It's 2002 all over again, and women are being warned against taking hormone replacement because of its link to breast cancer. Why is history repeating itself? Because we haven't learned an important lesson. Synthetic progestins are not the same as progesterone, and reporting on them as if they confer the...

Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has become a beacon of light to her devotees. There is no doubt she wants to do good and that her intentions are meaningful to many. When it comes to popularity she can also certainly sell books.

Words have power to destroy or heal. When...

When I was five years old, I ate whole boxes of the Girl Scout Cookies I was supposed to sell to my neighbors. When I was seven, I started stealing blocks of cheese from our groceries and telling my mom she forget them at the store. When I was in...

We've all done it: We leave the house with the intention of driving to the dry cleaners, and then minutes later find that we forgot to make the right turn and instead ended up at the office. The universal nature of this kind of "auto-pilot" experience shows just how powerful...

Ever since I kicked that bitch cancer's bony ass, I've been pretty fearless. And feistier than ever.

So when The United States Preventive Services Task Force said Monday that women should start regular breast cancer screening at age 50, not 40, and that doctors should stop teaching women to examine...

As a practically minded psychiatrist, I have developed a great tolerance and deep sympathy for human foibles. Even when our choices don't make sense to anyone else but us and cause us great pain, we still don't change them very easily. Yet, despite this level of understanding, I still can't...

They used to tell adopted children that they were special because they'd been chosen. I've told my adopted child that I don't believe that. Neither adoption nor birth conveys status to a child. What makes any child special is the love developed in the act of caring for -- and...

Fear is something that we all experience throughout our lives, especially on our journey toward deeper authenticity.  Being who we really are, expressing ourselves honestly, being bold, and going for what we want in life can cause a great deal of fear in us.

I get scared all the time. ...

As I prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I am reminded of the autumnal harvest time's spiritual significance. As a time of connectedness, I pause to acknowledge what I have to be thankful for. But I also reflect on the holiday as a time of remembrance -- historical and familial.
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"Between 60 and 70 percent of those age 65 and over are diabetic or prediabetic. Of these, half are unaware they have the condition because they are symptom free." This is the important message conveyed by Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis and her husband, actor Louis Zorich....

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. (Although come Christmastime, you know I'll be making the very same declaration, and ditto Easter). This year we are having about 22 people over for lunch. In LA, people ask "What are you doing for the holidays?" and I say sunnily, "Oh, I'm having 22...

These days, you might think that screening for breast cancer is futile.

Last week The New York Times reported on new guidelines put forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. That expert panel's updated recommendations, published in a careful, three-part series in the...

Health care is remarkably unconnected.

The lack of connectivity tools in health care is absolutely stunning.

Health care providers in America have a very hard time connecting and sharing patient information with each other. Most medical records are still sitting in individual paper files locked in metal...

For those of us over the age of say, 30, navigating social media networking is like learning a new language. We are, as we've been aptly named, digital immigrants. During our formative years -- the ones where we started dating, navigating friendships, figuring out how to stay connected with people...

Why settle for giving a "thank you" when you can give a POWER THANK YOU*?

Make giving thanks the center piece of your Thanksgiving by having each person give a Power Thank You. It has 3 parts:

Part 1: Thank someone for something specific that they did for you...

For many women, going back to work a few months after having a baby is overwhelming and unmanageable.

As strange as it may seem, things get even more difficult for a working mom after the second and third baby arrive. By that time, the romance of being a modern "superwoman"...

Working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just...

With today's fast-paced fine dining kitchens and a demanding restaurant clientele, I often forget that the real purpose of eating out for many is usually more about the companionship than the food. But once a year, on Thanksgiving, I get the rare opportunity to sit down with friends and family...

When I met the woman who would eventually become my mother-in-law, she didn't smile or say hello or talk to me. She wouldn't even look at me.

I awkwardly stuck out my hand. "Hello Magdalen." Minutes earlier, Larry had warned me not to call her Mrs. Bleidner. "She thinks...