The Blog

Suzanne O'Malley: Is Fasting Good for Your Heart? American Heart Month: Day 22 (Part 2)

2012-02-23T03:09:38Z

Fasting: "present participle of fast (v): To abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, esp. as a religious observance."

When we eat, our bodies convert food into useable forms. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, fats into fatty acids, and complex sugars into simple sugars. The body uses these raw materials to give energy to all the cells, fight diseases, make repairs, protect organs, and grow. Put simply, food allows us to function.

When we don't eat (Ash Wednesday is a day known for fasting), our bodies still need fuel. They go into reserve-mode metabolizing fat stores for energy, instead of making and storing it.

What triggers the body to stop producing and start consuming fat?

Ask Harvard Researcher, Amy Walker, PhD. Walker and her colleagues discovered how enzymes function while shutting down fat and cholesterol. After conducting a series of experiments in worms, fruit flies, and mice, they found that SIRT1--an enzyme with several important roles in energy metabolism--inhibits the generation of fat and cholesterol by influencing a family of proteins called SREBPs. Since SREBPs are responsible for the body's synthesis and handling of fats and cholesterol, suppressing them inevitably lowers lipid and cholesterol levels.

Prior to this study, it was thought that the only way to increase SIRT1 activity was through dieting or fasting. Yet, when fed a high-fat diet, combined with an agent that increases SIRT1, genetically obese mice reduced the amount of fat stored in their livers. Because high-fat diets can increase one's risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, the effectiveness of SIRT1 in reducing the amount of fat stored in the body could change the way we treat metabolic disorders.

Eat fat and stay fit? Seriously?

Yes, according to Dr. Alan Goldhamer who explored the idea of fasting as a medicine. He is the director of the TrueNorth Health Center, one of only two in-patient facilities in the world that trains and certifies physicians in fasting specialization. Goldhamer and a team of physicians treated 174 hypertension patients with a water-only fasting regime. (Don't try this at home.) For an average of 10 to 11 days, patients survived only on water. They participated in "quiet activities" including reading, listening to music, watching instructional videos and, ironically, food preparation demonstrations and classes.

At the end of the fasting period, 90% of the patients achieved blood pressure less than 140/90mm Hg and patients previously taking medication for hypertension (6.3% of the total sample) discontinued its use. With an average reduction in systolic blood pressure (the "top" number) of -37 mm/hg, researchers now believe fasting may help reverse hypertension

Dr. Alan Goldhamer also explored the idea of fasting as a medicine. He is the director of the TrueNorth Health Center, one of only two in-patient facilities in the world that trains and certifies physicians in fasting specialization.

Goldhamer and a team of physicians treated 174 hypertension patients with a water-only fasting regime. For an average of 10 to 11 days, patients consumed nothing but water. At the end of the fasting period, 90% of the patients achieved blood pressure less than 140/90mm Hg and all patients previously taking medication for hypertension (6.3% of the total sample) discontinued its use. With an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of -37 mm/hg, fasting can reverse hypertension.

But is fasting beneficial if you don't have a metabolic disorder?

Theoretically, yes.

Studies have consistently found that Mormons have lower cardiac mortality than the general US population. Their low-risk status is often attributed to the fact that they don't drink, smoke, or eat meat in excess. Moreover, starting at age 8, they practice monthly fasting (refraining from two consecutive meals).

Contrary to popular thought, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that fasting, independent of smoking status, plays a role in lowering CVD risk. Even after adjusting for traditional risk factors, results showed that 64% of self-reported fasters developed CVD, compared to 76% of non-fasters.

Although the difference between the two groups is significant, Horne admits it's difficult to determine whether fasting reduces risk or simply indicates a healthy lifestyle. Participants who fasted were also more likely to be non-smokers, infrequent drinkers, physically active, participate in religious worship, and observe a day of rest.

Unlike other factors, fasting has remained relatively unstudied. Dr. Benjamin Horne and colleagues found that fasting, independent of smoking status, plays a role in lowering CVD risk. Even after adjusting for traditional risk factors, results showed that 64% of self-reported fasters developed CVD, compared to 76% of non-fasters.

Although the difference between the two groups is significant, Horne admits it's difficult to determine whether fasting reduces risk or simply indicates a healthy lifestyle. Patients who fasted were also more likely to be non-smokers, infrequent drinkers, physically active, participate in religious worship, and observe a day of rest.

In addition to lowering blood pressure, lipid and cholesterol levels, fasting may 'cleanse' the body. Linda Page, ND, PhD, a naturopathic doctor, lecturer, and author of the book Detoxification, describes fasting as "a way you can jump-start your body for a more active life, a healthier life." Page's weekend juice-fast involves drinking something every 90 minutes to two hours. [You can try this at home.]

According to Page, the body releases petrochemicals--chemical products--built up in body fat.
Water (or juice) loading may also have some inadvertent benefits. A study published in the Journal of Diabetes Care recently reported that people who drink less than two glasses of water a day may be more likely to develop high blood sugar. Fasters may experience lower levels of blood sugar because of steady water consumption.

Though we don't know about all the health benefits of fasting, what we do know suggests that fasting may be effective in the prevention and reversal of cardiovascular disease. Whether you choose to fast or not, the key is moderation.

Stay thirsty my friends!

Photos via Getty.

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Heart attack survivors, please click on this link and take the Yale Heart Study. If you haven't had a heart attack, click and forward to someone you love who has had a heart attack. Thank you.

Disclosure: Megan Parmenter is a Research Associate for the non-profit NIH-funded Yale Heart Study. Suzanne O'Malley will be back tomorrow.

For more by Suzanne O'Malley, click here.

Dr. Josh Dines and Dr. Rock Positano: Minimalist Running: To Shoe Or Not To Shoe?

2012-02-23T01:00:59Z

What's with all the minimalist running paraphernalia out there these days, and what do we make of it all? If you're a runner, you've probably heard the characteristic slap of the soft soles hitting the pavement on your tail. Most of us have seen the five-finger running shoes in stores. So why the craze and is this style of running better or safer for the casual or even addicted runner?

The craze was started in part by the popularity of the NYT bestseller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall that came out in 2009, and by the publication of articles comparing gait patterns in shod vs. unshod runners in the science journal Nature. Minimalist running has taken off as the major sneaker suppliers compete for new product share.

The concept behind barefoot and minimalist running is basically the same. By running with a more "natural" forefoot or midfoot-strike pattern, the muscles in the foot and ankle build up, and the forces generated by the foot hitting the pavement are better dispersed. This, as is argued by the touters of the style, saves habitual runners from injuries such as stress fractures and tendon problems. Minimalist runners use shoes that have minimal cushion and support, but do protect the foot from debris on the ground.

There is some science behind this concept, though limited.[1] In experienced barefoot runners, forces generated across the ankle were less in the forefoot or midfoot-strike barefoot style than in the traditional heel-strike style. While this data is compelling, there are no studies to date that show a decreased injury rate in minimalist or barefoot runners.

Dr. A. Holly Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, specializes in foot and ankle problems and has seen many minimalist runners in her practice. She is an accomplished marathoner, and has tried minimalist running herself. "I've observed stress fractures and tendon issues in patients who have been running for years and didn't have many injuries before they switched over to the minimalist style. Generally problems arise when runners abruptly switch styles and don't allow the body to adapt properly."

For instance, in one case a marathoner tried out a minimalist pair of running shoes and ran over five miles on three consecutive days. He developed irritation of his Achilles tendon that knocked him out of running for four months. In another instance, an experienced runner started training for a marathon in minimalist sneakers for the first time and developed a stress fracture in her heel after two months of training.

