It’s pretty common knowledge that eating too much red meat can lead to health problems, especially heart problems. Even the leanest beef is higher in fat and cholesterol than fish and other meats. But a new study has shown that the health risks associated with eating red meat are even more dramatic than previously thought.

The study followed over 100,000 men and women from 1980 to 2006. They filled out frequent questionnaires about diet and health. Over the course of the study, over 20,000 participants died. Many of them died from cardiovascular disease or cancer, and some died from other causes.

Overall, people who ate more red meat had a higher body mass index, were less physically active, and were more likely to smoke. Even after controlling for these variables, researchers found that each additional serving of red meat a participant ate per day raised their risk of death by 12 percent overall. This included a 16 percent greater risk of dying from cardiovascular problems and a 10 percent greater risk of dying from cancer.

And the numbers were even worse for people who ate large amounts of processed meat like bacon and salami. Each additional serving of processed meat raised a person’s risk of death by 20 percent.

I don’t know about you, but those numbers really scare me. I feel lucky that I don’t eat much red meat. For me, that’s mostly because I cook a lot, and when I cook I’d rather make fish, a white meat, or a dish without meat at all. This new study, along with all the scary things in the news about pink slime, has me feeling pretty reluctant to eat red meat at all.

So if you do eat lots of red meat, what should you do? Doctors aren’t saying they think everyone should become a vegetarian. But they do say that you should reduce your intake of red meat to 2-3 servings per week. And replace some of the red meat in your diet with fish, nuts, whole grains, and other lean sources of protein.

Do you eat lots of red meat? Are you worried about this news?

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock]

Let me just start off by saying that this is a really not fun article to write.

This is coming from a person who really likes to have fun and this…well, this is not fun.

Yeah, it might also be unpleasant to read through, but I have to write about all the ways cancer is killing thousands and thousands of women. Awesome. Considering I’m a woman who has a long family history of all different kinds of cancers…even more awesome.

Then there is the upside to writing this: I’m educating myself about all the scary facts of life. While I can’t guarantee that the 1% will be devouring all the facts written below, I’m hoping that the other 99% of us will use some of this as a launching pad. Women – actually, everyone – should want to know about the cause and effect of cancer on our bodies.

October takes the cake for bringing awareness to breast cancer, a cancer that deeply plagues the female population. The strides that breast cancer awareness month makes toward raising money and mindfulness both helps and hurts the rest of the cancer community.

Breast cancer is not the number one cancer-killer amongst women. (Whoa! No way?) Due to the fact that breast cancer is probably the most heavily publicized and marketed of any cancer, most women seem to think it must be the most dangerous. We’ve even heard from our favorite, most notable celebrities who have come forward and discussed their bouts with breast cancer.

The problem is we haven’t heard enough about the other forms of cancer out there that namely affect women. This means one of two things: luckily, women are not being diagnosed with these vehement cancer types or, unfortunately, those we could depend on to share stories lost their battles against cancer.

We can rely on current, cutting edge research, though. After scrolling through website after website after Facebook, I mean, uh, website…. I’ve found five cancers that shake women.

1. Lung Cancer

This cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer. A startling 70,354 out of 93,893 diagnosed women died from lung cancer in 2007. Can anyone guess the leading cause of this cancer? Yup, you betcha: cigarette smoking. To give you an idea of the intense growth of this cancer, between 1930 and 1997 the number of deaths caused by this cancer increased by 600%. Lung cancer is donned the leading cancer killer amongst all other forms of cancer but it is also the leading killer in women. At least 17% of women smoke and more than 500,000 teenage girls use tobacco products. Thinking about what you can do to avoid becoming another statistic? Cut the butts. It’s a nasty habit. (Our readers should know that being a cigarette smoker puts you at risk for this cancer regardless of your age.)

2. Colon Cancer

Also known as colorectal cancer, colon cancer is the third most common cancer killer in women. Predominantly found in men and women 50+, in ’07 almost 70,000 people were diagnosed and 26,215 women died. The upside about this cancer is that there are precautions that could slice death tolls in half. Remember to go for regular screening tests when you’re 50 and people are giving you birthday cards that say “Over the hill!” Think of it like an aged version of Little Red Riding Hood: Over the hill and through the woods to the colon screening tests I go, do, do, dooo…

3. Ovarian Cancer

We are beginning to hear a lot about the causes of gynecological cancers and their affect on women. In 2010, doctors estimated they would see a total of 21,990 new cases of this cancer diagnosed resulting in 15,460 deaths. To save you all the gory details of where this cancer forms (if you’re concerned or curious, you can do research anywhere on the web), this cancer occurs as women age. Doctors have said that women who experienced fertility issues, have not had any natural children or plan to have their first child after turning 30 are an increased risk. Women who have not shown any of those symptoms can still be at risk for this cancer.

