In conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, College Candy is tackling breast health for women in their 20s. Last week we talked about how to protect yourself against breast cancer before the age of 40 and how to join the fight against the disease. Today we’re honoring sexy vixens who kicked breast cancer ass and are continuing to bring awareness to the disease.

It’s important to remember that breast cancer does not discriminate. The American Cancer Society estimates 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. Here’s a look at some well known faces who beat the disease and lived to tell about it.

Two accessories are universal to everyone’s college experience: a black NorthFace fleece and a Nalgene bottle.

I joined students nationwide in their fear of collapsing of dehydration in their respective college towns. Nalgene-carrying has become a trend to be reckoned with. Much to my dismay, as well as that of 75 or more percent of the collegiate and camping population, the company has decided to recall its hard plastic bottles within the next few months.

The containers are made with bishephonol A (BPA), a product which is suggested to cause “aggressive cancers,” per National Geographic Adventure blogger Steve Casimiro.

Hold up. Haven’t Nalgenes always implied an attempt to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Don’t they help to ensure drinking those 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, and then some? They were part of the whole outdoorsy-but-not image on campus. Sure, they weren’t really unbreakable (I’ve ruined 2, myself), but they seemed so… harmless. How unnerving to think that something so basic, so innocent as a water bottle, is now up there with cell phones, cigarette smoke, and artificial sweeteners as a carcinogen.

Casimiro writes:

“a study from California published in April shows that BPA directly alters genes in breast cells so that they resemble cancer cells…. Earlier this year, in the first direct test for bisphenol A migration in water bottles, University of Cincinnati scientists found that BPA leaches from polycarbonate containers at room temperature whether the bottle is old or new. More alarming, when the bottle has hot water in it, the chemical is released up to 55 times faster.” Read More »

MySpace has brought many an artist to the musical forefront, and Colbie Calliat is no exception. However, unlike many artists today, Calliat (like ballet) writes her own music.

The 22 year-old hails from sunny California and grew up in a musical family. Her father co-produced a few Fleetwood Mac albums and by age 11 Colbie began singing. It wasn’t until she was 19 that she took guitar lessons and really started to take her music seriously.

After the song “Bubbly” garnered interest on her MySpace page, Colbie’s music career took off. She shopped around for a record label and found a home with Universal Republic.

Aside from dropping her first album CoCo this past July, Calliat has been named a finalist in the AOL Breakers contest, a VH1 artist You Oughtta Know and is scheduled to appear at GIRLFRENZY! alongside the likes of Sheryl and Fiona in 2008. Read More »

First, the Spice Girls made their comeback and now another fight for GIRL POWAAA!

Sheryl Crow and Avril Lavigne have come together to organize “GirlFrenzy”, (estrogen overload, anyone?) an all-girl concert scheduled to happen this October.

Performers include Av & Sher, along with Fiona Apple, and “rising stars” like Sara Bareilles, Antigone Rising, and Colbie Caillat (who now?).

Should be interesting to see how many GUYS actually show up to this event. I guess it’s fitting that the concert’s taking place October 27th, Halloween appropriate, seeing as it will haunt the souls of poor boyfriends dragged in tow left and right.

Sorry fellas. Read More »