"Typically injuries occur when the runner doesn't adequately alter their running style to the forefoot strike pattern and continues to heel strike in the minimalist shoe," stated Dr. Johnson. In this case, the bones aren't used to hitting the ground without the cushion of the standard running shoe. "I've also seen Achilles tendon problems that occur because the minimalist shoes lack the heel lift that is inherent in typical running shoes. The tendon is stretched more in the flat shoe or bare foot, and can become quite irritated."

When asked whether or not she discourages runners from trying out the barefoot style, Dr. Johnson said she did not. "There is merit to the concept. Barefoot runners exist all over the world and have for thousands of years, so this is certainly not a new concept. I would just caution anyone who wishes to start to study the technique or even take a lesson first. Then progress slowly, and listen to your body."

References:

[1] Lieberman DE, Venkadesan M, Werbel WA, Daoud AI, D'Andrea S, Davis IS, Mang'eni
RO, Pitsiladis Y. "Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod
runners." Nature. 2010 Jan 28;463(7280):531-5.

For more by Dr. Josh Dines and Dr. Rock Positano, click here.

For more on fitness and exercise, click here.

Flickr photo by Adele Prince

Tricia Williams: How To Eat Your Way To Better Sleep

2012-02-23T01:00:37Z

According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 65 percent of Americans say they experience sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night and waking feeling groggy, at least a few times each week. The poll, which targeted 1,000 people across the country, found that nearly half, or 44 percent of those with problems, say they grapple with them almost every night. Every single night? That's just unacceptable.

At Food Matters NYC, my team and I have long promoted the idea of kitchen as cure -- fridge as pharmacy. In other words, instead of rushing off to ask your doctor for an Ambien prescription, I suggest heading straight for your kitchen.

Bottom line: You can solve your sleep problem by "treating" it nutritionally. I do it for my private clients every day, and the results are staggering. But if you (like most people), scrape together your meals without the help of a private chef, don't worry. I'll show you how to get the same great results on your own.

To help support a night of restful, restorative sleep, the most important thing that you can do is fill your dinner plate with foods that contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that makes serotonin -- a neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic to the brain. And slowing down that traffic is precisely what you need in order to drift off.

No doubt, you've been hearing about this essential ingredient for years. Perhaps on Thanksgiving, when stuffed family members, dozing off before dark, blamed the tryptophan in turkey for their sudden, crushing fatigue. But to really get the benefits of tryptophan, you'll need to pair it with foods that work in concert with it -- maximizing its positive effects.

One of these "assistants" is calcium, which helps the brain turn tryptophan into melatonin. An ideal evening meal would include complex carbohydrates, protein and some calcium. Not too complicated, right? But just in case you're wondering what that would look like on your dinner plate. Here's a sample menu, to help you visualize:

• Sesame Roasted Chicken with Quinoa,
• Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Salad with a Honey Almond Soy Vinaigrette.

Here's how I came up with this menu: First of all, roast chicken is a great source of protein, and it's fairly low in fat. Fat doesn't just make you gain weight, overindulging in it has also been proven to disrupt sleep cycles by making your digestive system work overtime.

Meanwhile, quinoa is both a complete protein and a complex carbohydrate. What's more, it's high in magnesium, which aids in the fight against leg cramps (a common sleep foe) and helps the body process calcium more efficiently. Kale scores high marks across the board. It's an excellent nondairy source of calcium and delivers an additional dose of magnesium.

And though many nutritionists will tell you not to eat late at night, there's new science that says it's okay to break that rule. In fact, if you are plagued by insomnia, you might actually benefit from a late night snack. Only caveat: We're not talking Ben and Jerry's.

I've come up with what I think is the perfect before bed treat. It works so well that one of my clients has taken to calling it nature's Xanax. I call it Kudzu Pudding. Kudzu is a root vegetable that has a very calming effect on the body. You can buy it in powder form at your local health food store.

What's great about using it in cooking is that it acts as a thickening agent and is really easy to work with. I like to cook it with low glycemic fruits like apples. It's a delicious desert and an effective tool toward winding down.

Here's how to make Kudzu Pudding: Start with 1 cup of applesauce in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of kudzu root powder. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens -- about 3 minutes. That's it! Allow it to cool before eating -- then make a beeline for bed.

So if you're not getting enough shut eye, why not head to your kitchen cabinet rather than your medicine cabinet? You'll be surprised how just a few tweaks to your diet can help you get your Zs.

For more by Tricia Williams, click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

Dr. Peter Breggin: Xanax Facts and Whitney Houston

2012-02-22T23:48:28Z

Often when I think about how much I love my wife, Ginger, I wish I could sing to her. But I cannot sing. Instead, I imagine Whitney Houston singing to Ginger in her incredible soaring voice. Whitney became the voice expressing how much I love my wife. That is how much Whitney came to mean to so many of us who knew her only through her music. She became the music about love we carry in our hearts.

Whitney's passing has raised the specter that she was taking the benzodiazepine Xanax (alprazolam) at the time she died.

If it turns out that Whitney was under the influence of Xanax (alprazolam), then there's a good chance she would be alive today if that drug had never been put on the market.

Although Xanax is the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine, and in my experience the most dangerous, the same harmful effects can be caused by all benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Serax, Halcion, Dalmane, and Halcion. When I address Xanax, I'm also talking about all of these drugs.

Reports that Xanax and other benzos are not usually lethal when taken alone are vastly misleading. Xanax is rarely taken alone. Why? Because as much or more than any other prescribed drug, Xanax causes medication spellbinding. It corrupts judgment, memory and self-control, so that individuals have no idea how badly they are being impaired. Eventually it erodes all mental faculties, often without the person fully grasping this loss of function. The impairment of judgment and self-control causes people to overdose on drugs or alcohol without intending to, leading to coma, cardiovascular collapse and death. The Xanax-induced memory impairment causes them to forget how many pills or how much alcohol they have already taken, again increasing the lethal risk.

Xanax has been called "alcohol in a pill" because its effects are so similar to alcohol. However, as will be documented, Xanax can be far more dangerous than alcohol. It should not be prescribed to patients with alcohol problems, because it becomes a powerful impetus for alcohol abuse.

At critical moments in their lives when individuals are suffering from serious emotional problems, their ability to deal with them is further compromised as a result of Xanax-induced medication spellbinding and cognitive deficits. In acute distress, they often have no idea what is happening to them. They have no idea how impaired they have become, they forget what they've already taken, or increase the dose, or increase or add other medications or alcohol.

This cannot be over-emphasized: Benzodiazepines, including the worst offender Xanax, can change people so that they become no longer rational, responsible or aware of the consequences of their behavior. Whether or not Xanax intoxication specifically causes death in these cases, Xanax-induced mental dysfunction contributes to the death.

Because the benzodiazepines so seriously impair judgment and other cognitive functions, it is often impossible to determine if a death was intentional or accidental, and as a result, we may never know in Whitney's case. News coverage saying that a loud sound like a falling body was heard from the room above her may indicate that she unexpectedly and unintentionally collapsed.

Even in the short run, Xanax often makes people worse than they were before starting the drug. As I first documented in Toxic Psychiatry (1991, pp. 252-254), the original studies for panic disorder showed that at 8-10 weeks of exposure the patients were more phobic, more anxious, and had a 350 percent increase in the panic attacks for which they were being treated. Upjohn, the manufacturer, promoted the first four weeks of the study without indicating that patients were worse than ever at eight weeks. When these studies for panic disorder were published in the AMA Archives of General Psychiatry, the editor-in-chief, himself on the Upjohn payroll, permitted the misleading research to be published without comment.

