Real Health Fall 2010

REALHEALTH THE GUIDE TO BLACK WELLNESS

How She’s Doin’ Media Queen

WENDY

WILLIAMS On Her Scary

Thyroid Disease Experience

FA L L 2 0 1 0 $ 2 . 9 9 U S REALHEALTHMAG.COM

IONIC THIS IONIC THAT Can These Styling Tools Really Help Heal Hair?

STEP OFF!

Walking Works

More Power to Her

Ouch!

WHEN SEX

HURTS

Find Out Why and Stop the Pain

PAM GRIER She’s a Cancer Survivor!

9

RH CONTENTS

20

16

4

editor’s letter

9

buzz

20 COVER STORY

how you doin’?

The bullying-suicide connection; HIV: test sooner not later and normalize sexual health issues; the ugly truth about the beauty industry; health apps go mobile; Alzheimer’s and those healing spirits

16

fitness

nutrition

Track calories to lose weight; healthy food prepping made simple; does when you eat affect how many calories you gain?

18

24

sexual health

she did it her way

How film icon Pam Grier battled— and beat—cervical cancer

32

hair physics

Are those positives about negative ions true? PLUS: products we love and healthy hair tips you can try out at home.

36

Ask the sexpert; see your doctor if sex is more pain than pleasure

(WILLIAMS: COVER AND THIS PAGE) ERIC MCNATT; (ILLUSTRATION) ISTOCKPHOTO/TERESANNE RUSSELL; (CRUTCHES) ISTOCKPHOTO; (GONZÁLEZ) STEVE MORRISON

pure food

Clean up your diet and fuel your body with the best eats. PLUS: Don’t get dirty while dining out.

28

Workouts may be a pain, but don’t add inactivity to injury; get out of the gym: walking works

17

Talk show host Wendy Williams: Have you checked your thyroid?

thoughts

Let your passion bear fruit. PLUS: how one woman lost her job and found herself.

Contributor Question of the Month When you’re in a rut, how do you recharge your batteries?

I look for simple inspirations—an interesting novel, a new meal ingredient or just a different route to work. A small change in routine goes a long way to refresh, renew and recharge.

—Cristina González

reach out & click!

At realhealthmag.com, you can read more articles; access exclusive, online-only special reports; meet other health-minded black singles; and subscribe ($9.97 for four quarterly issues; you can also call 800.973.2376). Plus, sign up for the Real Health e-mail newsletter to get the latest black health news!

EDITOR’S LETTER REAL HEALTH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kate Ferguson

What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate

I

s it common practice for your doctor’s office not to contact you with exam results after you’ve had lab work done or taken screening tests? Seems so, according to a recent study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. And, since this is an editorial, include my two cents: The medical assistants at my gynecologist’s office routinely don’t call me with my lab test results.

Anyway, back to the study. Researchers reviewed the medical records of more than 5,000 randomly selected primary practice care patients, ages 50 to 69, from 23 medical offices.

Scientists found that out of almost 2,000 abnormal test results, there had been 135 instances where physicians had failed to inform the patient or document that the patient was notified.

The study’s lead author suggested that patients who don’t get a follow-up phone call about test results from their doctor should not automatically think no news is good news. Busy doctors’ offices are a breeding ground of errors, researchers said.

And sometimes patients don’t get their test results because the findings went astray and docs may not have seen them.

And then the study got personal. People on the research team said they had experienced

a doctor’s failure to communicate.

Diagnostic errors are the most frequent cause of malpractice claims in the United States. So, when doctors don’t communicate with their patients, mistakes like these can go unnoticed and lead to lethal results, researchers said.

In addition, what’s even more alarming is that doctors’ offices often don’t have procedures in place to ensure physicians review and respond to their patients’ lab results. Even electronic recordkeeping won’t eliminate mishaps if there’s no process in place to inform patients, scientists said.

After I heard about this study, I thought about all the Pap smears I’d had at my gynecologist’s office. And all the follow-up phone calls I’d never gotten about my test results.

I also remembered the many times I’d felt disconcerted and ill at ease after completing a test and several months passed with no word from the doctor. And it wasn’t only when I’d had an annual Pap smear.

On several occasions, I’d gone to my gynecologist to check on various problems I was experiencing. She’d run some tests, and sure enough, when I went to the desk to pay for the visit, the medical assistant would say I’d only get a call if they found a problem.

Those words never failed to chill me. I’d wonder if it was just a way to save money.

But then I’d think, Just how much does a crummy phone call cost these days?

But, guess what? If you ask for your test results, your doctor must cough them up.

Plain and simple, it’s the law.

Now I know what to do after getting tested or screened. I want to know what’s going on with my health—regardless of whether the news is bad or good.

JOAN LOBIS BROWN

Here’s to your health,

Kate Ferguson, Editor-in-Chief katef@realhealthmag.com

4 RE AL H E A LTH FA LL 2 0 10

I

realhealthmag.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jennifer Morton SENIOR EDITOR

Laura Whitehorn ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Cristina González ASSISTANT EDITOR

Willette Francis COPY EDITOR

Trenton Straube RESEARCHER

Kenny Miles INTERN

Lauren Tuck ART DIRECTOR

Mark Robinson ART PRODUCTION MANAGER

Michael Halliday PUBLISHED BY

Smart + Strong Publishers of POZ and POZ.com PRESIDENT AND COO

Ian Anderson

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Megan Strub COMPTROLLER

Dennis Daniel MANAGER, ADVERTISING SALES

Keith Dupont

ONLINE ADVERTISING MANAGER

Ryan Westbrook

DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Andrej Jechropov

WEB PRODUCER AND DEVELOPER

Eric Minton

VIDEO PRODUCER AND DEVELOPER

Carlos Moore

CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

Giovanni Vitacolonna OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Angel Gonzalez

CIRCULATION ASSISTANTS

Arnie Lewis, Kabrina McLaughlin CDM PUBLISHING LLC

Jeremy Grayzel, CEO

ADVISORY EDITOR

Sean Strub

ADVISORY BOARD

Lee SaintMartin, MS, IIPA, CN, ND, naturopath; Goulda Downer, PhD, RD, CNS, and Nutrition Services, Inc.; Yuan Wan, Licensed Acupuncturist and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Dr. Rachael Ross, MD, PhD, sexologist; Lovell Harris, MD, internist; Terrie Williams, mental health advocate; Xavier Artis, campaign creator, Stay Strong: Healing Starts With Us (HSWU) Issue No. 23. Copyright © 2010 CDM Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. If you are an individual or organization and would like to subscribe to Real Health, go to real healthmag.com or call 800.973.2376.

Send feedback on this issue to info@ realhealthmag.com or Real Health, c/o Smart + Strong, 462 Seventh Ave., 19th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Day 1 Of my next treatment regimen: KALETRA once a day with my other HIV medicines.

Ask your doctor if KALETRA once daily is right for you.

KALETRA once daily should not be given to children. KALETRA once daily should not be taken with efavirenz (Atripla® and Sustiva®), nevirapine (Viramune®), amprenavir (Agenerase®), nelfinavir (Viracept®), carbamazepine (Tegretol® and Epitol®), phenobarbital (Luminal®), or phenytoin (Dilantin®). There may be a greater chance of getting diarrhea with the once daily regimen compared with the twice daily regimen.

Use KALETRA® is a prescription anti-HIV-1 medicine called a protease inhibitor that contains lopinavir and ritonavir. KALETRA is used with other anti-HIV-1 medicines to increase the chance of treatment response in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. It is not known if KALETRA is safe and effective in children under 14 days old.

KALETRA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS and does not stop you from passing HIV-1 to others. You may still get opportunistic infections or other conditions that happen with HIV-1.

KALETRA Safety Considerations Do not take KALETRA® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, including lopinavir or ritonavir. Do not take KALETRA with certain medicines, as they can cause serious problems, death, or make KALETRA less effective against HIV. Some patients taking KALETRA can develop inflammation of the pancreas and liver problems, which can cause death. Patients may develop changes in heart rhythm, large increases in triglycerides and cholesterol, diabetes, high blood sugar, changes in body fat, and/or increased bleeding in people with hemophilia. Some patients may develop signs and symptoms of serious infections they already have after starting anti-HIV medicines.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free number (1-888-4PPA-NOW) or (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.

For additional information about KALETRA, call 1-866-KALETRA (1-866-525-3872) or visit KALETRA.com.

Please see Brief Summary on adjacent pages.

Model is for illustrative purposes only. ©2010 Abbott Laboratories Abbott Park, IL 60064 039-403018 July 2010 Printed in U.S.A.

DO NOT RE-SIZE Ad unit Project # must match this project # 039-403018

KALETRA® (kuh-LEE-tra) (lopinavir/ritonavir) Tablets KALETRA® (kuh-LEE-tra) (lopinavir/ritonavir) Oral Solution Patient Information What is the most important information I should know about KALETRA? KALETRA may cause serious side effects, including: • Interactions with other medicines.

It is important to know the medicines that should not be taken with KALETRA. Read the section “What should I tell my doctor before taking KALETRA?” • Changes in your heart rhythm and the electrical activity of your heart. These changes may be seen on an EKG (electrocardiogram) and can lead to serious heart problems. Your risk for these problems may be higher if you: ° already have a history of abnormal heart rhythm or other types of heart disease. ° take other medicines that can affect your heart rhythm while you take KALETRA. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms while taking KALETRA: • dizziness • lightheadedness • fainting • sensation of abnormal heartbeats See the section below “What are the possible side effects of KALETRA?” for more information about serious side effects.

Read the Medication Guide that comes with KALETRA before you start taking it and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

You and your doctor should talk about your treatment with KALETRA before you start taking it and at regular check-ups. You should stay under your doctor’s care when taking KALETRA.

Who should not take KALETRA? • Do not take KALETRA if you are taking certain medicines. For more information about medicines you should not take with KALETRA, please see “Can I take other medicines with KALETRA?” and consult with your doctor about all other medicines you take.

