Basil & Spice

Top 10 Ways To Recognize a Jerk

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:50:33 GMT

Dr. Mark Goulston is a former UCLA professor who helps high performing leaders, senior management and sales people reach their full potential using skills he learned training FBI and police hostage negotiators. He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and writes the weekly Tribune syndicated career advice column, "Solve Anything with Dr. Mark" and columns on leadership for FAST COMPANY and Directors Monthly and is an expert at People Jam. He is frequently called upon to share his expertise with regard to contemporary business, national and world news by television, radio and print media including: Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, Los Angeles Times, ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox/CNN/BBC News, Oprah, and Today. Mark Goulston is the author of The 6 Secrets of a Lasting Relationship, Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior, Get Out of Your Own Way at Work and PTSD for Dummies. For more information visit: www.markgoulston.com.

Guest Blogger Mark Goulston--

A jerk is a know-it-all who doesn't know what he is talking about. They are able to carve a wide path through the serenity in your lives, because you are so aghast, dumbfounded, and appalled by their outrageous behavior. Instead of reacting assertively, you stand transfixed like a deer in the headlights of a car. It takes almost all your self-restraint to keep your cool in the face of their audacity, which is why it is so difficult to "Just Say No" to jerks. They are the opposite of a good guy or gal. (See Top 10 Ways to Recognize a Mensch)

1. They interrupt.

2. They don't take turns.

3. They take advantage of people who are down.

4. They gloat in victory.

5. They are sullen in defeat.

6. They are not fair.

7. They lack integrity.

8. They are the people you hope you won't grow up to be like.

9. They are the kind of person you wouldn't want your sister (or brother or child) to marry.

10. They are the kind of person you'll avoid, if you can break free of them.

More Goulston Favorites: How To Deal With Anxious People

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder From The Inside Out

Election '08--The Best Man For The Job Is a Woman

Reach Out, Not In On Mother's Day

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:34:42 GMT

Linda Spangle, RN, MA, is a weight-loss coach specializing in emotional eating, and the author of 100 Days of Weight Loss, a book of daily lessons that helps people stay committed to their diet and exercise plans.

Guest Blogger Linda Spangle--

A TRUE STORY:

Carol dreaded Mother's Day. Last year, as the holiday was approaching, she told me that she anticipated the same story as always. Her three grown kids would be extremely busy and wrapped up in their own lives. If she was lucky, she might get a couple of cards, although they'd probably arrive a day late. What Carol really yearned for each year was that her kids would call and actually wish her a happy day. But... they rarely did.

Typically, as the day wore on with no word from the kids, Carol's anger and resentment would grow. Eventually she'd start digging through the refrigerator for something to help her forget that her children were so "selfish and ungrateful."

As we talked, Carol began to see that she was overeating for a pretty silly reason. Since being angry at her kids never changed the outcome, she wanted a new plan that might give her what she really wanted, which was to hear some warmth and appreciation.

So rather than waiting for her own phone to ring on Mother's Day, I asked her to call her children instead. Her goal was to let each of them know she loved and appreciated them and how they brought joy to her life. For the next week, she thought carefully about what she would say. She even wrote a script to make sure she stayed positive and didn't slip into blaming or scolding.

On Mother's Day, she woke up feeling excited and ready to put her plan into action. In the early afternoon, she called each of the kids, then used her script to keep focused on them instead of on her own needs. With each one, she also shared a specific childhood memory that always made her smile and finished the call by saying "I love you."

The result was amazing. Of course, her kids enjoyed and appreciated her calls. But the biggest difference was in Carol herself. She discovered an empowerment and satisfaction she hadn't felt in years. And the best part was, she completely escaped the problem with overeating that she'd done in the past.

Twist your day around

This year, as you make your plans, take a fresh approach to Mother's Day. This might include spending time with a special person or showing extra love toward someone you care about. Or maybe, like Carol, you'll simply reach out to your own children with affection and appreciation for their presence in your life.

Regardless of your current situation with your mother, children, step children or perhaps even sadness because you've lost your mother, turn your energy away from yourself and reach out to someone else. Use your ability to love and appreciate others to brighten the day and make a difference for someone else.

Without there having been a mother somewhere, you wouldn't be reading this. So now it's your turn. Instead of using food to replace what you might be missing in life, take the focus off yourself, and send some love back into the world.

Food Won't Take Away The Pain

Is A Direct Rollover Your Best Bet For Retirement?

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:18:23 GMT

For 20 years H.Craig Rappaport has been helping individuals with retirement income planning. The author of Live Long Live Rich—Creating Your Retirement Paycheck, Rappaport has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CNN Headline News, and The Dow Jones News Service, among other news outlets. He can be heard daily in the Northeast on KYW News Radio 1060 AM.
Guest Blogger H. Craig Rappaport--

Rollovers

In a recent television commercial, a man is shown enjoying his office retirement party at the end of which he is asked to say a few words to his friends and soon-to-be-former co workers. "You know what I'm gonna do now?" he gleefully asks. "I'm gonna cash in my 401(k), and my wife and I are taking a trip around the world—first class all the way!" The cheers he is expecting from the crowd are not forthcoming. Instead, his announcement is met with silence and he watches, dumbfounded, while co-workers stare at him shaking their heads in a manner that clearly suggests that his plan may not be well thought out—at the least.

Over the next few years, approximately seventy-seven million baby boomers will be faced with deciding what to do with their 401(k) and other plans savings. Loosely translated, that means over $3 trillion moving through the various financial systems!

Each company has different rules regarding their plans and it is best to consult with the administrator about the options available to you. Perhaps you love the plan and would like to keep your assets with the company. Will they let you? The company may have an option to receive lifetime pension income that may appeal to you. Will this income rise with inflation? Will your spouse receive income and at the same rate? Although the options your company may offer may be appealing, the fact that the choices available may be limited beg you to check outside investment options.

As a rule, your best bet at retirement is a direct rollover of your company-sponsored plan assets into a traditional IRA. A direct rollover, i.e., transferring the balance, untouched and in one lump sum, to an IRA allows you to avoid current taxes and penalties. It also gives you access to more investment choices because IRAs allow you to buy individual investments such as CDs, bonds and stocks as well as mutual funds that may not available in standard company retirement plans. The additional investment choices may help you to increase your income and reduce risk.

There are some pitfalls and potential problems in the rollover process. Yet a surprisingly small percentage of people, particularly those in higher income brackets, plan to engage the services of a financial planner when they get ready to rollover their plans assets at retirement.

If you are among those who will not be consulting a financial planner to guide you in the rollover process, here are some tips on how to avoid costly mistakes. (Warning: "My dog ate the paperwork" is generally not accepted by the IRS as an excuse.)

· Do your homework. Tax rules governing IRAs, Roth IRAs, etc., are complicated and vary depending on what type of account you have or wish to open. These rules do change so don’t assume you know.

