Shout Out Health

Take A Poll: 1, 2, 3... Have you ever had a 3-way?

UPDATED: OK, Brit's got a new album out today, Femme Fatale, and in honor of the occasion, here's another look at a Britney-inspired poll back in the day! Take it if you dare, and find out the very latest results (you might be surprised!) ...

It's the perfect time to inject some pop culture and sex into the conversation--inspired by none other than that lip syncing diva herself, Britney Spears--don't you think?

Brit's latest hit got the world talking about 3-ways, but have you ever done one? Or have you had so many, you've lost count?

This is not the place to be shy, tell all...

 

 

 

 

Your Daily Dose: VIDEO workout (get flexible!), Ellen's 'Dear Obama' letter, and More...

Don't have time to find today's hottest health headlines? Here's what making news as we speak (we opt for the upbeat or amusing, when at all possible, you can find all the bad news on CNN, right?)... Enjoy!

HORMONE THERAPY:  Happy Wednesday!  

I NEED A HERO:  Dear Barack: Ellen, Jane and Anne write a letter for gay marriage...

I NEED A HERO 2: Go, Meredith! Family Ties actress shares coming out video

MUST READ: HIV drugs' success hindering new research?

FITNESS: Whole body joint mobility, a daily video workout...

MIND BODY: Are your body's cells controlled by your perceptions of the world?

Mind Body: Why Doesn't Positive Thinking Always Work? Read this...

I was perusing Facebook this morning (hey, if it can help transform a nation, it's much more than the main 'character' in the Oscar-nominated film The Social Network, right?) and stopped at Candace Pert's page. I interviewed Candace for this blog, and her HIV research is groundbreaking and she's got to be one of the most brilliant people on the planet. I wanted to see what she's been up to.

This link below on Candace's page caught  my eye, and I'm glad I clicked on it. If you're like me, you take the mind body connection 
very seriously, yet sometimes find that 'positive thinking' falls flat, feels phony and doesn't always create that wonderful day or produce a desired result. Why not? Don't all the self help gurus tell us to think positive?

This is a marvelous analogy on why positive thinking can fall flat, from Dov Baron's Facebook page...he writes...

According to the brilliant Dr. Bruce Lipton in his book “The Biology of Belief” (2005), the subconscious mind processes 20,000,000 environmental stimuli per second verses 40 environmental stimuli interpreted by the conscious mind in that same second.

Think about this, it makes sense (and excuse my crassness, but I think it’s a really good model), “positive thinking” (i.e. affirmation) is kind of like Saran Wrap over dog poop. The Saran Wrap will cover up, possibly disguise the smell, however, it won’t get rid of the “poop” itself—and that’s kind of what affirmations and positive thinking do. They appear to cover “it” (the unconscious issue) up, but they don’t deal with “it.”

That being said, until you deal with what’s underneath, “it” doesn’t go away and nothing changes. And because it's what's under the Saran Wrap (In the subconscious mind) that determines the other 95% of what's showing up in your life your QRF draws to you whatever it draws to you because of what’s underneath. Makes sense, right?

Hey, makes sense to me (I think). But what do you think? What's the 'dog poop coated in Saran Wrap' in your life that's limiting the effectiveness of your best intentions? Is it not believing you're equal to others, or truly deserve to receive the best in life? Or is it something else? Why not grab a pooper scooper and find out? Thanks Dov! -- Mitch Rustad

ASK THE THERAPIST: Want A Great Relationship? Stop the Pity Party!

Q: One of my new year's resolutions was to finally get a healthy, long term relationship. I'm fit, healthy 40 something gay man, and the only obstacle Im feeling to achieving this is I'm HIV positive (also have herpes). I can't get past the shrinking dating pool and stigma I still feel over this. I've been to many support groups but I want to  not be hindered by this, or labeled by it, and that's all we seem to talk about. How can I get past this and enjoy dating again? Thank you.

A: You believe that having HIV and Herpes makes you less datable?  Let's throw being 40 in there while we're at it!  And, there are probably a few more reasons others will turn you down: hair color, height, race, shoe size.  The fact is that people discriminate in the dating world.  If you want a relationship, you have to navigate those waters without letting it sink your ship.

Now I'm not saying having HIV and Herpes isn't a big deal. It is. And, if you want to find someone who will love you for the man that you are, then you want to include that piece of news in the the total package.  Though most will probably not jump for joy, they will understand that with proper medical and other care, these conditions are highly manageable and won't impact the majority of your life together.  They will also know that this information demonstrates you are responsible for you health and body because you took the time to get tested, get treatment, work on psychologically adjusting, and informing potential partners.  Your actions demonstrate a strength to handle a situation that many are afraid they cannot.

You may continue to encounter people who, because of fear or ignorance (or both), will allow news of a positive diagnosis to break an otherwise good connection. So be it. The truth is, they are giving you the gift of freedom, rather than weighing you down by their psychological baggage. If your support group is giving you the same rap as your closed-minded suitors, then it's time to shake them up. Take your group out for a drink or dancing. You will look a whole lot more attractive with a smile on your face and dancing with your friends than you will isolated in a room having a pity party. --Greg Cason, PhD