Dear Mr. Brown:
We have never met.  I don’t presume to know your life story.  If the allegations against you are true, however, and you did brutalize your girlfriend, I do know something very important about you. 

First, you should know a little about me.  I am a forensic psychiatrist who has treated violent men and women and testified as an expert in state and federal courts in cases involving rape, assault and murder.  On more than one occasion, I have testified about the underlying psychological dynamics that resulted in men killing women.  I also wrote the New York Times bestseller Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson.  You would have been just 16 when Peterson was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Laci and unborn son Conner.  I tell you all this to increase the chances you might actually take what I have to say to heart before you ruin your life and destroy someone else’s. 

Here’s what I know about you, if you are guilty of the charges against you:  You are different from the vast majority of men.  You have been emotionally and physically violent toward a woman, and I believe you’ve done it before.  Men who find themselves in court for assaulting females rarely have the good fortune to be caught—and, hopefully, get help—the first time. 

Psychologically speaking, what you are up against is like psychological cancer—a malignancy that is life threatening and hard to treat.  Just when you think you’ve overcome it, it can overtake you.  It is deep in the marrow of your mind or brain or both.  I don’t like your odds against it—even a little bit.  Defeating it will take an act of will greater than any you have summoned before.

For one reason or another, you lack the empathy or impulse control that would have allowed you to restrain yourself from lashing out when anger surged inside you.  This is no small matter.  Empathy is a miraculous human quality that allows one human being to imagine the suffering of another and seek to minimize it whenever possible (not inflict it).  Impulse control is closely linked to having empathy, but can also depend on parts of the brain—especially the frontal lobes—functioning appropriately.  Impulse control also depends on being sober.  Alcohol or an illicit drug is often the culprit when violence erupts.

If you lack empathy, your character is badly damaged, and it is essential that you figure out how that occurred.  You need to examine which events in your life were so painful that you stopped feeling your own sadness and hurt and tried to keep everything buried inside you.   That doesn’t work.  The things you bury never go away, they get more intense, then spill out of you in ways you can’t predict or control.   Only a skilled therapist can help you look at yourself in the way you need to now, to unearth the emotions you’ll need to in order to have any hope of remaking yourself into the kind of man you deserve to be—a man of character who can form loving relationships, not abusive ones.  And only a psychiatrist can prescribe whatever medicine might be needed in the short or longer-term to help you keep your demons from getting the upper hand again while you wrestle with them.

Character pathology often goes hand-in-hand with alcohol and drug problems.  That’s because alcohol and drugs are another way people try not to feel the turmoil inside them.  But, trust me, it’s a sucker’s game.   Ultimately, booze or coke or heroin only fuel the ugly things inside a person.   If you’re using and think you can stop on your own, think again.  You’re in a war, and you’re losing.  Check yourself into a rehab, if you have to.  Get to AA or NA, if you have to.  Do more than you think you need to.  You’ll underestimate your enemy.  Every alcohol or drug abuser does.

Go see a neurologist, for good measure.  Tell him or her that you need to know if there’s any damage to your brain—maybe from prior head trauma—that could leave you without normal neurological defenses against your underlying anger. 

You’ll mount a vigorous defense in court, of course.   Nobody wants to go to jail.  But don’t defend against the truth you know in your heart of hearts.  Whatever unresolved rage is inside you isn’t under your control, and you’d better get the upper hand over it—and soon.  Someone could end up dead.  You could end up living a life behind bars.  You weren’t born for either tragedy.  You can do better.

One last thing:  Think about your children.  I know you don’t have any today, but you might some day.  Think about the fact that they’ll see your girlfriend’s battered face on the Internet years from now.  They’ll know what people said about you.  Let yourself feel some shame over that.  You’ll want to be able to tell them how much you’ve changed, how it wasn’t easy (because it won’t be), but how they, too, can defeat any ugliness they find inside them, if they don’t try to run away from it.

Turn and face the truth about yourself.  One day, with a lot of hard work, a lot of help and some luck, you could be proud of what you see.   It’s a noble goal—maybe the most noble of all.  Now is the time to embrace it.
 
-Keith Ablow, MD

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.

