Happy Mind & Healthy Heart

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Greetings to one and all! Welcome to The Pink Crusader blog spot where you are only one squeeze away from a great, BIG HUG! We hope you are all doing well and wish you a lovely 3-day weekend. Now, before you get into too much mischief, please read on...

"Take care of yourself. Good health is everyone's major source of wealth. Without it, happiness is almost impossible."

- Unknown

In honor of "Healthy Heart Month," this week we are sharing the Five Secrets to a Happy and Healthy Heart, Adapted from The Heart of Living Well: Six Principles for a Life of Health, Beauty, and Balance

by Judy Lubin, MPH

You know the drill when it comes to staying heart healthy. Stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight and eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol. But what about your emotional health?

While most of us recognize that there’s more to health than just our physical wellbeing, the emotional link to our heart health is often overlooked. But the reality is that our emotions have plenty to do with keeping our hearts in tip-top shape. The connection between the heart and our emotions isn’t a head in the cloud notion or fodder for romance novels. There is solid scientific research that the heart continuously sends signals to the brain that affect our perceptions, thinking and emotional processing.

A popular French proverb reminds us that gratitude is the
heart’s memory. When we genuinely appreciate the many blessings and gifts in our lives, the feeling resonates in our hearts as joy. Age-old spiritual wisdom has taught that a grateful heart is key to happiness and health. Several studies have shown that people who adopt an attitude of gratitude—that is, they regularly appreciate the good things in life—are happier and more resilient. In one study, people who counted their blessings weekly for ten weeks noticed that they had fewer physical complaints, spent more time exercising and experienced improved quality of sleep.

It has been well documented that anxiety, depression, worry and loneliness are all linked to an increased risk of having a heart attack or dying early of heart disease. But don’t panic...who hasn’t worried, felt a bit anxious or depressed at some point in their lives? It’s human nature. The concern grows when we move from short periods of not-so happy emotional experiences to a chronic state of anxiety or depression.

The good news is that we have more power over our emotions and health than we often give ourselves credit. The new science of happiness is showing us that happiness is often a choice and even a muscle that can be flexed and developed by focusing on the positive things in life.

How does this all translate to a healthy heart? Researchers at The Institute of Heart Math have found that when we are anxious, angry or worried, the heart’s rhythm becomes erratic and contributes to the tension and tightness that we often feel in our chest area and other parts of the body when we’re stressed. But when we experience positive emotions, the reverse is true. Heart rhythms are more harmonious and balanced when we feel emotions such as love, gratitude and compassion.

So are you ready to start experiencing more of those warm and fuzzy feelings? Here are five tips from my book, The Heart of Living Well, to help you flex those happiness muscles and keep your precious heart in good shape.

1. Stop Worrying. Chronic worriers are two to five times more likely to have a heart attack. Anxious and fear-based thoughts and emotions also trigger stress hormones that weaken the immune system and sap our energy.

Tip: Instead of being swept away by your worries, try scheduling a time to worry. Write down your thoughts, doubts and fears and then determine what you can do about them. Acknowledging your worries in this way can stop the repetitive thoughts about them. Move toward the resolution of the ones you can take action on. The longer you remain in a state of inaction, the more you will worry. If the situation is beyond your control, move toward acceptance.

2. Be grateful. People who regularly appreciate the good things in life are happier and more resilient, sleep better and even spend more time exercising.

Tip: Make gratitude a habit. Keep a gratitude journal, say a prayer of thanks each morning, or reflect on three good things that occurred during the day every evening before you go to bed.

3. Think positively. In a Yale University study researchers found that people with an optimistic outlook on life live seven and half years longer than their more gloomy counterparts. In the study, the tendency toward positive thinking had more influence than blood pressure and cholesterol levels on an individual’s health and longevity.

Tip: Choose to see the opportunity when facing a challenging situation. Focus on the solution rather than the problem. Ask yourself: Is there a lesson here for me? How can I make the best of my present situation?

4. Forgive and Let go. Holding on to past hurts is detrimental to our health. The various emotions that block forgiveness, including anger, hostility, and fear, have all been linked to increased blood pressure, disruptive hormonal changes, impaired immune function and a higher risk of heart disease.

Tip: Develop a forgiving personality. Practice letting go of everyday gaffes (such as a friend showing up late or a stranger maneuvering into a parking spot at the mall despite the fact that you were there first). If you make a mistake, accept it as such, instead of beating yourself up about it. If you have been deeply hurt by someone else’s actions, take time to process the experience and your emotions. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. Remember, to err is human, but to forgive, divine.

