I take most health-related tidbits I hear with a grain of salt. After all, everything seems to be linked to anything these days, and it's hard to weed through what you should be avoiding. I choose instead to trust that if I live my life as healthfully as I can stand, I'll have done the best I can.

Here's a bit of information that you can either ignore or live by -- Laundry Detergents can be toxic to you and your family. Chemicals in laundry detergent are thought to be toxic to the human, specifically:

• Petroleum Distillates -- which linked to cancer
• Phenols
  
• Artificial fragrances
• Phosphates
• Optical brighteners

I don't know how true this is, but if you're concerned, a switch to a more natural detergent certainly won't harm you. For some suggestions, check out this article from That's Fit.

Are we living in a toxic environment? The experts at Canyon Ranch ask us to consider these facts:

• The EPA estimates that 4.7 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the environment annually.
• It's likely that 25 percent of the U.S. population suffers from some level of heavy metal poisoning.
• Fourteen pounds of food colorings, additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, and flavorings are consumed per person each year.

Toxic? Maybe. At minimum, though, we are living in a world filled with chemicals, pesticides, additives, preservatives, antibiotic and hormone residues, and heavy metals. Whether consumed, inhaled, or absorbed, our bodies soak this stuff up. In order to reduce the load, and the toll it takes it takes on our health, there's something we can do. We can eat clean. Here's how:

I've looked at acrylamides (search this term using Google Scholar) and how the byproducts of grilling meats (and anything else, for that matter) can produce this product that is best not consumed.

Reading deeper recently, it looks like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has found that heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are produced when cooking specifically meat and fish, could be classified as as "human carcinogens."

Great -- so grilling produces carcinogens. But that is not all. It seems that these HCAs are even formed using other means of direct or indirect temperature cooking, like stewing and steaming.It's hard to eat raw food all the time, but from reading this, perhaps it's not a bad idea on a regular basis.

To those knowledgeable about cancer causes, the role of fake (artificial) sweeteners in many beverages these days probably make you not want to drink anything but water. Personally, I banned all soft drinks many years ago regardless of the presence of real or fake sweeteners. It was very hard, yes -- but now after researching the role of Aspartame and other fake sweeteners in the role of cancer, I'll never go back.

Which brings us to the might and oddly bizarre FDA. That federal agency again has swept aside the growing evidence of the artificial sweetener Aspartame contributing to cancer. Another study was released this week that showed this connection, but health officials are making excuses once again.

Yes, there is the commercial interests at play here (like always) with the sweetener companies themselves, but with so much evidence that connects Aspartame with cancer, it's just amazing a ban has not come forward yet.

I've looked into fake sweeteners for quite some time and it confounds me why some of the beverage products are still on the market when toxic substances like aspartame are contained in them.

I've also looked at the argument that aspartame does or does not assist in the development of various cancers. A final decision has been to not eat or drink anything with aspartame just to be safe. In fact, ditching soft drinks (regular and diet) years ago was the best decision I ever made in terms of coming to a cancer-free lifestyle.

Think about this:

Do you like that Equal of NutraSweet? Have you tried all-natural sweeteners like stevia or agave nectar instead? We all need to eat something sweet, but there are much better alternatives to sweeteners than aspartame.

The problem is that the brands aspartame is sold under are so large and are found virtually anywhere -- making them much more likely to be consumed. For those concerned with cancer prevention (all of us, I think), it's not really a wise choice, ever. Feel free to disagree, as always.

It's 2007 and the still-predominant way of fighting many types of cancer involves toxic chemotherapy that weakens the body while trying to destroy cancer cells.

Although a better way of cancer treatment has been on the minds of oncologists for decades, the mapping of the human genome recently and the prevalence of nanotechnology is starting to create possible solutions to health problems that are about as cutting edge as they come.

What would it mean to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to cancer cells without polluting the human body at the same time? That kind of breakthrough is on the minds of an Australian biotechnology firm, which says it can do just that.

The process involved nanotechnology processes that almost sounds like science fiction. The truth is, though -- it is all too real. And, it will get better in the next few decades I'll bet.

