New Amoena Swimwear has arrived!

Amoena has knocked it out of the park with their new swimwear for Spring 2014!  The colors, the patterns, the shapes, the quality; there's something for every woman in there.  And, they've added a super-functional beach tote to boot.  Quantities are limited so we encourage you to browse now before your size is sold out.  Don't drag your feet on these fantastic swimwear pieces!

TAKE A GANDER!

You'll be planning your first tropical getaway for the year before you know it!

If this doesn't floor you, we don't know what will...

The National Breast Cancer Foundation states the following facts about breast cancer.  We couldn't believe our eyes.  Is there a better time to get involved in raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research?  We think, "No way!"

FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
• Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
• Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.

If you're interested in helping, please click here.  

10 Things Breast Cancer Taught Me

We love Sharon Morrison's humerous take on the ten things breast cancer taught her and thought you would enjoy reading it, too.

by Sharon Morrison (via Club Amoena)

1. Let people in.  Being open about my cancer was the cue my friends and family needed to get involved. No, they weren’t coming to my home to do the housework (which is a shame really), but they kept in touch every month by phone, card, letter, email and the occasional visit; they even ran races for me and had prayers said at Mass. By deliberately externalizing my feelings, they knew they could show theirs, and we were all the better for it.

2. . . . Especially your kids.  My children were eight, ten and 14 when I first had cancer, and I decided that keeping them in the loop from the beginning was the best way of avoiding a bigger problem later on. The best thing I did was to appoint my sister as the official sounding board so they always had someone else to turn and, crucially, they could ask her everything they felt they couldn’t ask me. They were with me too when I had chemotherapy, so they could see it wasn’t remotely scary.

3. Get your beauty sleep.  After a few weeks of looking and feeling like a zombie, I nipped the chronic insomnia that seems to accompany chemotherapy in the bud and took sleeping pills. I was prescribed Zopiclone, which is a hypnotic drug (which means it induces sleep without affecting your mood or sensitivity to pain), and it’s non-addictive. I’d wake up feeling and looking refreshed and more than able to tackle the day ahead. When the treatment was over I weaned myself off the pills.

4. Shock your taste buds.  I didn’t lose my sense of taste exactly, it’s just that chemo makes food taste odd, metallic, unpleasant. My way round this was to choose comforting food that reminded me of childhood, like fish fingers and mashed potato; or that went “Kapow!” on my tongue, like lime juice and soda water, and gingernut biscuits dunked in tea.

5. . . . but don’t gain weight.  You’d think you’d at least lose weight but, first time round, I gained a stone [around 14 pounds] which took 12 months to shift. This year when I was having treatment, I decided to see if gentle exercise would stop the weight gain before it started. I began walking, then jogging very, very slowly around the block, eventually building up to three miles a day. I didn’t gain weight; I lost it, but all the time feeling healthier and more energetic. So I haven’t stopped.

6. Go hippie.  I didn’t know very much about reflexology but had heard it had been helpful to others in handling the side effects of treatment. To be honest, anything involving having your toes fiddled with for an hour has got to be good, so I gave it a try. In fact I had reflexology the day before every chemo session and regard it as a major contributory factor in helping me cope as well as I did, both physically and mentally.

7. Embrace the grey.  When my hair started to grow again, steel grey in places, white in others, I decided NOT to reach for the hair dye. As much as I wanted to go back to the security of medium-golden-brown-with-caramel-highlights, I thought I should take advantage of my situation and turn a potentially aging hairstyle into a short, funky look. Yes, there were a few double-takes initially, but I’m happy with my new style and there are no roots to retouch – bliss.

8. Even the eyebrows?  Sadly my eyebrows didn’t grow back and this made me look tired and washed out all the time. After months of penciling them in, I decided to get my eyebrows tattooed on. It’s a semi-permanent procedure and will need to be refreshed once a year, but it’s made a big difference to me and I mentally thank my tattooist every morning when I look in the mirror.

9. Don’t let employers get you down.  When you’ve got breast cancer, the last thing you should need to do is ‘watch your back’ at work but, as I found out first hand, not all employers behave with integrity. Some will exploit every opportunity to undermine you at the most difficult time in your life and, although it will seem hard, you have to fight back. I found the very act of making a stand and confronting my employer, despite being petrified, made me feel stronger and more confident.