• Do not take KALETRA if you have an allergy to KALETRA or any of its ingredients, including ritonavir and lopinavir.

What should I tell my doctor before taking KALETRA?

KALETRA may not be right for you.

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you: • have any heart problems, including if you have a condition called Congenital Long QT Syndrome.

• have liver problems, including Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. • have diabetes.

• have hemophilia. People who take KALETRA may have increased bleeding.

• have low potassium in your blood.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if KALETRA will harm your unborn baby. Birth control pills or patches may not work as well while you take KALETRA. To prevent pregnancy while taking KALETRA, women who take birth control pills or use estrogen patch for birth control should either use a different type of birth What is KALETRA? control or an extra form of birth control.

Talk to your doctor about how to prevent KALETRA is a prescription anti-HIV pregnancy while taking KALETRA. medicine that contains two medicines: lopinavir and ritonavir. KALETRA is called • take KALETRA during pregnancy, talk with your doctor about how you can a protease inhibitor that is used with other take part in an antiretroviral pregnancy anti-HIV-1 medicines to treat people with registry. The purpose of the pregnancy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) registry is to follow the health of you infection. HIV-1 is the virus that causes and your baby.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency • are breast-feeding. Do not breast-feed if Syndrome). you are taking KALETRA. You should not It is not known if KALETRA is safe and breast-feed if you have HIV-1. If you are effective in children under 14 days old.

03-A387-Kaletra-CB-7.25x10.5(3).indd 1

CONSUMER BRIEF SUMMARY CONSULT PACKAGE INSERT FOR FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

a woman who has or will have a baby while taking KALETRA, talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby. If your baby does not already have HIV-1, there is a chance that HIV-1 can be passed to your baby through your breast milk.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Many medicines interact with KALETRA. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your doctor or pharmacist. Your doctor can tell you if it is safe to take KALETRA with other medicines. Your doctor may need to change the dose of other medicines while you take KALETRA.

Medicines you should not take with KALETRA. Serious problems or death can happen if you take these medicines with KALETRA: • ergot containing medicines, including: ° ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot, Ergomar, Ergostat, Medihaler Ergotamine, Wigraine, Wigrettes) mesylate ° dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Embolex, Migranal®) ° ergonovine, ergonovine and methylergonovine (Ergotrate, Methergine), ergotamine and methylergonovine ° Ergotrate Maleate, methylergonovine maleate (Methergine) • triazolam (Halcion®), midazolam hydrochloride oral syrup • pimozide (Orap®) • the cholesterol lowering medicines lovastatin (Mevacor®) or simvastatin (Zocor®) • sildenafil (Revatio®) only when used for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. (See “Medicines that may need changes” and “What are the

6/30/10 1:12 PM

DO NOT RE-SIZE Ad unit Project # must match this project # 039-403018

possible side effects of Kaletra?” for information about the use of sildenafil for erectile problems.)

• alfuzosin (Uroxatral®) Medicines that you should not take with KALETRA since they may make KALETRA not work as well: • the herbal supplement St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum) • rifampin (Rimactane®, Rifadin®, Rifater®, or Rifamate®) Medicines that may need changes: • birth control pills that contain estrogen (“the pill”) or the birth control (contraceptive) patches • certain anticancer medicines, such as nilotinib (Tasigna®) and dasatinib (Sprycel®) • certain cholesterol lowering medicines, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor®) or rosuvastatin (Crestor®) • certain other antiretroviral medicines, such as efavirenz (Atripla® and Sustiva®), nevirapine (Viramune®), amprenavir (Agenerase®) and nelfinavir (Viracept®) • anti-seizure medicines, such as phenytoin (Dilantin®) carbamazepine, (Tegretol®), phenobarbital • medicines for erectile problems, such as sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), or vardenafil (Levitra®) • medicines for tuberculosis (TB), such as rifabutin (Mycobutin®) • inhaled steroid medicines, such as fluticasone propionate (Flonase®) • inhaled medicines such as salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol in combination with fluticasone propionate (Advair®). Your doctor may need to change to a different medicine • medicines for gout, such as colchicine (Colcrys®) • medicines to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), such as bosentan (Tracleer®) or tadalafil (Adcirca®) • pain medicines, such as fentanyl (Duragesic®, IonsysTM, Fentora®) and methadone If you are not sure if you are taking a medicine above, ask your doctor.

• KALETRA tablets can be taken with or without food.

• If you are taking both Videx® (didanosine) and KALETRA: ° didanosine can be taken at the same time as KALETRA tablets, without food. ° take didanosine either one hour before or two hours after taking KALETRA oral solution.

• Do not miss a dose of KALETRA. This could make the virus harder to treat. If you forget to take KALETRA, take the missed dose right away. If it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Instead, follow your regular dosing schedule by taking your next dose at its regular time. Do not take more than one dose of KALETRA at one time.

• If you take more than the prescribed dose of KALETRA, call your local poison control center or emergency room right away.

• Take KALETRA oral solution with food to help it work better.

• If KALETRA is being used for your child, tell your doctor if your child’s weight changes.

• KALETRA should not be given one time each day in children. When giving KALETRA to your child, give KALETRA exactly as prescribed.

• KALETRA oral solution contains a large amount of alcohol. ° If a young child drinks more than the recommended dose, it could make them sick from too much alcohol.

Contact your local poison control center or emergency room right away. ° Talk with your doctor if you take or plan to take metronidazole or disulfiram. You can have severe nausea and vomiting if you take these medicines with KALETRA. • When your KALETRA supply starts to run low, get more from your doctor or pharmacy. It is important not to run out of KALETRA. The amount of HIV-1 virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may become resistant to KALETRA and become harder to treat.

How should I take KALETRA? • KALETRA can be taken with acid • Take KALETRA every day exactly as reducing agents used for heartburn or prescribed by your doctor. reflux such as omeprazole (Prilosec®) • It is very important to set up a dosing and ranitidine (Zantac® ) with no dose schedule and follow it every day. adjustment.

• Do not change your treatment or stop • KALETRA should not be administered treatment without first talking with your once daily in combination with doctor. carbamazepine (Tegretol® and Epitol®), • Swallow KALETRA tablets whole. Do phenobarbital (Luminal®), or phenytoin not chew, break, or crush KALETRA (Dilantin®). tablets.

03-A387-Kaletra-CB-7.25x10.5(3).indd 2

Avoid doing things that can spread HIV infection. KALETRA does not stop you from passing HIV infection to others. Do not share needles, other injection equipment or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them, like toothbrushes and razor blades. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

What are the possible side effects of KALETRA? KALETRA can cause serious side effects.

• See “What is the most important information I should know about KALETRA?” • Liver problems. Liver problems, including death, can happen in people who take KALETRA. Blood tests in people who take KALETRA may show possible liver problems. People with liver disease such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C who take KALETRA may have worsening liver disease. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these signs and symptoms of liver problems: ° loss of appetite ° yellow skin and whites of eyes (jaundice) ° dark-colored urine ° pale colored stools, itchy skin ° stomach area (abdominal) pain.

• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Some people who take KALETRA get inflammation of the pancreas which may be serious and cause death. You have a higher chance of getting pancreatitis if you have had it before. Tell your doctor if you have nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain while taking KALETRA. These may be signs of pancreatitis.

• Increases in certain fat (triglycerides and cholesterol) levels in your blood. Large increases of triglycerides and cholesterol can be seen in blood test results of some people who take KALETRA. The longterm chance of getting complications such as heart attacks or stroke due to increases in triglycerides and cholesterol caused by protease inhibitors is not known at this time.

• Diabetes and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Some people who take protease inhibitors including KALETRA get new or more serious diabetes, or high blood sugar. Tell your doctor if you notice an increase in thirst or urinate often while taking KALETRA.

6/30/10 1:12 PM

DO NOT RE-SIZE Ad unit Project # must match this project # 039-403018

• Changes in body fat. Changes in body fat in some people who take antiretroviral therapy. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the trunk.

Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known at this time.

• Increased bleeding for hemophiliacs. Some people with hemophilia have increased bleeding with protease inhibitors including KALETRA. • Increased risk of certain problems when you take medicines used for the treatment of erectile problems such as sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), or vardenafil (Levitra®) with KALETRA: ° low blood pressure. If you get dizzy or faint, you need to lie down.

Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, or have fainting spells. ° vision changes. Tell your doctor right away if you have vision changes. penis erection lasting more ° than 4 hours. If you are a male and have an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours, get medical help right away to avoid permanent damage to your penis. Your doctor can explain these symptoms to you.

• Allergic reactions. Skin rashes, some of them severe, can occur in people who take KALETRA. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a rash when you took another medicine for your HIV infection or if you notice any skin rash when you take KALETRA. Common side effects of KALETRA include:

How should I store KALETRA?

polyethylene glycol 400, hydroxypropyl cellulose, talc, colloidal silicon dioxide, KALETRA tablets: polyethylene glycol 3350, yellow ferric • Store KALETRA tablets at room oxide 172, and polysorbate 80. temperature, between 59°F to 86°F KALETRA 100 mg lopinavir and (15°C to 30°C).

• Do not keep KALETRA tablets out of the 25 mg ritonavir tablets: copovidone, sorbitan monolaurate, colloidal silicon container it comes in for longer than dioxide, and sodium stearyl fumarate. The 2 weeks, especially in areas where film coating contains: polyvinyl alcohol, there is a lot of humidity. Keep the titanium dioxide, talc, polytheylene glycol container closed tightly.

3350, and yellow ferric oxide E172.

KALETRA oral solution: KALETRA oral solution: acesulfame • Store KALETRA oral solution in a refrigerator, between 36°F to 46°F (2°C potassium, alcohol, artificial cotton candy flavor, citric acid, glycerin, high to 8°C). KALETRA oral solution that is kept refrigerated may be used until the fructose corn syrup, Magnasweet-110 flavor, menthol, natural and artificial expiration date printed on the label. vanilla flavor, peppermint oil, polyoxyl • KALETRA oral solution that is stored at 40 hydrogenated castor oil, povidone, room temperature (less than 77°F or 25°C) should be used within 2 months. propylene glycol, saccharin sodium, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, and • Keep KALETRA away from high heat. water.

