When I talk to cancer patients and survivors alike, I’m always inspired by their motivation, optimism and undeniable will to carry on the fight to beat their disease. Learning of a cancer diagnosis is a very hard thing for both the patient and the family.

But it’s especially hard when that patient is a child. These children face challenges on a level that most of us will never experience in our lifetime. And trying to explain to a child that they have cancer is a devastating task for both parents and health care providers.

Now imagine trying to explain a cancer diagnosis to an autistic child who now has to deal with the strict regimen of cancer therapy. His survival is completely dependent on the compassion and commitment of his parents, as well as the health care team that’s treating him.

Click here to read the report.

This is why I’m so outraged that a 9-year-old autistic boy has died from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Jeremy Fraser lost his battle with cancer after his mother allegedly failed to provide him with the medications that he so desperately needed. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a very treatable cancer, but it requires adequate treatment that could range from months to a year. In fact, doctors had given Jeremy a 92 percent cure rate — assuming his mother would do her part in helping him complete treatment.

According to the reports that I have read, Jeremy was heading in the right direction, but was supposed to follow up at home with a very crucial phase in the treatment. But after his mother canceled a dozen chemotherapy appointments, and neglected to fill at least half of the prescriptions vital to the success of Jeremy’s treatment, he was returned to the hospital with only a 10 percent chance of survival — and in the end, it was too late.

I’m certainly mad at the lack of parenting skills that Jeremy’s mother has shown, but I don’t know if I should also be mad at the health care center that was treating him. Where was the follow up? Why not try to find out how this child is — especially if he has missed several appointments for chemotherapy treatment?

A child with cancer has died — not because if his disease — but because the negligence of the adults that should have been looking out for his well being. May God bless him and keep him safe.

Dear Yvonne,
What are the dangers of oral sex without using a condom?
—Sissie

Dear Sissie,
As discussed in my first book, The Hot Guide to Safer Sex, unprotected oral sex is a high-risk sexual behavior. You can get sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, or HIV, from performing oral sex on a man or woman. Another thing to keep in mind is that when someone has the common cold sore (a.k.a. oral herpes — HSV-1) and goes down on you, you could contract genital herpes, or HSV-2.

To protect yourself, use a dental dam, which is a rectangular latex barrier that is placed over the vulva (or anus) during cunnilingus (oral sex on a female), or a non-lubricated, non-spermicidal condom during fellatio (oral sex on a male). You can also use a sheet of non-microwavable Saran Wrap if a dental dam is not available, or cut a condom lengthwise for a square.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

If you are one of the many people fighting the battle of the bulge, you will be pleased to learn that there are actually foods that may help you burn fat.  You will still need to exercise and avoid over indulging. However, you may be able to speed up the fat-burning process by consuming these wonder foods.

1.  Low-Fat Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese
How:  They all contain calcium and studies show that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes us to store fat, whereas meeting your daily calcium needs helps us burn fat more efficiently. Dairy products can boost weight loss efforts, according to a study in the April issue of Obesity Research. People on a reduced-calorie diet who included three to four servings of dairy foods lost significantly more weight than those who ate a low-dairy diet containing the same number of calories. Low-fat yogurt is a rich source of weight-loss-friendly calcium, providing about 450 mg (about half the recommended daily allowance for women ages 19-50) per 8-ounce serving, as well as 12 grams of protein.

2.  Berries
How: they are high in fiber. Fiber is the magic bullet of weight loss. It keeps you full and satisfied all day on virtually no calories. A 1 cup serving of raspberries contains 8g of fiber and only 60 calories!  Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are all other high-fiber berries.  Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed.

3. High-fiber cereals
How: A study from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women who ate cereal were 30 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate other breakfast foods.  High-fiber cereals have fewer calories than other breakfast options (eggs, bacon, donuts and muffins), and the fiber helps to keep you feeling full all morning so you are less likely to need a snack before lunch.  Also, fiber helps to keep insulin levels in check which prevents fat storage.

4.  Citrus Fruits: Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemon, Limes
How: Foods that contain vitamin C help metabolize fat faster and make losing weight less difficult.  You only need 60 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day to meet your body’s basic needs, but according to the study, raising your daily intake to 500 mg could boost your fat burning potential during exercise by 39 percent. Researchers at Scripps Clinic found that participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal in a 12-week period lost an average of 3.6 pounds. The study indicates that the unique chemical properties in this vitamin C-packed citrus fruit reduce insulin levels, which promotes weight loss. NOTE: If you are taking medication, check with your doctor about any potentially adverse interactions with grapefruit.