This networking event called Let's Talk About Sex: Reclaiming Intimacy After Breast Cancer will focus on sexuality and intimacy after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conschohocken, PA.

Featured speaker Kara Nakisbendi, MD will provide a candid and caring discussion about intimacy after a breast cancer diagnosis and how to reclaim sexuality to improve quality of life.

I've always heard the use of herbs and supplements and alternative therapies can be a potentially dangerous pursuit when combined with cancer treatment. But this may not be entirely true.

Think about this:

Using Chinese herbs alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy may help protect a breast cancer patient's bone marrow and immune system. It may also improve the overall quality of life for women, say researchers at the Chinese Cochrane Centre in Chengdu, China.

It is well known that women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer experience significant short term side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, inflammation of the gut lining, decreased numbers of red and white blood cells, and decreased numbers of blood platelets. Those is search of some relief may wish to give Chinese medicinal herbs a try.

Researchers say there is conventional evidence indicating that these medicines are safe and effective. Still, "further trials are needed before the effects of traditional Chinese medicines for people with breast cancer can be evaluated with any real confidence," says one professor involved in this area of study.

UVB radiation is thought to be the most dangerous light in the solar spectrum. Scientists think that UVB light causes most of the non-melanoma skin cancers.

When you're exposed to UVB radiation for a period of time, it inflames the skin and causes sunburn. Squamous cell carcinoma is diagnosed in about 250,000 people each year in the United States. The cancer can arise from the inflammation of the skin by possible DNA damage.

Even though the scientist's discovery was only so far seen in mice, the researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center say that a topical compound made of black raspberries significantly slows the growth of Squamous cell skin cancer.

The scientists think that the cancer fighting effects are a result of powerful antioxidants called anthacyanins that give the fruit its rich, dark color. The researchers said "In our experiments, the black raspberry treatment significantly reduced inflammatory damage and reduced tumor growth and spread".

In the future the researchers hope to have a topical treatment for humans that will alleviate pain and also protect against sun damage.

The most healthy thing that I have added to my daily menu to fight cancer right now is this simple drink that helps give me energy and gives me antioxidants and vitamins. It helps boost the immune system. It detoxifies and cleanses the body. It gives a quota of daily veggies. It has a high alkalinity that helps balance acid PH levels in the body. It is simple and it tastes good too.

Vicki's Twice Daily Wheat Grass Cocktail
4 ounces of organic tangerine juice
4 ounces of organic carrot juice
1 organic banana
1 8 grams packet of Organic Wheat Grass (I prefer Amazing Grass brand)

Mix together well in a blender until smooth and pour into a large glass.

You can find Wheat Grass in your local health food store.

The old saying an aspirin a day keeps the doctor away seems to apply for certain cancers now. Researchers reported that aspirin and other NSAIDs decrease the risk of progression of the most aggressive form of Barrett's esophagus to esophageal cancer. In a study NSAID users took the drug at least once a week for six or more months any time during follow-up, regardless of daily frequency, duration, or type, the researchers reported. Galipeau and colleagues also found that those with three or more of the biomarkers who used aspirin or other NSAIDs had a 30% risk of esophageal cancer after 10 years, while those with the same biomarkers who did not use NSAIDs had a 79% risk of developing cancer within a decade.

The vast majority of patients in this cohort had gastroesophageal reflux disease and were undergoing therapy, mainly with proton-pump inhibitors. It is unclear how the frequency or severity of symptoms may have affected NSAID use by participants, the researchers said. However, to their knowledge, they said, symptoms from reflux are not associated with intermediate endpoints or cancer in Barrett's esophagus, so it is unlikely that symptoms could explain the association of NSAID use with reduced risk of esophageal cancer. The findings may help identify patients who may benefit most from a very cost-effective, noninvasive therapy in the form of aspirin or NSAIDS.

Delayed nausea from chemotherapy in cancer patients frequently is managed by recurrent administration of high dose corticosteroids, resulting in undesirable side effects including weight gain, growth retardation and increased risk for infections. According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on acupuncture's potential usefulness showing promising results in aiding adult postoperative patients and chemotherapy patients with nausea, vomiting and headaches. The National Center For Complementary And Alternative Medicine offers a lot of facts on acupuncture and other alternative treatments and therapies.