Barack Obama has just become the President of the United States, which is a 24 hour job, 7 days a week, for the next 1,460 days.  One may say becoming president is quite a stressful job.  Stress compromises our immune system which can ultimately result in cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and hypertension. Stress also increases heart rate and blood pressure, just to name a few. Also, stress can alter your blood sugar levels, leading to mood swings, fatigue and hypoglycemia. To avoid these risks, one essential ingredient Obama must fill up on is fiber. According to the American Dietetic Association the average American should be receiving 20-35 grams of fiber daily, but are currently only receiving between 9-11 grams.  Many studies have shown that increasing your fiber intake will reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential for President Obama.

Here are some tips to provide Obama the strength and ability to lead our country:

Fill up on fiber and protein.
Make sure every meal is a combination of fiber and protein.  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 consistent, 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 intake.  Eating small, frequent meals helps to stabilize blood sugar and keep energy levels consistent.  In addition, it helps to prevent you from becoming ravenous at night which leads to poor food choices and less portion control, which eventually leads to overeating. Lean protein like grilled fish, which is often a choice for Obama, helps to fill you up on few calories without filling your glycogen stores. Instead of legs and thighs, try buying chicken breasts, which will save you countless calories and unsaturated fat. Switch from chop meat to lean, ground turkey. Choose lean cuts of meat like sirloin and filet and steer clear of marbelized fat meats.

Eat more fruits and veggies.
While reports have said that Barak Obama enjoys high fiber veggies like broccoli and spinach, by simply adding more produce to his diet, he will find that he’ll begin eating less and thereby maintain a healthy weight without making any additional dietary changes. Filling up on fiber-rich vegetables and fruit adds bulk and satiety to any diet without excess calories. Plus, you’ll get the extra health benefits of crucial vitamins and minerals.  Some other fiber rich choices include cauliflower, artichokes, heart of palm, apples, berries and pears.

Don’t skip breakfast.
Although being President barely leaves one time to breath, Obama must take a minute to eat breakfast. Recent research shows that eating breakfast can actually help you shed pounds by jump starting your metabolism for the day. A breakfast consisting of fiber and protein is the ultimate combination because these nutrients will fill you up on the fewest calories. Switching from white bread to whole wheat as well as from white rice and pasta to brown rice and whole wheat pasta, will not only save you calories, but provide you with fiber and essential nutrients.  Some delicious and satisfying breakfast options include a high-fiber cereal (5 grams or more) with skim milk and berries or an egg white omlette with veggies and a slice of whole wheat toast.

Eat 3 meals daily. 
Although this may be difficult for someone who has to run a country, eating at least 3 meals and a snack daily is a must. Eating throughout the day helps to keep your blood sugar from dropping too low, therefore avoiding the symptoms of hypoglycemia which tend to lead to overeating. Having lunch mid-day is a great way to incorporate more fiber into your diet, as well as keep you feeling fuller, longer and prevent you from overeating at late-night meetings. Your best bet for dinner is to start with a broth-based vegetable soup and a small salad with the dressing on the side.  This combination helps to provide you with both protein and fiber, and fills you up while adding a minimal amount of calories. You’ll find that you will fill up quicker, and hold off temptations for seconds.

Enjoy snacks.
Since it’s wise to eat something small at least every 3 hours, having a snack isn’t an indulgence — it’s an important part of your diet. Eating small snacks can help prevent you from becoming ravenous throughout the day and into the night. Carb-only snacks raise your blood sugar quickly then cause it to drop below normal. When that happens, you tend to eat anything you can get your hands on. However, what you choose as a snack can make a big difference on your energy and your mood. And often what most people choose is too high in calories and fat and leaves you hungry soon after. Snacks should be between 100-200 calories, which is just enough to satisfy you without sabotaging your health. They should also be a combination of fiber and protein, since fiber and protein are the two nutrients that take the longest to digest and keep you full and satisfied on fewer calories. Sample snacks include, 1oz. of pistachios with 8 dried apricots, Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bar, or a pear with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

Don’t drink your calories.
Research shows that our bodies do not register calories from fluids.  Meaning that the amount of calories that your drink contains has absolutely no effect on your satiety level meaning your drink will not fill you up. Stick with calorie free beverages like unsweetened iced tea, water and Crystal Light flavor packets.
In addition, reports say Obama has a few favorite drinks and foods that he often can be found sipping or munching. These are all a great addition to any healthy diet. Some of these include:

Fiji Water: Water is important for all bodily functions, and staying hydrated helps fight fatigue while helping you stay in shape by avoiding any excess calories or carbohydrates. Obama can often be found sipping Fiji water. Fiji water is a smart choice because it contains naturally- occurring electrolytes for optimal hydration, unlike purified water which adds them.