5.  Green Tea
How: Green tea contains caffeine, which is a natural stimulant that can help your body burn more calories while at rest, meaning that you can burn fat without doing a thing.  Caffeine speeds up the heart rate and also frees fatty acids stored in the body, making them more readily available for energy use.  Also, green tea contains a compound called ECGC that may help to boost your metabolism by speeding up the nervous system. Green tea can also replace less healthy alternatives such as colas and excess coffee drinks which add calories to your diet.

6.  Water
How: Water helps to rid the body of toxins and chemicals that may be slowing down your overall metabolism.  By drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, you can make sure that your digestion is running smoothly and that anything that shouldn’t be in your body is eliminated.  Many times, our hunger is really just thirst in disguise since the symptoms of dehydration mimic those of hunger (weak, cranky, tired, etc.) A new study seems to indicate that drinking water actually speeds up weight loss. Researchers in Germany found that subjects of the study increased their metabolic rates (the rate at which calories are burned) by 30 percent after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water. Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that banishes bloat as it flushes out sodium and toxins. Make sure that you are starting your day with a big glass of water and drink throughout the day not just all at one time.

7.  Soy beans: Either frozen in bags or dry-roasted
How: Soybeans contain lecitin, which helps your body keep your cells from accumulating fat. If you don’t have the time to steam them frozen, you can snack on dried or roasted ones.

8. Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Sardines
How: These fish all contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides being incredibly healthy, seem to affect metabolism.  Omega-3s alter levels of leptin, a hormone in the body which directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat.  Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found only in fish oils. Fish oil increases the levels of fat-burning enzymes in your body and decreases the levels of fat-storage enzymes. It’s also been shown to boost your metabolism by as much as 400 calories per day. Fish like mackerel, salmon and trout are great sources of omega-3, but you can also take capsules (take at least 300mg).

9. Lean Proteins: Lean Beef, Chicken and Turkey
How: All lean meats help to speed up the metabolism and burn more fat simply because they require so much energy for complete digestion. Studies have shown that people who follow a high-protein diet burn twice as many calories after a meal as people who follow a high-carbohydrate diet.  In addition, eating protein helps to preserve muscle mass during weight loss, keeping metabolism running at full speed. Rev up your fat-burning engine with this bodybuilder favorite. Countless studies have shown that protein can help boost metabolism, lose fat and build lean muscle tissue so you burn more calories. A 3-ounce serving of boneless, skinless lean turkey breast weighs in at 120 calories and provides 26 grams of appetite-curbing protein, 1 gram of fat and 0 grams of saturated fat.

10.  Spicy Peppers: Jalapenos, Habaneros, Chili peppers
How: Studies show that the chemical compound capsacin, found in peppers, speeds up your heart rate and metabolism.  Eating a very spicy meal can actually speed up the metabolism by about 25 percent for up to 3 hours.  Keep Tabasco sauce on the table to spice up everything from scrambled eggs to soup to pasta. 

11.  Pistachios
How: Studies show that pistachios fight weight gain by slowing down rises in blood sugar levels and curbing hunger.  Nut consumption in general is associated with a lower body mass index and has not been associated with weight gain.  Pistachios have a significant amount of protein and are among the highest fiber nuts which slow down digestion, and keep you feeling fuller longer than low-protein, low-fiber snacks.  You also get a lot of nuts for a one ounce serving which helps psychologically.  For a 1-ounce portion of pistachios, you get 49 pistachios versus only 23 almonds and 18 cashews (in an equal one ounce portion). 

12.  Apples and Pears
How:  Overweight women who ate the equivalent of three small apples or pears a day lost more weight on a low-calorie diet than women who didn’t add fruit to their diet, according to researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. Fruit eaters also ate fewer calories overall. So next time you need to satisfy a sugar craving, reach for this low-calorie, high-fiber snack. You’ll feel full longer and eat less.

13. Soup
Eat less and burn fat faster by having a bowl of soup as an appetizer or a snack. According to a Penn State University study, soup is a super appetite suppressant because it’s made up of a hunger-satisfying combination of liquids and solids. In the study, women chose one of three 270-calorie snacks before lunch. Women who had chicken and rice soup as a snack consumed an average of 100 fewer calories than those in the study who opted for a chicken and rice casserole or the casserole and a glass of water.  Just make sure to avoid soups made with cream or loaded with pasta or potatoes.  Aim for broth based soups filled with vegetables for a low-calorie and filling meal or appetizer. Miso soup, vegetable soup and bean soups are all great options.

14. Broccoli
How: Study after study links calcium and weight loss. Broccoli is not only high in calcium, but also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts calcium absorption. This member of the nutritious cabbage family also has plenty of vitamin A, folate and fiber. And, at just 20-calories per cup, this weight-loss superfood not only fights fat but also contains powerful phytochemicals that boost your immunity and protect against disease.  Try it chopped in your salad, or sautéed and used in an omelet or as a side dish.

15. Garlic
How: Garlic is a blood thinner but also seems to have the ability to break down fat. Most people can take it or leave it, but by adding garlic to your diet, even in amounts you cannot detect, will help you in your fat-burning goals and get a number of other benefits. Garlic is also a diuretic.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.  She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

By Melanie Schuman Rattigan

On my first trip to Guatemala with Hearts in Motion, I worked with a team focusing on orthopedic surgery. We hit the ground running. 

The day after our arrival we started pre-screening surgical candidates in a tiny room of the clinic adjacent to Zacapa Hospital. Green walls, little natural light, little artificial light. The surgeons carefully evaluated patients and a surgery schedule for the next four days was taking shape.

A prosthetist came down to make artificial limbs — a new project spurred by a desperate need. I first saw him making casts for a little girl — she couldn’t have been much more than 18 months old — who burned both hands in a pot of masa. 

(This is a food staple made of corn and often cooked at home to make a paste for tortillas). She was missing several fingers and soon the tears would be gone and she’d learn how to use her prosthetics.

Click here to see more photos from Guatemala

It was on this trip that I met two very special siblings — Carla and Marlin Lopez.  They both had severely bowed legs yet their five other siblings did not.  They were generally happy children and mom Sonia was thrilled about the prospect of surgical correction, which is something the state health care system would not provide.

It was a long and complicated surgery and both could not be done in the same trip. Two doctors, a nurse anesthetist and an OR surgical tech operated on Carla, the older of the two. From a lay perspective, it was hammers, drills and chisels. I wasn’t sure how I’d react having never witnessed surgery, let alone something so noisy to the untrained ear.  It was fascinating. The surgeons knew there was a possibility that future corrective surgery might be necessary, but the following year she was thriving. She came to thank us that next October when her brother underwent the same procedure.

Clubfoot is another common ailment often correctible with surgery. But I met one special family that trip that we couldn’t help. A mother and child both have dwarfism and the child’s surgery was too complicated for our team to perform in Guatemala as it involved her knee and leg. In cases like this, the director Karen Scheeringa-Parra and the in-country H.I.M. volunteers work with doctors in Guatemala and the states to try and find a solution.

In just four days, over 40 orthopedic surgeries are usually performed.  An additional day is needed for post-op rounds. Now there is a full rehabilitation clinic built by H.I.M. donations that operates year-round as well as a prosthetic clinic operated by the Range of Motion Project. The clinic has a full-service lab and uses recycled materials including gently used limbs and braces. Guatemalans would not otherwise have access to artificial limbs if not for organizations like this. Work continues even when the group returns home.

Melanie Schuman Rattigan is a coordinating producer for the FOX News Channel. Hearts in Motion is a non-profit 501 (c) 3, non-denominational organization that focuses on the needs of impoverished children and families.  It’s predominant focus is in Central and Latin America, but it also has several programs in operation in the United States. You can find out more information at www.heartsinmotion.org.

I want to know what you think.

Eight states are considering passing legislation that would require random drug testing for people to receive food stamps, unemployment benefits or welfare.

Click here to read the article, “States Consider Drug Tests for Welfare Recipients”

Supporters of this legislation feel that it’s necessary in response to an ever-growing population of Americans applying for government-funded aid as a result of the economic downturn. These lawmakers feel it would help to identify the potential health risks and the probability of those receiving aid getting back on their feet when the economy turns around — and that it would also send a clear message: In America, you don’t get something for nothing.

Why not get tested? Millions of Americans are drug tested at random for their jobs every day — the same Americans whose taxes are funding government assistance programs like food stamps, unemployment and welfare. And as American citizens, we need to take responsibility for our own well-being and that of our families.

Now, I’m not getting down on the millions of Americans who may be down on their luck, or for whatever reason, must rely on government aid to help them through tough times while they try their best to get back on their feet. But then if that’s the case, a random drug test should not be a problem, right?

