July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Do your part in October (10/13/2008)
As I See It
By By DIANA DOLECKI-
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. If you have not had your mammogram this year then you need to schedule one. It is not a perfect test and yes, there is some discomfort but it doesn't last long. A little hurt is a whole lot better than finding out you have cancer and that it is untreatable. So do what you can to detect cancer before it goes crazy and kills you.
Several things can minimize (but not eliminate) our risk of having our body parts fall off because of breast cancer. It is the same advice that is given to reduce chances of most other dread diseases. Eat right, exercise, go to church, avoid pollution, don't do drugs, be happy. Oh, and most importantly, inherit a great set of genes.
Let's take the first recommendation. Eat right. What is right? The guidelines change daily. Fruits, vegetables and variety seem to be constants.
Butter. We have to have some fat to survive and nothing is better than butter. I remember my grandmother saving a bowl of milk from our cows and putting it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning she would lift off the cream that had risen to the top. Then she would put it in a bowl and beat it with a fork, periodically pouring off the liquid. The smoothest, creamiest butter imaginable was the result of all her work.
The other part was essentially skim milk, the nastiest thing that ever went on a bowl of cereal. To this day I refuse to drink skim milk, even though it is homogenized so it doesn't have those icky flecks of cream in it.
Another essential food category is chocolate. The scientific community keeps changing their opinions about this treat. One month it is good for you, the next it is evil incarnate.
You can use it to coat a banana, put the banana in the freezer and have a fruit and a chocolate serving at the same time. Excuse me, two servings of fruit. Every food chart I have ever seen lists a half of a banana as a serving.
Basically, eating right means giving up the foods you enjoy and learning to like other things such as blueberries and yogurt. As you may have gathered, these are not my favorites. However, I discovered a recipe that uses both and makes something absolutely delicious, nutritious and sugar-free.
Exercise. We have access to gyms, community centers, exercise videos, Wii and many other forms of exercise. It can be fun for a while and for some people even addictive.
It's not for me. Sure, I have taken my share of aerobics and yoga classes. I've walked miles and miles to nowhere. I've purchased and used various exercise machines that are now gathering dust. I run up and down the stairs all day at work. And I still look like my mother!
Church. I firmly believe that church is a good thing. I just don't go. God understands. Crowds and unfamiliar places scare me. The last time I attended church, a bunch of old ladies put their arms around me. I panicked and it took every ounce of control I had not to run out of there screaming.
Avoid pollution. Since our ecosystem is closed that is not always possible. I live in a small town that is relatively unpolluted. We don't all have that choice. Most of us have to go where the jobs are in order to make a living.
Don't do drugs. Why don't they rephrase that to don't take drugs that haven't been prescribed for you by a reputable doctor? Too wordy, I suppose.
Most people my age take one or more drugs on a regular basis. I have four that are currently prescribed for me. I admit I don't take one of them as often as I should because I don't like the side effects. I also don't like the side effects if I don't take two of the four.
Be happy. Again, it is easier said than done. There are plenty of times I just want to curl up in a corner and have a nice little pity party. It doesn't matter that so many people are far worse off than I am. When I am in a blue funk nothing will please me.
The last preventative measure is perhaps the most important. Inherit a great set of genes. That's genes, not jeans. If you haven't already done that, then at least make sure you get your mammogram.[[In-content Ad]]
Several things can minimize (but not eliminate) our risk of having our body parts fall off because of breast cancer. It is the same advice that is given to reduce chances of most other dread diseases. Eat right, exercise, go to church, avoid pollution, don't do drugs, be happy. Oh, and most importantly, inherit a great set of genes.
Let's take the first recommendation. Eat right. What is right? The guidelines change daily. Fruits, vegetables and variety seem to be constants.
Butter. We have to have some fat to survive and nothing is better than butter. I remember my grandmother saving a bowl of milk from our cows and putting it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning she would lift off the cream that had risen to the top. Then she would put it in a bowl and beat it with a fork, periodically pouring off the liquid. The smoothest, creamiest butter imaginable was the result of all her work.
The other part was essentially skim milk, the nastiest thing that ever went on a bowl of cereal. To this day I refuse to drink skim milk, even though it is homogenized so it doesn't have those icky flecks of cream in it.
Another essential food category is chocolate. The scientific community keeps changing their opinions about this treat. One month it is good for you, the next it is evil incarnate.
You can use it to coat a banana, put the banana in the freezer and have a fruit and a chocolate serving at the same time. Excuse me, two servings of fruit. Every food chart I have ever seen lists a half of a banana as a serving.
Basically, eating right means giving up the foods you enjoy and learning to like other things such as blueberries and yogurt. As you may have gathered, these are not my favorites. However, I discovered a recipe that uses both and makes something absolutely delicious, nutritious and sugar-free.
Exercise. We have access to gyms, community centers, exercise videos, Wii and many other forms of exercise. It can be fun for a while and for some people even addictive.
It's not for me. Sure, I have taken my share of aerobics and yoga classes. I've walked miles and miles to nowhere. I've purchased and used various exercise machines that are now gathering dust. I run up and down the stairs all day at work. And I still look like my mother!
Church. I firmly believe that church is a good thing. I just don't go. God understands. Crowds and unfamiliar places scare me. The last time I attended church, a bunch of old ladies put their arms around me. I panicked and it took every ounce of control I had not to run out of there screaming.
Avoid pollution. Since our ecosystem is closed that is not always possible. I live in a small town that is relatively unpolluted. We don't all have that choice. Most of us have to go where the jobs are in order to make a living.
Don't do drugs. Why don't they rephrase that to don't take drugs that haven't been prescribed for you by a reputable doctor? Too wordy, I suppose.
Most people my age take one or more drugs on a regular basis. I have four that are currently prescribed for me. I admit I don't take one of them as often as I should because I don't like the side effects. I also don't like the side effects if I don't take two of the four.
Be happy. Again, it is easier said than done. There are plenty of times I just want to curl up in a corner and have a nice little pity party. It doesn't matter that so many people are far worse off than I am. When I am in a blue funk nothing will please me.
The last preventative measure is perhaps the most important. Inherit a great set of genes. That's genes, not jeans. If you haven't already done that, then at least make sure you get your mammogram.[[In-content Ad]]
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