· Know the applicable deadlines. You have sixty days to move (rollover) funds from one tax-deferred account to another. Many people miss this deadline. Perhaps they sent the paperwork to the bank with instructions to "put this money into an IRA" but failed to follow up to be sure the rollover was actually completed. Perhaps you made a clerical error in filling out the necessary forms, and no one catches the error until after the sixty-day deadline has passed.

· Make copies of all paperwork, checks, and applications. Then send the original documents registered or overnight mail so that if there is a dispute, you will have records that the deposit and information was sent to the receiving firm in a timely manner.

· Make sure the company you are rolling your assets to is one you are familiar with and plan to invest through. It makes for a smoother transition.

To roll or not to roll must be well thought out prior to execution. Mistakes can be costly and may seriously alter your retirement expectations. Be careful and get help if you need it.

What will you do?

More: When (and How) to Save on Taxes by Not Rolling Over That 401(k)

Is An Annuity The Right Investment Choice For Your Retirement Savings?

Sophie Uliano's Explains The Shades of Green Living

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:52:33 GMT

Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist and who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the author of the new book, Gorgeously Green, by Harper Collins Publishers. Sophie leads the women’s lifestyle brand Gorgeously Green and has been the feature of a special on Oprah with Julia Roberts (April 22, 2008).

Guest Blogger Sophie Uliano--

The tide has turned and “Green” is in the vernacular – it’s become mainstream. Only two years ago, I got quite a few blank looks when I asked people if they were green and when I told a man on a flight that I was writing a book called Gorgeously Green, he thought it was about money! Now people all over the country associate the word with global warming or toxic cleaning products, however, it’s become rather a generic term that we can easily slap onto anything or anybody. So what makes a person really green? Do they need to be vegan? Do they need to recycle everything and walk rather than drive? What really makes a girl green?

I like to think about different shades of green: one end of the scale is a very light, perhaps even just a tinge of green and on the other end of the scale is a dark, forest green. Where are you? I’m probably somewhere in the middle (sometimes towards the darker side) – yes, I’m a bright, crispy apple green and that’s my sweet spot. I think we need to find a way of being green that works for our lifestyle, even if its just baby steps in the beginning. Many of my friends got put off at first, thinking that if they would be penalized for using paper towels and zip lock bags, but that’s not how it should be. Guilt-tripping oneself or others never works. It’s like a diet that you pick and it just doesn’t work for your lifestyle and so you keep punishing yourself for caving in. It’s simply about doing your best and knowing that it is almost impossible to be perfect.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people that I’ve come across who are proud of not being the slightest bit green. The other day a woman announced to me that she’s not at all green and just doesn’t get it. She was vehement about not letting go of her plastic water bottles ever; another girl told me that she was ridiculed by her boyfriend when she had suggested that they should start recycling – he didn’t want them turning into “tree-hugging” types. I understand there’s a backlash against anything that’s become popular but come on people! Are we going to have to wait till this planet becomes uninhabitable for these insane individuals to “get it?" Growing up in England, people who gave up smoking twenty years ago, were considered to be pathetic, anxiety-ridden neurotics who better are not point their finger at the rest of us. We didn’t want our heading-toward-lung cancer fun spoiled. Toxins in our environment are the new cigarettes – yet to be exposed as seriously harmful to human health.

At the other end of the scale, we get the dark, dark greenie, who loves a compost toilet and a yurt. These types can be a bit frightening to even the bright greens, as they look on our creature comforts and “convenient” lifestyles as being supremely selfish, if not just plain stupid. I can see where they are coming from; however, this attitude is not attractive or helpful to the millions of Americans who are just trying to get their heads around the fact that gas-guzzling SUV’s are damaging to more than just one’s pocketbook.

So the middle road is a good place to aim for. A great elementary school teacher once told me that his success came from the fact that he teaches to the #2’s. He explained that he divides a classroom into 3 categories: The #3 group who are almost perfect students, the #2 group who are somewhere in the middle and the #1 group, who are the troublemakers. When he teaches to the #2 group, the #3’s stay where they are, and the #1’s strive to get into the #2 group. This is a perhaps complicated way of saying that if you are even just a tinge of green, head for the middle ground and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

BackStory: Sophie's book--Gorgeously Green includes a forward from her pal Julia Roberts--

"I quite simply cannot list all the amazing aspects of this book you are about to read, but I can tell you this: I love to shop, I love to cook, I love to feel I have done some one thing a day to educate myself and my children in making the world a better stronger place to live in. Easier said than done right? We would all do the right thing/things if only we had the resources, the answers, the advice we need. What can I tell you, but here it is!"

Julia Roberts

Actress, Mother & Activist

More Expert Advice:

How To Reduce a Baby's Environmental Impact

The Best Breakfast Foods

Your Diet Affects Your Fertility

Sophie Uliano Explains The Shades of Green Living

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:52:33 GMT

Guest Blogger Sophie Uliano--

BackStory: Sophie's book--Gorgeously Green includes a forward from her pal Julia Roberts--

Julia Roberts

Actress, Mother & Activist

More Expert Advice:

How To Reduce a Baby's Environmental Impact

The Best Breakfast Foods

Your Diet Affects Your Fertility

Nursing Home Care On The Decline

Wed, 07 May 2008 12:36:26 GMT

The author of 13 books including most recently The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life, Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D., has spent his life writing and speaking about human development, with a particular focus on children. He has appeared on The Today Show, CBS This Morning, CNN, and has presented more than 800 keynotes, workshops, and seminars in 42 states and 16 countries.

Guest Blogger Thomas Armstrong--

The New York Times examined more than 1200 nursing homes purchased by private investment groups in the past eight years, and discovered that, compared to national averages, these homes declined in care given, and scored lower in 12 of 14 indicators used to track ailments of long-term residents. Homes owned by such investment firms as Warburg Pincus and the Carlyle Group (owners of Dunkin' Donuts), had greater than average incidences in residents of bedsores, easily preventable infections, and unnecessary restraints in freedom and mobility. Investment firms move in and take over unprofitable nursing homes, fire nursing staff and cut back on other resources, begin making money, and then may sell the homes at a big profit. While this particular strategy benefits investors, it leaves many aged nursing home residents more vulnerable to a range of age-related risks including depression, loss of mobility, and loss of the ability to dress and feed themselves. A big problem with investor-owned nursing homes is that they often legally structure their ownership in such a way that it becomes difficult to sue them when residents become ill or die due to neglect. Because they are privately owned, they are also immune to many of the local, state, and national regulations that apply to publicly owned nursing homes. They are, therefore, able to function below the radar screens, and above the law. According to the New York Times, nursing homes received $75 billion in 2006 from Medicare and Medicaid, making them a veritable cash cow for those investment groups that prey on them, cutting expenses, making huge profits, and leaving residents with sub-par living conditions. To read the entire New York Times article, click here.