Eventually, after much delay, the FDA required some of the negative data to be included in the FDA-approved label for Xanax. Perhaps because the label had become rather ominous, Upjohn has stopped putting Xanax in the most commonly used reference for prescribers, The Physicians' Desk Reference. As a result, many or most prescribers will be using the drug on the basis of their recollection of much weaker labels from the past. To make it readily available, I've put the 2011 Xanax label up at www.ToxicPsychiatry.com. This version of the label is for the extended release or long-acting version, called Xanax XR, because this label contains the latest FDA-mandated upgrades. All page number citations in this blog are to this Xanax XR label.

Reports that Xanax only causes abuse and dependence (addiction) in addiction-prone patients are very false and extremely misleading. The 2011 label for Xanax XR states:

Some patients may find it very difficult to discontinue treatment with XANAX XR due to severe emotional and physical dependence. Discontinuation symptoms, including possible seizures, may occur following discontinuation from any dose... P. 10

While the severity and incidence of withdrawal phenomena appear to be related to dose and duration of treatment, withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, have been reported after only brief therapy with alprazolam at doses within the recommended range for the treatment of anxiety (eg, 0.75 to 4 mg/day). Pp. 18-19

Notice that "after only brief therapy" in the "recommended" dose range Xanax can cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are often the initiating factor in future abuse and addiction, including the abuse of alcohol.

After the short several-week trials used for FDA approval, many patients were simply unable to stop taking the drug. That is, they were already addicted! In various studies, the number unable to withdraw ranged from a low of 7 percent to a high of 29 percent (p. 6).

Why do so many patients have to stay on the drug after such short-term exposure? Withdrawal symptoms for Xanax and other benzos are far worse than a mere "craving" that an individual might hope to control. The person doesn't "crave" the drug; the person needs the drug to end the agony of withdrawal.

Withdrawal reactions typically include overwhelming anxiety and panic, as well as insomnia, far worse than the individual has ever before experienced. Irritability can grow into uncontrollable anger and even violence. Muscle spasms, painful feelings in the extremities, painfully-heightened awareness of diminished mental faculties, confusion, depression, suicidality, paranoia, hallucinations, and myriad other unforeseen symptoms can demoralize and terrify the individual.

Withdrawal from Xanax can become far worse than withdrawal from morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and heroin, and require weeks in rehab or months in outpatient practice (See my medical text, Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition, Chapter 12). Benzodiazepine withdrawal should never be taken lightly and should be conducted with experienced clinical supervision, sometimes including hospitalization.

Xanax is so short-acting and potent that it is especially liable to cause interdose withdrawal in between doses (p. 7). A person taking Xanax at bedtime can wake up in withdrawal in the early morning and mistakenly attribute it to "anxiety." After the first pill in the morning, this same person can go into withdrawal a few hours later, again mistakenly believing that it's "anxiety."

As I describe in my book Medication Madness, Xanax is the benzo most likely to cause abnormal behavior, including violence and suicide. It is the drug I have most commonly found in association with SSRI antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft in a number of legal cases involving SSRI-induced violence, suicide, and manic-like crime. These are really SSRI/Xanax induced tragedies. Xanax is the only benzo whose FDA-approved label warns about the risk of causing mania (p. 9).

Again according to the official label, "As with all benzodiazepines, paradoxical reactions such as stimulation, increased muscle spasticity, sleep disturbances, hallucinations, and other adverse behavioral effects such as agitation, rage, irritability, and aggressive or hostile behavior have been reported rarely" (p. 17).

There's one last issue that is painful to bring up. As I describe in Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition (2008), I have treated and evaluated many patients whose mental faculties have never fully returned after years or decades of exposure to Xanax. They suffer from what I have described as drug-induced Chronic Brain Impairment (CBI).

If you are currently taking this drug, seek help for a careful, slow withdrawal. It's not only dangerous to start Xanax, it's dangerous to stop it. If you have already stopped the drug and fear that you have lasting effects, remember that the spirit can triumph over almost any impediment, even harm to the brain. Also, recovery from drug-induced brain injury can take place gradually over many years, so keep up your hope. Stay drug free, live healthy, and make the most of your life -- while avoiding all psychoactive substances as much as possible.

Believe nothing about the safety of Xanax! If it turns out that the drug played a role in taking away our Whitney, it is one more demonstration of why this drug should never have been put on the market.

Join Dr. Breggin and other prestigious speakers, April 13-15, 2012 in Syracuse, New York. The annual conference of Dr. Breggin's 501c3 nonprofit international organization, The Center for the Study of Empathic Therapy, will present information and inspiration about the key issues in psychiatric reform today. Conference information is available at www.EmpathicTherapy.org. Peter R. Breggin, M.D. is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and former full-time consultant with NIMH who is in private practice in Ithaca, New York. Dr. Breggin is the author of more than twenty books including the bestseller Talking Back to Prozac and the medical book Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition. His most recent book is Medication Madness, the Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Crime. He is also the author of dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles, many in the field of psychopharmacology.

For more by Dr. Peter Breggin, click here.

For more on mental health, click here.

Dr. Fran Cohen Praver: Living in the Moment for Everlasting Love

2012-02-22T23:12:42Z

"I want to move." Melissa said.

"Where to?" I asked.

She responded quickly, "I think L.A. or Colorado would be great."

I inquired, "Is there a problem with where you live now?"

Pondering the question she said, "No, not really. I like my home, the schools are good, and the area is child-friendly. But I still want to be somewhere else."

"So you want to leave the present to some future place. Perhaps something is missing in how you experience the present." I suggested.

"Maybe." Melissa commented.

"You have young children. Do you enjoy playing with them?" I asked.

Looking sad, she said, "Not really. I'm always thinking about what I have to do in the house, the laundry, cleaning the kitchen floor or whatever."

"I see. How about lovemaking?" I asked.

Frowning, Melissa said, "I want to get it over with, so I can do other things."

"Is Matt a good lover?" I asked.

"Yes, he wants to please me, but my mind is somewhere else. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do, like how to toilet train my son who insists on making in his pants, things like that." Melissa said.

"You foreclose experiencing the joys of the here-and-now with what you will be doing. Perhaps at an unconscious level the past is also encroaching on your ability to live and love fully in the present." I suggested.

Smiling, Melissa said, "My mother is terrific, and she's always worked and is productive. Her pick of men is another story. My father is just the opposite."

"What is your father like?" I asked.

Frowning, she said, "He's fat and lazy. He used to be a software expert, but he lost his job and is broke now and he still asks me for gas money. He has no self control and is addicted to shopping, not stuff he needs, just stuff. He has a lot of gadgets, at least 40 pairs of shoes, 50 shirts, many of which are identical. He hasn't used most of the stuff and they still have the sales tags on them. When we were kids we went shopping in his closet."

"So you fear losing control and turning into your father." I interpreted.

"If I let go, I can become lazy like him. Sometimes I sneak time in the daytime and watch TV but then I feel lazy and bad about myself," she said, looking down at the floor.

I continued to interpret. "If you surrender to the experience of the moment, you fear you will be lazy, unproductive, without self control, which is your past. To rectify your feelings, your mind takes you to ways to be productive. That of course is in the future and you lose the beauty of life in the present."

"I see what you are saying. But how do I change? How do I surrender to the present?" Melissa asked.

