I never thought I’d be excited to go to the Mayo Clinic.

It’s the place you go when there’s something really, really wrong. When you’re scared and your primary doctors are scared, too. When you’ve exhausted all your options, or are knocking at death’s door.

Who would actually want to go to a place like that… willingly?

I can’t wait to get there.

Digestive woes are probably the most common problems people face today. Sedentary jobs, the ever-growing popularity of fast-food chains and processed food brands, along with our other erratic lifestyle choices, all work together to wreak havoc with our gut health.

Beginning your day with a cup of coffee, grabbing a wrap or a bagel for breakfast and indulging in a fiery meal for lunch while sitting plonked on your work desk may seem like your daily routine. You may often ignore the regular abdominal aches, the heartburns, and the occasional stomach upset thinking that they'll subside by popping pills and reaching out for antacids.

Little do you realize that these could be symptoms of serious gastrointestinal disorders that can even be life-threatening if left untreated. Issues like constipation, peptic ulcers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), hemorrhoids, anal fissures, colitis and even colorectal cancer are growing at an alarming rate.

I woke up smiling today. It was the first time in months I felt a grin that big. The sun was shinning, a breeze tickled my face as I stepped outside on my balcony.

It was almost like the sun and sky were smiling back at me, redeeming itself from the dark, cold, and grey months it put me through.   

It smelled like spring, hope, a new beginning, and a time for growth.  My heart felt lighter and I began crying, as I knew the worst was over. I made it through another winter.  

Depression. 

It's such a simple, three-syllable word, yet its power is confined to those who've fully experienced it. Those like me. 

It’s extremely personal, but I know writing has the ability to affect some sort of change, whether it’s small or large. I also know writing and reading others' personal stories of overcoming this mental illness has saved my life.

Today's woman is bombarded with endless toxins from the environment.

While the body continually works to deactivate and eliminate harmful substances, the sheer volume may challenge even the most optimally functioning detoxification systems. The body's ability to deal with these substances may be further compromised by nutrient deficiencies in the diet, lack of exercise, and stress.

The following nutrients are critical in aiding the body's natural processes for restoring cellular health, adrenal function, and hormone balance...

A few weeks ago (March 30) the New York Times Had an Op-Ed entitled "Red Meat Is Not the Enemy." I discussed the problem with red meat on YOU: The Owner's Manual Radio Show the following weekend. 

This week, a person who wished to remain anonymous sent me a follow-up question on why I still avoid red meat. Here is the gist of my reply to her, and also to another person, who also asked the question (that "other person," by the way, is the ping-pong opponent who often beats me and claims his ping-pong prowess comes from his red meat eating habit)...

Show me red meat that has no carnitine, lecithin, or choline -- the inflammation-causing proteins that constitute it -- and I will agree with you. 

First take a deep breath of relief: no one is recommending you should give up your morning cup of coffee. There is a general understanding that for a healthy adult, that is, one not on any medication or with chronic conditions, can safely consume from 300-400 mg of caffeine per day. That is the equivalent of four cups of regularly brewed coffee, or one Venti-sized Starbucks coffee.

Caffeine is considered a drug, because it stimulates the nervous system. It does not accumulate in the body, but you may feel its effects for up to six hours. It is wiser to think about “safety limits” in these terms: “A safe caffeine limit is the amount of caffeine a person can consume without experiencing any negative caffeine overdose symptoms.” (Caffeine Informer Website)

Some people can be more sensitive to caffeine than others; just based on their genetic makeup as well as body size. For example, just as a 200-lb fit adult male may be able to consume two beers without any side effects, a 110-lb petite female might be at her top limit with two beers. Therefore, the best way to judge if you have abused caffeine lately and could be over your limit is to look at the negative caffeine overdose symptoms and see if any of them are similar to things you have been experiencing lately.

Want some simple ways using diet, exercise, sleep, stress management and sex to revitalize your life now and for the vital years on the horizon? Dr. Roizen has them... in his new book, This Is Your Do-Over, he explains how to reverse your mistakes, optimize your health, and live a life filled with energy and happiness. After all, nobody is too old, too out of shape, or too unhealthy to start their Do-Over today.

Dr. Roizen's Do-Over Tip for the Week: Learn About Your Biggest Sex Organ... Your Brain

Oftentimes middle school health class is where we learn all the basic biology about how our bodies work; specifically, what part goes into what part, with the outcome of extending the survival of our species. I’m not condemning sex-ed classes for doing this dutiful job; but, I also want to point out that too often these classes seem like they’re making the case that sex is about plugs and sockets, in and out, penis and vagina… that sex is about what goes on below the belt.

That, we know, is 100 percent biologically true. Can’t make babies without plugs or sockets.

But, I also think that we take that truism and hold onto it as if this law of biology is the only sexual scientific fact there is. The real truth is -- especially when you grow older and your hormones aren’t the only things that make your primal sexual decisions -- that the more important relationship isn’t groin to groin.

It’s brain to brain.

Want some simple ways using diet, exercise, sleep, stress management and sex to revitalize your life now and for the vital years on the horizon? Dr. Roizen has them... in his new book, This Is Your Do-Over, he explains how to reverse your mistakes, optimize your health, and live a life filled with energy and happiness. After all, nobody is too old, too out of shape, or too unhealthy to start their Do-Over today.

Dr. Roizen's Do-Over Tip for the Week: Love the Foods You Wish You Did

You know that double fudge caramel ice cream you’ll tearfully refuse on Monday and then eat a full pint of on Tuesday? Or that jumbo 20-serving bag of popcorn that you might maybe sometimes accidentally eat in one sitting—but just because you skipped lunch and picked at a tiny teeny yogurt cup for breakfast? This is your opportunity to retire those moments: consider yourself released from the torture of deprivation. (And please make sure you eat both breakfast and lunch!)

You might be thinking to yourself, this sounds suspicious… we are talking about giving up our most favorite fatal foods, right? But bear with me.

And seriously, this will only work if you make sure not to starve yourself. Not only does skipping meals strongly promote overeating later on as our bodies crave energy-dense and often non-nutritious foods, but it also causes your body to shut down into starvation mode, clinging for dear life to any fat it’s got. Just say no to starving yourself. It also makes you sad. Don’t do it.

Want some simple ways using diet, exercise, sleep, stress management and sex to revitalize your life now and for the vital years on the horizon?

Dr. Roizen has them... in his new book, This Is Your Do-Over, he explains how to reverse your mistakes, optimize your health, and live a life filled with energy and happiness. After all, nobody is too old, too out of shape, or too unhealthy to start their Do-Over today.

Dr. Roizen's Do-Over Tip for the Week: Share Some Warm Fuzzies

Do something nice (and unexpected) for someone in your life, or even a stranger! Be creative. Do it “just because.”

In 2014, sociologists from Notre Dame University published The Paradox of Generosity, a book based on a study of over 2,000 individuals tracked over five years from a range of socioeconomic classes and races. They found that Americans who met measures for being generous were “generally more compassionate, forgiving, in tune with others’ needs, empathetic, and more likely to see the world in terms of abundance.” And get this: giving of your time, your money, and your emotional self all significantly increase not only your happiness, but also your physical health.

Unless you are living in a bubble, you've most likely heard about the measles outbreak currently going on in the U.S. A foreigner traveler with the measles visited Disneyland in December of 2014 exposing countless individuals. Fast-forward a month and we are up to 102 cases in the first month 2015. Majority of the cases are in southern California, but there are now 14 states reporting cases of the measles, including Arizona where we just had tens of thousands of people visit for the Super Bowl.

And while it seems there is no shortage of opinions, anecdotes and rhetoric flying around, many parents still find it hard to get basic information about what is measles, what should they do, and do they need to worry.

For some parents this information will bring peace of mind, for others it may sway them to reconsider the pros and cons of a non-vaccination choice.

Sure, I get it. The slogan we hear year after year, "New Year, New You" is catchy.

It's got the marketing marvel of simplicity and succinctness as well as the installation of hope to stick to those robust resolutions of becoming, a "NEW YOU".

It may be catchy, but the slogan is dead WRONG and it's a set up. This might be big news, but "YOU" are the same "YOU" January 1st 2015 that you were at 11:59 pm December 31st, 2014 and that is a good thing!

I recently read a blog about how childless women – particularly married childless women in their 30s – often take a lot of shit for not having kids.

I was like, “Whoa... this woman has something to say.”

And, I was right.

I get it all the time. People will ask me, “Do you have kids?” This question typically follows my reveal that I live in L.A. most of the time and my husband lives in Minnesota. My answer is always, “No kids; just cats.”

That’s me, trying to put light on the conversation that undoubtedly will turn to sympathy. Or judgment. Or confusion. Or all three of the above.

Or any number of thoughts.

I recently had a women, no joke, say to me: “That makes me so sad. That you won’t ever have children.”

WTF? When did my uterus become an issue of your concern?