5. Manage Stress. Chronic stress can pose a serious risk to your heart. Stress contributes to weight gain, lowers estrogen levels, increases the likelihood of developing depression and increases blood pressure.

Tip: Make self-care a priority. Commit to giving yourself a minimum of thirty minutes each day to connect with yourself through meditation, journaling, yoga or other forms physical activity. Create and honor your boundaries. Friends and family will be more likely to take your commitment to self-care seriously if you do. If guilt or feelings of selfishness creep up, remind yourself that self-care and stress management is about your health and livelihood.

Source: Heart and Style
Copyright © Heart and Style Media 2004-2007
Heart and Style provides information and inspiration to help women live long and live well. Heart and Style living is all about embracing wellness and honoring who you are at heart. It’s about living a healthy, balanced and purposeful life. In a nutshell: it’s about living well, putting yourself on the “A” list, and living a heart-inspired life.SM

To read more, visit: http://www.heartandstylewoman.com/five-secrets-to-a-happy-and-healthy-heart.htm

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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Mary Raia

We continue to send our best wishes to Mary, for a speedy recovery.
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Jack Peters

Get-well wishes to good friend Jack Peters who underwent surgery last week. We hope he is feeling better and back on his feet in no time!

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FYI

From Donna Fong:

Reuters_News@reuters.com
Digital mammogram best for younger women: study
Tue Jan 29 09:57:44 UTC 2008

By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Digital mammography was much better than traditional film mammography at spotting breast cancers in younger women or those with dense breasts, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The results confirm earlier findings and better define who will benefit from the newer, more costly digital exams. Early findings from this same study of 49,528 women published in 2005 suggested that younger women and women with dense breasts would benefit, but also found the digital test was no better than traditional film-based mammography for the overall population of women.

"This paper confirms that if you are under 50, pre- or perimenopausal, and have dense breasts, you should definitely be screened with digital rather than film," Dr. Etta Pisano of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill said in a statement.
Unlike traditional mammograms, digital mammograms can be stored on a computer and the images can be enhanced and sent electronically. Digital mammograms also use less radiation than film mammograms. But the digital systems cost about 1.5 to 4 times more than film systems.

In the study, published in the journal Radiology, the researchers sought to determine which women would benefit most from the more costly tests. They looked at the results of The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial or DMIST -- begun in 2001 -- which compared the two types of mammograms.

DIGITAL TEST FOR PRE-, PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
Women in the study were considered premenopausal or perimenopausal if they had a menstrual period with 12 months of their mammograms. Women typically enter menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being 51.

Pisano and colleagues looked at the results of several different subgroups of women, including those of different age groups and those with dense or fatty breasts.
Dense breast tissue can make a mammogram harder to read than fatty breast tissue. And other studies have shown women with dense breast tissue -- who are usually younger -- have a higher risk of cancer.

The new analysis confirmed that the digital system was better for pre- and perimenopausal women under 50 years old with dense breasts. For women over 65 with fatty breasts, film appeared to work better. For other groups, there was no significant difference between the two.

Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic in Rochester, New York, offers both types of mammograms. "If you are a young lady and you fulfill the criteria, we steer you toward digital and keep you there," Destounis said in a telephone interview. "For patients with fatty breasts and the elderly, it's just fine to use film."
"I think this study confirms that the initial results were accurate. This wasn't a fluke."
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Breast cancer will kill more than 40,000 Americans this year. The American Cancer Society recommends women age 40 and older get a mammogram every year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSN2851817320080129

© Copyright Reuters 2006 All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only.
Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Reuters, the members of its Group and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

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From Janice Duplessis:

American heart association - Your support is a vital part of the Go Red movement. So please, share your story and support the cause by taking the Heart CheckUp or getting involved with Go Red in your community. Do what you can - for your health, for your life, for the women you love.

Sign up and receive your free "Go red dress pin," for heart disease in women, along with information on women's heart health. http://www.goredforwomen.org/

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From Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization:

Y-ME wants you to know that we are thinking of you!

You are not alone in the breast cancer journey. Y-ME has an entire network of survivors, patients and loved ones who can provide information, support and encouragement when you need it most.

Your Y-ME network is here, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions and help ease your worries. Our free-of-charge programs and services are available to anyone touched by breast cancer.

Call us at 1-800-221-2141 or e-mail askyme@y-me.org and talk with someone who has walked in your shoes.