In our busy world, if your mind, like Melissa's mind is caught up in what you have to do, you are missing out on the peace and joy of the moment. It is only by surrendering to your inner self, your essence, your sense of being, that you can live and love fully.

I would suggest you engage in some form of meditation. There are numerous workshops that you can research online. Here then is one way to engage in the practice of sublime momentary experience.

Sit in a comfortable erect chair.

Focus on your deep breathing in and out, and block thought out. When a thought intrudes, let it go and refocus on your breath. At this point you can experience the third eye, the spot between your eyebrows.

Imagine your body parts dissolving, one by one, your face, your chest, your abdomen, your thighs, legs, feet, toes, arms, hands, fingers. Now imagine a light shining within. This inner peace may only last for a few seconds or moments at first. Enjoy the serenity in the moment.

At first, this inner peace may only last for a few seconds or moments. Enjoy the serenity in the moment. At this point you are at peace in a spiritual space and able to commune with your partner, your children, nature, animals.

Become aware of your inner self in all of your experiences. When your mind is racing into what you will do, bring yourself back into the experience of the moment. For example, if you taking a walk and your mind is busy planning your next moves, let your thoughts go and stay in the moment. Listen to your heart beat, your breath, the feeling in your abdomen, your intestines, the sound of the wind, the firmness of the ground under you, the sight of the trees, the clouds in the sky -- all that you are part of. In this way, a simple walk is a satisfying spiritual experience.

Perhaps one of the most fulfilling, joyful experiences in which you experience the moment is that of making love. The key here is to surrender to the present, to your experience, your inner feelings that surface from deep inside of you, from your essence. Only then can you surrender fully to your partner.

The magic of the moment arises when you let go of self control, and lose yourself in your partner, only to find yourself.

Each moment in time of pure presence, of fully experiencing all your senses, of being in the here and now, is all there is. And moment by moment, we are in the process of creating the future of everlasting love.

For deeper insight into how to create everlasting love, read my book book The New Science of Love: How Understanding the Brain's Wiring Can Help Rekindle Your Relationship (Sourcebooks, Casablanca, 2011).

For more by Dr. Fran Cohen Praver, click here.

For more on love, click here.

For more on relationships, click here.

Kathy Kaehler: Make a Date With Your Heart

2012-02-22T23:00:24Z

Hearts are everywhere during the month of February. You see them as crafts in magazines, in cards and on cooking shows for that decadent homemade treat. I even made a Sweet Beet soup with a drizzle of Greek yogurt in the shape of a heart for my Sunday Set-Up Club, www.sundaysetup.com.

The month of February also celebrates the heart, however in a completely different way. February is American Heart Month. This year, more than 1 million Americans will have a heart attack or stroke, making heart disease the leading cause of death in men and women in this country. What is even more shocking is that I can't believe people still don't get it. Do you really want to be one of those statistics? It is hard to miss the message as it is everywhere, from Dr. Oz to major network segments on healthy living, newspapers, magazines, your doctor and even products in the supermarket offering healthier choices. Obviously people just don't think anything will happen to them if they stay on the reckless living path.

Interestingly, the medical community is jumping on board a little more these days in that 1 out of 3 patients are being given the recommendation to exercise which is up from last year's 1 out of 4. Come on people, we can't keep getting fatter and more out of shape. We need to keep pushing the message, which is just what Goals of Millions Hearts is doing. The Million Hearts initiative seeks to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by the end of 2016. I say let's help and try to get it done before that. Small changes that you can do right now will make a big difference.

For example, quit smoking already. I mean you can barely smoke anywhere anyway, and doesn't the commercial with that woman talking out of tube gasping for air give you incentive to quit? Stop driving through the drive-thru for meals. You must know by now that you'd probably get less salt in your system by licking a salt lick. Start moving, just like the doctor says. We have continued to live this life of slouchy, sluggish, lazy overweight blobs that wander from chair to chair. At least add a 15 minute walk every day. You can certainly figure out a way to do that for your heart, couldn't you?

The best way I know to get your heart in better shape is to keep in mind your heart is a muscle. To make that muscle stronger and more powerful you have to work it and fight for it. There are tremendous benefits from exercise that are too long to list. However, some still think that exercising is like a chore, so I'd rather call it being more active. MOVE YOUR BODY. Maybe this will help. You know how when you go away for a long time and you ask someone to take your car out for a drive and run the engine? Why wouldn't you do that for your body? Our bodies are just like a machine and need to be worked to stay in good running condition. All you need is 20 to 30 minutes of exercise that keeps your heart at 60 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart beat rate. For adults that is about 110 beats per minute. Walking fast is ideal, which is not a window-shopping stroll. We need increased breathing that is hard and fast. It is even better to to jog or even run if your joints can take it. Interval training has a number of benefits. This is one of the simplest and powerful things one can do to keep the heart healthy. So combine the walk with a run or a flat walk combined with walking hills. Do anything to get the heart rate up.

Build a Support System to Help With Stress.
Start by talking to your spouse, family, and close friends about your health and how to manage the stress in your life. They may be able to help you reduce or alleviate certain stressors.

Recognize Your Stress Triggers.
Learn to identify the things in your life that can trigger stress. Your job, certain relationships with family, friends, driving in traffic, the economy, personal health issues or others and try to figure out ways to either avoid those triggers and most importantly how to cope.

How can I relax?
It can be as easy as taking 20 minutes to simply sit and think, or do an activity that soothes you. Examples include reading, listening to music or taking a bath. My favorite stress reliever is to lie down, place one hand over my belly button, and place the other hand over my chest. Breathe deep through the belly and feel it rise and fall. Your stress melts to your toes and out of the body.

One of the best ways to manage the stress in your life is to learn the word NO. We live in a life of busy from morning to noon to night. It is crazy living! Avoid taking on more responsibilities or social obligations. Set boundaries on your calendar by putting a big red X through days where you can just do what you want to do.

Celebrate with dark chocolate (antioxidant) and red wine. However, keep the celebrating going all month long and do what you can to improve the health of the most important heart of all. Get a heart check up. Know your family history. Eat better. Move more. Floss your teeth and breathe deep.

Now... before you think about another thing. Turn off your computer, stand up and go take a walk around the block.

Kathy

For more by Kathy Kaehler, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

Lesley Girkins: Dancing the Day (And Night) Away to Fight Pediatric HIV/AIDS

2012-02-22T22:02:18Z

Over Presidents Day weekend, the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA once again hosted Dance Marathon, where students raised a record-setting $451,144 for the fight against global pediatric HIV/AIDS.

Presented by Bank of the West, UCLA's Dance Marathon continues to be the largest student-organized philanthropic event on the West Coast. This year, more than 830 dancers stood on their feet for 26 music-filled hours, from 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 18th until 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 19th. A grand total of 1,500 supporters and performers participated in the event as well.

Throughout the 26 hours, participants heard personal stories from children affected by HIV/AIDS, and learned facts about the disease -- such as how it's transmitted and where to get tested.

Since its launch in 2002, Dance Marathon at UCLA has raised more than $3 million, benefiting the life-saving work of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), the UCLA AIDS Institute, as well as Project Kindle and One Heartland -- two camps for children affected by or infected with HIV. By raising funds for these four organizations, the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and Dance Marathon participants fight pediatric HIV/AIDS at a local, national, and global level.

I'm a second-year life-science major at UCLA and have been involved with the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and Dance Marathon since my freshman year. I originally heard about the cause during my senior year of high school when I was taking a tour of the campus. The cause, event, and organization were all so inspiring that I knew I had to get involved.   Last year was my first time staying up for 26+ hours, and it was well worth the fatigue I felt afterwards. I met some of the kids who benefitted from our fundraising, heard their amazing stories, and danced the night away with my friends.

Besides being an educational event, Dance Marathon at UCLA also entertains its dancers by having performers and celebrities attend throughout the morning, afternoon, and night.

This year's special guests included Perez Hilton and two-time X-Games BMX gold medalist Terry Adams. Jake Glaser -- son of Elizabeth Glaser, founder of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation -- also attended the event and gave a motivating speech during the closing ceremonies.

Among his inspirational words was a quote from his late mother: "My life had certainly not turned out the way I expected; but, while tomorrow would bring what it would, today was glorious."

Erin Ward, president of the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA, also reminded dancers that by participating in Dance Marathon, they were helping make the idea of an AIDS-free generation a reality: "We take a stand to show the kids here and others around the world that we won't stop until our dreams come true."

At the end of the night, everyone was more educated about the cause, and felt inspired to stay involved with the fight against pediatric AIDS. Involvement of this magnitude proves that this community cares about fighting pediatric HIV/AIDS, and wants to educate themselves about the global pandemic, consequently reducing the stigma associated with the disease.

For me, I took the drive from participating in Dance Marathon and sought out a volunteer position at the CARE 4 Families Pediatric AIDS clinic associated with the UCLA AIDS Institute. This has allowed me to develop a personal connection with the cause, as I assist the clinic and interact with the kids.   Being educated about HIV/AIDS has not only made me aware of how to stay protected against the disease and learn why it's important to reduce the stigma associated with it, but it has also inspired me to stay involved with the cause until there's a cure.

To learn more about the UCLA Dance Marathon, and its beneficiaries -- the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, One Heartland, Project Kindle, and the UCLA AIDS Institute, visit http://www.bruindancemarathon.org/.

Dr. Harold Koplewicz: Extremely Loud and the Incredible Courage of Parents

2012-02-22T21:23:52Z

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" isn't exactly a favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, but it's my personal favorite for a film that shows not only the courage of children but the courage of parents.

In the movie, based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel, an 11-year-old boy struggles to come to terms with his father's death on 9/11 by constructing an elaborate quest to find the lock that matches an unmarked key found in his father's closet. It's a childish, magical fantasy -- that there will be a message from father to son in whatever safe deposit or lock box it fits. But he pursues it with the ingenious, literal-minded persistence of a very bright child with Asperger's, which the boy, Oskar, appears to have. Like any good quest, it involves traveling far and wide (all over the five boroughs of New York), meeting many characters, and learning from them. But Oskar also has overwhelming fears not unusual in kids on the spectrum; he's terrified of subways and bridges. The sight of him shaking his tambourine to quiet his fears as marches in what he calls "heavy boots" across the Manhattan Bridge will be moving to anyone who knows kids who are afflicted with intense anxiety.

But the thing in "Extremely Loud" that moved me even more than Oskar's nervous pluck was the portrayal of his parents -- their patient and equally ingenious efforts to understand Oskar's complexities and nurture his talents.

Oskar is not an easy child. In a scene that will be familiar to many parents -- whether your kids are on or off the spectrum -- we see Oskar's father, played by a Tom Hanks, trying unsuccessfully to coax Oskar onto the swings at a playground in Central Park by invoking his own boyhood pleasure in it. In that moment he's every parent who's felt the frustration of having a child who just can't do an ordinary thing all the other kids do, or just doesn't share his parents talents or passions.

But Hanks, and the filmmaker, play the scene marvelously: only a tug at the swing as he takes the boy home betrays the father's disappointment. And we are grateful, because Oskar is nearly as afraid of disappointing his father as he is of getting on that swing.

Hanks, who seems wonderfully tuned in to Oskar's strengths and wonderfully non-judgmental about his weaknesses, devises elaborate scavenger hunts to help his son navigate the city and get better at speaking to strangers. For his mother, getting on Oskar's wavelength seems tougher, and her parallel journey is a good deal of what the movie becomes about. She surprises Oskar, and herself, when she says, "You thought only your father could think like you."

But before we see them coming together there's an exchange that's both painful and wonderful in its honesty. In anger and frustration and loneliness, Oskar blurts out, "I wish it was you." That is, that she had been in the World Trade Center that day and not his father. She says simply, "Me, too." Later, feeling badly about hurting her feelings, he says, "I don't mean that." She says, in an awesomely comforting voice, giving him permission to have his feelings, "Yes, you do. "

A lot of critics disliked this film, called Oskar "obnoxious" or other words to that effect, and complained that they were being manipulated into "feeling sorry" for him. I think this is a misreading of the film: we're not being asked to feel sorry for Oskar or his mother and father. We're seeing the world, and the process of figuring out how to live after terrible loss, through their eyes. What I saw was love and courage and great creativity in the face of adversity -- something to admire, not something to feel sorry about.

Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D., is a leading child and adolescent psychiatrist and the president of the Child Mind Institute. For more about parenting kids with special needs and the courage of children, go to childmind.org, which also offers a wealth of information on childhood psychiatric and learning disorders.

Cynthia Kounaris: Contraception -- It's 2012 and Men Still Decide?

2012-02-22T20:54:40Z

The House panel on women's health issues that had not one woman on it got a lot of well-deserved attention in conversations and in media the past few days. The main reason why this so universally resonated was because it defied logic. Even if, for some reason, it seems okay to you that only men should discuss women's health and reproductive issues, did no one have enough sense to say "Well, personally, I think this is perfectly logical, but maybe it won't look so great.". Obviously not.

But this whole topic and the ensuing conversations sparked a lot of "where's the logic?" questions for me.

In this day and age, why would it be okay to have ANY panel on ANY topic that included only men? Note that I am not saying that a panel on women's issues should have only women on it. There are probably men who could provide knowledge and insight on that topic, as on any topic. But why would there be a panel of only men -- on women's issues or religious issues or any issue? Where is the logic in that?

Women outnumber men in the U.S. Women college graduates outnumber male college graduates. More women than men voted in 2008. Where we don't outnumber men is in the Congress, in C-level jobs and on Fortune 500 boards.

And as for contraception, while I support a woman's right to choose, I don't view (nor should we view) contraception as JUST a woman's issue. Yes, women are the ones who have to bear the physical burden of pregnancy -- and, all too often, the financial and emotional burden of pregnancy and raising the child, if the father does not step up and share those responsibilities. But wouldn't fathers want their teenage sons to use contraception? Wouldn't fathers want their daughters to use contraception?

And contraception is a family issue. Don't husbands support the use of contraceptives to plan their families? Do men want every sexual encounter to end in a pregnancy -- their own or those of their daughters, their sons, their wives... or their mistresses? That seems very illogical to me. So, I have to draw the conclusion that there are many, many men who are for contraception. It is not just women who need to take care to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

It's fascinating to me how contraception or abstinence still seems to be seen as a female responsibility. Apparently, we have to "hold an aspirin between our knees" (don't get me started on that!) to avoid all the penises that are wildly flying around in our direction, looking for entry. Men have no responsibility to practice safe sex? To abstain? They are incapable of controlling themselves? That seems like antiquated and false logic.

So is the opposing argument that the only way to avoid unwanted pregnancies is abstinence? Does that mean that men would be happy to not have sex with their wives in order to not have more children than they want, can handle or can afford? That seems unlikely. And not to bring up the mistresses again, but given politicians' sex lives, are we saying they would be happy to have their mistresses get pregnant? THAT defies logic.

