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I was recently interviewed by Kim Thilbodeaux, President and CEO of the Cancer Support Community. The interview will air Tuesday, August 2, 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST on VoiceAmerica’s show “Frankly Speaking About Cancer.”  The topic is Healing Nutrition: What Patients & Caregivers Should Know About Eating Well Through Cancer. The guests, in addition to me are: Susan Bratton, Founder and CEO, Meals to Heal LLC, a provider of nutritional information, counseling and fresh meals for cancer patients and their caregivers, and Dr. Katherine Chauncey, PhD, R.D., Director of the West Texas Cancer Survivors Network and Professor of Clinical Family Practice at Texas

Cancer changed the way I eat and drink. It does this to many people but not to everyone. I was recent on a radio show talking about Healing Nutrition. We discussed the fact that 15 to 20 percent of cancer patients undergoing treatment experience changes in their sense of smell and taste.  Certain foods can taste metallic. Mouth sores can make it difficult to chew or swallow acidic foods. Steroids can constipate you, so bulk foods are unappealing.  You can become lactose intolerant (I did). Sometimes it’s just the smell or the sight of certain foods or beverages that can turn your stomach. Certain foods do not

If you died tomorrow, what would be your epitaph? What will people say about how you lived your life? This week I attended the memorial service of the legendary New York restaurateur, George Lang. His autobiography, “Nobody Knows the Truffles I’ve Seen,” is an inspiring story of courage, survival, reinvention, dedication, success, music,  passion, love and humor.  The service was attended by a large crowd of friends and industry colleagues, and the speeches were short and uplifting, from journalist, Adam Gopnik, to former ambassador, Ronald Lauder. Elie Wiesel sent a letter. Musician Peter Yarrow sang.   George touched many lives. It made me wonder: “When I die, what will

What makes you happy? And is it within reach? Who is the happier person:  The ambitious person who reaches higher and higher but remains restless, so happiness is never quite in full grasp. Or the placid person who reaches out and not up, and embraces what is around him and seeks nothing more? Which one are you? Or are you a combination? My Dad always told me to aim high and then higher. I was programmed to be a success from an early age, to move out of my small town and show everyone who I could be. And I did it in

I am celebrating my “independence” this Independence Day Weekend, and you should do the same.  Independence Day is one of my all time favorite holidays, even more than  Thanksgiving. Why? Because, while I love giving thanks for the good things and the good people in my life at the end of the year, I love celebrating my brand of independence at the most beautiful time of the year- Summer. “Independence” defined by Webster’s Dictionary translates to the state of being self-sufficient or self reliant.  The opposite is being “dependent.” Now, one year after completing cancer treatment, depending on doctors’ opinions and decisions for my well-being, and

Yesterday a group of us were talking about how hard it can be to bounce back after a setback. Comebacks and reinventions are all possible, but it can take a lot of soul searching and time. I said to those around me: “Sometimes you just have to set aside your pride to move forward.” A setback, whether a personal setback, a business setback or a combination of both, can put you into either an emotional tailspin or an emotional paralysis. Suddenly you may no longer be in the driver’s seat. Factors you cannot control are running and, in your mind, ruining your life. A health setback

I just passed my second Father’s Day without my Dad. He died November 2, 2009 after facing down prostate cancer and then renal failure. Sadly, I was not at his side when he passed away peacefully in his sleep before dawn. I had just completed my second breast cancer surgery within six weeks and was still in New York with a drain attached to the left side of my body. I adored my father. We had a dual relationship:  father-daughter and business advisor-business woman. Way too frequently the two relationships collided  On one phone call we would discuss a tax issue, payroll or another business matter; the next he would

I recently read that breast augmentation is the number one cosmetic procedure for women. It’s not covered by insurance and it’s pretty painful. But everywhere I go I see more “custom breasts.” Now that I have new ones myself, I find myself staring at others. I guess in a weird way I am lucky. Starlets, show girls, strippers and simply average women who want to feel enhanced have to pay handsomely out of pocket for new breasts. I had to pay for my new breasts by giving up my old ones. As nice as they were on the outside they were a mess on

There is a  show on HBO starring Laura Linney called “The Big C.” It’s about a woman and living her life after being told she has melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. Cancer is often referred to as “The Big C.” You know a lot of people still whisper the word “cancer.” I prefer addressing the “The Big C” on a high note. Let’s just agree right now to focus on the CAN in cancer (for now, a little “c”) instead of CANNOT. Here is my “Big C” Checklist: You Can Cope with Cancer, or any Challenge in your life with Courage, or Choose to Cry and

I love Lady Gaga. I love her anthem of individuality “Born This Way.”  I applaud anyone who can accept they way they are, be tolerant of others and accept them as they are. I have a mother who believes in individuality. All my youth she preached to me the importance of being true to yourself and to think less about what you look like on the outside and more on who you are on the inside. For years I did not listen. I thought I was ugly and wanted to do whatever I could to fix my looks and blend in. I had

What the heck is going on with grown men and cleaning ladies? This week at a Manhattan hotel, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, sexually assaulted a cleaning woman in his room. In California, Governer Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to fathering a son with his maid and sleeping with her for years while married to the lovely Maria. It seems both men need more than a pants pressing! Why can’t married men keep their peckers in their pants? Especially pickled peckers like  Strauss-Kahn and The Schwarz (the NY Post yesterday referred to him as “The Sperminator” – just a

I just finished reading an article on MSN.com about the “38 Most Iconic Beauties in History.” Here’s the link below. You can click on to any of these icons of perfection to view endless photos gathered over time. http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Entertainment/Iconic-beauties.aspx?cp-documentid=25779667&imageindex=1&GT1=36010 “Vanity thy name is woman,” said William Shakespeare. I confess. I am a vain woman. I have worked hard to protect- preserve- my looks. Stress, sun and genetics are my foes.  Exercise, water, a healthy diet, facials and a decent night’s sleep are my friends. Somewhere in -between are those countless serums and creams I have tried over the years. I am not sure