PULSE PUTTING HER BEST FOOT FORWARD.

Byline: Mariko Thompson

Beckie Fender has struggled with weight loss all of her life. It wasn't until the 49-year-old Newbury Park resident put her focus on helping other people that she could help herself.

On Sunday, Fender will join fellow walkers on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to complete a half-marathon in San Diego. The 55-member team will raise more than $600,000 for blood cancer research at the event. Through a combination of marathon training and Weight Watchers, Fender has lost 30 pounds toward her 100-pound goal since September.

``It's been one day at a time,'' Fender said. ``I'm excited about what I'm doing. If I can do anything to help these people, I'll do that.''

Fender isn't the only Weight Watchers member participating in the Team in Training Program. Team coach Chrissy Lomax-Primeau of Westlake Village also serves as an ambassador for Weight Watchers. She encouraged Fender and other Weight Watchers members to go walking with her. Soon they were preparing for the half-marathon and raising funds.

``They come to the meetings and see what a difference they can make in someone's life,'' Lomax-Primeau said. ``There's a realization that this is way bigger than you and weight loss.''

On Thanksgiving morning, Lomax-Primeau organized a four-mile walk. Fender was out of breath after a mile and turned back. Now Fender is in such good shape that she recently walked the same course again and completed 10 miles.

``I would never have thought that I'd be doing this in a million years,'' she said.

Fender already is looking ahead to her second half-marathon. After the San Diego event, she plans to start training for a City of Hope event in September.

For more information on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program, visit www.teamintraining.org.

EXPOSING MYTHS: A one-hour special on ``Top 10 Cancer Myths,'' at 8 tonight on Discovery Health Channel, addresses common misconceptions that Americans have about the disease. Can eating grilled meat cause cancer? Does air pollution pose a greater risk of lung cancer than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day? Experts from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and Johns Hopkins University share research about cancer's causes and treatment. Want the short answers to those questions? What you eat is more important than how it's cooked. And smoking cigarettes is considered more dangerous than the level of air pollution in American cities.

GOOD-FOR-YOU BARS: When Jackie Stuart was told she was not a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy, she began investigating natural ways to handle her hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. She began making her own granola from flaxseed and soy. Soon daughter Tori discovered her mother's concoction and did what any good entrepreneur would do: She started a business. Today Zoe Foods, based in Westwood, Mass., produces granola bars and cereal based on Jackie's flaxseed and soy recipe. Flaxseed and soy contain natural, weakened forms of estrogen. But these foods don't just benefit menopausal women. Flaxseed contains cancer-fighting omega-3 fatty acids and soy reduces the risk of heart disease - good for women and men regardless of age. Zoe Foods products are available in most natural foods stores. For more information, visit www.zoefoods.com.

SIPPING NUTRITION: With one cup of tea, you can get your anti-oxidants and help the rain forest, too. Yerba mate tea, a traditional South American drink believed to aid digestion and boost energy, is now sold at stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's by San Luis Obispo-based Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products Inc. The company grows yerba mate on a 20,000-acre rain forest preserve. The organic tea, with a grassy taste similar to green tea, contains 15 amino acids and 24 vitamins and minerals. In addition to traditional yerba mate, Guayaki offers a number of blends, including chai spice, orange blossom, and mint. Those seeking a more authentic experience may want to drink their tea from the mate gourd, made from the fruit of a climbing plant in the rain forest. A Gaucho Gourd Gift Pack, which includes the gourd, straw and 6 ounces of loose leaf yerba mate, costs $24.99. Teas start at $6.95. For more information, visit www.guayaki.com or call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Weight Watchers member Beckie Fender is walking a half-marathon Sunday to raise money for cancer research.

(2) no caption (Yerba mate tea)

(3) no caption (Zoe Foods)

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer