Tag Archives: breast cancer

Shame on Social Media for Shaming Our Bodies: Instagram and Facebook Censorship Goes too Far

If you want to post a picture of yourself — or someone else — on Facebook or Instagram, you better first make sure you’re not too fat, thin, sexy, or maternal. You can wear a bikini in your photo, but only if you look like a celebrity, or actually are one. Definitely don’t post a picture of yourself breastfeeding unless you’re famous. You also can’t post pictures that show your breasts, no matter the circumstances. Unless they’re covered by an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weenie bikini of the color of your choice.

censorship

Got all that? Don’t worry, we don’t either. That’s because none of those “rules” are mentioned even remotely in the Terms of Service of Instagram or Facebook.

From Instagram’s Terms of Service:
“You may not post violent, nude, partially nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos or other content via the Service [Instagram].”

From Facebook’s Terms of Service:
“Facebook has a strict policy against the sharing of pornographic content and any explicit sexual content where a minor is involved. We also impose limitations on the display of nudity. We aspire to respect people’s right to share content of personal importance, whether those are photos of a sculpture like Michelangelo’s David or family photos of a child breastfeeding.”

Why then, do you think so many women are complaining of their photos or accounts being deleted for posting photos that comply with the rules, or at least comply with them as much as anyone else’s? Here are some of the most recent examples of ridiculous body-shaming by social media sites.

banned selfie

Nineteen-year-old Samm Newman’s Instagram account was deleted after she posted this near full-body selfie. Shortly after the photo was posted, Instagram suspended her account. While Newman is wearing only bra and underwear, she’s hardly posing provocatively or suggestively.

Newman told her local news stations that she felt there was a double standard on Instagram since her account was deleted while other, thinner girls could post even racier photos without consequence. (more…)

Posted on July 22, 2024 by Elizabeth

“I’m Here, Alive and Well and Thriving.” A Breast Cancer Survivor Used Exercise and CrossFit to Aid Her Recovery

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my breast cancer journey, so I thought that since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it would be an appropriate time to check in.

First and foremost, I’m doing awesome! This past July marked my two-year survivor anniversary. In the past two years, I’ve been through five major surgeries, countless “minor procedures,” six rounds of chemotherapy, and am now on hormone therapy for the next 3 ½ years. If it seems like a lot to read, imagine going through it. But…I’m here, alive and well and thriving.

carol
Although I’ve been through a lot, I attribute my success and ability to cope to three things:

  • My Faith in God and His awesome power
  • My husband, Alvin; my family, friends and followers standing by me all the way and pushing me to keep fighting
  • Exercise

Without these three elements firmly entrenched in my life, I shudder to think what kind of shape (physical, emotional and mental) that I would be in right now.

Faith and family, I’m sure you can relate to how important these are to you when you need them most; but exercise?

Let me explain. This is not just any old type of exercise, but serious, vigorous, out-of-breath, leaves you crawling exercise. I first heard about how important exercise is to cancer recovery from a guest on my radio show. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma and survived. While on the show she said that she attributed her success to vigorous exercise. This point stuck in my mind and when I was faced with a similar situation, I put my plan in motion. (more…)

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Carol

Hormones in Food: The Good, The Bad, and The Potentially Dangerous

Love it or hate it, unless you seek out hormone-free options, the food you eat likely contains additional hormones. From meat to milk, hormones are added to increase productivity. Some are produced naturally by the foods themselves. We teamed up with our favorite registered dietitian Mary Hartley to look at foods containing hormones, what their effects might be and how you can avoid them.

cow in field

Hormones are most commonly found in meat, milk and plants. In meat and milk, they are added through production. Steroid hormones are given to beef cattle to make them grow faster, build more muscle and make their meat leaner. Two-thirds of all cattle and about 90 percent of the cattle on feedlots in the United States are given hormones. Six steroid hormones are approved by the FDA for use in food production. They are: estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, zeranol, trenbolone acetate and melengestrol acetate. Steroid hormones are released into the animal from a pellet that is implanted under the skin of the ear. Due to federal regulations, these hormones can only be used on sheep and cattle.

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Posted on August 8, 2024 by Elizabeth

Who Will be a Fitter First Lady: Michelle Obama or Ann Romney?

First ladies have a tough job – they are dragged into exhausting campaigns whether they like it or not, must learn to live in the spotlight along with their family, and are required to pull it off with seemingly easy style, grace, and charm. They are called to be supportive of their husbands no matter what, an exemplary mother, great at small talk, have a flair for hostessing, and a penchant for making skirt suits look attractive. Some women can do it, and do it well, while others wilt in the fierce glare of media attention. With their husbands’ names about to be on the top of America’s voting ballots come November, we want to know: do Ann Romney and Michelle Obama have what it takes to stomach (another) four years in the White House?

With four years behind her, Mrs. Obama already has a track record to show for how she balances family, work, and social obligations. Her main platform as FLOTUS has been to reduce childhood obesity through her Let’s Move! initiative.