To many patients acupuncture relaxes them and helps relieve stress and to some it energizes them. It is safe and most people feel no pain or very minimal pain as the hair thin needles are inserted. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. Finding an acupuncture practitioner is as easy as getting a referral from your health care practitioners. More medical doctors themselves are getting training to do acupuncture. Be sure to check their credentials for licensing and training. A good thing to know is that acupuncture is becoming one of those alternative therapies that are more commonly covered by insurance so be sure to check your insurance coverage.

Tomato and broccoli are known for their cancer fighting qualities. In a study published in the January 15th issue of Cancer Research, it showed that the tomato/broccoli combination outperformed all other diets in shrinking prostate tumors in animals.

The research suggested that older men with slow-growing prostate cancer who have chosen the watchful waiting over chemotherapy and radiation should seriously consider altering their diets to include more tomatoes and broccoli.

To get the desired effects a 55 year old man concerned about prostate health should consume daily:

• 1.4 cups of raw broccoli and 2.5 cups of fresh tomato
• or 1 cup of tomato sauce
• or 1/2 cup of tomato paste

The researchers also said that eating the whole tomatoes is always better than taking a lycopene supplement and cooked tomatoes may be better than raw tomatoes.

I don't think any of us can go wrong by adding more tomatoes and broccoli to our diets!

There is something to be said for the power of prayer. On the morning the lump in my breast was removed, a friend rallied more than 80 friends from our local MOMS Club to say a prayer for me -- at the exact time I was wheeled into an operating room. I know nothing of the prayer they said for me, but I do know I emerged from surgery with my breast intact and with the knowledge that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes.

I don't know for sure what role prayer played in my good fortune -- but I don't discount that it is in some way responsible for the fact that I am alive today.

But there are other obvious factors responsible for my survival -- like chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, targeted drug therapy, and counseling. So I don't think prayer alone saved me. I think it took a balance of varied forces to save my life -- a balance one Ohio man was not able to achieve.

The children of Darrell Perry are filing suit against their aunt, Darlene Bishop -- Perry's sister and an evangelical preacher -- who claims both she and Perry were cured of cancer through prayer.

Perry was not cured and died a year and a half ago from throat cancer. And Bishop now reveals she was never diagnosed with breast cancer -- like she claimed at one time -- but was merely worried she may have had the disease. Yet the message in her book Your Life Follows Your Words speaks loud and clear in its message -- that prayer can cure cancer.

Perry's children says their aunt is lying and exploiting their father for her own financial gain. They have filed two suits -- one accusing her of mismanaging and misusing Perry's estate and the other alleging wrongful death for convincing Perry to pray rather than seek medical help.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center teaches the art of aromatherapy to soothe and heal. Cherie Perez, a supervising research nurse, teaches a monthly aromatherapy class to answer questions about aromatherapy treatments to cancer survivors and cancer caregivers undergoing treatment.

Perez first became involved with aromatherapy to help those diagnosed with fibromyalgia deal with the physical pain and discomfort caused by the disease. She now shares her professional knowledge of the basics of aromatherapy in each hour long class. Her classes are offered free of charge at the wellness center at M.D. Anderson. The wellness center focuses on helping patients and caregivers deal with the non-medical issues of living with cancer. This is the first complementary facility to be built on the campus of a comprehensive cancer center.

In the future Perez looks to designing research strategies to examine how aromatherapy can be used to treat or heal burns from radiation treatments. She would also like to explore aromatherapy in the use of pre-treatment anxiety and also manage loss of memory issues in cancer survivors.

Why do some researchers believe that aromatherapy is beneficial?

Our sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than any of our other senses. The receptors in your nose communicate with two structures that are imbedded deep in your brain and serve as the storehouses for emotions and memories. It is believed that the stimulation of these structures influences our physical, emotional and mental health.

To read more about the uses of aromatherapy click here.