Good morning America!! Its a beautiful quite afternoon, the rain has passed, and the smell of Spring-new life is in the air. Tell me my friend have you listened to your body lately? CALL TO ARMS CHECKLIST!!

1-Colonoscopy- March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Know someone who just turned 50??? Then give them this advise as their birthday present if you want to see them alive in their 70s and 80s!

Every adult should discuss colonoscopy screening with a doctor at age 50 or sooner for those who are at high risk. If you have a family history of polyps, colorectal cancer or bowel disease, your doctor may recommend that you undergo a colonoscopy before age 50. People who smoke or drink heavily, who are sedentary or obese, or who eat a low-fiber, high-fat diet including red meat and processed meats are also at greater risk. African Americans have a higher mortality rate from colon cancer than others.

There is no proven preventive protocol for avoiding colorectal cancer. However, doctors agree that a healthful lifestyle may lower your risk. Eat plenty of high-fiber foods, including fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains. Maintain a healthy weight and get plenty of exercise. Limit your consumption of alcohol, red meat, and processed meats. Don't smoke, of course, and begin getting screenings as soon as your doctor recommends it.

A colonoscopy may not seem like the most festive 50th birthday gift. But more people would be around for their 70th, 80th and 90th birthdays if they marked the big 5-0 by getting this invaluable preventive test!!! Que Viva La Vida!!! This simple test saved my life:) I get checked every year--not fun, but I love life!

2- Mammogram-- The first to die of my high school class Maria Reina Rio Piedras Puerto Rico 1975 was Gail Lancer. A person so sweet and so graceful. So honorable. A great mother, great friend. She fought this disease for five years, and at the end she said" I need to die with dignity" She died one week later. I remember getting the e-mail ( all 99 of us keep in touch via e-mail) that asked for a moment of silence on a Friday night to honor such a wonderful life. I had not seen Gail in years, but high school came back all over again and I saluted her for her bravery. May you rest in peace Gail.

During our lifetime 1 in 8 of us will develop breast cancer. These facts have been taken from the National Health Institute.

Risk factors you cannot change include:

Age and gender -- Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50. Women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men.
Family history of breast cancer -- You may also have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative who has had breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. About 20 - 30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
Genes -- Some people have genes that make them more prone to developing breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. But if a parent passes you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life.
Menstrual cycle -- Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancer.
 I was diagnosed with  Lobular Hyperplasia at age 30. I was proactive and kept asking for a biopsy. Don't stop, for it is you who will have to do the dying.

Friday April 1st- Havana Road will donate 10% of its sales that day to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Lets help find a cure!


3- Pap Smear
Every year  10,000 women will be diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. A yearly test Papanicolau or Pap Smear can be a proactive approach in detecting early stages of Cervical Cancer, and can save your life.

Cervical cancer, or cancer of the cervix, is an abnormal growth of malignant (cancer) cellsin the cervix. Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers that affect the reproductive organs in a woman's body. One of the most common causes of cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted infection of HPV, or the human papillomavirus. Cervical cancer cases usually occur in women between the ages of 35 and 55 years. The death rate from cervical cancer has decreased significantly over the past five decades, because Pap test screening has allowed for more instances of the cancer to be caught early.

Act now! Get your Pap Smear before its too late--like Colon Cancer, Cervical Cancer won't let you know its come  to visit until its too late. This simple test gave me a new lease on life. Do this for you, for your partner, for your kids----JUST DO IT!


Amigas, friends, we are more beautiful as we age, but we must take better care of our bodies! Keep the bumps--just bumps. We don't have to be twenty to say we ROCK~~ BUT, we do have to be ALIVE!!! Here is to life~~~ SALUD:) Chef Marta