But there are two sides to every argument — and there may be a couple of questions worth asking when considering this proposal …

What about the unintentional effects that limiting aid to a family — especially one with children — may have in failing to provide them with necessities as basic as food on their plates? We don’t want to punish the children for their parents’ actions. But then, in some cases, with severely drug-addicted parents, how can we be sure that the money is going to support the children, rather than to support the habit?

Just last year, a contest in southern California called “There Ought to Be a Law,” yielded a disabled 16-year-old winner whose life challenges inspired his proposal of legislation to mandate random drug testing for all pregnant women on welfare. R.J. Feild was born weighing just 2 pounds, 2 ounces with traces of heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, alcohol and cocaine in his system due to his mother’s drug use while she was pregnant.  And while the “R.J.’s Law” never made it into legislation, it brought to light an important issue.

But then what happens to people who test positive for drugs while on public assistance? Would the states flat-out refuse help forever, or would they help them get into a rehabilitation center to kick the habit? Right now, most states can’t even meet their Medicaid requirements for people to get routine health care. Perhaps a better plan might be to pump the government aid they would normally receive directly into rehabilitating them.

So I’d like to know what you think, because at the end of the day, we’re the ones funding these programs.

Dear Yvonne,
Do you have any recommendations for people who want to wait a while before having sex or who, for moral/religious reasons, want to wait until they are married? Does this limit intimacy? Does this mean you have to date only other people who abstain?
—Heather

Dear Heather,
Outercourse is a term used for pleasuring possibilities that don’t involve vaginal-penile or anal intercourse. Depending on a couple’s definition of abstinence, these behaviors may include:

• Sensual massage
• Mutual masturbation
• Erotic talk, for example, via phone or e-mail
• Strip-teases
• Kissing
• Showering or bathing together
• Sharing sexy fantasies
• Engaging in role plays that don’t involve intercourse
• Dry sex (also known as “dry humping”) 

As far as if these options limit intimacy, it can be argued that in some ways, in a physical sense, yes, they do. But these experiences can be intense, if not orgasmic. As far as true intimacy goes, abstaining does not limit intimacy.  Being intimate with another goes far beyond being physically intertwined. True intimacy is about feeling a deep connection with someone’s heart and soul, and that energy coming back at you. Physical interactions only enhance the feelings of closeness that comes with knowing someone’s private nature. Sex, when it happens, only gets more amazing with it.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

How do water and fiber help make certain foods more filling?

If a food is considered to be energy dense, that means it has a lot of calories in a small amount of food. On the other hand, foods with low-energy density pack the same number of calories into a much bigger serving size. Two things that add bulk to a food without adding calories (and therefore make it more filling) are water and fiber.

Many fruits and vegetables have high water and fiber contents, making them the ultimate low- calorie filler.  As well, foods that are high in fiber, such as whole-grain products, can take longer to digest, making you not only feel full, but for a longer period of time. High-fiber fruits such as apples, strawberries and blueberries consist of at least 80 percent water. Carrots, zucchini and spinach are also high in fiber and water.

What kinds of healthy foods are most satiating?

Fiber: Anything containing fiber is your best bet. Fiber slows down gastric emptying, allowing you to feel fuller for a longer period of time after a meal.  High-fiber foods have little effect on increasing serum glucose levels. Since fiber is indigestible, it adds no calories to your diet.  Adding fiber-rich foods to your meals bulks them up (think larger, more filling portions), without adding excess calories.  Fiber allows you to feel fuller and more satisfied even on fewer calories, making weight loss easier to achieve.

Carbohydrates: Focus on eating complex carbohydrates which have more fiber and nutrients, and typically fewer calories, for example; whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals and brown rice.

Water: Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume, but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water, and has just 39 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water, and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.

Fruits: Another prevailing source of fiber is fruits. Fruits have fiber, vitamins and minerals, and satisfy a sweet tooth without excessive calories (60 calories per serving).  Choose fruits with the most amount of fiber.  Opt for high-fiber fruits like an apple, pear or berries.

Vegetables: Vegetables are also low in calories (25 calories/cup), and high in fiber, vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Some high-fiber options include broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, artichoke hearts and hearts of palm. Remember: The more fiber a food has, the fuller you will feel on fewer calories.