4. Endometrial Cancer (Uterine Cancer)

Out of 46,470 new cases in 2010, the death toll of females will be 8,120. Again, this cancer most commonly affects women age 50 and older. This cancer is found in the lining of the uterus whereas ovarian cancer is found in the tissue of the ovaries. The scary thing about this type of gynecologic cancer (as well as all other forms forms) is that hormones from other medication can sometimes put women at risk for these cancer types.

5. Cervical Cancer

Another gynecologic cancer, this bad girl begins in the tissues of the cervix and is generally a slow-growing cancer. Unfortunately, because it is slow moving, many women may not show symptoms, but early detection can be found with regular Pap tests. Onset is almost always caused by the HPV infection and of 12,710 new diagnoses in 2011, 4,290 women will lose their battle against this cancer. The scary thing about this cancer? Any woman who is sexually active is at risk. Here is a big tip: in most cases, you need to have HPV, HIV, or AIDS in order to present with this type of cancer. Women who smoke regularly and do not go for regular Pap tests are also at risk. If you wrap it before you tap it, you automatically decrease the risk of transference during sexy time. No glove, no love when your health is on the line.

These are the five baddest girls around. However, the most interesting piece of research I found that ran rampant through each of these cancers is that prevention could nearly cut the number of fatalities by 50% or greater, depending on individual prognosis. I don’t mean to hate on breast cancer, because obviously it is important and women need to educate themselves about causes and prevention, but awareness shouldn’t only happen in October and only with breast cancer. What about making strides for all forms of cancer?

I know, I know. It’s a lot to swallow. But there are a couple quick tips to adjust your love-style and also your life. Buy tons of stuff to wrap it, so you never have to say ‘no’ when it comes time to tap it.  Quit smoking and take up knitting.  Have your babies pre-30 so that you can spend the rest of your life lamenting your once hot bod. And maybe most important: no glove, no love, no cancer.

I hope.

See? She smokes pot and she turned out OK! Oh wait....

According to the LA times, 1 in 3 high school seniors smoke pot. This news is not that shocking to most of us, but apparently surprising enough that Obama’s “Drug Czar” and the rest of the old people in this country are up in arms (and probably somehow blaming Miley). Look, I get it. Despite the recent research proving the many benefits of tokin’ a little green now and then, many people still only see the negative side of things.

Studies centered on long time marijuana use have shown impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking/problem solving, problems with memory and learning. Chronic users may even have learning and memory loss that can last for days or weeks. Even scarier, “Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent) and among daily users (25-50 percent)” (Drugabuse.gov).

Yes, those are some scary facts and most definitely should concern us all. But one thing many people (namely those people who are freaking out about the recent rise in marijuana use) don’t realize is that those results are based on participants who are long time and chronic pot smokers, not to mention people who might dabble in some other recreational drugs.

So instead of focusing on the negative, let’s find the silver lining, shall we?

First and foremost, this study shows not that more teens are smoking pot but that for the first time in a long time, high school students are smoking more pot than cigarettes. Isn’t that a good thing? Couldn’t that mean that less students are smoking harmful, unhealthy, disgusting cigarettes? And even though chronic weed use may have some pretty scary side affects, I think we can all agree that cigarettes cause far more harm: ease of addiction; yellow teeth and nails; thinning hair; wrinkles; bad breath; smelling gross in general; and lung, throat and mouth cancer.

Yes, learning your sweet, innocent child smokes pot may be a little (well a lot) concerning, but isn’t a little pot here and there way better than chain smoking Marlboro Lights between first and second period? And in the grand scheme of things, it’s just pot. Yes, just pot. There are far worse and more addictive drugs kids could be doing. And just because someone “smoked pot in the past 30 days” (which is what this particular study was asking), it doesn’t mean they are going to be some Phish-obsessed stoner with a bong collection in their college dorm room.

With all the other drugs out there, taking a hit of a blunt (or, as this study referred to it, a “marijuana cigarette”) sometimes isn’t such a big deal. Just because high school students are smoking it does not mean they are abusing it. This is really not that big a deal. Let them do their thang, eat their Fritos, realize it’s not that fun and be done with it.

