As you head off to the beach this summer, don't forget to pack the summer essentials - towel, a good book, sunscreen and iced tea. Yes, iced tea. It's a smart beverage choice to help keep our bodies hydrated during the hot summer months. What's more, research suggests that tea may play an important role in supporting the body's ability to fight two of the most common forms of skin cancer.

In addition to using sun block, studies suggest that tea may also help your body fight skin cancer. According to a University of Arizona study, participants who drank iced black tea and citrus peel had a 42 percent reduced risk of skin cancer and hot black tea consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of squamous cell carcinoma. A recent study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, found that tea drinkers had a decreased risk of developing squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, the two most common types of skin cancer. The study showed positive results among those who drank two cups of tea per day and the effect was even more pronounced among those who had been long-term tea drinkers.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. On any given day, over 127 million Americans are drinking tea - mostly over ice. Given its great taste and host of health benefits, it's no wonder why. This summer as you think of ways to beat the heat, drink to your health with an icy, cold glass of iced tea! For more information about the role of tea in a healthy diet, visit www.teausa.org or www.ustea.biz.

Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Libby Ross Foundation works year round to make a difference in the lives of women with breast cancer through unique support programs and to help eradicate the disease through research and early detection.

Many companies support the Foundation through donating a portion of the proceeds of product sales to the Foundation. These products include the Swarovski Crystal Pink Hope Pin, the Adrienne Landau Rex-Rabbit Rosette Scarf, the Luxe Link Purse, and Kimara Ahnert Pink Ribbon Lipstick.

If you're interested in buying products that will also support breast cancer research, please visit thelibbyrossfoundation.com.

Nuts have often been maligned as being unhealthy, but a recent study by researchers from the Department of Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., has found otherwise.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found that a diet consisting of 15% of calories as pistachio nuts may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. For more information about pistachios, visit www.azpistachio.com.