Protein: Researchers at the University of Washington found that people who eat a 30 percent protein diet ate 441 calories less each day than those on a 15 percent protein diet. This includes foods from both plant and animal sources. The best choices are those that are high in calories, but low in fat. Always select lean proteins like fish,  white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products and egg whites. Protein such as legumes, beans, peas and lentils, are also good sources of fiber.

Can you suggest any strategies that might help a person who is concerned with his or her weight achieve fullness without loading up on unhealthy food choices? 

Hunger can be a major obstacle for many people who are trying to lose weight. But incorporating foods into your diet that give you more bang for your buck can be a strong strategy for beating hunger pangs.

Fiber and protein are the two nutrients that take the longest to digest.  It is this perfect combination of foods that keeps your serum glucose levels consistant, leading to improved energy throughout the day.  In addition, since fiber has 0 calories per gram, and protein has 4 calories per gram, you are guaranteed the least caloric intake with the most food itake. 

Eating 3 meals and a snack a day keep your metabolism working throughout the day leading to more calories burned daily.  Eating at regular intervals also helps to keep your sugars from dropping too low, therefore avoiding the symptoms of hypoglycemia, which tend to lead to overeating.

Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based, vegetable-filled soup or a large salad with a small amount of low-fat or fat-free dressing. Research from Penn State shows that people who eat soup and salad at the start of a meal wind up taking in fewer calories all day than those who skip them. These foods take longer to eat and curb your hunger. This will ultimately prevent you from overeating your main dish as well as night time overeating.

It may be difficult for some people to recognize when they are actually “full.” What are some signs that indicate fullness/satiety?

One can begin by thinking about how you are feeling while you are eating. This takes a conscious effort. Once you’ve eaten some of your food, consider asking yourself some of these questions:

• Is my hunger beginning to settle?
• Does the food still taste good?
• After a few more bites, am I beginning to feel satisfied?

Try stopping about halfway through to determine if you’ve had enough.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.  She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

An 18-year-old Romanian woman named Alina Percea has decided to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder to pay for college.  She follows in the footsteps of other young women who have also put themselves up for sale, including England’s Rosie Reid in 2004 and Carys Copesake in 2007.   Meanwhile, here in America, Natalie Dylan, 22, is offering her virginity through Dennis Hof’s Las Vegas Bunny Ranch. 

Percea is looking for $73,000, enough to finance her education.  Dylan hopes she can net $1 million.

I think we’re going to see more and more of this.

What’s going on, psychologically?  I believe that young women (and young men) increasingly see themselves — even what most of us would consider their most intimate selves — as commodities, for sale to the highest bidder.  Their lives are no longer their own, you see.  They are spliced and diced into Facebook profiles, YouTube postings and a bleeding of their individual identities into an onslaught of celebrity culture.  They have been coaxed to turn complex questions about who they really are and what they really feel into simpler ones about which entertainer they most want to emulate.  Their thoughts turn into text messages that float away into cyberspace, along with an unhealthy dose of nude photos of themselves called “sexting.”  Seen this way, Alina Percea and Natalie Dylan aren’t really selling any part of themselves, because they may be so detached from their inner selves — their souls — that they aren’t really showing up to hand anything over to the highest bidder.  They are actresses playing themselves, in this case the role of prostitute.

It isn’t just the media and the Internet that fuels this loss of genuine self.  We haven’t looked at the psychosocial implications of sperm and egg donation, for example — the abandoning of any emotional connection to many millions of our offspring.  Is it so surprising to see young women selling their virginity when the majority of Americans would think little of them selling their ova?  Do we worry over men selling their sperm?

Might there be a connection between Natalie Dylan auctioning off her virginity and Nadia Suleman (Octomom) turning herself and eight innocent newborns into media celebrities via in vitro fertilization?

The trouble is that Percea and Dylan are the outlandish, media-worthy examples of the phenomenon.   Much more commonly, we will see young people turning up to “play” employee and “play” student and then “play” mother and “play” father.  They’ll be acting, too — looking the part, but untouchable.  Try to reach them, for real, and you could find yourself getting one-liners back that sound like they were harvested from the latest sitcom or feature film.  And they will have been.

The separation of real self from the face one presents to the world is the growing place for depression, anxiety, drug abuse and violence.  As the distance between fantasy and reality shrinks, the pain of being cut off from ourselves and from others will be increasingly felt.  It always is.  We can expect an epidemic of psychological disorders.  Why?   Because, like it or not, we remain vulnerable, fragile, truthful souls at core.  We remain human.

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com or e-mail him at info@keithablow.com.