The following post was written by Liz, a CollegeCandy reader and 21-year-old breast cancer survivor.

I was your typical college sophomore. I was active on campus, had a great group of friends, and kept myself busy with schoolwork. I was enjoying my time at The College of New Jersey, and felt truly blessed with an amazing life.

Then in April 2009, everything changed completely. In the midst of studying for final exams and celebrating the end of the school year, I was going back and forth between TCNJ and New York City for doctor visits. I had found a lump in my right breast, and went for tests and exams just as a precaution. Although I was optimistic and really believed I had nothing to worry about, I received the news that nobody wants to hear: I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

How could this have happened? I was only nineteen years old, with no family history of the disease, and was a healthy athlete my entire life. Weeks earlier, my toughest decisions dealt with my college course load, finding a summer job, and balancing family and friends. Flash forward and I’m being told I need surgery, months of chemotherapy, and I will have to start my junior year of college wearing a wig. I began making life-changing decisions and dealing with things no teenager should ever have to deal with.

In May of 2009 I elected to have a bilateral mastectomy, which called for the removal of both my right and left breasts. Though the cancer was only located in a tumor in my right breast, I chose to be as aggressive as possible with the surgery. I was diagnosed with this disease at age nineteen; what would stop it from coming back again in my other breast? I did not want to have to relive any of these moments, so I made one of the hardest and most important decisions of my life.

After about a month of recovery from my surgery, I began my chemotherapy treatments and the breast reconstruction process. I needed eight cycles of two different chemotherapy drugs; the entire process would last four months. In hindsight, four months is such a small, insignificant period of time. But those were the hardest four months of my life.

When I started chemotherapy, I kept asking myself, “Why did this happen to me?” “What did I do to deserve this?” I even wondered whether I would be able to get through the whole process. I relied heavily on the strength of my family and friends just to keep me going day by day.

In the days that followed, I realized “Why me” questions were pretty silly and somewhat selfish.  There was nothing I could do to prevent what already happened and focusing on my past would do nothing to improve my future.  The questions I needed to ask suddenly came into focus:  ”What do I need to do to put this behind me?” “How do I get healthy again?”

I realized that sitting around feeling sorry for myself would accomplish absolutely nothing. I was extremely fortunate; I found the lump at such an early stage that my cancer was completely curable.  So I made it a point to lead as “normal” a life as I could – I went to the beach and hung out with friends when I was feeling well, and came back to TCNJ in the fall, taking three classes while finishing the last of my treatments. I put on my wig, got myself dressed every morning, and put on a happy face to let everyone know that I was doing just fine. Cancer was not going to stop me from enjoying my junior year of college.

It was certainly a tough time, but I stayed positive, and was able to push through. Looking back on the past year and half of my life, I cannot believe everything that I have accomplished. I am officially one year out of treatment, and got a clean bill of health from my doctors.

I have learned a lot about myself over the past eighteen months. I have become a stronger person, and everything has been put into perspective for me. I don’t worry so much about the small things, and enjoy every life experience much more than I ever thought I could. I also learned how important the people in my life really are. I would not have gotten through this without the support of my friends and family.

I truly believe that his happened to me for a reason; I am a survivor, and want to help spread my message to other young women. Breast cancer is not just a disease for our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers; it is affecting women younger and younger every year. And as young women we are not invincible, although at times I know we think that we are.

Take my story as a reminder to protect yourself now.

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Try incorporating any of these five foods into your diet and you will see and feel the positive health benefits. Seems daunting? I’ve even included some ways to sneak these foods into your everyday meals, so now you’ve got no excuses not to get healthy.

1. Fruit: Raspberries
These cute lil’ red things are a great source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. As translation, eating just a cup of berries a day will reduce cholesterol levels, maintain organ balance, and improve your immune system. In fact, studies have shown that these great tasting berries even diminish risks for cancer. Snack on them in between classes, top them on your breakfast parfaits, or cool down in the summer heat with a raspberry-peach smoothie!

2. Nuts: Raw Almonds
Yes, that says RAW. That means no added sugar, salt, “honey-roasted”, or “dipped in chocolate”. If you snack on 20-23 of these organic nuts, you can be guaranteed some heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein, and over 35% of your daily need of Vitamin E. Okay, so “raw” and “nuts” doesn’t sound tempting for your belly? Slather some almond-rich, homemade beauty products on your face! Almonds have been proven to create an awesome complexion and soft skin.