Throw away any medicine that is out of KALETRA oral solution contains date or that you no longer need.

42.4% alcohol (v/v). “See How Keep KALETRA and all medicines out should I take KALETRA?”. of the reach of children.

KALETRA Tablets, 200 mg lopinavir/50 mg General information about ritonavir Manufactured by Abbott Pharmaceuticals KALETRA PR Ltd., Barceloneta, PR 00617 KALETRA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. for Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL The long-term effects of KALETRA are not 60064, U.S.A. known at this time. People taking KALETRA KALETRA Tablets, 100 mg lopinavir/25 mg may still get opportunistic infections or ritonavir and KALETRA Oral Solution other conditions that happen with HIV-1 Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL infection. Some of these conditions are 60064, U.S.A. pneumonia, herpes virus infections, and 2010, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections. * The brands listed are trademarks of their Medicines are sometimes prescribed respective owners and are not trademarks for purposes other than those listed in a of Abbott Laboratories. The makers of Medication Guide. Do not use KALETRA for these brands are not affiliated with and a condition for which it was not prescribed. do not endorse Abbott Laboratories or its Do not give KALETRA to other people, even products. if they have the same condition you have.

It may harm them.

This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

• diarrhea This Medication Guide summarizes • nausea the most important information about Ref: 03-A387-R8 • stomach area (abdominal) pain KALETRA. If you would like more • feeling weak Revised: June, 2010 information, talk with your doctor. You • vomiting 036-395112 MASTER can ask your pharmacist or doctor for • headache information about KALETRA that is • upset stomach written for health professionals. For more These are not all of the possible side information about KALETRA call 1-800effects of KALETRA. For more information, 633-9110 or go to www.KALETRA.com.

039-403018 ask your doctor or pharmacist. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers What are the ingredients in KALETRA? you or that does not go away.

Active ingredient: lopinavir and ritonavir Call your doctor for medical advice about Inactive ingredients: side effects. You may report side effects KALETRA 200 mg lopinavir and 50 mg to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. ritonavir tablets: copovidone, sorbitan monolaurate, colloidal silicon dioxide, and sodium stearyl fumarate. The film coating contains: hypromellose, titanium dioxide,

03-A387-Kaletra-CB-7.25x10.5(3).indd 3

6/30/10 1:12 PM

BUZZ

DÉJÀ VU? When relentless bullying at school pushed Massachusetts teen Phoebe Prince to commit suicide this year, many felt they’d heard this tale before. But how common is this tragic response to unkind schoolmates’ ugly behavior?

BY BRYCE R. COVERT

ISTOCKPHOTO/TERESANNE RUSSELL

D

espite all the media attention on bullying, teen suicides and antibullying legislation, the fact is that young people rarely commit suicide because of being harassed, says Carl Bell, MD, director of the Institute for Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago and president and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council. Such deaths are more common among clinically depressed youth, Bell suggests.

But without a supportive environment, many youths are unable to manage the stress bullying creates. As a result, they find themselves experiencing feelings of hopelessness that are symptomatic of depression.

That stress, coupled with the

depression it creates, according to a is found right in their own homes.

2008 Yale School of Medicine study, Family members can act as a child’s caused victims of bullying to be two to first defense against bullying, Zitoli nine times likelier to have suicidal says. And there are key signs that alert parents can spot. thoughts than other children.

For example: If a child who has Findings like these have pushed panicked state legislators, schools always been loving suddenly isn’t, and parents to find solutions to the that’s the first clue something is wrong, growing problem of bullying. But legis- Zitoli suggests. Other symptoms include lation may not prevent every child from children’s belongings disappearing and being harassed, says Andrew Zitoli, kids sporting injuries, which may mean principal of Millis Middle School in they’ve been in fights.

Parents can do a lot to protect their Millis, Massachusetts.

Zitoli’s school is located about 80 children, Bell advises. He recommends cultivating kids’ coping miles from South Hadley, the skills. Teach them to use their school where classmates bullied For kids, emotional intelligence to help Phoebe Prince, the 15-year-old bullying need not them negotiate with others. girl who committed suicide earlilead to And build their self-esteem to er this year. Prince was a victim suicide. empower them so they won’t of technology’s pervasiveness, a feel angry or depressed if bullyproblem Zitoli says has given children a whole new venue for spread- ing occurs, he suggests.

And it’s also helpful for children to ing rumors and gossip. “I call cell phones the weapons of mass destruc- participate in teamwork and activities tion,” he says. “Before [the new tech- that give them a sense of mastery and nology], kids could go home to safety. purpose, Bell says.

“You don’t have to raise the toughNow if someone doesn’t like something about you, they can call you a name est kids in America,” Zitoli says.

“Instead, teach them to be kind to and spread a rumor anonymously.”

But often help for school-aged kids everyone and avoid the drama.” realhealthmag.com

I

FA L L 2010 RE A L H E A LTH 9

BUZZ

Late-breaking News: The Real Viral Threat With HIV meds, positive people live full, healthy lives.

But what if you don’t know you have HIV?

U

nder the Obama administration, some abstinence-only programs are being replaced by comprehensive sex education—federally funded for the first time. One new effort, called the Personal Responsibility Education Program, channels $75 million a year to evidencebased programs teaching healthy relationships and other life skills.

But will these advances help stem HIV rates among black youth?

Not if the new programs don’t address the reasons kids have unsafe sex, says Cleo Manago, CEO and founder of the AmASSI Centers for Wellness and Culture in Los Angeles. “Sex education doesn’t go deep enough and is rarely taught in a way that’s relevant to students,” Manago told Real Health. “A lot of people know how sex is done.

But they’re not being trained to value themselves despite the sexualized culture.”

In a 2006 AmASSI study of black men who have sex with men (MSM), 85 percent knew how HIV is transmitted. Yet this population experiences disproportionately high HIV rates.

In Atlanta, Dázon Dixon Diallo, founder and president of SisterLove, a sexual health organization for women of African descent, says we’ll only reduce HIV rates when we “normalize sexual health” from an early age.

“We must reach a point where talking about human sexuality is as normal as [discussing] diet,” Dixon Diallo says. “You teach kids how to brush their teeth and to look both ways before crossing the street. We have to do the same thing with sexual health.”

—Diana Scholl 1 0 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

I

realhealthmag.com

0%

Since 2000, the percentage of babies who contracted HIV from their positive mothers in Denmark when docs used standard HIV treatment. The moms took HIV meds during pregnancy and labor, they did not breast-feed their bambinos and the newborns took preventive HIV medications.

Source: HIV Medicine, online edition

Wake up and get tested for HIV.

(BLACKBOARD AND ALARM CLOCK) DREAMSTIME

It’s improving. But will AfricanAmerican HIV rates get better too?

During the past 20 years, the drugs available for treating HIV have advanced with what seems like lightning speed. But in at least one way, we’re still back in the old days: trying to convince people to be tested for HIV so they can make use of those drugs.

HIV meds work best if a positive person starts taking them before the virus has had time to damage the immune system. But if people don’t get tested for HIV until they’ve had the virus for many years, the chances of starting meds with a strong immune system—and having the drugs boost a person’s health—plummet.

That’s why AIDS advocates and federal health agencies urge people to get tested.

But in many communities, including those populated by African Americans, the message isn’t getting through. Recent research showed that from January 1997 through December 2007, among nearly 45,000 people who started HIV care, more than half of them were late— meaning their lab tests indicated they should already have been taking meds.

Starting HIV medications after the virus has already damaged the immune system increases the risk of developing AIDS. Late diagnosis may also increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Get tested, get into care, and get well—now.

—Laura Whitehorn

BUZZ

Pretty Poison It’s time to face the ugly truth: Your cosmetics may be killing you.

L

ead in lipstick, mercury in mascara, who-knows-what in our latest must-have beautifier. Toxins come camouflaged in a variety of ways and cosmetics are no exception, says consumer advocate Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.

It’s a dirty little secret that the Food and Drug Administration neither pre-approves nor tests cosmetics. That’s left entirely to the companies themselves, meaning potential dangers can go unstudied.

So it’s up to you to get educated. Avoid the worst offenders, such as hair dyes and relaxers, nail polish removers and acrylics (the chemicals in their composition have been linked to cancer and reproductive

(WINE) DREAMSTIME/YUROK ALEKSANDROVICH; (LIPSTICK) DREAMSTIME/STANISLAV KOMOGOROV; (IPHONE) DREAMSTIME/DANIELE TAURINO

For Medicinal Purposes Liquor may help stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Researchers at the University of Valencia in Spain found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol seemed to delay the start of Alzheimer’s disease, especially among nonsmoking women, according to study findings.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia in those 65 and older, and the disease affects more than 5 million Americans.

Although scientists aren’t sure what exactly in alcohol provides the protection, they do know that spirits, particularly wine, have proven vascular and antioxidant effects. The potent fermented grape juice increases your HDL (a.k.a. “good” cholesterol) levels and protects the lining of blood vessels in your heart.

But before restocking your wine rack, note that researchers say they need more studies to determine if the amount or type of alcohol people drink conveys any additional health benefits.

If further studies confirm a beneficial relationship, the findings could help doctors develop dietary guidelines.

Until then, here’s to your health!

—Cristina González

complications). And opt for cosmetics that aren’t made using nanotechnologies.

Early studies show that some of these microscopic nanoparticles may be toxic. And because they can penetrate human cells unusually quickly and deeply, scientists are also concerned that nanoparticles might wreak havoc on the body.

Most important for your health, Malkan recommends keeping it simple: “Choose products with fewer ingredients and use few products overall.”

For more, visit cosmeticdatabase.com, which ranks more than 25,000 of the most toxic products. Remember: Your health is also a thing of beauty.

—Margaret Rode

20 20 out of

The number of lipsticks the FDA studied in 2007 that tested positive for lead.

Source: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Program Your Health Let cool apps transform your phone into a cutting-edge fitness tool.

Getting healthy can be as easy as reaching for your cell phone. Turn yours into a tool for health with these helpful applications. For starters, try GE’s Morsel. Each day, this tiny taskmaster sends you one easy-to-do challenge, such as “Don’t put extra salt on anything you eat today.” And for weight loss support, use Livestrong’s Calorie Tracker to note calories, meals and workouts.

But that’s not all. Now you can access your medical records too. MedeMobile from Medefile allows subscribers to download all their health information into one comprehensive medical file, accessible 24 hours a day.

And there’s something for moms-to-be too. Text4baby, from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, offers pregnant women one text-message tip each day for the first six days of the service Stay on and three tips during their pregnancy. New track moms get three messages each week until with the their child’s first birthday. Tips cover Morsel app. topics such as how to help tots sleep through the night, and the advice is available in Spanish too.

Finally, refresh and restart with Mayo Clinic’s de-stressing Meditation app. It uses musical chords and visuals of concentric circles to teach breathing exercises and help clear your mind.

—CG

FITNESS

WALK THIS WAY

Are you using injury as a crutch to avoid exercise?

Workouts: The Painful Truth Should you rest a sore ankle, or can you keep training through a minor injury?

“Rest doesn’t mean inactivity,” says Aaron Gewant, a physical therapist at New Jersey’s Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

First, take care of your injury, Gewant suggests. Follow the RICE method (rest, ice, compression and elevation) until swelling disappears and pain dissipates.

Once these signs of injury abate, measure your pain. On a scale of zero to 10, with zero equaling no pain and 10 signaling you need to go to the emergency room, your pain should never be above a four, Gewant says. If it is, see a doctor.

If it isn’t, it’s time to revise your fitness program and resume exercising.

If you’ve hurt your lower body (knees, joints, ankles), concentrate on lowimpact workouts, such as cycling on a stationary bike or rowing on a machine.

If you’ve hurt your upper body (arms), start by mimicking the exercise movement without resistance. If you can move (even with a little bit of tenderness), add 2- to 3-pound weights.

Once you’re able to complete three sets of 10 repetitions without the slightest twinge, ease into your normal workouts.

—Cristina González

Number of people who visit the emergency room each year because of a recreational sports or fitness injury.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

1 6 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

I

realhealthmag.com

But did you know that a walking workout can still get your heart pumping and muscles working?

Walking workouts provide a ton of benefits. They improve overall fitness, decrease cardiovascular risk of disease and boost bone density and mental health, says Julie Bishop, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics surgery at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

To cash in on all these benefits, you should walk 20 to 60 minutes, three to five days each week, Bishop says. And it’s easy to get started. Simply buy a pair of walking shoes (replace them every six months), choose a route, decide on distance and intensity and head outside.

Before you get to stepping, though, warm up with a three- to five-minute stretch. End your walk with another round of stretches. And follow the “rule of 10s,” Bishop says. Pick one of three areas (distance, intensity and duration) and increase it by 10 percent each week.

If you don’t have time to commit to a longer walk right now, increase your intensity to still get great benefits. When time permits, build up to longer walks.

But what’s most important, Bishop says, is to have fun walking!

—CG

(CRUTCHES) ISTOCKPHOTO; (WOMAN) DREAMSTIME/NIKOLAY MAMLUKE

Let’s be real. A strenuous gym workout isn’t for everyone.

NUTRITION

Calorie Countdown A little food mathematics can add up to lost pounds.

C

ounting calories isn’t easy, but it can lead to a leaner you.

Not sure how to get started?

No worries. Just follow these basic principles.

If you want to burn more calories, exercise to build muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest, says clinical nutritionist Tara Coleman.

Because men have a higher percentage of muscle mass, they typically have a higher metabolic rate than women— that is, men burn more calories at a faster rate. That is why the average caloric intake requirement for men each day is 2,300 to 2,500 calories and only 1,800 to 2,000 for women.

But while you can’t change your gender, you can jump-start your metabolism. Simply add more cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging and cycling, to your daily

13

routine, and watch what you eat.

“When it comes to weight loss, a pound of fat is 3,500 calories,” Coleman says. “If you want to lose a pound a week, just eat about 500 less calories each day.”

Once you’ve reached your ideal weight, it’s important to eat enough calories to maintain it. In other words, don’t burn more calories than you eat.

To find out the specific number of calories you need each day, you must calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the rate you burn calories when your body is not in motion—for example, while sitting or resting. But to calculate the most accurate RMR, you have to head over to your local fitness facility or make an appointment with a nutritionist.

The number of extra calories each day that can cause you to pack on one pound in one year.

Source: Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services

COOKING RIGHT Get the most from your meals with these tips.

(CALORIES) DREAMSTIME/JENNIFER PITIQUEN; (CLOCK) DREAMSTIME

Fried foods may taste good, but the combination of oil and batter pack on extra calories and fat. These low-calorie and low-fat preparation methods will help your food retain nutrients without compromising taste.

—KN

FOOD

Weight management may not be quick and easy, but it can be less challenging if you start counting calories, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. And you won’t need advanced calculus to do it.

—Kat Noel

PREPARATION

BEST COOKING METHODS

Meat and Poultry

Don’t chew the fat. Trim visible fat off meat and poultry and remember to take off the skin, except when roasting a whole chicken or turkey. In those cases, leave skin on during cooking and remove before eating.

Take it low. Grilling, broiling, roasting, sautéing and baking are low-fat cooking methods that melt away the excess fat.

Vegetables

Clean it up. Thoroughly wash vegetables before eating. If they aren’t organic, peel off the skin and discard.

Full steam ahead. Vegetables retain more vitamins when steamed than when boiled. Also, slightly cooking veggies, such as carrots, zucchini and broccoli, helps them retain antioxidants.

Chow Time It’s not when you eat—it’s how many calories you consume.

“Whether you eat them at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., a calorie is still a calorie,” says Janet Brill, PhD, RD, LDN, nutritionist and author. “The magic formula for weight loss is just to eat fewer calories and burn more.”

You also have to consider what you eat and how much physical activity you get, Brill says. Why? Because these factors, combined with the total number of calories consumed, determine whether you gain, lose or maintain your weight.

For both health and weight control, Brill recommends eating small, low-calorie meals every three to four hours plus two snacks throughout the day.

—Willette Francis realhealthmag.com

I

FA L L 2010 RE A L H E A LTH 1 7

SEX

Ask the Sexpert Sexologist Rachael L. Ross, MD, PhD, a.k.a.

Dr. Rachael answers your questions.

Is Sex More Pain Than Pleasure?

These spoilers can cause hurtful penetration.

A

t some point in their lives, up to one fifth of women experience painful sex (a.k.a. dyspareunia). The condition is described as persistent and recurring pain that be felt in the vagina, clitoris or labia at any point before, during and after intercourse.

There are numerous reasons for this complaint, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Painful sex may be linked to women being post- or pre-menopausal, or it may be connected to some other internal problem.

In post-menopausal women, vaginal dryness often causes painful or uncomfortable sexual intercourse. Vaginal lubricants, long-acting vaginal moisturizers or vaginal estrogen can alleviate this problem. Among pre-menopausal women, vaginitis (any infection or inflammation of the vagina) and other vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, trichomoniasis and chlamydia, can cause painful sex.

But if you feel pain beyond the vagina, other internal reproductive conditions could be the culprit. For example, if you’re pre-menopausal and the pain is higher up in the pelvis—particularly if it occurs with a partner’s deeper thrusting—then pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis or fibroids may be the cause.

Women with endometriosis (a painful condition that occurs when uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus on other organs or structures in the body) can have problematic scar tissue removed, or they can use hormonal contraceptive therapy. But those with pelvic inflammatory disease require antibiotic therapy.

Number of women If you’re experiencing painful sex, consult who experience your gynecologist.

After all, for sex to be genital pain before, healthy, it’s about during or after sex. pleasure, not pain.

—Willette Francis Source: Mayo Clinic

15

1 8 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

I

realhealthmag.com

Some will argue that sex is a basic human need, while others will tell you that they can do without it. An estimated 40 percent of women and 35 percent of men report a loss of sex drive at some moment in their lives.

Whether you are a man or a woman, your desire to have sex varies depending on what is going on in your life. Most people assume that a lost libido is related to hormones or an illness of some sort. However, sexual activity begins in the brain with attraction and arousal, and it is completed through a complex interplay of touch, thoughts, emotions, hormones and timing. If any one of these things is blocked or lacking, it will zap your desire to have sex.

In order to jump-start your libido, make a conscious decision to have sex regardless of what is going on in your life. After that first deep kiss or sensual touch, desire will kick in and sex can be explosive whether you initially wanted it or not.

(COUPLE) ISTOCKPHOTO/JORGE DELGADO; (ROSS) COURTESY OF RACHAEL L. ROSS, MD

I am 35, and my partner wants to have sex all the time. For some reason, I never have the same desire. Is this normal, or is something wrong with me?

Updated guidelines* include starting HIV medicines at 500 or less T-cells.

I thought as long as

I felt okay, I didn’t need treatment.

Now I know, for me

TREATING HIV SOONER, IS BETTER.

Considering HIV treatment earlier may improve your chances of living a healthier life. Starting HIV medicines when your T-cell count is 500 or less is one of several factors to consider, because it may help preserve your immune system and possibly avoid some long-term complications. Talk to your doctor today about a plan that may lead to a longer, healthier life.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP. GO TO

hivtreatmentispower.com * Depar tment of Health and Human Ser vices ( DHHS )

Š 2010 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UN5137 07/10

A17451_1a_SizeA

Pg4

A17451x01D_Ads_300ucr.tif

OVER THE

TOP

BY KATE FERGUSON PHOTOGRAPHS

BY ERIC MCNATT

When celebrated talk show host Wendy Williams experienced the “scary stare” often associated with an overactive thyroid, the “Queen of All Media” bowed to her concerned family and saw her doctor.

2 0 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

W

hen she first began losing weight 10 and a half years ago, Wendy Williams thought she’d scored a blessing. The pounds simply melted away—so what if it left her drenched in sweat. That was a small price. “I thought, thank God, my metabolism has finally caught up to my ravenous appetite,” Williams recalls. “I loved the way I looked. But besides the sweat, my eyes looked popped out a lot. It was brought to my attention by my family, so I went to the doctor.”

As it happened, Williams was due for a follow-up visit to her doctor anyway. Previously, she’d been given a D&C (dilation and curettage) to clear her uterine lining after suffering a miscarriage. When she arrived at the doctor’s office, her physician took one look at her, stood behind her and felt her throat. (This is where the thyroid gland is located. See the sidebar on page 23 for more about this small but important gland.)

When the doctor finished examining Williams, she told her to book an

appointment with an endocrinologist to have her hormone levels checked.

As the doctor continued the checkup, she asked Williams if she’d been through any stress lately.

Williams replied that she’d started a new job after an ugly ending to her old one. “My doctor told me most likely the stress had triggered the thyroid condition,” Williams says. “[My weight loss] wasn’t my metabolism catching up. It was hyperthyroidism.”

Hyperthyroidism includes a number of diseases caused when the thyroid gland secretes too much thyroxine, a type of hormone. Why this happens doctors don’t know, but some of the risk factors for hyperthyroidism include age, gender, genetics, stress, pregnancy and smoking. Those with hyperthyroidism are also affected by iodine levels in the body. (Our bodies use iodine to make thyroxine.)

In Williams’s case, she had Graves’ disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism. When people have Graves’ disease, their immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid

GETTY IMAGES

Wendy Williams was ecstatic when she first lost weight years ago. Then she learned thyroid disease had triggered the transformation.

gland, resulting in an overproduction of thyroxine.

Williams experienced other tell-tale signs of Graves’ disease, such as hot flashes and unexplained weight loss. She also believes that this thyroid disease possibly contributed to her thin-hair problem. “I’d say that thyroid disease probably has about 25 percent to do with my hair being thin overall, even though I was born with thin hair and a majority of it is inherited,” Williams says.

Hair problems, along with the other symptoms Williams experienced, are common signs of Graves’ disease.

“People with an overactive thyroid have warm, moist skin and fine, silky hair,” explains Leonard Wartofsky, MD, MPH, an endocrinologist and chairman of the department of medicine at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. “It may sound nice, but their hair falls out more rapidly because it’s abnormal hair. These patients also have difficulties with conception and are prone to miscarriages.”

The extra thyroid hormone makes you feel warm instead of cold, and you perspire a lot. It also makes the heart race and speeds digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, which causes diarrhea. Thyroid disease—both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism (when the thyroid gland is underactive and doesn’t produce enough thyroxine)—affects women five to eight times more than men.

And hyperthyroidism affects the body on every level, even sometimes causing abnormal behavior. “Hyperthyroid people may get married or divorced inappropriately because of poor judgment,” Wartofsky says.

For Williams, being diagnosed with an overactive thyroid couldn’t have come at a worse time. “I was in between miscarriages,” she shares, “but my husband and I wanted a baby—we were on a mission.”

Before Williams knew about her thyroid condition, she struggled through a very public departure from her job with a former employer, Hot 97 WQHT-FM (a popular hip-hop and R&B radio station based in New York City). “That is the precise time that my thyroid went wack-a-doodle,” Williams recalls. “By the time I settled into my new job in Philadelphia, I’d gone through a one-month court battle and then had a miscarriage without knowing I was pregnant.”

That is the precise time that my thyroid went wacka-doodle.

Once Williams received the diagnosis from her endocrinologist, she chose to undergo a single-dose treatment that uses radioactive iodine (dissolved in water or encapsulated) to destroy the overactive thyroid cells. Once this type of treatment kicks in, the thyroid gland becomes underactive. Patients must then take a thyroid hormone pill each day for life and remain under a doctor’s watchful care.

Williams went to the hospital to get treated. She was allowed to come home immediately after the treatment.

But her doctor cautioned that she could only have brief contact with family members.

These precautions are necessary to reduce the amount 2 2 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

Wendy Williams in the dressing room of her New York City studio.

of radiation exposure to family and friends coming from the treated person’s neck. “You can’t sleep next to your husband or be in the same room with him,” Williams says. “I was sequestered in the garage for about 48 hours.”

After the treatment addressed her thyroid disease, Williams and her husband resumed their babymaking mission. She became pregnant, but after she had her son, she had to re-do the treatment when her thyroid gland became reactivated. Once again, the radioactive iodine treatment worked.

Today, Williams pops one tiny pill each day to keep her thyroid condition stable. She also watches what she eats to keep her iodine intake in check.

The reason Williams monitors how much iodine she gets from food is because the body uses this nutrient to make thyroxine. Thyroid patients on Levoxyl (the med Williams takes) have to make sure any additional iodine from food does not interfere with the drug.

“I have a pretty reasonable diet,” Williams says. “I eat a little bit of everything—nothing in excess. But the med does affect what I can do to lose weight. I can’t afford for my metabolism to start racing, so I can’t take diet pills, and I stay away from energy drinks.”

Williams also tries to keep an eye on the built-in tensions that come with an entertainer’s busy life.

“We have to watch our stress so we don’t create health problems for ourselves,” Williams advises. “You know,

high blood pressure, thyroid disease or whatever.

Fortunately, right now, I don’t take any other medications so there’s nothing interfering with my thyroid treatment.”

Besides the radioactive iodine treatment Williams chose, doctors also treat Graves’ disease with prescription meds that reduce the production of thyroid hormone or block its actions. And if these treatments fail, doctors can remove the thyroid gland altogether.

Right now, Williams is excited about the opportunities her TV show and her reputation for straight talk give her to speak out about issues she finds important, such as thyroid disease. What made her go public and speak out about this personal issue? She wants to challenge both women and men to get their thyroid glands tested to make sure their hormone levels are balanced.

Before you think about going on a diet for weight loss or weight gain, check your thyroid, Williams says. If you want to know why you’re always feeling hot, check your thyroid. “I’m 46 years old, so a woman my age may think she’s going into early menopause when in actuality she may have thyroid disease,” Williams says. “It’s just a very important thing to check. And if it goes untreated?

Well, you know, all kinds of scary things can happen.”

Such as? First off, there’s that bug-eyed effect and “scary stare” that Williams experienced, which, she says, prompted actress Daryl Hannah to make “an offcolor comment” about her eyes when Williams hosted a series of specials on VH1.

“I said to her, ‘I have thyroid disease. It produces a

BALANCING ACT The thyroid gland is often described as being shaped like a bow tie and small in size. But the importance of the gland in maintaining the body’s equilibrium is huge.

Touch the front of your neck. Right below the skin and muscles there you’ll find the thyroid gland.

This gland is one of eight contained in the body’s endocrine system. (The others are the pituitary, pineal, parathyroids, thymus, pancreas, adrenals, and ovaries or testes.)

Endocrine glands produce the lion’s share of the body’s hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that deliver instructions to our body’s cells.

Comparable to special assignment agents, endocrine system hormones control many

scary stare!’” Williams exclaims, recalling that mortifying red-carpet moment. But she chooses not to dwell on that incident or Hannah’s response. Instead, Williams drops the name of another well-known woman who shares her condition. “Probably one of the most famous people with Graves’ disease that we know is Barbara Bush, the former first lady,” she says.

This eye disorder exhibited by Bush, Williams and other Graves’ disease patients is called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It happens when tissues and muscles behind the eyes swell and push the eyeballs forward.

Williams’s treatment eliminated her bug-eyed stare.

She now gets her eyes checked once a year by an eye doctor who specializes in thyroid disease. At some point, Williams says, she may want an eye job because she is now in the public spotlight more than ever. “If I decide that I need a tune-up on my eyes—because good black does crack!—I can’t go to a plastic surgeon who does good breasts or good stomach,” she says, tossing off the comment with her signature sass. “I’ve got to go to a doctor who specializes in thyroid disease.”

If Williams does elect to have the procedure, we expect she’ll broadcast the details to the entire world— and we’ll all get educated during the extravaganza.

When asked if there’s anything else she’d like to say to Real Health readers, Williams pauses for a moment then leans close. Putting a little bass in her voice, she proclaims: “How you doin’?”

The trademark, tongue-in-cheek question is followed by a sparkle in her eye and that big, throaty, unforgettable, divalicious Wendy Williams laugh. ■

of the body’s critical life processes, such as growth, reproduction, immunity and homeostasis (the body’s ability to maintain a balance of internal functions).

Thyroid gland hormones play a critical role in bone growth and the development of the brain and nervous system in children.

In adults, the gland regulates other crucial functions, such as metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

When the thyroid gland is either underactive or overactive, thyroid disease results. An underactive thyroid means that the gland fails to provide enough thyroxine, a hormone. This disease is called hypothyroidism. If the gland is overactive, it spills too much thyroxine into the bloodstream, causing hyperthyroidism. Both conditions wreak havoc on the body in major and minor ways.

Some symptoms of thyroid disease include gland enlargement (called a goiter), depression, weight gain or loss, nervousness, depression, irritability, fatigue,

muscle weakness, dry skin and eyes, hair loss, protruding eyes and irregular menstrual periods.

Because these symptoms mimic those of other illnesses, thyroid disease is hard to diagnose. Doctors must administer special tests to check for it. And even then, says Kent Holtorf, MD, an endocrinologist and medical director of the Holtorf Medical Group, standard thyroid testing is not a simple science.