Cuties: One of Obama’s favorite snacks is Cuties. These are small, simple, super sweet and seedless, making this a perfect snack for Obama to have while jetting on Air Force One or simply hanging with his girls in the Oval Office.  Cuties are the newest addition to the orange family. Two of these cute little mandarins contain 4 grams of fiber, 400 milligrams of potassium and 300 percent of the daily value of vitamin C.

Pistachios: While consuming all types of nuts can lead to an excess of calories, with pistachios you get more bang for your buck.  A 1 oz. serving of pistachio nuts is equivalent to 160 calories and 49 nuts.  This is compared to 23 almonds or 18 cashews for the same amount of calories. Not only are pistachios a great source of both fiber and protein, but they also contain antioxidants and vitamin B6, which studies have shown to be a stress fighter. Although nuts do contain healthy fats which are believed to lower cholesterol, eating straight from the bowl can easily lead you to munch through 1000 calories. In a recent study done at Eastern Illinois University, researchers confirmed that people are more influenced by perception then hunger. When a group of people were given the same amount of pistachios, shelled and unshelled, they ate 45 percent less nuts when they had to open them. This small study shows that by making small changes such as choosing in-shelled pistachios, which slow down consumption time, one can curb calorie intake dramatically. Pistachios also contain the highest amount of fiber compared to most other nuts, as well as heart healthy monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower cholesterol.

Spinach: This is a great way to combat stress. It is rich in beta carotene, which helps boost the immune system. The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A, which itself has anti-cancer properties and immune-boosting functions. Spinach also contains iron and folate which can help reduce the risk for heart disease.

Broccoli:  Another one of Obama’s favorite vegetables is broccoli. Nutrition experts at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say having a daily dose of vitamin C can help alleviate stress because it is a prevailing antioxidant used to keep the body healthy.  So continue filling up on broccoli and other high-fiber vegetables.

Protein Bars: Thank goodness for protein bars! These convenient, pre-packed, pre-portioned meals that are simple, mess-free and portable, are the perfect snack for the President of the United States of America! With so many different brands on the supermarket shelves, grabbing one while on the run is a simple way to satisfy your hunger… NOT SO FAST!!! Many of these “energy bars” although marketed as “healthy” are simply glorified candy bars. Gnu flavor and fiber bars are one of your best options. Gnu bars have less than 150 calories and 3 grams of fat, but contain 12 grams of fiber — nearly half of the daily recommendation. These high-fiber, low-fat bars are a savior when you’re in a car, at the office or the gym. Choose from any of their 5 tasty flavors including cinnamon raisin, chocolate brownie, peanut butter, banana walnut, and orange cranberry.

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.

The other day, while watching television, I saw a promotion for an upcoming series on A&E called “The Beast,” starring Patrick Swayze, and I said to myself, “Wow, he really looks great.” I felt very happy for him since I knew that he’s been battling pancreatic cancer for quite a while.

I thought that Patrick Swayze’s presence back on television would inspire people — especially those battling potentially deadly diseases themselves — and make them feel better about their prognoses.

Several days later, I saw a tabloid headline saying that Patrick Swayze’s health may be failing, and he was preparing himself for death. I read the story and just as I suspected, it had no facts. And I thought to myself “What a horrible thing to do to someone fighting the battle of their life.” So I was happy to see that now many media outlets are reporting the story was false, and Patrick Swayze himself has confirmed that the report was peddling false information.

It really baffles me why some people just want to report negative news — many times even fabricated stories — especially when talking about something as precious as life.

One of the great virtues necessary in the complex treatment of cancer — and many illnesses for that matter — is the ability for patients to accept their situation, but to never give up hope that they will beat it.

There are thousands of success stories of people surviving cancer. If you look at the statistics of most early-detected cancers, the survival rate is well over 50 percent. Even pancreatic cancer could have a survival rate, in some cases, of up to 25 percent.

It serves no purpose to have reports like this circulated by misinformed individuals, because it’s not only hurting the patient, but also the people who love them.

Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis, but there are many courageous patients who approach it with a sense of optimism that although they are embarking on the fight of a lifetime, in the end, they’ll win the war.

Watching the worried pundits on the FOX Business Channel for the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering, medically speaking, what the solution is going to be for all the stress that is sure to result from our flailing economy. It has been well documented that stress, including the financial kind, can lead to heart attacks, strokes, depression, suicide, and certain kinds of cancer.     

But as often is the case with health, a complex problem may lead to a simple solution. Coincidentally, in the middle of all our worry, a new study was published that shows the positive effects of touch.

*  A new study from Utah researchers published in Psychosomatic Medicine shows that warm touch decreases stress hormones and lowers blood pressure. The study looked at married couples ages 20 to 39 in their own environment and found that massage, touch, hugging, kissing, had these effects and also increased the calming hormone oxytocin. A key positive feature of this study was the non-laboratory setting. Criticism of previous studies on stress and touch have included concerns about the artificial environment of the laboratory.

*  According to the American Hospital Association 37 percent of hospitals in the U.S. use complementary and alternative treatments including touch therapy. This policy is growing, and may help improve disease outcomes.

*  Previous studies from Miami (Touch Research Institute) show that massage and relaxation therapies enhance mood and immune function for women with breast cancer. The institute has also published data revealing faster growth in premature babies, a better tolerance of pain, lower glucose level in diabetic children who were frequently touched.

*  Another interesting study from Virginia showed a decrease in fear, danger, and threat responses in the centers of the brain when women touched the hands of their husbands while experiencing pain.

* Petting dogs has been shown to be calming, to lower stress, and to have a positive impact on immune function and the fight against disease.

I am advocating touch as a treatment for stress, but there is a downside. Of course touch increases the risk of spreading many bacteria and viruses. And with cold and flu season right around the corner, I am compelled to add that while you are hugging and stroking to compensate for your worry, make sure to wash your hands afterward.

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

Tales of traders throwing themselves out of windows on Wall Street in the wake of 1929 were essentially myths, as John Kenneth Galbraith noted in his 1955 account of the crash.

Nevertheless, current economic woes are clearly impacting on our country’s mental and physical health. Stress is a well documented cause of depression, suicide, heart disease, stroke, predisposition to infection, and certain kinds of cancer.

Stress is often subliminal, it may overtake you before you realize it.  The last thing a person in financial trouble needs is to be simultaneously dealing with illness, yet stress-induced illness is common.
 
SOME WORRISOME EXAMPLES OF THE EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL TROUBLES:

* In New York, calls to the Hopeline network for people with depression or suicidal thoughts leaped 75 percent to 10,368 in the 11 months ending in July 2008.

* In Chicago, ComPsych Corp., the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs, logged 21 percent more calls seeking help for stress from financial pressures in July than they received a year earlier.

* Hospital admissions for psychiatric services are up 10 percent this year over last year in claims submitted to UnitedHealth Group Inc., the largest U.S. health insurer.

* ValueOptions Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. provider of behavioral health and wellness services, reported that calls for assistance with home foreclosures, bankruptcy and other financial hardships have grown 89 percent this year over 2007.

* Research based on 17 years of Pennsylvania unemployment records concluded that employees affected by a mass layoff at a plant were 15 percent more likely to die of any cause over the next two decades.

* Harvey Brenner, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, projects that rising unemployment could cause as many as 47,000 more deaths than would have otherwise occurred, including 1,200 more suicides, as well as nearly 26,000 more heart attacks.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT:

* Seek emotional support, from loved ones and if needed, professionals.

* Try to continue to focus on business as usual, and to avoid obsessive negative thoughts.

* Emphasize regular exercise, try relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, eat regular meals, and as much as possible, observe regular sleep habits.