The Cardiac Mystery of Sudden Death

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:19:12 GMT

Sandeep Jauhar is a cardiologist and the director of the Heart Failure Program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He writes regularly for The New York Times and The New England Journal of Medicine. Intern: A Doctor's Initiation is his first book. Information about the book is available at www.sandeepjauhar.com.

Guest Blogger Sandeep Jauhar--

One of the reasons I’m fascinated by cardiology is that even though the heart appears to be a relatively straightforward pump, there are still many complex, mysterious diseases that can afflict it. One is Syndrome X, in which patients with seemingly normal coronary arteries experience classic angina. Another is the Brugada syndrome, in which young, seemingly healthy people experience sudden cardiac death.

The Brugada syndrome is especially fascinating. Caused by a genetic defect in heart cells, it is now believed to be responsible for as many as 12 percent of all sudden deaths and roughly 20 percent of deaths in patients with structurally normal hearts.

Most victims are men who die in their sleep. Once patients develop symptoms -- unexplained fainting is the most common -- there is a 50-50 chance they will die within 10 years if left untreated. Currently, the only effective treatment is an implantable defibrillator.

“The typical patient is 40 years old, in the best moment of his life, very active, very productive, with no previous history of anything, and all of a sudden one night he never wakes up,” said Dr. Ramon Brugada, who is director of molecular genetics at the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica, N.Y.

The number of diagnosed cases of Brugada syndrome has grown exponentially over the past decade. In Southeast Asia, where the disease is endemic, it is the most common cause of death of men under 40, after motor vehicle accidents. Recent data suggest that it affects 2 percent of the population in some areas. Although the disease usually strikes in early middle age, cases have been reported in babies only a few days old. Dr. Charles Antzelevitch, director of the Masonic laboratory, where much of the research on the syndrome has been done, estimated that one American in 5,000 might be at risk for sudden death from the disease.

The disease has a history steeped in mythology. In 1960, Dr. Gonzalo Aponte, a pathologist at the Naval Hospital in Guam, wrote a paper describing 11 cases of young Filipino men who had died in their sleep. The manner of their deaths was strangely similar. The victims moaned, gasped for breath and thrashed about violently. Then they died.

Aponte performed autopsies but found nothing to explain the deaths: no trauma, no drug overdose, no significant heart or internal-organ abnormalities. He soon learned that sudden death of apparently healthy men was not uncommon in the Philippines.
Villagers called it bangungot, the Tagalog word for nightmares. The syndrome was described in a Philippine medical journal as far back as 1917. “Such ‘deadly dreams’ are well known among the lay people, many of whom view them with sullen respect, if not frank terror,” Dr. Aponte wrote.

Bangungot, though known by different names, is widespread throughout Southeast Asia. In Thailand it is called lai-tai and is estimated to kill one of every 2,500 young men annually in some areas. “Widow ghosts” take men away in the dead of night, according to local legends, and the men have been known to disguise themselves as women at bedtime to protect themselves.

In Japan the syndrome is called pok-kuri. In 1982 Japanese doctors wrote in the journal Lancet that every year several hundred men, apparently healthy, had been found dead in bed in Tokyo.

In the late 1970's, the disease first came to the attention of public health authorities in the United States. In December 1981, the Centers for Disease Control reported 38 cases of unexplained sudden death in 11 states among Southeast Asian immigrants, including 25 among the Hmong, from the Laotian highlands. Thirty-seven victims were men, and all apparently died of cardiac arrest while sleeping. “The deaths reported here share several features that suggest they may constitute a distinct syndrome,” the report said. It was named sudden unexplained death syndrome, or SUDS, and was quickly recognized as a leading cause of death among young men from Southeast Asia.

In 1986 the first case of SUDS—though it wasn’t recognized as such at the time—was seen in Europe by a cardiologist named Pedro Brugada, an arrhythmia specialist working in The Netherlands. When Dr. Brugada examined his patient’s E.K.G., he saw a pattern that he had never seen before. It was very unusual, shaped almost like a shark’s fin.

In 1992, after collecting 8 of these unusual E.K.G.’s, Dr. Brugada and his younger brother Josep published their results in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. They called the condition “a new clinical entity.” Later, it was dubbed the “Brugada syndrome.” It and SUDS were soon shown to be the same disease.

In the late 1990's an international consortium of scientists led by Dr. Antzelevitch and the Brugada brothers set out to discover the genetic basis of the disease. The scientists identified patients in three families and isolated DNA from their white blood cells. Then they sequenced the DNA, focusing on three genes that are known to influence the electrical activity of the heart.

They found a mutation in one of these genes (called SCN5a), which controls the flow of sodium ions into heart cells. When the gene was sequenced in 200 control patients, none had the mutation.

On the basis of these and other observations, the scientists concluded that a “loss-of-function” mutation in the SCN5a gene was responsible for the deadly arrhythmias in the Brugada syndrome. SCN5a mutations have now been found in other sudden-death syndromes, including sudden infant death, or SIDS.

Unlike most heart rhythm disorders, those that accompany Brugada are set off by a slow heartbeat, explaining why the deaths usually occur at night. Whether physical activity is beneficial, harmful or neither remains unknown.

Now, patients receive implantable defibrillators, the only effective treatment. Sewn under the skin of the upper chest with wires passing through veins directly into the heart, defibrillators monitor the heartbeat and automatically apply an electrical shock if it degenerates into something dangerous.

Experts say that most cases of Brugada go undiagnosed. “We're not doing enough to uncover these arrhythmias at an early age,” Dr. Antzelevitch said. In Japan, he added, children typically have three EKG's by age 18. In Italy EKG screening is mandatory for all newborns and for children playing competitive sports.

In the United States, he said, the screening for the Brugada syndrome and other heart diseases should be performed by the early teenage years. “The sooner you get it, the more likely you are to catch something before it becomes a problem.”

More From Sandeep Jauhar:

A Doctor's House Call Leaves a Lasting Impression

A Doctor Shortage in the United States?

Multimedia - Video Mashups

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:07:31 GMT

facebook application

deliver multimedia mashups in a tag cloud to your facebook page

A Bike Beats a Car's Gas, Insurance, and Repair Prices

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:56:32 GMT

Sadie Kneidel is part of a daughter-mother writing team in North Carolina. She is a teacher and community activist as well as the co-author of two books. Living in a collective household, she concentrates her efforts on community gardening, biking and neighborhood organizing. Two books from Fulcrum co-authored by Sadie are Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet (May, 2008) and Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet (Nov, 2005). Contact Sadie at skneidel@earthlink.net.

Guest Blogger Sadie Kneidel--

Catherine eyed me skeptically over the breakfast table. "Are you really going to bike?" she asked with surprise.

"I think so," I said. "I mean, my brain believes I am. My body might have other ideas. Like the bus."

Just then the bus rumbled past the front door. We smiled at each other. "Well," I said. "What I meant to say is, yes. I’m biking. I’m gonna race the bus."

It was Tuesday morning, 7:10 AM. My car had broken down the morning before on the way to work, leaving me
to coast to the mechanic on a busted clutch. I’d had to roust my housemate Catherine from her warm bed, and
beg her for a ride to work. I’d been half an hour late, and stressed and frazzled to boot.

But this morning, although my car was still in the shop, I was prepared. In the grayish dawn light of my bedroom, I donned long johns, jeans, two shirts, a wool sweater, a windbreaker. I pulled on a ski mask to protect my neck from chilly drafts, gloves to shield my fingers, and of course, perched atop it all, my shiny yellow helmet.

"Well," said Catherine. "At least if you fall off your bike, you probably won’t even get hurt. You’ll just bounce."

I wrinkled my nose at her, not that she could see it under my arsenal. "I won’t fall," I said. "I’ll be fine."

Waving goodbye, I shuffled out the door and clambered atop my bicycle. With one kick, I rolled down the sidewalk, swung to the right, and hit the pavement. I was off.

I was prepared for an arduous journey. My work commute takes 25 minutes by car, from my urban neighborhood
just south of downtown, to Guilford Tech’s satellite campus on the outermost reaches of the northeast part of town. Every morning, as I dodge the rush-hour traffic crowding the city’s vehicular arteries, I think, "Today’s the day I’m going to die." But I haven’t. At least not yet.

This morning was different. I headed due east, straight toward the pink streaks heralding the sun’s imminent arrival. Cars whizzed past, but I didn’t notice them much. I was more occupied with the tight feeling of my thigh muscles and the slight grinding feeling of something in my hip. 'Oh jeez, what am I thinking?' I berated myself. This is insane. I could
see the bus stopped four or five blocks ahead of me. 'Maybe I can catch up with it,' I thought hopefully.

Eight minutes later I was passing downtown. The clock tower read 39 degrees, but I was soaked in sweat. What
had happened to spring? I stopped to strip off my windbreaker, welcoming the chilly wind through my wool sweater. Lord, it felt good.

I’d expected heavy traffic on this four-lane road, but I barely even noticed the cars that passed me. Instead, I watched the blistering orange sun bobbling over the horizon. I checked the gas prices at each gas station I passed. $3.47. $3.51. $3.56. My legs no longer felt tight. I felt like an engine, a smooth efficient machine. I wondered how much I’d get for
selling a Toyota with a broken clutch.

I passed a service station where a lady in a thin spring dress paced as a mechanic peered under the hood of her stalled car. She stared through me as if I were invisible. I passed a house where two men stood, hands in armpits while a Chevy idled in the yard, warming up. I held my breath and ducked through the cloud of exhaust.

I was flying. I felt like a bird. I had no idea how long I’d been riding. Five minutes, fifteen, fifty. My four-lane city road merged with a county road; the buildings gave way to stubbly fields. I passed the farm bureau, the coop extension, the county agricultural office. A lazy train track wove beside the road. I looked up: brilliant green tree branches silhouetted against the throbbing sunrise sky.

One last hill, and I turned on Aunt Mary Lane. I cut north, crossed a six-lane road, and breathlessly coasted onto campus. I craned my neck to see the school clock. Was I late? How late?

The clock read 7:48. My body surged with elation. I grinned wordlessly under my ski mask. It had taken me
33 minutes to cross town by bike, just eight minutes longer than by car.

I couldn’t believe it. For the past six months, I’d been complaining about how impossibly far away my job
was. I’d acquired my car reluctantly, and winced with each accumulating mile on the odometer. The tanks of
gas, the car insurance, the stress - it was a necessary evil, I’d believed. Riding the bus to any job would take unbearably long, and there was no way I had the stamina to bike to destinations outside of my neighborhood. Only an athlete could bike that far.

What had I been thinking? I wasn’t even tired. In fact, I felt remarkably alive. I almost skipped from the bike rack to the bathroom, where I peeled off my sweaty long johns and slipped into a fresh blouse and slacks. I scooped my hair into a ponytail and regarded my reflection quizzically. My cheeks were so pink I looked clownish. My eyes were twinkling. I felt upbeat and energetic – a mood I can’t usually attain at 8 AM no matter how much coffee I drink.

I strolled to my classroom carrying my bicycle helmet like a badge of honor. When my car had broken down, it
sure hadn’t seemed like a blessing. But I guess that faulty clutch was the miracle I was waiting for to show me that sometimes the solution I need is right in the place where I refuse to see it. Here I’d been, racing home from work in my car so I’d have time to get to the gym for exercise. I’d never even considered biking to work because I hadn’t thought I was strong enough. I didn’t think I could afford to spend the time or energy. But this morning, I knew I couldn’t afford not to. As the bus pulled up to the campus bus stop, right next to my parked bike, I smiled to myself. I’d won this race on my own two wheels.

Do you ride a bike?

Related: The Car Addiction

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Can Retirement Make You Sick?

Sun, 04 May 2008 18:19:58 GMT

Jan Cullinane is the co-author of The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (Rodale, 2007), the Retirement Expert for the NABBW (National Association of Baby Boomer Women), and a regular contributor to Ocean Breeze and Let Life In magazine.

Guest Blogger Jan Cullinane--

Are you a “Type A” personality? A perfectionist? A workaholic? Someone who feels great during the workweek, but suffers from depression, aches, pains, fatigue, and infections – in other words, a person who gets sick when nothing is looming on the horizon? If so, you may have what is called “leisure sickness,” a term coined by Dutch psychologist Ad Vingerhoets of Tilburg University. In a study of almost 2,000 people, about three percent of high achieving respondents identified themselves as suffering from symptoms of illness when they didn’t have much to do, were on vacation, or were no longer working at high-pressure jobs.

What causes leisure sickness? Some experts feel that people who are unable to enjoy downtime suffer because they feel out of control, and this stress results in feeling sick. When negatively stressed, the body produces cortisol, which suppresses the immune system – as a result, people are more susceptible to illness. Those with little to do may become super sensitive to physiological signs, and feel every twinge, while those who are extremely busy ignore signals from their body telling them they are ill. Positive stress (such as a job one is passionate about) may result in greater resistance to disease because adrenaline, which is an immune system booster, is released.

What can you do if you’re retired and feel you suffer from leisure sickness? One solution, of course, is to return to a job you enjoy, or increase your level of involvement – have more meaningful activity and less leisure. Exercise is great for reducing negative stress, and developing a better sense of life-work balance can also be helpful. Examining your approach toward life if you’re a perfectionist or workaholic can also be beneficial.

Can a laid-back retirement make you sick? For about three percent of the population, the answer seems to be yes.

More From Jan Cullinane: Three Questions You MUST Ask Yourself Before Retiring

Positively Ageless Mango Mint Smoothie

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:42:09 GMT

A registered dietitian and professional chef, Cheryl Forberg is the nutritionist for the NBC reality series The Biggest Loser and an advisor for Prevention magazine. She has written or contributed to nine books, including Stop the Clock! Cooking, The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, and The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program, and the recently published Positively Ageless. She is also a recipient of the prestigious James Beard award for healthy recipe development. To learn more about Cheryl and her work, visit her Web site at www.cherylforberg.com.