Thyroid hormone levels are very individual and complex, and often doctors need to run additional tests beyond the standard ones. When these challenges are combined with some doctors’ egos and a lack of time for quality individualized care, patients suffer, Holtorf says.

Thyroid gland testing and treatment require physicians who are dedicated to finding what’s right for each patient. And if your physician isn’t open-minded and willing to pursue solutions that are in your best interest, advises Holtorf, “Go find yourself another doctor.”

—KF

FA L L 2010 RE A L H E A LTH 2 3

CLEAN

YOUR

PLATE Some say the typical American diet is “dirty,” that it leads to obesity and an addiction to salty, sugary and refined convenience foods.

But cleaner options abound—just eat more pure and natural foods that are both nutritious and delicious.

BY GERRIE E. SUMMERS

Apeligeni sim simaxime possus atempos molore acepratet officid mil is dus, conseri

Charles began eating this way when he found out he had high blood pressure. As his sedan sits in traffic in midtown Manhattan (enough to send anyone’s blood pressure soaring) he extols the benefits of cooking with healthier oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, and eating a diet rich in whole grains and legumes. He purchases fresh market vegetables and liquefies them—stems and all—in an industrial-strength juicer for a daily green tonic. Whether he knows it or not, Charles is part of a popular movement that supports eating “clean,” that is, consuming unprocessed food not usually found in a bag, box or can.

These whole, unprocessed, natural foods don’t contain man-made ingredients or unnecessary additives, says dietitian Diane A. Welland, MS, RD. But African Americans consume less of them than all other ethnic groups.

Ironically, these are precisely the kinds of foods African Americans and other minorities should eat because these populations tend to have a higher risk of almost all diet-related diseases compared with whites.

These diet-related illnesses include high blood pressure, heart 2 6 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. African Americans in particular have a higher rate of high blood pressure (hypertension) because of obesity and diets that are high in fat and sodium. And blacks also eat fewer fruits and vegetables than all other ethnic groups, according to the Office of Minority Health. But eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, along with getting regular physical activity, can help lower the risk of these diseases.

What’s unhealthy is that a huge portion of African-American cuisine consists of age-old, traditional meals many know best as “soul food,” which tends to be heavy on meat and loaded with sodium.

Interestingly, soul food includes collards and other greens, legumes, and beans and rice, which are actually healthy stuff. But our cooking methods rob these foods of nutrients and make African-American diets high in fat and low in fiber.

“Many of these types of foods can be adapted to a healthier style of eating, without the dishes losing their cultural heritage,” says Welland, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide

(PREVIOUS PAGES) DREAMSTIME/OTNAYDUR

Charles, an employee for a New York City car service, hears a lot of stories— and offers a lot of advice. Whenever passengers mention asthma and high cholesterol, he rattles off a list of wholesome foods for them to try. The Haitian-born driver only eats fresh, clean foods that he prepares at home.

to Eating Clean. “For example, ovenfried chicken or fish can be just as juicy and delicious as the deep-fried version, but with much less fat.

Collard greens are an excellent example of a perfect dish for clean eaters, [but only if] made with low sodium chicken broth without the bacon or ham hocks.”

Reducing the amount of salt also allows the true taste of the vegetables or meat to shine through, Welland says. “As you decrease salt, sugar and fat, your taste buds will adjust and become accustomed to this style of cooking and eating.

After a few weeks, you may even find you prefer these lighter foods over the traditional dishes.”

Welland suggests that if blacks would return to their AfricanAmerican cooking roots, they’d find that many of the dishes were braised and stewed. “These kinds of cooking methods are lighter and more in line with the clean-eating lifestyle,” she says. “But they take more time.”

So how do we purge our diet of refined, processed convenience foods and prepare more healthful, home-cooked meals? “Like anything, it’s best to start gradually and work your way up, growing into the lifestyle over time,” Welland advises.

“Think about it in small steps. This makes it a lot easier to do.”

To begin, start with something simple. “Get rid of frozen dinners, or drink water instead of soda,” she suggests. “Then switch to whole grain breads or brown rice followed by a focus on meats and vegetables.”

But change doesn’t happen overnight, Welland cautions. It also takes time for your taste buds to acclimate to less sugar, salt and fat.

Welland’s game plan calls for people to separate the whole and processed foods in their pantries and refrigerators. “Throw out processed foods, or box them and put them aside,” she says. “It’s all a matter of what works for you and your lifestyle. Tossing these foods will also make room for restocking your pantry with fresh, all-natural foods.”

James McKinney, 49, a program analyst for Homeland Security in Maryland, decided to use the clean-

foods diet concept to ditch extra pounds he carried and the high blood pressure medicine he took. “I was always feeling sluggish and just didn’t like what I was seeing in the mirror,” he says.

First, McKinney underwent a medical checkup and started an exercise program. “At the same time, I gave up all fried food and bread completely,” he says. “No chips, fast food or red meat.”

McKinney also began eating more fruits and vegetables. “It wasn’t that hard,” he says. “Once my mind-set was right, it became easier.”

Today, McKinney is 50 pounds lighter and has “energy through the roof.” McKinney says his entire family adopted his clean eating plan and have also benefited. “My wife was always a small woman, but wasn’t in the greatest physical shape,” he shares. “She’s also seen her energy level increase, [which] has sparked her to be more interested in physical activities.”

TO START A CLEAN EATING LIFESTYLE: 1. Choose whole, natural foods over processed foods.

Fresh vegetables, fruits and meat are the main elements. “Too many times people start out with processed or convenience foods for these main items,” Welland says.

“Start with fresh foods first.”

2. Choose unrefined over refined products.

Choose brown rice over white, whole grain flour over white and whole wheat or whole grain bread over white bread. And use less refined sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup and dehydrated sugar cane juice over white sugar.

3. Eat well-balanced meals.

Make sure each meal contains some carbohydrate, protein and fat. Instead of eating just an apple, grab an apple with a piece of cheese or a glass of skim milk. Another meal suggestion is whole-wheat pasta with vegetables and lean steak or a chicken breast. “If

you eat this way, meals will naturally be low in fat, sodium and sugar, with no one ingredient dominating another,” Welland says. “Typical American foods are high in fat and salt or fat and sugar. This is why many people who follow a ‘clean’ diet automatically lose weight, sometimes without even trying.”

4. Eat small portions, about five to six meals per day.

A good count for a meal portion is 500 calories, or less for snacks, Welland suggests. “Eating throughout the day prevents you from overeating at one meal and keeps your energy level up high all day long.”

5. Don’t drink your calories.

The number of liquid calories we down should total no more than 200 for a 2,000-calorie diet, Welland says. “Most of us drink about 21 percent of our calories,” she says.

“On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 400 calories. We should aim for half that amount.” Her suggestion for clean drinks? Unsweetened tea, sparkling water, skim milk and juices diluted with water or sparkling water.

6. Get moving.

Slowly add regular physical activity into your day. “If you can’t get to the gym, then take a walk at lunch or climb the stairs instead of using the elevator,” Welland says. “It makes a big difference.”

To avoid succumbing to handydandy convenience foods in a pinch, cook clean meals you can freeze and later reheat in the microwave, Welland advises. Create “go-to” meals for those times when you find yourself hungry and need something quick, she adds.

Mastery over this lifestyle is something that happens when you become accustomed to eating clean and become more proficient in the kitchen, Welland says. But it also takes commitment to yourself and a willingness to make an attitude adjustment.

“Sure, it takes more time to cook meals from scratch,” she says, “but you can always decide how much time you’ll devote to cooking.” ■

May I Take Your Order, Please?

How to stay clean when the menu pickings are slim James McKinney is “very picky” about what he’ll eat at restaurants and will “even forgo the meal” if there’s nothing that meets his clean-eating diet plan. But not everyone has that kind of willpower. These tips will help you stay on track while dining out, when the spirit is willing, but the flesh may be weak: ■ When going to gatherings at a friend’s home, bring a healthy dish that you can share with everyone.

■ Before office parties or other events, have a meal. You won’t be hungry later and tempted to eat something unhealthy during the soirees.

■ Carry healthy snacks, such as trail mix (that you make) to avoid the urge to grab a quick hot dog when you’re on the go.

■ When fast food is your only option, choose the healthiest options on the menu.

For example, at fast-food burger palaces keep it simple. “Skip the extra sauces and special accompaniments and especially skip the fries,” Welland says. “Opt for the fruit salad or fruitand-yogurt parfait. And choose unsweetened tea.”

But if all of the above fail, consider the forbidden foods part of your “weekly cheat meal”—a once-a-week meal that is not particularly “clean” but reserved for special occasions like parties or dining out.

—GS

BY KATE FERGUSON

t the time she experienced cancer, Pam Grier felt like it put her in limbo. People she knew were moving on with their lives, but not her. “It was the ’80s and everyone was buying a second and third home and moving into lifestyles that were fruitful,” she says. “I was thinking I would have that. It was time to get married, maybe have children, and it all came to a screeching halt. My life and my journey took another route, but it made me stronger.”

Even though her cousin, Krista, whom Grier considered an adopted sister, died of breast cancer, the news of her own diagnosis of cervical cancer came as a shock. “Other than my sister, there is no history of cancer in my family,” she says. “We think

hers was possibly from being a flight attendant because a lot of women became very ill working in those types of environments.”

In her recent memoir, Foxy: My Life in Three Acts, Grier spoke about coming to terms with Krista’s death and fighting for her own health after the diagnosis and related surgeries.

When she was told she had cervical cancer in 1988—the docs said she had 18 months to live—Grier had just completed a new movie, Above the Law (starring Steven Seagal). The film returned Grier to the big screen after a seven-year absence. But cancer cancelled her comeback.

What’s more, after Grier’s first surgery, her doctor found the cancer was more widespread than previously thought so she underwent a

CORBIS OUTLINE/ANDREW MACPHERSON

URVIVO Apeligeni sim simaxime possus atempos molore acepratet officid mil is dus, conseri

When people think about actress Pam Grier, many see the sexy, tough-talking, gun-toting badass characters she brought to life in ’70s blaxploitation flicks such as Coffy, Foxy Brown and Sheba, Baby. But few know about her real-life showdowns with sexual abuse and one of the most evil villains of all time—cancer.

GETTY IMAGES

SP RIN G 2009 RE A L H E A LTH 2 1

second procedure to remove more cancerous tissue.

After this second surgery, her doctor suggested she add Eastern medicine to the prescribed traditional Western drug treatment. She met with Chinese herbalists who provided her with a more balanced treatment, and she also researched various methods of healing.

Around this time, she saw a Bill Moyers documentary that showed a Chinese medical treatment dissolve a malignant tumor on a Chinese woman’s back. It was a revelation to Grier. “I resolved to use the proper positive thinking to investigate Eastern healing methods,” she says.

information about wellness and eating accessible to many more people, Grier says, but not everyone values it. “A lot of adults stop their education when they leave high school or college, and they don’t continue because they’re too busy working or raising children,” she says, pointing out that it doesn’t have to be that way. “Now children are being exposed to health and wellness advice. It’s great when families can learn about these things together.”

In her book, Grier also emphasizes the role that support from family, friends and even strangers played in her recovery. “There is nothing

realized that people often stigmatize sickness. “Many people cannot take care of someone or be around illness because they think they’re going to get it, or they’re ignorant or fearful,” she says. “Whatever the reason, they will abandon you and you have to survive on your own, which I did.”

What helped take the sting away, Grier says, is that her mother and friends visited her after the surgery while she recuperated in the hospital during a several-day stay.

“But it is time-consuming, and it’s not something everyone is prepared for.”

Essentially, cancer patients must

From left: Grier in Big Doll House; on the cover of Ms.; with Paul Newman on the set of Fort Apache, The Bronx: with Eddie Murphy on the set of Linc’s; with Snoop Dogg on the set of Bones; and Grier’s tattooed back.

Grier visited Chinatown and met a variety of people with different economic backgrounds who subscribed to Eastern medicine. “It was all new to me,” she says. “It was fascinating to me that so many people were so much more progressive and open than I had been. I learned a lot along the way.”

What Grier learned was that other cultures’ health theories could also benefit her. She retooled her eating habits and incorporated more organic foods in her diet.

She also started to practice yoga and include other health principles into her everyday routine. “I learned about thermal theory—that if you drink ice-cold water in the morning, it boosts your metabolism,” Grier says. “Simple things like that have awakened and informed my way of eating, and [now I use] moderation to minimize certain foods in the diet we know aren’t healthy.”

Today, the Internet makes valuable 3 0 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

better than waking up from your procedure,” she recalls, “and seeing friends who you think didn’t care in your room bringing margarita makers and ice and drinking tequila with your mom who’s sitting at the end of your bed—then a movie employer walks in, or Steven Seagal stops by and tells you he heard about what happened.”

Turns out, when Grier was in the hospital, radio broadcasters announced she was having surgery.

“People were calling,” she says. “I was wondering how they knew.”

But Grier’s experience was bittersweet because her diagnosis scared some people away. “My boyfriend at the time abandoned me,” she shares.

“After the first surgery, he said he was going to come, he didn’t. Then, after the second surgery, he said he was going to come and he didn’t.

When I bumped into him later, he said he was afraid of death.”

At first disappointed, Grier soon

have plenty of true grit. Grier steeled herself for a lengthy recovery period and took nothing for granted. “They usually say the average is about five years before you’re in remission.

But there are people who have been in remission for five or 10 years and their cancer returns, maybe even in another form,” Grier says. “So every day is a gift.”

In her bold, new book, Grier revealed another shocking bit of news delivered by her gynecologist. This was back when she dated Richard Pryor, the now-deceased comedian. The doctor said Grier had cocaine residue built up around her cervix and in her vagina (she speculates that Pryor, without her knowledge, could have put cocaine on his penis before sex—or that his seminal fluid could have contained the drug). Her doctor said the buildup

(HISTORICAL IMAGES) COURTESY SPRINGBOARD PRESS/HACHETTE BOOK GROUP

could create serious cervical and uterine problems. Eventually, Grier ended her relationship with Pryor because of his drug abuse.

Although the revelation sparked all kinds of snarky online comments, including a healthy dose of skepticism, doctors offer a more level-headed response. “As far as we know, there is no direct connection between cocaine and cervical cancer,” says Svetlana Kogan, MD, a board-certified internal medicine holistic physician in New York City.

But the surprising disclosures in the memoir don’t end with cancer and cocaine. Grier also dropped jaws by revealing she was a rape survivor.

“I felt that I might lose my family because of all the anger and pain I knew there’d be,” Grier recalls of the incident. “So as an obedient child, I didn’t say anything. I was traumatized by it, and after that I began to stutter. To this day, I still stutter when I speak.”

At age 18 Grier was raped again.

This time it was a family friend who violated her while they were on a date. Again, and for the same reasons she’d kept quiet at 6, Grier remained silent.

A few years later, Grier suffered an attempted rape, but this time she was able to fight off her attacker. “That third attempt was my moment of

Grier disclosed so much about her life, she says, because she wanted to share her experiences and get people’s attention. “When women share information, we have so much more communication with one another than men do,” Grier says. “I think [rape is] an area we’ve ignored, and now it’s time for us to pay attention.”

Through the years, Grier experienced sporadic incidences of sexual abuse. The first occurred when she was raped at the age of 6 by two boys while at home alone with them. (Grier’s aunt had left them temporarily unsupervised.) Grier told no one.

truth,” Grier says. “I was transformed into someone with this ‘fight to the death’ mentality. I didn’t care who was going to suffer. I just knew that I wasn’t going to [suffer], and from that day on I changed.”

By the 1970s, Grier says, she was finally empowered. At last, Grier more closely resembled one of those tough-talking, fierce-eyed femme fatales from her blaxploitation flicks days. “Women were beginning to stand up for themselves,” she says. “I’d experienced it firsthand.”

She faced down both sexual abuse and cancer—and survived.

How ya like Foxy now? ■

Iconic actress Pam Grier says she revealed intimate details in the memoir Foxy: My Life in Three Acts because she hoped her experiences would help empower women.

“We’ll Call You If Something Is Wrong” That’s usually the last thing women hear as they leave a gynecologist’s office after a Pap smear—the screening test for cervical cancer. But what if no one calls?

“I absolutely hate hearing this,” says Svetlana Kogan, MD, a board-certified internal medicine holistic physician in New York City. “As a patient, when my doctor tells me this, my answer is, ‘No, you fax me the results, or you have me come in to discuss the result.’”

A Pap smear is still the gold standard test for detecting cancer or abnormal cells that may lead to cervical cancer. In addition, the test can also find noncancerous conditions, such as infection and inflammation.

The test is key to helping doctors determine the likelihood that cervical cells are precancerous and that they will develop into malignant, irreversible mutations, Kogan says.

“If all women get regular screenings, we will root out this cancer 100 percent,” she says. “Doctors get an amazing and unique opportunity to treat this deadly cancer when we catch it early.”

Physicians get their first crack at cervical cancer when they look at Pap smears under a microscope. If they see precancerous cervical cells (called atypical cells), they know it’s important to order a colposcopy. A colposcope (a magnifying instrument) allows doctors to more carefully view the cervix and check for abnormalities that may make early cancer treatment necessary.

This is why it’s so important that women learn the outcome of their Pap tests, Kogan stresses. “Things can get lost in the shuffle [of a doctor’s office],” she says. Kogan’s advice? “Be proactive and get test results no matter what,” she says.

“Legally, doctors have to provide results to the patient.”

—KF

3 2 R E A L H E A LTH S P R IN G 2006

(POGUE) DUSTIN FENSTERMACHER; (CHILDREN) COURTESY OF ERIC POGUE

Are hairstyling tools based on ionic technology just blowing hot air our way?

the heat is on Question: Can negative ions really help heal your tresses?

BY WILLETTE FRANCIS

hen hair product manufacturers began using ion technology, Madison Avenue rejoiced. The ionic hair appliances, from blow-dryers to flatirons, offered a way to target health-conscious consumers.

The hype? That negative ions would help restore health to damaged hair.

But what exactly are ions?

Basically, they are atoms that, SP RIN G 2006 RE A L H E A LTH 3 3

stuff we love

Salon Tech Feather Light 2800 ($170) Tourmaline technology dries and conditions, simultaneously promoting hair’s natural shine.

These products are worth every cent.

Umberto Beverly Hills Repair Shampoo and Conditioner (12 oz., $8.99 each) and Treatment Masque (6 oz., $9.99) This intensive hair treatment trio repairs damaged tresses.

Blow’s Blow Out Spray (10 oz., $19.75) Prevents the frizzies and flyaways of blow-dried hairstyles.

Ouidad Double Detangler ($24) Aaah, perfectly spaced teeth and rounded tips are gentle on the scalp and detangle the thickest curls.

Umberto Beverly Hills ICU10 Ionic Ceramic Styler ($99.99) Its ionic- and ceramic-infused plates put the lock on moisture, sheen and hair’s natural oils.

Organix Shea Butter Smoothing Treatment (6 oz., $6.99) Defends against heat from blowdryers, curling irons and other hairstyling tools.

(FIRST PAGES: HAIR-DRYER) DREAMSTIME/SZEFEI

through chemical reactions, gain or lose an electron, giving them either a positive or negative charge. (Positive ions lose an electron, while negative ions gain an electron in order to achieve molecular stability.)

Negative ions provide the basic science behind ionic styling tools and products. “Hair carries a positive ion charge. When it’s heated, negative ions are produced,” says Ellin LaVar, owner of LaVar Hair Designs in New York City, and a stylist who has worked with celebrities from Iman and Oprah to Serena Williams. “The reactions of the positive and negative ions are believed to cancel each other out and cause the cuticle of the hair to become smoother.”