Chat now with your peers on the message boards at www.y-me.org/network

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DAILY REMINDER #1:
"Fund Free Mammograms" Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

DAILY REMINDER #2:
Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click at http://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

ROSEBUDS 17th BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At the home of Janet Covington
3316 University Boulevard, Houston
Refreshments will be provided.
However, if you have a special/favorite finger food or apppetizer feel
free to make it and bring it to the party. Birthday cake will be provided for
dessert. At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year, 10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during
the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong.
713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com

M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER LECTURE SERIES
Drowning in Calories: What It Will Take to Turn the Tide
Featuring David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H,
a syndicated nutrition columnist for The New York Times
and O, The Oprah Magazine
Reserve your seat today!
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
5:30 p.m. Check In
6:00 p.m. Program
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
South Campus Research Building
7435 Fannin Street at Old Spanish Trail Houston, TX 77054
Free admission and parking
Registration deadline: Feb. 18
To register, e-mail publiced@mdanderson.org
or call 713-745-0549.

Y-ME SHARE RING NETWORK
Wednesday, February 20th
7 - 8pm - Central Time
Topic: "Fertility after Breast Cancer"
Speaker: Karine Chung, M.D, M.S.C.E.
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Free presentation followed by a discussion. Sign up now at
http://main.y-me.org/site/Survey? SURVEY_ID=7140&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&autologin=true&s_src=feb_08&JServSessionIdr004=gs2tmh3c32.app14a The February call is presented in partnership with the Young Survival Coalition and Fertile Hope.

ANDERSON NETWORK and COLLAGE
Join us on a just-for-fun Day Away on Friday, February 22, 2008
Time: 9:30am - 2:00pm
Cost: FREE (includes lunch but not parking at M. D. Anderson)
The Art for Cancer Network invite adult patients, caregivers and survivors to take a day trip on a Sacred Spaces Art Walk. Bus departs from Rotary House at 9:30 a.m. Activities include visiting the Cy Twombly Gallery, The Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, Rothko Chapel (Meditation and Healing lecture/demonstration)Trip is open to any M. D. Anderson patient, caregiver or survivor age 18 or older. Space is limited to 30 participants. For reservations or more information, please contact Anderson Network at 713-745-9204 or 1-800-345-6324.
To view the flier, please click on the following link: http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/andersonnet/display.cfm?id=3a4268cb-eb1e-4f99-bd1d681196222ef2&method=displayfull&pn=b0238868-2a67-438d-bfdb1349b8957cab

HOPE STONE, INC. SATURDAY SAMPLER SERIES
Hit the winter blues and blahs with our new sampler series!!!! Hope Center offers a lovely sampling of classes for you to try out during the next few Saturdays....a great way to try a new movement class.....experience a novel way to move and care for your body....to be in the community with other awesome Hope Center students, and gosh darn it, to HAVE FUN. Our teachers are the best of the best!!!!!
Week #6 - February 23 - INTRO TO MODERN DANCE
Week #7 - March 1 - CAPOEIRA MARTIAL ARTS
11:45 - 1:00pm
Cost is $18 drop in, class cards can be used as well!
Call now to register-713.526.1907 ext. 1
http://www.hopestoneinc.org/

VICTORIA'S PLACE
Essential Oil-Making Class
Saturday, February 23rd
2:00 TO 4:00 PM
$28 includes supplies, refreshments and
TWO 1oz. take home bottles of your own blend
Anyone who loves using essential oils... needs to take this class... so you
can make your OWN high quality blends, instead of paying those HIGH PRICES at the store...this is a hands on and super fun class! Go to
http://www.feminineliving.com/ for the details. See you there!

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
February 28, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis, 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet. Future Meetings: MARCH 13 & 27

FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER BOOK EVENT
Saks Fifth Avenue - Mexico City
50 Fabulous Women - Breakfast Benefit
March 5th, 2008
Details TBA

M. D. ANDERSON SPRING WORKSHOP
Innovations in Breast Cancer and the Art of Cancer Survivorship
Saturday, March 1, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Cancer Prevention Building, 8th floor
1155 Pressler
Houston, Texas
Keynote Speakers
Melissa Crosby, M.D. - Developments in Reconstructive Surgery
P.K. Morrow, M.D. - Future Directions in Breast Cancer Treatment: Updates from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
Karin Hahn, M.D., Moderator - Multidisciplinary Panel Discussion
COLLAGE: Art of Survivorship
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/yngbreastsrv/dIndex.cfm?pn=C6D164AE-19F1-4DD3-B99D0566A30B813F or You can RSVP at bsmp@mdanderson.org

ROSEBUDS MEETING
March 4, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: MARCH 18

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40.
2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, March 10th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Conference
Conference activities will include genetics of hereditary cancer, risk management, panel discussions with patients, survivors and caregivers, research directions and clinical trials.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
8am - 1 pm
Registration now open. www.mdanderson.org/departments/ccg
For info: call 713-745-7391 or e-mail ccg@mdanderson.org

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of Houston Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building, 6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview). Please join us on March 18, 2008 at 7 pm. Hope to see you then, Cynthia Gdula.