3. Vegetable: Broccoli
Personally, I absolutely love broccoli. Not only does it taste good, but it can also be added to any dish! Put it in pasta, salad, soup; have it sautéed, broiled, eaten raw. Whatever you do, it’s a guaranteed yum. Imagine my great surprise when I learned that this super food was rich in fiber for a healthy digestive system, and abundant with calcium for my bones that endure so much shock from my daily runs. Oh and get this: adding this green healing machine to your diet may even reduce risks of Alzheimer’s. So don’t forget it!

4. Grain: Brown Rice
This replacement for white long grain rice may be difficult to adjust to at first, but the benefits are amazing. Brown rice contains a great source of manganese and magnesium, which can reduce the severity of headaches and migraines (goodbye boy drama!). In fact, studies have shown that when you replace white rice with the brown alternative, you lower not only your blood pressure, but your risk for atherosclerosis, too. Yay for long, healthy lives.

5. Fish: Salmon
Salmon is great because it has low mercury levels (if that’s what you were worried about), few calories (only 127 calories for 3 ounces), and good levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (necessary for proper brain development, and more). Bake it, grill it, eat with the above brown rice, make Salmon burgers, put it on top of your sushi…the possibilities are endless.

Let me know what your other favorite super foods are. Better yet, share some of your favorite recipes with me! Body blog cook off, anyone?

[We originally ran this post at the end of 2008. Unfortunately it still rings true in 2010 so we're bringing it back for round 2. Share your own resolution gripes in the comments section below!]

I don’t make resolutions for the new year. Not only do I know I will not keep them, but I also know that anything important enough to give up on December 31st should probably be given up on any other day. I tried to give up cake once – what a disaster. Just knowing the 31st was coming and that I would soon be without my beloved buttercream sent me on a downward spiral that resulted with me, a fork and a missing Costco sheet cake.

The only thing I hate more than making New Years resolutions are the people that do. They are annoying, act all “holier than thou,” and make the first few weeks of every new year miserable for me.

The Gym Goers: Seriously, people, get off of my elliptical. I shouldn’t have to wait to get on my machine (that I have been using 5 days a week for the entirety of 2008 and 2009) just because you finally decided you’ve had enough with your muffin top. And, for those of you who don’t know because this is your first time at the gym, you are supposed to be sweating on that thing, not standing on it and texting your friends about the girl standing behind you giving you the stink eye.

The Smoke Quitters: Congratulations for finally kicking the smoking habit! I am proud of you – really, I am. But I am not there yet. This is not my year to trade in my black lungs for some shiny, healthy ones. So stop judging me and making that disgusted face when you walk by. You’ve given up cigarettes for .5 seconds and suddenly you can preach to me about how disgusting it is? You know you’d much rather be sucking down this sweet cancer stick right now. Don’t deny it.

The Healthy Eaters: Same goes to you, salad people. Sometimes I want a large order of sweet potato fries and I will not let you make me feel guilty. Besides, sweet potatoes are good for me!

The Money Savers: The economy sucks right now, so everyone is trying to save a buck or two. Good for you! Save that money! Earn that interest! But don’t get all cheap on me now and bring out the calculator when the bill comes at dinner, or give me a stack of your used books for my birthday after I got you a sweet new Kindle for yours. And, for real, stop talking about how little money you have. I. Don’t. Care.

I love my boobs!

[October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that almost 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and the disease takes the lives of over 40,000? Scary stuff. Awareness and funding for the disease are the keys to finding a cure, but the most important thing we can do - yes, even this young - is a monthly self-exam. So whip out that breast and check it out. And speaking of breasts...]

As a kid, there were a lot of things I was looking forward to having once I became a “grown-up” — a boyfriend, my period (I don’t know why I was looking forward to that, but I was), and getting my very own set of beautiful breasts. Not only would their arrival mean I was turning into a woman, but I felt like they would make clothes look that much better. And I guess being able to feed my future children from my body is pretty cool too.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when the time came for my mom to buy me my very first training bra. You know the one – the sports bra looking thing that doesn’t actually do anything but make you feel older. It wasn’t until I started wearing said bra that I realized that maybe it wasn’t so much fun – and that was before there was anything to fill it out.

As puberty progressed, so did the size of my chest. I’m not saying I had the biggest bust around (just a comfortable C), but it wasn’t long before I developed a love/hate relationship with my mammaries. I started realizing the pros and cons of starting to look like a woman, including the classic “my eyes are up here.” But how do other women view their breasts? And what to men really think while they’re drooling? There’s really no other way of knowing than to straight up ask, so I questioned a few friends of mine on their favorite and least favorite thing about boobs.

