TMZ reported that Summer was private about her illness, and that there may have been a connection between debris from 9/11 and her lung cancer:
TMZ has learned … Donna died from lung cancer. Several sources are telling us Donna believed she contracted it by inhaling toxic particles after the 9/11 attack in New York City.

However, there are very few details about Summer's cancer, or if there were any complications that were involved with her death.

The family of the "She Works Hard for the Money" singer issued a statement, AFP reported, which said: "While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. The National Cancer Institute reports that there have been 226,160 new cases of lung cancer so far this year, and 160,340 deaths from the disease.

The cancer occurs when tumors form in lung tissue, most commonly in the cells that line the air passages, according to the National Cancer Institute. There are two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer tends to be more aggressive than non-small cell lung cancer, according to Cedars Sinai.

Risk for the disease is highest among smokers, according to the Mayo Clinic, though lung cancer can also occur in never-smokers, too.

"They are looking," explained Despina Stavrinos, assistant professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham's Injury Control Center and the study's lead author. "But they are failing to see. Just like distracted drivers, they are going through the motions, but they are not actually processing the risk."

To better understand the potential dangers of street crossing, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham looked at 78 children, 39 of whom had ADHD-C — a subtype that includes both inattention as well as hyperactivity and impulsivity issues — and 39 of whom did not. The children were between 7 and 10, the age at which The American Academy of Pediatrics states it may be okay for children to be unsupervised pedestrians.

    A recent study by Duke University estimates that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030, up from about 34 percent today. Contrary to other reports, the epidemic is getting worse, not better. Will we all become obese?

    A recent story in the New York Times exposes how dangerous obese airline passengers can be, with engineers describing how seat belts may not restrain obese people. In a crash, obese people may "blast through" seat belts and into other passengers. Have you seen the films of normal-size test dummies crashing into dashboards? Imagine getting hit by a 250- to 300-pound linebacker at jet speed.

    The CDC estimates that obesity costs us about $150 billion per year today, almost 10 percent of health care costs. It's the second leading cause of preventable death in the country, just behind smoking, and it is gaining. That cost is projected to increase to over500 billion.



Breathe Easy — Your Action Plan


Whether it's time to hit the turf, track or squat rack, breathing isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind (not falling on your face tends to take priority). But smooth and efficient breathing is crucial for delivering the oxygen our body needs to perform its functions properly. Proper breathing can also help athletes exercise longer with less effort, nix side stitches and even calm the mind. With a little extra awareness — and some practice — that A Game could be just a few breaths away. Here's what to keep in mind: 



Running


Nailing the right running form, tempo and strategy can be challenging enough, but a runner's work doesn't end there. Huffing and puffing your way 'round the track won't get you to the finish line. In fact, studies show that improper breathing technique can impair speed and performance.

How to do it right: While there's no golden rule, many runners find it most comfortable to take one breath for every two foot strikes, says Alison McConnell, a breathing expert and author of "Breathe Strong Perform Better". This means taking two steps (one left, one right) while breathing in, and two steps while breathing out — also known as the 2:2 rhythm.

Why it works: Because the diaphragm and surrounding organs are all subject to the forces of gravity, McConnell says, synchronizing the breath to running cadence will keep the organs from putting unnecessary pressure on the diaphragm, which can impede breathing (and make running more uncomfortable than it needs to be!).

Fruity Scent Enhanced Dancing & Club Experience

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we return to the topic of the aphrodisiac potential of food aromas — and in particular how fruity, citrusy-scents appear to affect romantic behavior. The real-life occasion for this inquiry was the curious olfactory challenge posed by the banning of smoking in nightclubs. Apparently that haze of smoke had been masking unpleasant odors that one might associate with the combination of lots of alcohol and many bodies packed into a confined space. Dutch researchers infused three different dance clubs with various scents, and then evaluated impact on activity and attitudes among the party crowd. The results were astonishing.

We can't promise that dark chocolates for Valentine's Day will help your relationship figuratively "go the distance" — but new basic research suggests cocoa compounds might literally help you go the distance, by running longer and stronger!

In a recent study from the University of California-San Diego, mice were dosed twice daily with epicatechin, a chocolate flavonoid, for two weeks to see how that might affect performance on a treadmill. Compared with a placebo, the cocoa compound mice were able to run 50% longer and enjoyed 30% greater endurance. Why might this be? 

4 exercises, 10 reps of each, circuited for 20 minutes.

Push until you can't, rest until you can.

Expert answer:
Hi, Amy. This is a terrific question that I frequently get from my patients. Without knowing where you are going (domestic or international), the best advice that I can give you is to do a little homework, plan ahead and make smarter dining out choices.

First of all, if you are traveling domestically, find out whether the hotel serves breakfast and what kind of options are available (continental breakfast versus full breakfast menu). Also, find out whether your room contains a microwave or mini-fridge. As soon as you arrive at the hotel, find a nearby market and stock up on healthy essentials such as fruit, nuts and low-sugar energy bars that can serve as breakfast on the go or a healthy snack between lunch and dinner, so you don't arrive at restaurant meals famished.

If you have a fridge, include yogurt or milk and whole-grain cereal for an easy in-room breakfast option if the hotel choices are not healthy.

Be sure to pack a few plastic sandwich bags in your luggage so you can portion out nuts and whole-grain cereal for an easy, on-the-go snack. If you want to shop ahead of time, you can bring a few packets of low-sugar instant oatmeal (with added protein if possible), since most hotel rooms have coffee machines that allow you to heat water.

If you will be attending breakfast or lunch meetings, try to find out what will be served and whether there is any way you can order a healthier option if you feel that the choices are not terrific. If not, eat breakfast and do the best you can with less-healthy lunch choices. You can also bring a couple of healthy snacks with you to eat before and after lunch so you can have a smaller lunch without feeling ravenous.
 

The Best: Back position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts.

Bad for: Snoring

The scoop: Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck, and spine to maintain a neutral position. You're not forcing any extra curves into your back, says Steven Diamant, a chiropractor in New York City. It's also ideal for fighting acid reflux, says Eric Olson, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota: "If the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus so acid or food can't come back up."

Back-sleeping also helps prevent wrinkles, because nothing is pushing against your face, notes Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University. And the weight of your breasts is fully supported, reducing sagginess.

Consider this: "Snoring is usually most frequent and severe when sleeping on the back," Olson says.

Perfect pillow: One puffy one. The goal is to keep your head and neck supported without propping your head up too much.

Eggs aren't the cholesterol fiends they were once cracked up to be. In fact, they can be good sources of heart-healthy protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes, a new government report shows.

The report, done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), revealed that the percentage of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who said they smoked cigarettes during the survey month has steadily declined from a high of almost 12% in 2004 to a low of 8.3% in 2010.

A reduction in cigarette use was also seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 during the same time period. The number of young people who reported smoking during the survey month fell from nearly 40% in 2004 to about 34% in 2010.

Researchers suspect that antismoking campaigns, tax increases, higher cigarette prices, and laws prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to minors have all contributed to these downward trends.

While these findings may be encouraging, many kids today are still picking up this dangerous habit.

"Although some progress has been made in curbing youth smoking, the fact remains that 1 in 12 adolescents currently smoke and 1 in 3 young adults smoke — which means far too many young adults are still endangering their lives," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde says in a news release.

The pop singer is meeting with Obama administration staffers Tuesday to discuss her work on bullying prevention. The White House held an anti-bullying conference earlier this year, and the administration estimates that bullying affects 13 million students, or about a third of those attending school.

Add nutrition to your favorite recipes with easy, healthy additions that will load with dishes with protein, veggies and other vital nutrients. Here are some tips for making your everyday dishes healthy.

It’s all about moderation and balancing your food groups: protein and carbs, fruits and veggies, experts say.  So how do they all work together?

Before a workout, it’s all about the carbs, said Carol Kelly, a dietitian at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. “Carbohydrate is the fuel for our bodies, fuel for our brains.  If you think of your metabolism as a fire, carbohydrate is the fuel that helps the fire burn hot.”

You want a meal that includes quality carbohydrates, lean protein, heart-healthy fats and fluids.  Without a sufficient carb supply, you could be breaking down muscle when you exercise.

If you’re working out in the afternoon or after work, you want to make sure to eat a balanced lunch with some carbs.

Face it, Americans love to eat. A platter full of food is our idea of a good value, and the bigger our pile of pasta, the more it excites us. But whisper two words in our ear—“portion control”—and watch our smiles disappear.

If you’re one who’s not satisfied until you’re full, take heart: a new review of studies published earlier this month in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that the best way to lose weight is to fill up on low-density foods that contain fewer calories per serving, rather than simply limiting ourselves to small portions that don’t give us a “full” feeling. This review prompted the 2010 Dietary Guidelines  Advisory Committee to recommend that we eat low-density foods to manage our weight.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
High-density foods are typically those that are high in fats—they pack more calories into each mouthful—and calories equal energy. So, it won’t surprise anyone that a diet higher in energy density (ED) is linked to higher body weight, while a diet lower in ED helps weight loss, both in adults and kids.

Confused? Just think of an apple about the size of your fist. If you eat that apple before you sit down to a lasagna dinner, you already will feel a little bit full before the meal, and you won’t eat so much lasagna. That’s because an apple is more than 85 percent water and doesn’t deliver too many calories—only 75, in fact. It’s also packed with healthy fiber. But if you ate a slice of apple pie before dinner, you would be eating the same volume as the piece of fruit, but you’d be downing 300 calories—and a lot of sugar and carbs. The apple pie is high in energy density.