Mango Mint Smoothie [1]

MAKES 2 SERVINGS (1 CUP EACH)

This is a great pre- or postworkout drink, as it has a nice blast of protein from the tofu. Be sure the mango is very ripe. You can add a splash of agave nectar for extra sweetness.

Ingredients:

3 ⁄ 4 cup very ripe mango, roughly chopped

3 ⁄ 4 cup silken tofu

1 ⁄ 2 cup almond milk or fat free milk

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup crushed ice or ice cubes

Agave nectar (optional)

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor. Blend or process until smooth.

[1]

With permission from Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan to a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You by Cheryl Forberg RD (Rodale)

A Doctor's House Call Leaves a Lasting Impression

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:59:08 GMT

Guest Blogger Sandeep Jauhar--

In 1930, 40 percent of all doctor–patient visits were house calls. By 1980, the proportion had dwindled to less than 1 percent. Even in the 1990s, in the midst of an explosion in the home care business, the number of house calls continued to drop. At conferences, home care professionals were reported to laugh outright at the mere mention of physician involvement in home care.

Doctors approach house calls much as politicians approach campaign finance reforms: everyone thinks they're a good idea, but few do anything to support them. A major reason, not surprisingly, is money. Traveling to patients' homes is inefficient and is rarely profitable. Another reason is lack of training. Few medical schools or residency programs expose trainees to house calls. This lack of mentoring virtually ensures that young doctors won't take up the practice once they go out on their own.

I’ll never forget my first house call. In truth, it wasn’t entirely my idea. The patient, Roberto Gonzalez, had prostate cancer that had spread to the bones. He had been coming to see me with his wife at least once a month throughout the fall and winter, but he had missed his last couple of clinic appointments. One afternoon I got a call from his visiting nurse. I had never spoken with her before. (Admittedly, I had even been a bit lax about filling out the home-care order forms that were periodically put into my mailbox.) “He’s getting sicker,” the nurse told me. “He would love to see you.”

“How can we get him into the office?” I asked sincerely. (Did she want me to fill out another transportation form?)

“You could pay him a visit,” she suggested delicately. It hadn’t even occurred to me. At no time during my education had I seen or heard of a doctor making a house call.

I went to see him one evening after work. His block in Spanish Harlem had the characteristic mix of pawnshops, check-cashing stores, and dilapidated storefronts painted with colorful murals. Children were jumping rope on the sidewalk in front of the building, while old men passed the time on a nearby stoop. Standing in my white coat, I rang the door buzzer. A teenage girl popped her head out of a fourth-floor window. “Dr. Jauhar is here!” she cried.

Inside, I ascended the cracking limestone staircase. It was a steep climb; no wonder he had been unable to come see me. At the top of the stairs, I was greeted by a shawl-covered woman in her sixties. She clasped my hand. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said. “Thank you for coming.”

The apartment was well kept and filled with Catholic adornments and the fragrance of potpourri. I followed his wife to his room. Mr. Gonzalez was lying in bed, wearing a diaper, his crumpled body barely making an impression on the crisp sheets. His lips and eyes were coated with crust, and his face was sunken. A plate of rice and beans was sitting on the bureau, untouched. “Dr. Jauhar is here,” his wife said. “He has come to see you.” He extended his hand weakly, and I held it. I asked him how he was feeling. “A little better,” he whispered. “But I’m sick of going in the bed. I’m sick of being a child.”

Instinctively, I reached for my stethoscope, but then I realized I had left it at the clinic. In fact, I had brought nothing with me: no penlight, no blood pressure cuff, no prescription pad, nothing. I looked up at his wife’s smiling face, wondering if she noticed.

Without my tools, I couldn’t follow my usual procedures, so I just sat at his bedside, stroking his hand. Afterward, in the kitchen, I sat with his wife and had a cup of tea. I asked her how she was holding up. “He wants me to wait on him hand and foot,” she said with a mixture of resentment and resignation.

“It takes a lot of love,” I said, not knowing how to respond.

“I don’t know if I love him so much anymore,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Now it’s more like I just take care of him.”

She took a sip from her cup. “He’s jealous that I’m up on my feet and he isn’t,” she said. “The other day I wanted to buy face cream, but I couldn’t go because he wouldn’t let me. When the grandkids come over, he says, ‘They came to see me.’” She shrugged, like it was not in her nature to deny him such a small victory. “You know what he said to me the other day? He said, ‘When I die, the spirit is going to come take you, too.’”

I nodded silently.

“That’s not love,” she said. “That’s egoista. You know what that means?” I could guess. “It’s everything for yourself.”

Mr. Gonzalez died at home a couple of months later. It was a while before I made another house call. What I remember most about that first one was how impotent I felt. Outside the familiar terrain of the clinic, with no equipment or physician backup or formal training to speak of, I didn’t know what to do. Later, when I mentioned the house call to a senior physician, he scolded me for having created a liability risk for the hospital by taking on this task without supervision from an attending physician. Overall, the experience seemed to have been at best a waste of time. So I was surprised when, two years later, I received a letter from Mrs. Gonzalez. “I just wanted to thank you again for coming to see my husband when he was ill,” she wrote. “My family and I will never forget what you did.” My small, reluctant act of kindness had made a lasting impression.

Related: A Doctor Shortage in The United States?

No Country for (Angry) Old Men or Women - Are You Listening Hillary Clinton and John McCain?

Sat, 10 May 2008 20:48:50 GMT

Guest Blogger Mark Goulston--

Hillary Clinton waged a negative campaign and it sounds like John McCain is getting bankrolled to do the same thing. Barack Obama can be occasionally pulled down to that level, but clearly he doesn't like to engage in dirty or negative politics.

Is the guy chicken? Is he afraid to engage in a knock down drag out battle? Or is something else going on?

I choose to believe the latter. I choose to believe that Obama knows that people who throw stones do live in glass houses and when people wage negative campaigns it is more often motivated by a desire to draw potential voters away from the scent of their own misdeeds and send them on a wild goose chase into the foibles and human shortcomings of their opponents.

If you haven't noticed, Americans and especially "baby boomers" don't age gracefully or graciously. They have trouble realizing it is no longer their turn and that it is time to pass the baton to the next generation(s), wish them well, help them if they ask for it, and then stay out of their way.

Instead, they marry younger women, have (too much) plastic surgery, live vicariously through their children (using them to get the extra scoop of ice cream that they feel they didn't get and were entitled to) and in many other ways "Rage against the dawn" instead of going "gently into that good night."

Obama represents the next generations' hopefulness about focusing on what is possible and what can be built together through cooperation and synergy now that the world is flat and we are more global than ever in the history of the world. He represents the desire to turn away from the "zero sum" mentality of older generations, and turf wars between Democrats and Republicans more concerned with staying in office than in truly serving the people who elected them.

I am a baby boomer, and don't particularly like aging and don't particularly like letting go of power and influence. Fortunately I like even less desperately and bitterly holding on to something that rightfully belongs to the next generation and the future.

Are you listening Hillary Clinton and John McCain…and Congress?

Post PA Primary Debrief: The Devil You Know vs. The Devil You Don't

Barack Obama's Wholly Un-American Speech

We Live In A Culture Obsessed With Competition

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:31:17 GMT

Aimee Liu is the author of over 10 books, the most recent being <Gaining> The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders. Following on the heels of her acclaimed memoir, Solitaire--America's first memoir of anorexia, Aimee Liu interviewed leading researchers and more than forty other women and men with histories of anorexia and bulimia.

Aimee Liu--

I want to share with you a few of the principles I’ve learned in my recent study of mindful self-awareness. I hesitate to give “how-to” suggestions, because every one of us is different and up against different issues and experiences. However, I have found the underlying principles of
mindfulness to be profound, both in my own daily experience and in the current spate of scientific research that is proving the effectiveness of this ancient way of being.

The first, and to my mind most critical, principle is compassion. When I talk about love, I am talking crucially about compassion. Love of self is NOT conceit. Love of self is not even self-esteem. To love your self is to feel kindness toward your body, heart, and mind. By kindness I mean an emphatically nonjudgmental patience and generosity of spirit. Compassion is what we all ideally (but sadly, sometimes can’t) feel toward a newborn infant or beloved pet. It is not competitive or critical, threatening or hurried. It is curious and accepting.

We do not live in a compassionate culture. Instead, we live in a culture motivated, even obsessed, with competition. Many of us do not grow up in compassionate homes, either. We do not learn to listen to each other accurately, let alone to ourselves. We are fed a steady diet of judgment, as if being “critical,” and especially self-critical, were a positive
trait of character! That’s why so many of us do not know what simply feels good, what we genuinely love to do or experience. We think of – and react to -- love as a gut-wrenching display when, really, true love is a free and effortless state of grace.

The second principle that I’ve found life-changing is the principle of attention. Mindfulness is a process of paying attention with all one’s senses, but without judgment. Mindful self-awareness is a process of paying attention to the sensations, feelings, habits, and thoughts that shape our sense of self. In other words, our identity. I’m talking about noticing when you raise your voice, when you feel the urge to manically clean closets, when your heart begins to slam against your rib cage, when you feel as if a lead weight were bearing down on your skull. I’m also talking about noticing when your heart lifts, when tears spring to your eyes, when the sky seems ecstatically blue or the tulips the color of gumdrops. Without needing to do anything about it, without feeling obligated to fight or flee the feeling, just stop occasionally and notice
how you feel in this instant and all the factors in your environment that are contributing to this feeling. There is no right or wrong to feelings that are real. We need to remind ourselves of this on a daily basis, though, because many of us have been taught otherwise.

Which, of course, brings me to the third principle, which threads through all of mindful awareness, and that is suspension of judgment. Neutrality. Neither embracing nor rejecting but simply observing what is. For many, this is the most difficult part of mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, or tai-chi. “How do I know when I’m meditating right?” This is the question most often asked in meditation classes I’ve attended. But there is no “right”! The very question is judgmental. Mindfulness meditation is simply the act of witnessing what happens inside your mind. You become the quiet observer of your own thoughts, your own physical and emotional sensations, your own brain in motion. You may gently lead your
mind, but you do not fight it. In the best of senses, you treat your mind in meditation as a loving parent would lead a child, listening attentively and curiously, suggesting paths away from danger, offering kindness and tolerance.

Neuroscientists such as Daniel Seigel at UCLA and Robert Cloninger at Washington University are proving that mindfulness practices actually can rewire the brain to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and change
lifelong habits and patterns of thinking. Whether or not they constitute a “cure” for suffering, they certainly offer us powerful tools for reducing our daily suffering. Most important of all, they can help us discover and exercise the basic principles of love.

More: The Common Denominator of All Eating Disorders is Fear

Family Dynamics and the Rage of Teens

Thu, 01 May 2008 11:41:01 GMT

Guest Blogger Mark Goulston--

A previous Reuters blog, Is Your Child Depressed or Anxious? began with:

Mother: Do you think he'll put his fist through the wall?
Father: Let's hope it's not his head!
And so begins another evening of pillow talk between the parents of an angry, sullen teenager.

In that blog I spoke about how a significant part of adolescent misbehavior and moodiness comes from untreated clinical anxiety which often masquerades as depression.

Most mental problems have biopsychosocial causative factors and in that previous piece I addressed how biological/genetic factors can affect mood in adolescence which results in negative, counterproductive mindsets (psychology) and behavior.

Well just when you (as parents) thought it was safe to say it was all biological, there are social components that are causative as well. Certainly the bullying that leads to the tragic shootings that we unfortunately hear about every few months as well as peer pressure to act in ways that can be calamitous to teenagers are well known.

What is well known, but kept private is a dynamic psychotherapists see frequently in families.

That occurs when one parent is overbearing and overly controlling (either the mother micromanaging her child's schoolwork and college application process or the father pushing the child to have more drive, motivation and be more aggressive in athletics) and the other is ineffective at keeping the over-the-top parent in check. This results in many teenagers feeling resentment towards the overbearing parent and contempt mixed with pity for the other parent who can neither stand up for the child of for themselves to the over-controlling one.

Among one of teenagers' best traits is a deep sense of justice but along with it unfortunately comes a sense of outrage regarding the injustice of this family dynamic.

To check if this may be what's going on with your sullen teenager, ask them in a matter of fact way while going for a drive or during some activity (since they hate unsolicited "heart to heart" talks which always feel like a lecture):

- "What's the most frustrated you have ever felt with your mom/dad or me?"
- "How bad was it for you?"
- "What did it make you want to do?"
- "What did you do?"

Then say (and mean it): "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was so bad?" Allow for the tears of relief you might unleash in them for finally getting this off their chest.

Finish with: "When I see you doing or not doing something that I believe could hurt you or your future, how do you want me to be with you? I mean, do you want me to say nothing? To wait and let you find out for yourself? To ask your permission to tell you what I see? Or what?"

Then whatever they say, use that approach.

(c) 2008 Mark Goulston

Teenage Violence--It's The Rage!

How To Baby Proof Your Marriage

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:07:44 GMT

Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill and Julia Stone are the authors of Baby Proofing Your Marriage. With humor and empathy, the 'Babyproofers' have helped tens of thousands of couples navigate the most common relationship pitfalls that occur when there are small kids in the house: the endless tit-for-tat Scorekeeping over who has it tougher, the wilted sex life, the bickering about the in-laws (and outlaws). They offer simple but effective solutions for both men and women.