Coralie – my well-endowed penpal: Big breasts are both a burden and a blessing. You always feel feminine, but tops that look cute and classy on others can look trashy on larger breasted women.

Bonnie – my best friend’s mom: I know I’m older, but there is nothing more beautiful than nursing your baby. But they can be a pain in the butt too!

Ryan – the straight guy: I love when a girl is on top and they’re so close to my face and so easy to play with. What I don’t like is that the girl doesn’t seem to like it as much as I do…

Marcus – the gay guy: My favorite thing about them, is that for me, they’re on a complete “I might look but I’d never wanna touch” scale. I mean they’re nice (when they’re proportionate to said woman’s body). I just don’t see how guys drool at the site of them and have to hide their erections just because, I don’t know, say a celebrity’s tit popped out. Because basically, they’re chests inflated with fat. That’s all. Which makes me wonder why most guys go for super models with big jugs vs. a fat chick. It’s all fat. Why does it matter where it is?

Aimee – high school friend: I like having boobs because boobs are awesome. Especially mine. Don’t ask me why, I just like having them? Downside? Um… I haven’t noticed any.

Okay, so maybe they’re not the greatest all the time. They get in the way while we’re playing sports, and they hurt us sometimes. It seems that most women have a love/hate relationship with their lady lumps, but all in all, would we really want to be without them? I think not.

Love your boobs? Hate them? Share your thoughts and feelings below. And don’t forget about that self exam!

So I turned my nose at “My Sister’s Keeper” and, quite honestly, missed out.

This past weekend, I went to my boyfriend’s camp and found a copy of “My Sister’s Keeper” kicking around. One rainy afternoon, I picked it up and flipped through the first couple pages. I was instantly hooked. I read all 423 pages of that book in about 4 hours in a single afternoon.

It was that addictive.

For those of you who haven’t heard about the book (or haven’t seen the insanely popular trailer for the film), the novel revolves around a family whose eldest daughter, Kate, has been battling a rare form of leukemia (cancer of the blood) since she was 2 years old. Because Kate required donations of blood to survive almost immediately and their son, Jesse, was not a donor match, they decided to conceive a child, Anna, whose sole purpose was to save her sister’s life. When Anna is 13, after numerous blood and bone marrow donations throughout her life, she is asked to donate an entire kidney to Kate. Anna has finally had enough and decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body.

Besides having an interesting and controversial subject, “My Sister’s Keeper” features beautiful characters and a skilled writer. Picoult is seasoned and knows what will hit her readers hardest and really make an impact. No detail goes overlooked; from how Kate’s sickness rips her parents apart, to the feelings of the forgotten sibling, Jesse. The book is written from multiple points of view, so the reader really gets to know what each character truly thinks and feels.

“My Sister’s Keeper” is a moving book and is not for the faint of heart. However, after reading this one, I feel a bit changed. I feel like I have more compassion and understanding for the family of those with cancer. I feel very grateful for my health and even the health of the people I love. I recommend “My Sister’s Keeper” for those looking for a quick, yet meaningful read.

So don’t smoke and limit sun exposure and you’re okay right?

Ha, I wish.

New studies literally come out every day blaming everyday products for causing the disease. We are constantly being bombarded by contradicting information. Doctors say don’t have too much sugar because its not good for you and dentists say only chew sugar-free gum. Only problem is that most things that are sugar-free have aspartame, which, you know, causes cancer. Ok, so, fine; I’m willing to sacrifice my FAVORITE foods, drinks (bye bye, sugar-free vanilla latte) and my gum addiction if it means preventing some sort of cancerous growth inside of me.

But that’s not enough. It only gets better (or worse).

Studies have shown that there are cancer-causing substances in soap, toothpaste, shampoos, and makeup. So, no food, and no showering, and then I’m okay?

Nope, not yet.

Because if I decide not to shower, at least I should stock up on deodorant if I still wanna have friends. But that doesn’t work either, because, apparently, deodorant causes cancer, too.

Hmm.. alright. I’m sorta running out of options here.  Maybe I should literally just sit in a dark candlelit room (lights probably cause cancer, duh!) and relax all day, everyday with some books and music.  I’m safe then, right?

Nope. I must be crazy! That is the most dangerous option of all since candles cause cancer now, too!

What. The. H-E-Double Hockey Sticks? Is there anything out there that’s safe?!