M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
Fatigue Awareness Week - April 7 -10, 2008
Monday April 7th, 10am - 1pm - Clinic Open House
Mays Clinic, Sixth Floor
Tuesday, April 8th, - Cancer-related Fatigue Video Viewing
6:30 - 7:30pm
Cancer Prevention Building, Eight Floor, Rooms 1 & 2
RSVP: 713-792-2808 or e-mail bsmp@mdanderson.org
For more information, call the Patient Education Office at 713-794-5379
or e-mail www.mdanderson.org/departments/patedu

SOS SURVIVOR MEETING
Held the second Tuesday of each month for those living in Fort Bend County.
April 8, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Holy Cross Episcopal Church
For additional info and directions: http://sosporchlight.blogspot.com/

AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER
Houston - April 12 - 13, 2008
Congratulations on deciding to register for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer! By registering online now, you will have immediate access to all of the tools of your 'My Avon Walk Center' and can begin fundraising towards your goal today. https://secure2.convio.net/avon/site/TRR/Walk2008/Houston/1021196898?pg=ptype&fr_id=1420&JServSessionIdr004=x9jrwe2701.app26b or For more information, please call us at (713) 968-9250. Email: volunteer.houston@avonwalk.org

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
Relay for Life, 2008
April 18, 2008 6:00 PM - April 19, 2008 6:00 AM
Location: Rice University Track Field, 6100 Main, Houston, TX 77005
Contact: Shelton Moore,Rosalyn, (713)706-5634 x296
Email: Rosalyn.SheltonMoore@cancer.org
No registration fee. Each person is asked to raise $100.00
Agenda: Survivor Ceremony, Luminaria Ceremony, Entertainment, Food and Games. For more information: http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/coe?EID=62080

NATIONAL BREAST CANCER COALITION (NBCC):
2008 Annual Advocacy Training Conference
Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel
999 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
April 26th - 29th 2008

Register now to attend NBCCF's 16th Annual Advocacy Training Conference. Join hundreds of national and international breast cancer activists in our fight to eradicate breast cancer.

NBCCF's yearly gathering helps participants hone their advocacy skills and learn about the latest in breast cancer science, research and policy. Hear directly about the controversies and issues from important leaders, scientists, and advocates. To learn more about this event and registration, visit: http://www.stopbreastcancer.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=598&Itemid=1

SUSAN'S RALLY in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
The Susan Roberson Wade Memorial Car Rally
Save the Dates: Rally - April 27, 2008
Golf Tournament - October 27, 2008
For more information: http://www.susansrally.org/

HOPE STONE, INC.
Save The Date for our Premiere Piece
PEACE PIECE ...May 1st, 2008
by the Kid's Play Ensemble and YouthSound
Tickets on sale soon!!!! Details TBA

Y-ME NATIONAL BREAST CANCER ORGANIZATION
Houston Walk to Empower, Non-Competitive 3-mile Walk
Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2007
Check-In Begins: 7:30 a.m. Walk Begins: 9:00 a.m.
Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas

During the past 15 years, Y-ME’s Mother’s Day Events have raised more than $26 million to help ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone. In 2006, $6 million was raised. Please join us this year -- you’ll be proud to know that your support will help Y-ME continue providing its essential programs and services to people and their loved ones touched by breast cancer.
For more details: http://houstonwalk.y-me.org/site/PageServer? pagename=MDE_HTX_homepage

M.D. ANDERSON 3-DAY WELLNESS CONFERENCE
Living Fully with and beyond Cancer
September 4 - 6, 2008
Houston Marriott Westchase
Details TBA

"UNBEATABLE"
Stages Repertory Theatre
Coming September, 2008
The new musical Unbeatable is coming to town in September 2008 in a World Premiere production produced by Houston’s acclaimed Stages Repertory Theatre. This brilliant new musical follows the true story of a strong-willed woman and her life-changing confrontation with Breast Cancer. http://www.unbeatablemusical.com/
Details TBA

SUSAN G. KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE
Houston, Saturday October 4th, 2008
Save the Date! Details TBA
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"SHARING is CARING"
As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your contributions, comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

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"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something
to love, and something to hope for." - Allan K. Chalmers

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing to the five simple rules for happiness and a healthy heart.
Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com