My “beef” with a study just released in the Archives of Internal Medicine on the supposed dangers of red meat is not with the study itself, but with the conclusions that we might too easily draw from it.

We are a society that looks for bad guys. Rather than improve our overall diet and exercise more regularly, and live a healthier lifestyle, we look for culprits, health criminals that we can blame.

Cigarettes are an obvious target, and cigarettes deserve our medical scorn. Alcohol too, though in recent years we have been trying to give limited amounts of alcohol a respected place (not entirely successfully) in a healthy lifestyle by pointing to its affects at improving circulation. Red meat, on the other hand, has always been seen as unhealthy, though acceptable in limited amounts.

Now along comes a new study from the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health published in the Archives of Internal Medicine looking at how half a million men and women ages 50 to 71 showed a modest increase in mortality from cancer, heart disease and other causes associated with high portions of red meat and processed meat.

The study attempted to control important variables such as exercise and overall diet, but in my opinion, it is very limited because of its survey design. It’s not prospective or randomized, despite large numbers. Epidemiological survey studies like these are preliminary; they need to be followed up by many vigorous, scientific studies before any firm conclusions are drawn.

Though white meat may be preferable, it is also not clear what may have caused the differences in mortality in the study. It may not be the red meat itself but could be the fat, or the steroids, antibiotics, and other chemicals we regularly pump into our meat.

Remember, red meat contains many essential vitamins, including C, D and B12, and is a major source of iron and protein. It is an important source of nutrition for many who would not or cannot afford to get it any other way. Red meat may be especially important for those who are anemic, and for pregnant women.

The bottom line here — red meat in moderation is still safe, but limit portion size and eat a well-balanced diet whenever possible. You can find the same kind of sage advice on the blog of our knowledgeable dietician, Tanya Zuckerbrot, and in the pages of The Hot Latin Diet, written by our esteemed health editor, Dr. Manny Alvarez.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”  Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

In today’s world, there are so many ways to fight the lines of time. But by far, one of the most popular is Botox.

Botox is basically a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum.  It was originally used to treat muscle spasms — but in 1997 it earned FDA approval for cosmetic treatment.  The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that there were more than 2.8 million procedures performed with Botox in 2008.  (Just more proof about how wildly popular this anti-wrinkle treatment is.)

A Botox Cosmetic injection can do a few things. It can help soften the overall look of your face and reduce the animation in some of the muscles in the upper part of the face. (This results in a younger, more youthful appearance.) It can also treat facial lines caused by repetitive muscle movement, which we frequently do in my practice. We also use Botox to help prevent new lines from forming. Common injection sites for erasing wrinkles and lines include:

• Glabella (region between eyebrows)
• Forehead
• Outer corners of eyes (crow’s feet)
• Either side of mid-chin, for down-turned mouth
• Neck, for neck bands or visible chords

We also use Botox to treat:

• Facial asymmetry or other facial conditions that result from muscle action; this is called “facial shaping”
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive perspiration); common injection sites are underarms, palms, scalp and soles of feet

Remember — An experienced injector makes all the difference

Today, people often take the wrong shortcuts when seeking facial rejuvenation with Botox and other injectables. If the injector administers too little Botox Cosmetic, the results will not be fully visible. However if the injector injects too much, the appearance can be a frozen or stunned look. On occasion there may be some unevenness, meaning that one brow is higher or lower than the other. This is easily corrected with a touch-up or the patient can wait for the toxin to lose its effect. Usually the patient will look better within a few weeks.

Keys to successful Botox Cosmetic treatment include going to a doctor that injects regularly.  Also, it is important to articulate to the physician your exact goals. For example, if you want your eyes to be more open, to look less tired or to raise your brows, be specific. It is always my advice to seek a more natural look and have some animation.

Alternatives?

In the battle against aging, there are several alternatives to Botox Cosmetic.  One such option is GFX, a radiofrequency procedure that lasts approximately 1 year or more. This is due to ablation of the nerves which cause muscular contraction of the glabella — more commonly known as the region between the eyebrows.  Other options include Reloxin and Puretox — neither of which is FDA approved.

http://www.fda.gov/WOMENS/getthefacts/botox.html

Dr. Neil Sadick is one of the most renowned dermatologists and researchers whose multiple discoveries have strongly influenced and transformed the future of dermatology. He is a Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and President of the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation. Dr. Sadick is author, or co-author, of more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has contributed more than 75 chapters of medical books. Read more at www.sadickdermatology.com.