They have appeared on NBC's Today Show, Fox News, The Mike and Juliet Show, iVillage Live, Babytv.com, WebMD, and over 60 radio shows across the country, including Martha Stewart Living Radio and Satellite Sisters. Overseas media appearances include the BBC, SKY News and Canada AM. Babyproofing has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Parade, New York Newsday, The New York Daily News, Parenting, Baby Talk, Fit Pregnancy and Best Life. The Babyproofers are AOL Coaches on family and child issues and post-baby relationship experts for eHarmony.com Parenting.

Guest Bloggers Stacie, Cathy, and Julia--The BabyProofers:

There’s no doubt that our children are our greatest joy and that we love being parents more than anything in the world. But parenting little ones can be pretty tough on a marriage. Are you and your spouse enduring the inevitable challenges of early parenthood? Do you see things differently now that you have kids? Are you keeping score over the division of labor? Has managing the demands of the in-laws and outlaws become a bit of a challenge? What about activity in the bedroom? Has it come to a grinding (sorry) halt?

Maybe it’s time to Babyproof Your Marriage and take some simple, but effective actions so that having children doesn’t mean sacrificing being a couple. Here’s a few top tips from Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O’Neill and Julia Stone, co-authors of the bestselling book, Babyproofing Your Marriage, to help you preserve your coupledom:

1. Realize You Are not Alone: Relationship hiccups are completely normal when you’re parenting small kids. So don’t panic. Most couples, no matter how happy and secure their relationship may be, find the early parenting years a challenge. Chances are, any arguments you’re having are the same arguments being played out in thousands of homes across America. The realization that these issues are universal, rather than personal, can change how you deal with it. “Why are you doing this to me?" becomes “What are we going to do about it?”

2. Don’t Play Midnight Chicken. Help each other get enough sleep. Resist the urge to play Midnight Chicken -- you know, the late night battle of wills where each parent pretends to be asleep and blissfully unaware of the screaming down the hall, in hopes that their other half will get up and tend to the crying baby. Split up the night (for example, Dad does feedings until midnight, Mom goes to bed early and gets up after that) so that both of you get a solid block of sleep. Occasionally, take turns doing all-night baby duty and give your partner the ultimate gift - an entire uninterrupted 8 hours of shut-eye.

3. Try a Training Weekend. Ladies, if you think you have a husband who ‘just doesn’t get it,’ try this foolproof method to get him engaged: take off for 48 hours and let him man the kid and house ropes on his own. No backup. No dialing 1-800-Grandma. You’ll catch a break and he’ll gain new respect for what it really takes to keep the household ship afloat. This technique will also allow him bond with the baby on his own terms. A lot of guys told us they feel relegated to the powerless role, like Vice President, of Assistant Mom. When you hand over the reins, your husband gets a chance to be the father he wants to be.

4. Stop the Scorekeeping. With a baby in the house the workload explodes. It’s hardly surprising that most of us start arguing with our partner over who has it tougher. “I did seven loads of laundry and you didn’t do any.” “Yeah, well I did all the cooking last week ..” You both can end up feeling resentful and unappreciated. It’s a tit for tat war that no one wins. Rip up the scorecards, hand in your Martyr Badges and Divide and Conquer. Make a list of everything that must be done, from nightly bath duty to earning a living and divvy it up.

5. Bridge the Sex Gap. Most couples with young children experience a disconnect in the bedroom. After she has a baby, a woman’s sex drive often goes MIA. Most guys, however, still want sex just as much as they always have, baby or no baby. Try to reach across the gap. Guys need to pay attention to romance and stop the Ten O’Clock Shoulder Tap. Girls should try to reacquaint themselves with the girl they used to be. Try a “dad on duty night” and relax with a bath and/or glass of wine. You’ll be a lot more receptive to the idea of sex if you’ve had a chance to get out of Mommy Mode.

6. Help Each Other Have It All: Naturally, your free time gets squeezed when you become a parent. But it’s more important than ever to do some of the things that recharge you. When we don’t have a little time to ourselves, we start to feel worn out and we can become damn difficult to live with. You don’t both have to be ON all the time. Figure out an off-leash strategy with your partner. For example, he takes the kids on Saturday morning while you go to yoga, and you do the same for him on Sunday so he can get in a jog. Give each other some Get Out of Jail Free Cards on a regular basis.

7. Make Time for Each Other. Try not to let your adult relationship be defined solely by being parents. Put a little distance between yourselves and the kids. Start with the local pizza place and work your way up to a weekend away. Your relationship is the lynchpin of the whole family. Where there’s a healthy marriage, there are happy kids.

Destress Your Marriage and Save It!

1001 Ways To Be Romantic

Wanting To Lose Weight, But Not Doing It?

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:22:46 GMT

Guest Blogger Linda Spangle--

Does this conversation sound familiar?

"What is wrong with me?" Carol slammed her hand down on the table. "I’m so frustrated with myself! Every morning, I tell myself that today will be different. I’m going to stay on my diet the way I should, and NOT fall off by the middle of the afternoon."

"Have you been having trouble with this?" I asked. "You wouldn’t believe it," she sighed. "I’ve done everything you’ve said. I plan out my meals, set out my exercise clothes, buy healthy foods, and write down what I eat."

"But every afternoon, it’s like this monster comes over me and I lose my determination." Tears began sliding down her cheeks as she continued, "It feels too hard! I’ve had a lot of challenges and disappointment lately, and I always end up reaching for a glass of wine or a few cookies to help me cope. Then I get upset because I’ve messed up my diet again."

I handed her a box of tissues, then responded, "Carol, there’s nothing wrong with you at all. What you’re doing is extremely common and normal. I think the real issue is how you’re coping with your life struggles."

Then I asked, "How badly do you want to lose weight? How important is it to you?" Carol wiped her eyes, then responded. "I want it VERY badly. I can’t stand how I look and feel right now. I would give ANYTHING to be able to lose weight."

"Anything?" I asked. "Does that mean you’re willing to give up having wine or cookies when you get upset or feel challenged?" Carol thought for a minute. "Are you saying I can’t ever have a glass of wine after a bad day?"

"Not necessarily," I replied. "Being successful isn’t about setting rigid rules or feeling deprived. It’s about making choices based on what you truly want in your life."

It sounds great to say, 'I really want to lose weight,' but making this happen takes effort. If you tend to routinely fall off your diet plan, you may want to look at the difference between being interested and being committed.

When you’re ‘interested’ in losing weight, you say all the right words, but it doesn’t take much to get you off track. A hard day, another disappointment, and you’re back to food being your best friend.

In contrast, when you’re committed to your weight-loss plan, you stick with it no matter what. You don’t blame circumstances or other people for your slip ups. On days when you get worn down or don’t “feel” like dieting, you stay on the plan anyway.

Here’s a summary of the two directions.

If you're "interested" in losing weight…

* You stick with it only until something better comes along (such as doughnuts)

* How you feel determines your outcome. If you don’t ‘feel like it,’ you stop your efforts.

* You need to see results. When the scale doesn’t move, you lose your motivation.