A Congresswoman whose name I didn't catch mentioned vasectomies. Excellent point! Are not vasectomies a form of contraception? And don't insurance companies cover that? Where is all the uproar from churches on that topic? So male contraception procedures are good and can be paid for but female contraceptive methods are bad and cannot be paid for? That's okay? Fair? Where's the logic??

Another logic problem. If they want to legislate against contraception and against a woman's right to choose and they don't want government dollars allocated to help support unwanted children or to help single mothers, what is happening to those children who are the result of unwanted pregnancies?

Or is it that they unrealistically expect everyone to practice abstinence? To underscore how unrealistic that is, we only have to look at the philanderers in Congress or, on the other end of the spectrum, Bristol Palin. I have nothing against Bristol Palin. She seems like a nice young woman and a good mother. But if Bristol, an educated girl living in a loving and religious two-parent home and in a family that is in the public eye -- if she cannot be abstinent, how would the far right expect more from any other girl (or guy!)?

Where's the logic?

Patricia Yarberry Allen: Estrogen and Cognitive Function: Ask Dr. Pat

2012-02-22T20:24:00Z

I recently got a letter from a reader asking whether a hysterectomy was the only way to eliminate complications she was experiencing as a result of hormone therapy. As readers of my Ask Dr. Pat columns know, I am often asked these types of questions.

Dear Dr. Pat:

I am 48 years old. I had infrequent periods a year ago, along with hot flashes and sweating, but, even worse, I had a kind of brain fog. I am a scientist and could not tolerate my own lack of clear thinking and my inability to get the big picture while integrating all the details -- this has always been so important in my work.

I saw a neurologist and had a brain scan and checked for all the usual causes of cognitive impairment; thankfully, nothing was found. I thought, "This is the beginning of dementia." I cut out alcohol, began a B12 supplement and increased my daily exercise. Nothing seemed to help. Then, six months ago, my gynecologist suggested that I start hormone therapy. Believe me, I was ready. She gave me a patch with both estrogen and progestin in it, explaining that the levels of hormones would be stable and absorbed through the skin. Within two weeks, I was my old self again.

Two months later, I began to have vaginal bleeding in an unpredictable way and I developed breast tenderness and enlargement. After a month of heavier bleeding I went back to the gynecologist. She did an ultrasound of the uterus; it showed that the lining of the uterus was quite thick. She did a biopsy of this tissue in the office, and it showed no evidence of either cancer or a precursor to cancer. She then told me that if I wanted to stay on systemic hormone therapy, I needed to have a hysterectomy, since the thickening of the lining of the uterus after such a short time of hormone use was a bad sign.

What should I do? Right now I cannot function without hormone therapy.

Phyllis

Dear Phyllis:

I am certain that it will be heartening to readers to understand that even scientists have trouble making decisions about their health, especially when the choices presented to them are difficult.

You have had a common reaction to systemic hormone therapy treatment when it is given to women who are still producing unpredictable amounts of their own ovarian hormones. At this stage, women want to have either predictable light vaginal bleeding on hormone therapy or no bleeding at all. Constant, and occasionally heavy, bleeding is both unacceptable to the patient and of concern to the gynecologist. However, there are some important points to be made in both the choice of your initial treatment and the current recommendation by your gynecologist that at 48 you have a hysterectomy with only a diagnosis of "heavy bleeding probably caused by too much hormone therapy" and a thickening of the uterine tissue.

Though there has been no loss of bleeding for one year during the time of hormonal change, women who need hormone therapy for significant quality-of-life issues often experience abnormal bleeding.

There are steps to take that may decrease the abnormal bleeding in this group.

First step: Take the smallest dose of estrogen. Prior to treatment there should be a measurement of the endometrium (uterine lining). Treatment should begin with the smallest dose of estrogen, given as a patch, as well as the "standard" dose of progesterone -- 100mg -- given by mouth. Most patients find that the lowest dose (0.14mcg) or the next increase in dose (0.025mcg) of estradiol in the patch will control the symptoms well enough for this symptomatic period of the menopausal transition. The goal is to function with the lowest dose possible.

In your case, however, you were given more than twice as much estradiol in that patch. And your own ovaries were most likely episodically producing an estrogen surge, creating both the breast enlargement and the breast pain, along with the constant and heavy vaginal bleeding that began two months after the initiation of hormone therapy.

Second step: Stop hormone therapy temporarily and get a second opinion. You should stop hormone therapy, then get a second opinion and ask for a D&C and hysteroscopy.

Most gynecologists have been well trained to perform this ambulatory surgical procedure. Hysteroscopy is a trans-vaginal procedure in which the hysteroscope, a small telescope, is inserted into the uterine cavity through the cervical opening. It allows the surgeon to visualize the entire cavity and surgically remove any growth that is there. The procedure is then followed by a gentle and thorough scraping of the endometrial tissue from the uterine cavity. The procedure is diagnostic and often therapeutic also. In other words, there will be clarity about the reasons for the abnormal bleeding, and the removal of the excess endometrial tissue should allow the resumption of systemic hormone therapy at a lower dose without unusual vaginal bleeding.

Third step: If appropriate, resume hormone therapy. If the hysteroscopy and the D&C reveal no abnormal tissue, then you may choose to resume systemic hormone therapy at the lowest possible dose.

Fourth step: Add a short-term higher dose of progesterone. Since you may still be in the phase where there is episodic estrogen production by your own ovaries, adding a short-term higher dose of natural progesterone will prevent the impact of too much estrogen on the uterine lining. If this dose of estrogen allows you to function well enough, do not increase the dose.

Fifth step: Repeat the ultrasound. In six months, repeat the ultrasound measurement of the endometrium. If this is normal, discuss lowering the dose of progesterone or taking the progesterone for only two weeks each month. Progesterone is the part of the hormone therapy that seems to be associated with an increase in breast cancer risk, so it will be important to create a treatment plan where there is less progesterone when the abnormal bleeding is no longer an issue.

Loss of cognitive function as a primary complaint of the menopausal transition is not as frequent as temperature disturbance, insomnia and fatigue; however it is both disabling and frightening to the patient. I am glad you saw a neurologist for an evaluation of all of the other causes of this serious symptom.

As a scientist, you undoubtedly know that we don't have the answers yet about the long-term impact of systemic hormone therapy on the cause of dementia. However, we do have some of the questions:

Does long-term hormone therapy increase the risk of dementia?

Do women who do not use hormone therapy have a greater risk of dementia?

Does the timing of the onset of systemic hormone therapy make a difference in the lifelong risk for dementia?

Is there a treatment protocol for the use of estrogen and progesterone that could improve lifelong cognitive functioning?

Right now, we have increasing rat-brain data and observational data from women followed for decades, but no definitive answers to these important questions. It is unfortunate that women who need relief of menopausal symptoms have to add long-term cognitive function to their list of concerns if they need treatment. Thankfully, the good news is that brain function and hormone therapy are now an area of increasing investigation.

For more by Patricia Yarberry Allen, click here.

For more on women's health, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

Claire McCarthy, M.D.: I Really Want to Know: What Can I Do for Parents Who Are Afraid of Vaccines?

2012-02-22T19:39:50Z

News came out recently that someone with measles hung out at the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis with about 200,000 people. Public health alerts went out here in Massachusetts to be on the lookout for the illness in football fans that went to the game. Now that would be a bummer: spending all that money to watch the Patriots lose and coming back with a case of measles.

There was a flurry of media about it, and then it faded away. This surprised me; I thought that maybe the exposure of so many people would get us talking about how measles cases are increasing here in the U.S. I thought there would be more discussion about the dangers of this incredibly contagious disease, and about immunization and why some people don't want their children to get the vaccine. But within days, the story was gone.

This got me thinking: what's it going to take to really get us talking?

Most parents I see in our practice are fine with immunizations. But here and there, I meet parents who aren't. They are all loving parents, and generally very thoughtful and well educated. We talk for a long time, but the problem usually is that they believe their sources of information more than they do mine. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is one that often particularly worries them, even when I point out that we are seeing cases of measles here in Massachusetts.

I don't know everything there is to know about anything, let alone vaccines. I am the first to admit that. But from everything I've read, I really do believe that the MMR vaccine is safe (we are very careful when it comes to treatments we give to children). And I am very certain that it doesn't cause autism. Study after study has failed to show a connection. The only study that reported a connection, the one by Andrew Wakefield (who has since lost his medical license) that was published by the Lancet, was retracted when it was discovered that data in it was falsified.

We give the MMR vaccine at a year, right when kids are supposed to start talking, right when the diagnosis of autism can begin to become apparent. When they don't start talking, or they start talking less when they should be talking more, I totally get how parents could look at the MMR vaccine as a possible cause -- but it's not.

Yet some parents are still more afraid of the vaccine than they are of measles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, our childhood immunization rate for MMR here in the U.S. is around 90 percent. That sounds good, and it is certainly better than many countries around the world (it's visitors from or to those other countries that cause most of the US measles cases), but it still leaves a lot of children unprotected -- not just the ten percent who don't get immunized, but the babies less than 12 months who are too young for the vaccine. And kids who only have one dose may not be fully protected.

What if the next exposure happens at a daycare in an infant room where nobody is immunized? What if lots of infants get sick, spreading it through the daycare? What if some die? It is totally possible, in fact, with the way cases are increasing in the U.S., I worry that it's not just possible but probable that we are going to have an outbreak like this.

It might be enough to make parents more afraid of measles than the vaccine. But I don't want it to happen. Nobody does.

So what can I do for parents who are afraid of vaccines? This is an honest question, not a rhetorical one. I want kids to be healthy and not end up with complications of vaccine-preventable diseases. Parents want the same thing, no matter what their stance is on immunization. Given that we are on the same side, really, is there a way to have a conversation that doesn't end up as a standoff? This isn't about forcing people; I would never refuse to see a family who doesn't want to vaccinate. I just want to be able to talk about why they believe their sources of information more than mine, and see if we can at least find a middle ground. I'd like to find a way for them to trust me and believe that I would never, ever, do something to hurt a child.

If there's anything we should be able to unite around, it's the health of children. I really want to know: what can we do?

Josephine Nabukenya: Dancing for an AIDS-Free Generation

2012-02-22T19:13:59Z

I remember sitting in my seat on the airplane as it circled over Washington, D.C., impatient for it to land. This was going to be my second trip to the United States, and I was very excited.
I was invited here by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to speak at the Foundation's headquarters in Washington, D.C, meet with members of Congress, and participate in a large student fundraiser, the Dance Marathon at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

As an ambassador for the Foundation, I am familiar with these types of activities, which I usually participate in locally in Uganda. I use my experience as an HIV-positive young adult to educate others about pediatric AIDS and our ability to eliminate the epidemic in children and adults.

Having benefited from counseling and psychosocial services from the Foundation since I was a young girl, I was excited to visit Washington to meet with supporters, policymakers, and staff. I shared with them my personal story of growing up HIV-positive, and answered questions about my role as a peer counselor in my community.

We spoke about HIV prevention, and how the U.S. has helped efforts to eliminate pediatric AIDS in my country of Uganda. We also talked about the generosity of the American people, and how they are supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS around the world through their work with many global organizations like the Foundation.

These conversations were motivating, and made me excited to travel to California to meet with my peers at UCLA.

The Dance Marathon at UCLA became one of the most memorable parts of my trip. The Dance Marathon is a student-organized fundraiser where about 1,000 college students come together to dance for 26 hours straight to raise money and show support for organizations fighting HIV/AIDS.

My participation in such an incredible event was life-changing. In a room full of American students my age, I was able to see that regardless of where we come from, we are all passionate about saving lives.

I felt empowered by their commitment, and I hope my attendance gave them the encouragement they needed to dance for all 26 hours.

I met so many new people, sharing my story and educating them about pediatric AIDS in Uganda. I showed them that the steps they were taking over those 26 hours were changing lives, including my own. I told them how their involvement was helping the Foundation and its partners prevent new HIV infections in babies, and allowing HIV-positive children like me to grow up healthy.

Being a Foundation beneficiary, Dance Marathon at UCLA meant the world to me.
There I witnessed a spirit of unity and generosity I have never known. The students' commitment to the elimination of pediatric AIDS motivates me to continue to do everything I can to further the cause in Uganda.

I left America tired but happy (and with a suitcase full of candy and gifts for my sisters). I will always remember this trip, Dance Marathon at UCLA, and the students who made me feel so welcome.

I look forward to returning to America in the future. Until then, I'll remember that in all of the work that I do to help my community fight HIV/AIDS, I will always have partners in America, like the students from UCLA.

Read more about Josephine and her involvement with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation here, and click here to learn about the Dance Marathon at UCLA.

Josephine Nabukenya is an 18-year-old, HIV-positive young woman from Kampala, Uganda. As an Ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Josephine has traveled to the United States twice: First, in 2005 when she addressed U.S. policymakers in a congressional briefing on pediatric AIDS hosted by the Foundation, and earlier this month to participate in the annual Dance Marathon at UCLA and to once again bring her message to Washington, D.C.

Gregory Bunt, M.D.: Synthetic Marijuana: A New Clear and Present Danger

2012-02-22T19:07:00Z

The 911 call placed on behalf of Demi Moore last month suggested the actress may have endured a highly-negative reaction to synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, or Spice.

The caller said that Moore had been smoking something other than marijuana, and similar to incense. Synthetic marijuana is often packaged under names like "K2," "spice," "herbal incense," and "potpourri."

The caller frantically claimed that Moore, while breathing, was convulsing. The use of synthetic cannabinoids, like K2, can produce anxiety, hallucinations and convulsions, according to recent studies. Because synthetic marijuana is so recent to the drug scene, more studies are needed.

Moore survived. But not everyone does. What makes synthetic marijuana so dangerous is that it is far more potent than cannabis and can lead to toxic, even fatal reactions.

A 13-year-old Pennsylvania boy suffered chemical burns to his lungs from smoking synthetic pot. The lung injuries were so grave the boy underwent a double lung transplant. He died from complications of an infection.

Emergencies stemming from the use of synthetic pot are rising drastically. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, centers around the country reported receiving 6,955 calls last year involving people who were harmfully exposed. That's well more than double the reports in 2010.

The dangers of synthetic marijuana led, in March, 2011, to the temporary classification of five synthetic cannabinoids as a schedule 1 substance.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) divides controlled substances into five categories. Schedule 1 is the most restrictive. Drugs that are in this category are considered not only highly abusive but also have no currently accepted medical use. Schedule I drugs include, heroin, ecstasy, and LSD .

The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, in fact, authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to ban products that pose an "imminent hazard to the public safety."

Today, 43 U.S. states have passed or proposed a law banning the sale of specific chemicals contained in synthetic marijuana and other dangerous drugs such as "bath salts."

Synthetic cannabinoids are widely available online, where they are typically marketed as "spice," "incense" or "potpourri." Manufacturers are playing a cat-and-mouse game with authorities: Every time one chemical gets banned, makers substitute another chemical, chemically virtually identical in its composition and effects, to circumvent a ban. The solution to implement a broader, widespread ban on synthetic chemicals has yet to overcome legislative hurdles.

Even if federal laws are passed, their enforcement, say prosecutors, is difficult and time consuming. The result is that these highly-toxic synthetic cannabinoids are readily available to drug seekers and can be obtained in many convenience stores without fear of prosecution.

When packaged, synthetic marijuana looks like the real thing, and when smoked, tastes and feels like the real thing.

But it's not the real thing. "Monster weed" (synthetic pot, now K2 and its related family of compounds), originally developed by a Clemson University organic chemistry professor to test on lab animals, is much more potent. And it can lead to convulsions, seizures, paranoia, hallucinations, paranoia and high blood pressure.

What can be done to reduce synthetic drug abuse, of K2 and many other dangerous drugs, is not simply legislation or enforcement. It is education, public awareness and early intervention. That was what the White House Drug "Czar" Gil Kerlikowske, with whom I met in New York at the DEA's most recent National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in October 2011, told me.

Like most public health hazards, treatment and law enforcement mutually support one another. Communities must become more vigilant at recognizing the dangers of synthetic marijuana. Public awareness about its dangers can reduce its use and help channel people to treatment. We are at risk of an epidemic that could impose a costly human, social and economic toll. Law enforcement is a necessary but limited means of drug control, as we know dating back to the days of prohibition. But the media high profile emergency involving Demi Moore should serve as a public warning about the dangers of synthetic marijuana in a way that is far more effective than what many academicians and doctors are able to convey.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff: Is There Arsenic in My Baby Formula?

2012-02-22T18:01:06Z

by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff
Executive Director/CEO
Healthy Child Healthy World
www.healthychild.org

Last week's findings of arsenic in organic brown rice syrup may be even more frightening to parents than last year's discovery of the cancer-causing substance in apple juice. That's because organic brown rice syrup is ubiquitous in natural products -- it's used as a substitute for high fructose corn syrup.

MNN reported on the Dartmouth study, which found concentrations of arsenic of 23 to 128 parts per billion (ppb) -- 12 times the Environmental Protection Agency's safe drinking water limit of 10 ppb -- in some cereal bars containing rice. (The EPA has not set safety levels for arsenic in food.)

High levels -- as much as 20 times the EPA's water safety level -- were found in two organic infant formulas that contained organic brown rice syrup, leading Dr. Richard Besser, ABC's Chief Health and Medical Editor, to recommend parents avoid formulas that contain the substance.

Where is the arsenic coming from? According to Environmental Health Perspectives, the arsenic is traced to residual pesticides, especially in areas of the southern United States where 1.6% of the world's rice is grown; rice grown in these areas contain 1.76 times more arsenic than rice grown in California, for example.

We checked in with our team for advice on takeaways from the study; our advisors recommended that parents be aware, but not unnecessarily alarmed.

"This new study underlines the need for the FDA to set safety levels for arsenic in food and beverages," said Dr. Alan Greene, author of the "Raising Baby Green" book series, founder of the White-Out movement and a Healthy Child Board Member. "For now, I recommend that rice not be the primary source of calories for babies, and that whatever rice they do get comes primarily from California and/or is tested for arsenic. Avoid conventional rice from countries still using arsenical pesticides. And, of course, I will welcome safety limits for arsenic in food and beverages that take the health of babies and pregnant women into account."

At press time, two organic baby formula manufacturers released statements. Earth's Best wrote that their formulas "do not contain brown rice syrup." Nature's One said that they depend on a "qualified, world renowned, third-party, independent lab to test arsenic levels in their organic brown rice syrup. Their testing results report undetectable amounts of arsenic at laboratory testing limits."

Finally, because arsenic is present in our water supply in varying amounts, especially if you are using powdered formula mixed with water to meet your infant's nutritional needs, you may want to check levels in your area. The Environmental Working Group provides a valuable resource to not only check the levels in your area, but also to find out which water filters can remove arsenic.

Dr. Nalini Chilkov: New Study: Common Over-the-Counter Drugs May Reduce Spread of Cancer

2012-02-22T17:17:45Z

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A new study reveals that the spread of cancer may be reduced with common over-the-counter drugs. (1) The study shows that reducing inflammation using widely-used, inexpensive non-steroidal anti-inflammatory non-prescription medications (NSAIDs) stop cancer cells from travelling through the lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, a common highway and location for the spread of cancer throughout the body to a new site (metastatic disease).

Which over-the-counter drugs are NSAIDs? Advil, Alleve, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin to name a few. There are also natural botanical herbal medicines that are known to reduce prostaglandins involved in cancer inflammation. Here are eight medicinal herbs that contain active constituents that have been shown to lower an array of inflammatory molecules including the prostaglandin PGE2 targeted in this new study. (2) These herbs support normal inflammation function, thus changing the environment of cancer cells.

Ginger Root ( Gingerol)

Tumeric (Curcumin)

Green Tea (ECGC)

Grape seeds (Resveratrol)

White Willow Bark (Salicilin)

Pineapple (Bromelain)

Garlic (quercitin)

Boswellia (boswellic acid)

Holy Basil (ursolic acid)

The study showed that a growth factor called VEGF-D is linked to elevated levels of inflammatory molecules called prostaglandins. Higher levels of prostaglandins mean high levels of inflammation and a dilation of lymphatic vessels creating an open highway for cancer cells to break off from one place in the body (a primary site) and travel and grow in another site in the body. This is metastasis, the spread of cancer through the body. Cancer patients rarely die of cancer cells limited to a primary single original location. It is when cancer cells travel and spread through the body that cancer can kill. Stopping the spread of cancer is important to survival.

Is anyone suggesting that taking over the counter NSAID anti-inflammatory medications or using plant medicines with similar actions can cure cancer? Absolutely not. BUT cancer is an inflammatory disease. Cancer thrives and spreads in an environment of inflammation. This study suggests that managing inflammation may be one powerful and important part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan for reducing the spread and growth of cancer. And in this case, the therapeutic agents are very inexpensive, not tens of thousands of dollars each month, which is the cost of many of the new chemotherapy drugs that also have the potential to reduce the spread of metastatic disease. In an Integrative Cancer Care setting focused on highly-individualized treatment plans, managing inflammation is a core component of any alternative cancer approach.

If you would like to know more about how to use natural approaches to supporting normal regulation of inflammation please click here for my FREE REPORT: "Three Dangerous Cancer Survival Myths: What Your Doctor is Not Telling You" to visit my DoctorNalini Blog devoted to Alternative Cancer Strategies for Health.
Of course, you should ALWAYS consult with your health care provider before using any over the counter or herbal medicine.

References:

Cell Press. "Link Between NSAIDs And Reduced Cancer Metastasis Strengthened By Study."Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Feb. 2012. Web.
16 Feb. 2012.

Herbal medicinal products target defined biochemical and molecular mediators of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis. Shivaprasad H. Venkatesha, Brian M. Berman and Kamal D. Moudgil. Bioorg Med Chem. 2011 January 1; 19(1): 21-29. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2010.10.053.

These statements have not been approved by the FDA, are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your physician before making any health care decisions.

For more by Dr. Nalini Chilkov, click here.

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