Cinco Vidas

An average doughnut contains 300 calories, mostly from sugar.

If we look at the typical diet, it’s shocking to realize just how much sugar we’re putting in our mouths. Read a few labels and you may be surprised. The stuff is not only in obvious foods such as sweetened cereal, soda pop, fruit juice, cakes, cookies, ice cream and candy, but in items that are supposed to be good for us, like soups, trail mixes, yogurts, even ketchup!

How much should we really be worried about all the sugar we’re swallowing? (more…)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                God sure works in mysterious ways and his timing is impeccable!  As I was sitting here, getting ready to start writing a post on a different subject, I received an e-mail from my friend Bousse. She told me about her friend, Dan, who has terminal AML Leukemia. Dan has documented his journey on film and it is a deep and beautiful artistic expression of his adventure through life and through his diagnosis. I immediately went to his site to watch a video clip. It’s about living the race against time, where he finds himself madly tying to unlock his “secret”  mind-surrendering to life, love, faith and the creative process.

I was blown away! I felt very inspired by his courage and his passion to live life NOW! Watching the video also brought back some memories to the time I was given my diagnosis. It was right there and then when I had to make the  choice of how I was going to live the rest of my life.  (more…)

From left to right: My brother, Javier Jr.; my mother, Brigitta; me; and my late father, Javier.

 Full Disclosure: Up until a couple of months ago, I didn’t even know what a blog really was, but here I am- finally!  I am very excited to share my life (as a cancer fighter, survivor and caregiver), my vision and dreams, and all the projects we have lined up for Cinco Vidas.  As many of you know, I am the founder of CINCO VIDAS INC. Cinco Vidas is a lifestyle brand of products and services that focuses on enhancing the way we live with cancer and ultimately, survive it.

Why the name, “Cinco Vidas?” It means “five lives” in Spanish. Since my heritage is Mexican, the Spanish had a particularly meaningful ring. My father gracsiously fought cancer for 7 years before he passed away on August 7, 2007. Five times my father went into remission, and five times he renewed his commitment to life before he passed. Cinco Vidas exists in his honor. (click on the about page to learn more).

This blog is the first Cinco Vidas project to come into existence.  Through the words written here,  I hope to communicate the ways my father and I lived through our cancer, learned from it and survived it. Articles on nutrition, medical studies, holistic therapies, beauty care, personal growth, stress and coping, fitness, skincare, and more will be available for reading and comment. I will write about all the things  important to me like toxins in skincare as well as topics not easily addressed about the disease. Feel free to browse  these pages to learn more about Cinco Vidas, our experts and our cancer partners.

My hope is that the fighter, survivor and caregiver use the Cinco Vidas Blog to find information, share experiences and gather encouragement from the published stories.  I welcome all your comments and stories. I want to thank my husband Husayn, my brother Javier Jr., my mother Brigitta,  my friends, family and the Cinco Vidas team for supporting me through this journey!!

Love, Strength and Survival,

Britta