But there is no scientific proof that negative ions can smooth the hair cuticle, LaVar stresses. The heat and pressure from ionic heat styling tools (made of tourmaline, titanium or ceramic materials) hold the cuticle—the protective shingled layer of the hair shaft—flat, temporarily giving it a smoother appearance.

Product manufacturers claim their ion technology breaks down water molecules in the hair into fine particles that can penetrate the hair shaft and thus restore moisture to condition the hair. It’s this process, they say, that makes hair softer, shinier and smoother.

But LaVar explains that it’s the heat generated by the appliance’s metal material that determines how smooth the hair becomes. And hair care products also play a role. “Ionic styling tools all promise to make your hair softer, silkier and shinier,” she explains, “but they have the potential to do that because of their heating capability, not ionic technology.”

In addition, LaVar adds, if the hair is rough and damaged (caused by a breakdown of protein in the hair) to begin with, ionic styling tools won’t help. “Once hair is damaged, it cannot be reversed,” LaVar says. “But hair can be conditioned with protein-rich conditioner to help temporarily reseal the cuticle.”

The important thing, LaVar emphasizes, is that regardless of the type of heated styling tool you prefer, you should know how to use it correctly. “Any improper use, such as having the temperature too high, holding the appliance in one place too long and [overusing hot tools], will damage the hair,” cautions LaVar. She recommends using heat styling tools no more than twice a week to avoid hair damage.

To get the best results from these tools, LaVar gives a few but important tips: Smooth hair out with a heat protectant product (which will help straighten the hair faster) and blow-dry hair first (on a low setting) to relax waves or curls. In addition, work with thin sections of hair starting at the back, and apply heat from roots to ends while slowly moving the styling tool down the hair shaft (to allow heat to penetrate).

These steps ensure that hair straightens the first time you pass the heated styling tool over it. You won’t have to repeat the step, thereby limiting damage to each section.

Another important hair-protecting step is to properly care for your styling tools. “Wipe the plates of your flatiron clean with a damp cloth after use, and store them in a dry cool place,” LaVar says. “And never unplug tools by pulling their cord.”

Finally, fancy physics aside, LaVar recommends limiting your use of heat styling tools—of any kind—and teaming with a stylist. Doing so will help you minimize damage and maximize your hair’s health. ■

DOING DAMAGE CONTROL Quick tips to keep hair out of harm’s way.

The key to keeping hair healthy between salon visits is to use products that protect and nourish the tresses, says Johnny Wright, SoftSheenCarson’s artistic style director.

And don’t forget to also…

TALK TO YOUR STYLIST. While at the salon, ask about a hair care regimen suitable for your hair type, and a style that maintains your hair’s health.

GET REGULAR TRIMS. Many women are afraid to cut their hair while it grows out, but this can lead to breakage and splitting. Keep hair healthy with a trim every six to eight weeks to remove split ends.

USE A GENTLE SHAMPOO AND MOISTURIZING CONDITIONER. Often, women don’t wash their hair enough because they fear it will get dry and break off. Replenishing and fortifying shampoos and conditioners, such as the ones in the new SoftSheenCarson Optimum Care Salon Collection, promise to do just what their names say. They’re formulated to strengthen and protect the hair—and provide a salon-quality look at home.

OPT FOR AT-HOME RELAXERS WITH HAIR STRENGTHENING INGREDIENTS. Wright recommends the Optimum Care Collection Relaxer system, which offers exclusive, salon-quality breakage protection. The system conditions before, during and after the relaxing process, Wright says. It contains two packets of strength builders that rescue, replenish and treat over-processed hair to boost its health.

—WF

FA L L 2010 RE A L H E A LTH 3 5

THOUGHTS

A Dream Fulfilled Janice M. Williams turned her desire to teach into a satisfying career.

After I became a mother in 2008, the next year I lost my job as a strategy and business development professional.

That’s when I realized I had to find a more rewarding career.

Although I’d always wanted to make a difference with my work, somehow that goal eluded me. It had gotten to the point that when people asked me what I did professionally, I would tell them I made PowerPoint slides.

One day, during a church retreat, I asked one of the female elders to pray that God would How do you find your passion in life? reveal my gift. She asked Find out what makes you feel better me what I loved to do. about yourself and then follow your When I told her I loved to bliss, says Kirk Charles, a New Jersey– work with children, I felt based life coach and author of How to tears in my eyes. I’d done Unleash the Power Within. And give volunteer work with chilthought to these questions: dren, but I’d never worked with them full-time.

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN That fall, I became a THE MORNING? Tutor Doctor franchise Whatever moves you to action qualifies. owner in New York City.

(Hint: It usually kicks you into high gear.)

Now, I help students And, yes, for some people that includes get better grades while making money. helping parents get the academic support they HOW CAN YOU SERVE OTHERS? need for their children (or Some would say this is what life is all themselves). I feel like a about. Certainly, a feeling of warm proud “auntie” when I get satisfaction comes from helping your calls about my students fellow man. improving their SAT scores or getting acceptWHAT MAKES LIFE EXCITING? ed to one of the best This is something that gets your adrenaline schools in town or somepumping. Ever hear about being on a one passing a business “natural high”? Who needs drugs to get exam and being promoted. there? Not you.

I am so grateful clients trust me with their educaWHAT IS YOUR GIFT? tional needs. And, even Although this has much to do with natural though I often work eveability, you can develop skills. To plug nings and weekends seven into your passion, just make sure to use days a week, I love it. the gifts you’ve got.

—Kate Ferguson —As told to Willette Francis

Getting Unstuck To break out of the rut and transform your life, concentrate on what you like.

I

f living means just going through the motions, your life may need a tune-up. While such change may seem like a daunting task, all it may take is cultivating a new focus. These simple steps will get you started.

First, take time to meditate and reflect. Meet with a spiritual leader, trusted friend or life coach (check out coachfederation.org) and make an honest and blame-free assessment of your life. Realize you’re in control and have the power to change.

Next, decide what’s important to you, what goals you want to pursue and how they might affect your health, relationships and general happiness. Keep a journal; take career tests (for example, Myers-Briggs or Career Key); sign up for classes at your local YMCA; or check out meetup.org to socialize with new people and experience different things. The point is to find what inspires, motivates and nourishes you.

After you’ve decided what to do, then set small, achievable goals to help you succeed. To stay motivated, make getting there fun. And celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how trivial you think it is.

Finally, retain a sense of humor. The road to happiness is more easily traveled accompanied by laughter.

—Cristina González 3 6 R E A L H E A LTH FA LL 2 010

I

realhealthmag.com

ISTOCKPHOTO/JENNIFER BORTON

THE EXPERT SAYS

READER SURVEY

SPEAK YOUR MIND!

(And Win Free Stuff)

Win this DVD; get happy!

Two years ago, when a couple of Texas Tech University researchers studied what makes folks happy, they asked people about their satisfaction level with the things they had or wanted to have. What they found is that people who appreciate the things they have can be happier than those who continue to yearn for and accumulate more stuff. How happy and satisfied are you?

Tell us by filling in the survey below. To say thanks for the info, we’ll send five lucky readers a fitness DVD (suggested retail price $16), like the one pictured left.

To enter our drawing, take the survey at realhealthmag.com/survey or fill out this form and mail it to Real Health, c/o Smart + Strong, 462 Seventh Avenue, 19th Fl., New York, NY 10018 or fax it to 212.675.8505. For official contest rules, visit realhealthmag.com/survey/rules.

1. Name:_______________________________________________________ 2. Organization (if you represent one):______________________ 3. Street address:_____________________________________________ 4. City & state:_________________________________________________ 5. Zip code:____________________________________________________ 6. E-mail:_______________________________________________________ 7. Phone:_____________________________________________________ 8. What year were you born? __________

15. What is your ethnicity? ❑ American Indian or Alaska Native ❑ Arab or Middle Eastern ❑ Asian ❑ Black or African American ❑ Hispanic or Latino ❑ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander ❑ White ❑ Other

9. What is your gender?

16. Where do you get Real Health?

❑ Female

❑ I’m a subscriber

❑ Male

❑ My doctor’s office

❑ Transgender

❑ My church

❑ Other

❑ A community or college organization

10. What is your sexual orientation? ❑ Straight

❑ It was mailed to my home or office ❑ Other: _______________________________

❑ Gay or lesbian

17. Do you have Internet access?

❑ Bisexual

❑ Yes

❑ Other

❑ No

11. What is your marital status?

Please rate your level of satisfaction for each of the following based on a scale of 1 to 5:

❑ Single, never married

1 = extremely satisfied

❑ Single, divorced or separated

2 = fairly satisfied

❑ Married

3 = neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

❑ Unmarried, living together

4 = fairly dissatisfied

❑ Widowed

5 = extremely dissatisfied

12. Do you have children?

18. Your home

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

❑ No

19. Your financial situation

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

13. What is your annual household income?

20. Your job

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

21. Your love life

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

22. Your health

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

❑ $100,000 and over

23. Your friends

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

14. What is the highest level of education attained?

24. Your family relationships

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

25. Your hobbies

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

26. Your life overall

❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4❑5

❑ Yes

❑ Under $15,000 ❑ $15,000–$34,999 ❑ $35,000–$49,999 ❑ $50,000–$74,999 ❑ $75,000–$99,999

❑ Some high school ❑ High school graduate ❑ Some college ❑ Bachelor’s degree or higher

Fall 2010

Think your toothpaste is working?

Let’s take a look.

Ordinary TOOTHPaSTE After 12 Hrs.

After 12 Hrs.

Colgate Total® fights germs

for 12 hours.

#1 recommended most by dentists and hygienists.

* Dramatization illustrating reduction of plaque bacteria 12 hours after brushing with Colgate Total® vs. ordinary fluoride toothpaste. © 2010 Colgate-Palmolive Company