10. Nothing’s THAT important.  An experience like this changes you on the inside. I’m definitely more at ease with myself now. I can cry in front of strangers and not feel ashamed; I can handle difficult situations with calm; I can lean on those who used to lean on me. But, most of all, I’m just glad that I’m still on this planet and can continue to embarrass my kids and, occasionally, make them feel proud of the journey we’ve been on together.

Don’t Miss!  Sharon Morrison’s book, Even the Eyebrows?, is a jargon-free, practical guide for everyone who’s been diagnosed with cancer. It takes you all the way from the first heartbeat-pumping-in-ears realization that you might just possibly have a lump in your breast, to the first fantastic cup of tea when your taste buds finally return. It is available on Amazon.com, and more information, including the author’s blog, is at www.eventheeyebrows.com.

Eat Yourself Healthy: A Greek Victory

Turns out the Greeks have it going on...nutritionally, that is.

Studies have found that following a Greek diet is best for both your heart and brain.  Researchers in Spain followed two groups of people for six and a half years: those who stuck to a Mediterranean diet and those who stuck to a low-fat diet.  They studied the effects it had on both their brains and heart and found that those on the Mediterranean diet exhibited a decrease in inflammation that can lead to both vascular (circulatory) damage as well as various cognitive impairments including free radical damage.

The Mediterranean diet is high in a variety of anti-inflammatory foods including olive oil, whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish and red wine.

Lesson learned: low-fat diets don't do much more than, well, lower our fat intake.  We want good health and our red wine, too!

Superfoods to the Rescue!

Many of us have heard the term "superfoods" thrown around with wild abandon.  But, what are these mythical superfoods and what makes them so...super?

Superfoods not only help with weight control and overall health, but they are also easy to find and simple to incorporate into your daily diet.  Because, really, how super are foods that claim such magical things as weight loss and great health but require a detective, a GPS and a downpayment to actually get them into your kitchen?

Here are 10 superfoods that are sure to satisfy not just your body but also your pocketbook and gas tank.

1. Low Fat Plain Yogurt

2. Eggs

3. Nuts

4. Kiwis

5. Quinoa

6. Beans

7. Salmon

8. Broccoli

9. Sweet Potatoes

10. Berries

5 Surprising Steps to Better Sleep

A good night's sleep is well worth its weight in gold.  However, our busy lives seem to overflow into our nights so that a good night's sleep feels more like an anomaly, a little pleasant surprise, rather than the norm.  Sometimes we think back to our high school days when anything less than 9 hours of sleep was debilitating and now 9 straight hours of sleep seems physically impossible.

So, we thought we'd do a little research on debunking sleep myths and confirming the facts about what can help to facilitate a great night's sleep.  Here are the 5 most surprising ones we found:

1. The Nightcap: Many believe that a drink before bed helps them sleep better.  False!  While alcohol can, in fact, help you fall asleep, it actually leads to disruptive, restless sleep due to its digestive process within your body.

2. Exercise Leads to Better Sleep...But Watch the Clock: Yes, regular exercise does lead to better sleep.  The only caveat is that, because exercise causes the body to remain in a more alert state, it's best to finish your workout 3-4 hours before you plan on hitting the sack.

3. Reduce Your Screen Time: While watching TV or reading on the computer might seem relaxing, it's actually reducing your melatonin levels which can lead to a harder time falling asleep.

4. Napping May Lead to Insomnia: In theory, a nap can be just what your body ordered.  And, when done right, this is true.  For many people, a short 10-15 nap in the early afternoon re-energizes them for the remainder of the day without consequence.  However, for some, an afternoon nap can actually decrease your body's sleep drive at night which can lead to poor sleep.  So, consider holding out on that nap if you're finding that it's affecting your nighttime sleep.

5. Get Out of Bed: Surprisingly, it's suggested that after 30 minutes of awake time during the night, it's best to go ahead and get out of bed.  Studies show that getting up and doing a few things (none of which are stimulating, of course) can lead to a quicker sleep turn around.  Simply reading or listening to relaxing music are some suggestions.  By staying in bed and tossing and turning, you're more likely to have more trouble falling back asleep than if you had simply gotten up in the first place.

The Anita Active Momentum Bra has a new color!

One of our favorite, not to mention best-selling, sports bras is the Anita Active Momentum 5529.  It's seamless, has high-tech fabrics that offer superior breathability and moisture-control and is extra supportive to boot.

Previously, the Anita Momentum Sports Bra was only offered in black or white.  But, we have great news!  This amazing athletic bra is now also available in Desert, a light nude, that is both discreet and feminine.

Take a look!