* Consult with your physician if your fear over your financial future is spiraling out of control. Anti-anxiety medication may be necessary to break the cycle of worry.

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

Last week, Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute issued an advisory to his faculty and staff about the potential health risk of cell phones. He cautioned limiting the length of conversations, keeping the phones away from the head by text messaging and using headphones or speaker phones. Why is Dr. Herberman, a reputable cancer expert, concerned, when several large epidemiological studies in Europe and the United States have shown no association between cell phones and brain tumors?

Some reasons to be concerned:

     - A recent Danish study looking at women who used cell phones in the 1980s, when cell phones were much bigger and emitted more radiation, were more likely to have children with neurological or psychiatric problems than non-cell phone users.

     - Since cell phones have only been in common use for a decade, long term safety has not been established despite the fact that there are now more than 200 million cell phone users in the U.S. alone.

     - An ongoing multi-center trial in 13 European countries examining the cell phone use of more than 5,000 people with brain tumors appears to show an increased incidence in brain tumors in those who used cell phones. Further, the side of the brain affected appears to correlate with the side the cell phone was used.

Some reasons not to be concerned:

     - Cell phones emit radiofrequency waves, which lie on the scale of intensity somewhere between the radio waves emitted by your car radio and your microwave. RF waves have been well studied in animals and have NOT been found to damage cells or cellular DNA, generally considered a necessary precursor for cancer.

     – The overall body of evidence is still far on the side of no correlation between cell phone use and health problems including cancer. The epidemiological studies are relatively weak, and firm conclusions cannot yet be drawn.  NO study has shown a cause and effect, meaning that cell phones have NOT been shown to actually cause health problems in any specific cases. In the Danish study described above, for example, the increase in children who are developmentally delayed among women who used cell phones may have had more to do with the lifestyle choices of the cell phone using group, rather than the cell phones themselves (they may have been more anxious, slept and ate more poorly, drank more coffee, etc.)

What to do?

     - Long term studies need to be done, especially the most powerful kind – double blinded randomized trials which can really try to establish a cause and effect between frequent cell phone use and possible health risks.

     – In the meantime, overblown fear of cell phone use will do far more harm than good by creating an unnecessary distraction. People who talk while driving are already at greater risk of having an accident, and worrying about your cell phone will only increase that risk.

     – Cell phones are a key part of an unhealthy lifestyle. Americans these days are far too sedentary; we spend thousands of hours a month at our computers, or on our cell phones and BlackBerries, talking and texting. Even if the small amounts of radiation won’t kill us, the inactivity certainly might.

Marc Siegel MD 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 (Wiley 2005) and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic (Wiley 2006). Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

SPICE IS LIFE: One of the things that makes this diet so healthful is its use of herbs (fresh whenever possible) and spices that complement the ingredients and add depth without the fat. This trick–the less fat and more flavor trick–has been traditionally practiced in Latin America for centuries. It’s the technique of using sprinkles of cumin, oregano, and cilantro, which add not only taste but also health benefits. In fact, cumin, which is a great replacement for salt in many dishes, has been found to have ten times the antioxidant power of vitamin C. And it could also help protect against cancer.

Which brings me to my next powerfood on the list…CINNAMON!

A half teaspoon a day of cinnamon can lower sugar levels in your blood, and studies show that cinnamon can aid in the prevention of diabetes. Cinnamon is also high in antioxidants, not to mention flavor. You can sprinkle cinnamon on fruits or whole grains instead of sugar for a delicious treat. You will also benefit from its sensually warming and cholesterol-lowering qualities. First used medicinally in Egypt and India and in parts of Europe since about 500 BC, this spice is now part of many Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.

A man suffering from fatal melanoma was cured using an immune-priming experiment, which basically revved up his own immune system to fight off the tumors.

The treatment is new and has had mixed results. But doctors are encouraged by this man’s success.

The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on teas, supplements, creams and other products that falsely claim to cure, treat or prevent cancer even though they are not agency-approved drugs. All are available for sale on the Internet.

The agency has sent 25 warning letters to companies and individuals marketing these products, FDA officials said Tuesday. Twenty-three of the letters went to domestic companies and two to foreign individuals.

A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity.

Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper’s mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer’s or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age.

That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging.