My New Position with Young Survival Coalition

 Hi everyone,

Some great new updates:

1. I have a beautiful new nutrition & fitness website at www.pieceocakenutrition.com

2. I have started teaching Zumba classes and will be holding an event next month, Friday August 9 @ 7P and Sunday August 11 @ 11A, at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette, near Astor Place (in Manhattan). Only $10 per class or $18 for both. We are going to have so much fun! No previous Zumba or dance experienced required to have fun at this dance fitness party! Details & RSVP form can be found here: http://www.pieceocakenutrition.com/zumba.html

3. Last but not least, I have an exciting announcement about my volunteer work with the Young Survival Coalition...

Myself as Guest Blogger

Friends & Family,

Another few months have passed, it is now winter, I am officially a Registered Dietitian and things are going well. I recently went for some more routine follow-up exams and received the "all clear" from my doctors. Career-wise, I am moving in exactly the right direction: doing consulting, writing, speaking engagements, etc. I've been keeping myself visible on the social network scene with my blog, Piece o' Cake and all its related social network sites (Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest). Just recently I published a post about some great articles I found on Today's Dietitian concerning nutrition and breast cancer. I also mentioned in the post that I have started volunteering with the Young Survival Coalition's Adopt A Hospital program. I get hospitals and doctor's offices to agree to let me bring them brochures and DVDs about the YSC every couple months. It's great because it is a natural extension of something I do all the time anyway: promote the organization that made such an impact on my life during my treatment and since!

So, for my latest update to this blog I thought I'd share that Piece o' Cake blog post with you. Enjoy and please share!

Love, Diane

Breast Cancer: Nutrition & Resources - Piece o' Cake, January 28, 2013

Career Kick-Off & New Cancer Resources

Family, friends (& friends of friends)...

The last time I posted it was Spring and I was 3/4 of the way through my Dietetic Internship at NewYork-Presbyterian hospital. Now, it is Autumn, we are approaching Halloween, I have graduated from the internship almost two months ago and am preparing to sit for the exam that is the final hurdle before becoming a Registered Dietitian. So, it looks like it has been awhile - - so long that I managed to skip over an entire season.

I'm back now because I have some new resources I am adding to the site and I also want to share the latest updates. Since graduation I have been catching up on all the things that I neglected during the internship. Unfortunately, that included a couple doctor appointments I was slightly overdue for. I recently went in for a clinical exam and a breast ultrasound. I am happy to say that everything looks good.

While I was at the clinical exam I was killing time by reading magazines and came across a new resource to add to this site. 

Post Surgical Camisole that Does It All

Before each of my surgeries I went to support group meetings at the Young Survival Coalition and got advice from the ladies there about preparing for surgery. Everyone wanted to share their favorite items that helped them get through recovery at home. All of my favorites are listed in the right frame under "Useful Items, Gift Ideas, Book Recommendations" but I want to spotlight my absolute favorite item in today's post. 

Knit-a-Boob

This comes slightly too late for anyone to get involved this year but I still want to tell you guys about a relatively new breast cancer awareness event, in partnership with breastcancer.org, called Knit-a-Boob. Yesterday, Friday April 13, supporters gathered at Oak Knit Studio in Brooklyn, to knit "wearable prosthetic breasts for patients and survivors of breast cancer, who have lost their breasts to the disease." As I understand it, this was the second annual occurrence of this event. To learn more...

Knit-a-Boob Facebook Page

Oak Knit Studio Facebook Page 

Heads up

Just a heads up that I am working on separating my two blogs into two different accounts so that I can keep my nutrition writing separate from my cancer writing. If you notice any technical difficulties, have no fear, they will likely be corrected shortly. Love you all!

Evidence for avoiding soy after all? (In my case, anyway)

The results of a recent animal study suggest that "western women who started soy intake as adults, should stop if diagnosed with breast cancer" as Genistein (an estrogen-like compound in soy)  intake "in adult life which continues during tamoxifen treatment appears to make the tumors resistant to tamoxifen; However, if animals were fed genistein during childhood, and intake continues before and after tumors develop, the tumors are highly sensitive to the tamoxifen."  


In my case, I started eating soy as an adult, developed an estrogen-sensitive cancer and am now on Tamoxifen. So, it looks like, if I want to play it safe, I should consider avoiding soy. What will I dip my sushi in?


To read the full article, go here:

Medical News Today - Link Between Breast Cancer Resistance And Timing Of Soy Consumption