Mrs. Obama’s family are the first ones to benefit from her activism as she keeps them healthy and fit. She stresses nutritious eating to her daughters, not so that they will be thin but so that they will have energy for sports activities. Her favorite unhealthy food is french fries and she says she tries to curb her husband’s unwholesome snacking as much as she can. Mrs. Obama has said that she doesn’t count calories but simply focuses on how she feels, and how she feels about herself. She has also planted a garden on the White House lawn so that the family can eat homegrown, organic fruits and vegetables. (more…)

Posted on October 8, 2024 by SarahS

Ellen Teams With Food Should Taste Good to Fight Breast Cancer

On Ellen’s September 17 episode, Ellen discussed her partnership with the company Food Should Taste Good to take a stand for the fight against breast cancer. She is raising money for Ellen For The Cure, which will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

To raise money, Food Should Taste Good rolled out a special pink bag of multigrain chips that will donate a part of the profits to the foundation. Ellen let her audience taste the chips by passing a bag around (“she only has one bag”), touting their delicious taste and their vegan and gluten-free status. You can also donate directly to the foundation on her website. (more…)

Posted on September 18, 2024 by SarahS

Suicide, Cancer, Obesity Among Factors That May Shorten Baby Boomers’ Lives

For those in their 20s and 30s, consider this a wake up call: Research now suggests that baby boomers may not live longer than their parents, as a collection of studies surrounding those born between 1946 and 1964 suggests their health is on the decline.

S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been studying the longevity of baby boomers under a MacArthur Foundation Grant. And based on his findings thus far, he predicts noticeable drops in this generation’s lifespan.

“If you look at the health status of the baby boom versus the generation that just preceded them, they are in worse shape,” Olshanksy told Reuters in a recent interview. He added that health experts are seeing greater frailty, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and declining cognitive function among this generation.

With improvements in healthcare, innovative drugs, and increasing life expectancies among most age groups, it’s been an assumption that baby boomers would easily outlive their parents’ generation. However, because of factors like obesity and cancer, their lifespans may be cut short. (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Dana

Prevent Breast Cancer After Menopause by Exercising Now

It’s common knowledge that exercise is good for your health and new studies are emerging every day that further validate this. One new study recently published in the journal Cancer examined more than 3,000 women, some with breast cancer and some not. Of the 3,000 women studied, those that exercised throughout their childbearing years were less likely to have breast cancer after menopause. Women who started exercising after menopause saw the same results of lower instances of breast cancer.

The lead researcher on this project was Lauren McCullough of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. When speaking about the results, she stated, “What we can say is exercise is good for you. It’s never too late to start. Our evidence suggests that if you start after menopause you can still help yourself.”

This study revealed that women who exercised between 10 and 19 hours per week during the years between having their first child and entering menopause reduced their likeliness of breast cancer by one third over those who didn’t exercise during that time. Those women that exercised nine to 17 hours per week and started after going through menopause were also 30 percent less likely to have breast cancer than those who were sedentary. Things like education, smoking and income were also accounted for in the study. (more…)

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Descygna

Giuliana Rancic Makes a Strong and Speedy Recovery From Breast Cancer

These days the Miss USA pageant is about more than just evening gowns, swimsuits and world peace; it’s about advocacy for both global and local organizations that are on a mission to educate, inform and even save lives.

This year, The Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions – co-sponsored by Donald Trump and NBC Universal –  are committed to raising awareness for breast and ovarian cancers by working with organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Gilda’s Club – both of which are focused on research and education in these areas.

Hosting the Miss USA competition are Bravo’s Executive Vice President of Development and Talent Andy Cohen, and E! News anchor and managing editor Giuliana Rancic, who is a breast cancer survivor herself.

In a recent press event promoting the pageant, Rancic opened up to Diets In Review about her recovery from breast cancer, and how she approached health in the days and months after her treatment was completed. (more…)

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Dana

The Doctors Decode GMOs and Other Health Concerns

Friday’s episode of The Doctors is a must see. The cast will be explaining the truths behind genetically modified foods (GMOs) and how to tell if you’re purchasing them for your family. The experts will also explain how to decode health mysteries that confuse so many. These hot topics and more will be covered in “Secrets To Decoding What’s In Your Food, On Your Body & More!”

Dr. Travis Stork, along with his team, will be explaining why our bodies may have the reactions they do after eating certain foods. Dr. Stork will alway explain how GMOs may be the cause for many of our baffling symptoms.

Furthermore, the show will dedicate a segment to reading the number codes on products like apples and produce. These codes are the key to consumers knowing what they’re truly purchasing. Those tiny numbers on the apple sticker distinguish between a genetically modified apple and a traditionally grown fruit.

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Posted on April 19, 2024 by Lacy

Obese Women at Greater Risk of Relapsing and Dying from Cancer, Study Says

A recent study shows a connection that overweight women diagnosed with cancer are more likely to have a relapse and die compared to leaner women.

The study was presented at the 8th European Breast Cancer conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna by Dr. Jennifer Ligibel.

It showed there was a 17 per cent increase in the risk of the disease returning after the initial treatment as well as the increased risk of death. This is compared with women who also suffered from the disease but were considered to be at a healthier weight. It also showed there was an extra eight per cent risk for overweight women compared to leaner patients.

This study discovered there is not a connection between overweight women being under treated due to their weight. Before this study, it was suspected that overweight women were not receiving the correct dosage of medicine and they were receiving the same amounts as leaner women. The study, that looked at almost 2,000 patients between 1997 and 1999, showed that the doctors were in fact adjusting the medication to fit the patients weight. (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Kristina

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side of Breast Cancer Survival

You always hear that saying about people looking for the greener grass, but they never find it. However, I’m here to tell you that I’ve actually found the greener grass. It’s on the other side of cancer survival. I’m a survivor and I don’t need a doctor to tell me that I am clean, I know it already and I feel it inside.

I say the grass is greener because before my diagnosis, I was just living my life, day to day. I would say I was happy, but I was only putting in half the effort. It’s like when everyone around you says you’re “on fire,” but you know down deep inside you the fire could burn better and brighter. No one can do anything about making the fire burn better but you.

Then you get this life-changing diagnosis and you think that you may die sooner than you expected, but you get a second chance and WOW! What a difference. (more…)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Carol