New! Juzo Tie Dye Fall/Winter Colors

Are you ready to spruce up your compression wardrobe?  Well, Juzo thinks so and we can't help but agree.

Available now, the Juzo Dreamsleeves & Hand Gauntlets along with the Soft and Dynamic lines including the great Juzo Footless Leggings all come in some fantastic fall/winter colors with the added option of Tie Dye (solid color with white tie dye lines) or Black Tie Dye (solid black with color tie dye lines).

The Juzo Fall/Winter color options are Magenta, Pink, Gold, Violet, Indigo, Pistachio and Graphite...a nice assortment of colors, if we do say so.

Be sure to order your custom-dyed compression garment from Juzo before the colors change!  To shop all compression, click here.

New: Trulife Ella Cotton Seamless Bra 4014

Meet the Trulife Ella Cotton Seamless Bra.  Anyone who has ever been in the market for a cotton mastectomy bra has no easy task ahead of them.  So, for this reason, we are thrilled that Trulife has heard the call and answered with quite an impressive product.

Not only does the Ella bra offer the breathability and softness of cotton, but it also features CoolMax fabric in the pockets and underband.  Temperature-regulation can be a very persistent and fickle problem to treat but this bra certainly takes the issue by the horns.  In addition, the Ella bra is a fantastic option for women who have recently undergone or are in the midst of radiation treatment.  The cotton fabric won't irritate already-compromised skin and the seamless cups allow for easy concealment under tees and other thin, draping garments.

We love the new Trulife Ella bra and we think you will, too!  Check her out here.

New: Bra Tools

We would like to introduce you to our new BRA TOOLS section.  Our never-wavering goal since starting The Pink Bra five years ago has always been to offer women good, solid advice on proper lingerie fit as well as the ins and outs of finding the perfect bra.

We understand the vast assortment of bra selections on the market and how intimidating that can be for someone unfamiliar with the process of lingerie shopping. So, we created this new BRA TOOLS section in order to consolidate our wisdom and advice into a simple go-to guide for our shoppers.

Enter BRA TOOLS.  In this new section of our ever-evolving and ever-expanding website you'll find all kinds of useful lingerie shopping guides and information from a bra glossary (What exactly is the difference between contoured cups and molded cups?) to fitting guides for several different specialty lingerie items.  For instance, what is the difference in measuring yourself for a nursing bra vs. a traditional bra?  Pregnancy brings a host of body changes (to say the least!) but how will that influence the correct bra sizing for your nursing bra(s)?

These are the questions we hear all the time and so we thought we'd give you a forum to find these answers along with a million others in once solitary place.

Happy fitting and please let us know what you like/dislike.  Note, this section is being grown and expanded on a daily basis so please be patient while we gradually create a more robust BRA TOOLS section for you.

Sincerely,

The Pink Bra Team

Oprah's Pick: Le Mystere Tisha Underwire Bra

We would like to welcome Le Mystere to our meticulously-selected set of lingerie lines!  Le Mystere is a widely recognized leader in luxury lingerie and even garnered praise from Oprah herself for what she dubbed her favorite bra, the Tisha.

The Tisha is made specially for full-figured women who want more cup capacity for comfort and support but who don't want to sacrifice ugly seams or dated fabric.  The smooth microfiber cups and hidden underwire make this bra invisible under clothing.  If you're looking for the perfect T-shirt bra and have trouble finding a good fit for a fuller figure, look no further!

The Tisha is now available for purchase here.

Sassybax Celebrate Life Bra

Who says mastectomy lingerie and shapewear can't intersect? Not us!

Sassybax, a very successful shapewear brand with innovative technologies that cater to the just what the female body needs, has created a shaping mastectomy bra that hides back lines and is also absolutely seamless.

The Celebrate Life bra is simply a pocketed version of their most popular bralette that hides back bulge as well as slims the back and torso.  The seamless design also lends itself to a chafe-free fit.  Made in the U.S. (hooray!), the Sassybax Celebrate Life bra deserves a little extra attention so we've made it our first official featured item (see at right).

Welcome to The Pink Bra team, Sassybax!

Welcome to The Pink Blog

Welcome to The Pink Blog! We at The Pink Bra are always striving to find new ways to keep our customers and visitors up-to-date on the most current lingerie and breast cancer-related information available. So, in an effort to continue this focus, we decided to create our own blog where we can pass on important, high-quality information to you in a single click of a mouse. So, please follow our blog or keep checking back for useful tips, tricks, and other fascinating information as well as exclusive discounts and coupons for our blog readers only!