Monday's health links

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I did! On Saturday morning, I attended the 8th Annual Breast Health Breakfast for the Canadian Cancer Society in Richmond, BC with  Jon's mother and sister. Good company, yummy food and great presenters: Dr. Karen Gelmon, a medical oncologist and senior researcher from the BC Cancer Agency,  Cheri Van Patten, a registered dietitian and research and clinical practitioner in oncology at the BC Cancer Agency, and Jules Sesia, breast cancer survivor turned stand-up comedienne and motivational speaker. We got lots of great, current information delivered with a dose of humour and new found appreciation for the positive changes cancer can bring (thank you, Jules!).

Now on to the links:

1. More on the financial toll of cancer. Here doctors may not be recommending some treatment options because they fear their patients can't afford them.
2. Walking linked to prevention of brain shrinkage! Remember that old Ellen DeGeneres joke, "My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is."? Well, that was my Granny (only her trip was circular and she almost always ended up back at her home!). She walked every chance she could get and kept physically busy every day of her life. If she stopped moving to, say, read a book, she fell asleep! And she lived to be 101. We miss you, Granny.
3. As summer turns to fall and days get shorter and shorter, now more than ever we should be thinking about vitamin D, especially in Canada. Here's another reminder on how to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
4. The Breast Cancer Fund presents its report on the connection between breast cancer and the environment. It would appear we need to pitch out most of our cosmetics. The one recommendation I am struggling with is avoiding anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acids. Gulp. The report is an interesting read, but due to its size it doesn't provide all the science behind its recommendations. I need to do more research. In related news, Breast Cancer Action Montreal has listed the "Toxic Twenty" ingredients they have identified as most hazardous to our health. Check it out here.