of follow-up tests for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer

Dr. Borges is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. She specializes in the treatment of breast cancer, and her research interests include the study of new biologic therapies for breast cancer, development of cancer vaccines and improving the quality of life for people affected by breast cancer. In addition to her clinical practice and research efforts, Dr. Borges volunteers as a medical facilitator for Casting for Recovery.

After the presentation, Dr. Borges will answer questions

A study published in the journal Cancer says that improvements in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer are making a difference and patients are living longer with the disease.

Researchers in Canada conducted a study evaluating 2,000 women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. The time periods in the study were broken up into four groups dating from 1991 until 2001. The researchers concluded that one year survival improved from 55 percent to 71 percent and two year survival improved from 33 percent to 45 percent.

The introduction of new chemotherapy drugs, new approaches to hormonal therapy, and new targeted therapy have been introduced over the period of time evaluated in the study.

Venous Thromboembolism, also know as a blood clot, is something that cancer patients should be aware. There is now a medicine approved for recurrent blood clots by the Food and Drug Administration called Fragmin. Fragmin is a type of heparin, for long term prevention of blood clots.

Blood clots form when red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells and other blood components form a mass within the blood vessel that can block the flow of blood back to the heart.

Chemotherapy treatments and hormonal treatments can increase the risk of blood clots occurring. Talk to your doctor, especially if you have a personal or family history of blood clots. A blood thinner might be recommended.

Symptoms can include:

• swelling
• warmth
• pain or redness in your legs
• chest pain
• trouble breathing

If you have any of these symptoms call your physician right away.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer will hold a free teleconference, Follow-up Testing: What You Need to Know, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Thursday, August 16.

Speaker Virginia F. Borges, MD, will discuss follow-up testing after initial treatment, including follow-up testing guidelines, insights into future tests, the uses or limitations of screening tests and the emotional impact of follow-up testing. She also will explain the need for routine follow-up for other treatment-related health matters, creating a plan to monitor overall health and the role of follow-up tests for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

Dr. Borges is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. Dr. Borges specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and her research interests include the study of new biologic therapies for breast cancer, development of cancer vaccines and improving the quality of life of people affected by breast cancer. In addition to her clinical practice and research efforts, Dr. Borges volunteers as a medical facilitator for Casting for Recovery.

This free program will feature a presentation by the speaker and a 45-minute question-and-answer session with participants. Participants can listen over the phone or use their computer.

To register, visit Living Beyond Breast Cancer's website at www.lbbc.org or call (610) 645-4567

Is the cancer in your family inherited? Some families experience large amounts of cancer and whether it is environmental, every day living habits, or genetics are all factors that should be looked into. Genetic testing, usually performed with a blood sample, may provide information about you and an increased risk for cancer because of family genetics.

For instance, nearly everyone born with familial adenomatous polyposis (the genetic predisposition to colon cancer) develops the disease by age 40 if preventive surgery isn't done. Knowing this early can aid in prevention and early detection. Talk with your doctor about genetic counseling. A Genetic Counselor provides individuals and families with information on the nature, inheritance, and implications of genetic disorders to help them make informed medical and personal decisions. Genetic counselors often work in clinics with oncologists or gastroenterologists and focus on cancer risk.

Eating an orange every day can not only boost your vitamin C but it can help get rid of a strain of the H. pylori bacteria that causes peptic ulcers and can lead to stomach cancer. Researchers in San Francisco found that infected people with high levels of vitamin C in their blood were less likely to test positive for the cancer causing strain. Here is a delicious, colorful, and healthy salad to serve your family. Remember to always buy organic when available.

Vicki's Citrus/Dijon Salad Dressing
4 tbsp. Orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Lime juice
1 tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
Whisk together to make citrus salad dressing

Vicki's Orange and Avocado Salad
1/2 of a 10 oz. bag of mixed salad greens
1/2 of a 10 oz. bag baby spinach
1 Ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 Oranges peeled, seeded, and cut into slices
1 Cup grape tomatoes
1/2 Cup shredded carrots
3 Green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
Mix ingredients and toss in a large bowl then drizzle with the citrus salad dressing.
Serves 4.

Since the 1970s, researchers have suspected that diet and nutrition are related to colorectal cancer risk. Numerous studies published since that time have confirmed the connection between what we eat and risk of this cancer. Many health experts agree that a high fiber diet is important for cancer prevention, but questions remain about how much and which types of high fiber foods may reduce colorectal cancer risk most effectively. This has led to interest in specific high fiber foods, especially whole grains.

Start the day with a bowl of whole grain cereal or oatmeal. For cold cereals, choose one that contains at least 6 grams of fiber per serving and make sure you pick one where sugar does not appear first, second or third in the ingredient list. Oatmeal is not only high fiber but studies show that it helps reduce cholesterol. But if you are like me I am not fond of the mushy breakfast food. Until a dear musician friend introduced me to steel oats. Now I can't get enough of these nutty oats and even eat them for late night snacks.

Steel cut oats are whole grain groats which have been cut into only two or three pieces. Which means the the inner portion of the oat kernel is not missing like in rolled oats. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces. Steel-cut oats are also known as coarse cut oats, pinhead oats, Scotch oats, or Irish oats. Because the steel cut oats are more natural with less pre-processing, they may be more nutritious than the more popular rolled oats. But to me they give off a more nutty taste and I like the small crunch over the mushy consistency of the rolled oats. The cooking time is longer on steel cut oats but really worth the wait.

When shopping for them in your grocery store, look for canisters much like coffee cans as they are kept in air tight containers.

Preparing your Steel Oats.

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
Fresh Blueberries or other fresh fruits.

Combine oats and other ingredients in medium saucepan and bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to keep from sticking on the bottom. For the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time you will need to stir more frequently as it thickens. Spoon into a bowl and top with fresh fruit. Some people like to add a little milk to the bowl to give them a creamy texture. Makes 4 servings.

Today is my dad's 65th birthday. He always loved visiting Arizona over the years, he finally made his dream come true by moving to Tucson. My dad has always lived a very healthy lifestyle -- I believe that is why is he in such good physical and mental shape today.

One year before I was diagnosed with breast cancer we ran the 5k at the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in Philadelphia. That was back in 2000, however my dad has been running in races for over thirty years. We also tackled the Avon 2 Day walk in New York City in the fall of 2003.

Jack is a non-smoker, a jogger, hiker, a golfer, and a chess player -- it is important to not only exercise the body -- but also the mind.

Keep it up dad. Happy birthday!! I love you!

I haven't yet made these Fruit and Nut Bars, but I managed to consume several of them during my stay at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Besides bowls of apples, oranges, and bananas provided at every location at the Ranch, guests of this health and healing destination can request additional healthy snacks at dining areas. Of everything offered, this was my favorite.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/2 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
3/4 cup honey
2 3/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced dates, about 10 medium
1 teaspoon cinnamon