* You blame everything else (people, travel, circumstances) for your struggles with staying on your diet.

* Whenever you face challenges in life, you give up and plan you’ll start your diet again tomorrow.

If you're "committed" to losing weight…

* Nothing stops your efforts. You stick with your diet, ‘no matter what.’

* Emotions don’t control your actions. You stay on track even when you don’t feel like it.

* Your motivation isn't linked to the scale. You assume that if you stay motivated and work hard, you’ll eventually see results.

* You don’t depend on other people for your success. You know it’s up to you, not them.

* A bad day or a lot of challenges don’t affect your efforts. You keep going in spite of it.

At this point, Carol nodded. "I thought I was really determined to lose weight," she said. "But I’ve been acting like I was only interested in it. Starting today, I’m going to change my approach and live in ways that show I’m truly committed to my goals."

More Diet Tips From Linda Spangle:

Food Won't Take Away The Pain

Enjoy Valentine's Day Without Sabotaging Your Diet

Personal Interview With Linda Spangle

Fish With Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:31:44 GMT

Dana Jacobi has authored six cookbooks and written for Food & Wine, Cooking Light, and the New York Times. Her work has won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award and has been twice nominated for a James Beard Foundation Book Award. Her new cookbook, The Essential Best Foods Cookbook: 225 Irresistible Recipes Featuring the Healthiest and Most Delicious Foods is available everywhere books are sold as of April 15, 2008. Dana writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column which also appears at The American Institute for Cancer Research. In addition, she teaches cooking classes in New York City, where she also lives.

Dana Jacobi--

This year, look to the rat to make the dragon dance as we welcome in the Chinese New Year on February 7th. According to tradition, a different animal depicts each year in the cyclical twelve-year Chinese calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. If you were born in 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948 or 1936, you, like Shakespeare and Mozart, are a rat. People born under this sign of Chinese astrology are said to be ambitious and hard working.

Symbolism is an important part of Chinese culture, and especially so during New Year celebrations. Foods that symbolize gold are often featured and include spring rolls, which resemble gold bars, and dumplings that are meant to signify coins. Oranges are also symbolic of gold due to their color and round shape. Citrus with leaves still attached are particularly favored as they represent wholeness and the family staying together. A fish served whole is another symbol of completeness. When presented at New Years’ banquets, it encourages abundance.

I have attended some spectacular Chinese New Year dinners. At one, a whole flounder was cooked by spooning boiling hot oil over the fish, which was set on a rack so the oil drained away. This careful process, effectively poaching the fish, took about 10 minutes and produced the most delicate texture, virtually free of excess oil.

While I would not attempt to make this dish at home, it was accompanied by a scallion sauce flavored with ginger and orange zest that has since become one of my favorites. The sauce, which is simple to prepare, is great with any broiled, baked or grilled white fish. While this recipe calls for tilapia, other options include turbot, flounder, sole, cod or halibut. Prepare the sauce while the fish cooks for an easy, delectable and auspicious meal this New Year.

Fish With Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallion, white and green parts
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Freshly ground pepper, preferably white, to taste
4 (4-oz.) pieces tilapia or other mild, flaky white fish.

Preheat the broiler.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in scallions to coat them with oil. Add ginger, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves and scallions are tender but still bright green, 3-4 minutes. Off the heat, mix in the zest. Season sauce generously with pepper. Set skillet aside so it keeps warm while the fish cooks.

Arrange fish on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Season fish lightly with salt and ground pepper. Broil until fish is opaque in the center at the thickest point, about 6 minutes. Divide fish among four dinner plates. Top each piece with one-fourth of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 180 calories, 9 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 g carbohydrate,
23 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 210 mg sodium.

Dana Jacobi's Blog

Diabetes Takes a Toll On The Sex Lives of Women

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:32:29 GMT

Jennifer Wider graduated from Princeton University in 1994 with B.A. in the humanities. She received her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1999. During medical school, she interned at a CBS local news affiliate and 20/20 in New York City. Jennifer worked as a senior editor at Medscape/CBS HealthWatch out of medical school. She has had many publications in newspapers, magazines and websites across the country and has been a guest on CBS News, National Public Radio and various cable channels. Jennifer was formerly the managing editor of the health channel at iVillage.com and currently reports on health and medical issues for the Society for Women's Health Research. As well, she is co-author of The Savvy Woman Patient.

Jennifer Wider--

Diabetes can take a toll on a person’s overall health, but amidst all of the possible problems that may arise sexual dysfunction is not often talked about and is more common than most people realize. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Mass., roughly 35 percent of women with diabetes may experience some form of sexual dysfunction related to their disease.

Most of the past research about diabetes’ impact on sex has focused on men. But it has become quite clear that women suffering from diabetes may experience sexual difficulties as a result of complications from the disease. A recent study in the journal Lancet revealed that diabetes frequently impairs normal sexual functioning in both men and women.

According to the study’s research team from the Department of Endocrinology at the Boston University School of Medicine, “The effect of diabetes on women's sexual function is complex: the most consistent finding is a correlation between sexual dysfunction and depression.”

In addition to the psychological effects of the disease, the study’s authors were quick to point out that more research in body physiology was needed to fully understand the toll diabetes can take on the female patient. “More research on the sexual effects of abnormal adrenal and thyroid function, hyperprolactinaemia, and metabolic syndrome should also be prioritized,” the study authors wrote. Hyperprolactinaemia is the presence of abnormally-high levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Unusually high amounts of prolactin are suspected to be responsible for impotence and loss of libido.

Women with diabetes who suffer from sexual dysfunction often have a wide variety of complaints. Nerve damage from the disease can result in a decrease of sexual arousal and lowered libido. Diabetic women are also more prone to problems with decreased vaginal lubrication. In addition, some women with diabetes may suffer from recurring vaginitis, or inflammation of the vagina, as a result of yeast infections, which can make sexual intercourse painful.

There are treatments available for sexual dysfunction, which vary based on the underlying cause. The key is to have an open, honest discussion with a health care provider who can assist patients in narrowing in on the cause and finding the proper therapy.

Diabetes results from the body's inability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone necessary for the absorption of sugar. There are several types of diabetes—the main ones are type 1 and type 2. Type 2 is the most common and usually affects overweight people who are older than 45 with a history of the disease in their family.

“Increases in obesity and sedentary behavior are the major drivers of the diabetes surge,” says Dr. K.M. Venkat Narayan, M.D., chief of the Diabetes Epidemiology Section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.

Although the number of people suffering from diabetes is at an all-time high, there are measures people can take to cut their risk. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lower the chance of getting diabetes for both men and women. “Exercising thirty minutes per day, five to seven times a week and keeping your weight under control with a healthy diet,” explains Narayan.

SOURCES: Bhasin S, Enzlin P, et al. Sexual dysfunction in men and women with endocrine disorders. Lancet. 2007 Apr 21; 369(9570): 1346.
© March 13, 2008 Society for Women's Health Research

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