The Grass Is Greener Where?

The grass is greener where?



As a child, I was often told, "The grass is always greener on the other side."



I think I grasped the idea, and I would try to be happy and content where I was, rather than thinking that things were better "over there" than where I stood.



As an adult, this quote directly connects to gratitude for what I have.



But now I prefer another quote about grass: "The grass is always greener where you water it."



We all have moments when we feel that life would be better "if only": If only I was thinner, richer, more successful, more something other than I am. This feeling is part of the human experience.



But it is only when we decide to take responsibility for the life we are living now that we have the choice to make this life -- the real one -- greener.



Complaining about a situation in our lives and doing nothing other than wishing it was another way, or believing that "the grass is greener," will never shift or transform anything.



We always have the power to water our own grass.



If you are feeling that the grass is greener over there, and perhaps a little dry and arid over here, here are some ways to start watering your own grass today.



1. Do you know what you want?

It is important to take the time to get clear on what you want. Otherwise, where are you going?



2. Do you know why you want it?

If you know what you want, but not why you want it, you will struggle to take the actions you need to get it when things become tough or challenging.



3. Why do you not have it?

I am sorry to say that this has nothing to do with anyone other than you, so forget blaming and look at what you have or have not been doing to achieve the outcome you are looking for.



4. What action or actions are you avoiding that will give you the result you want?

It is easy to get distracted, procrastinate and self-sabotage when we realize that we are being called on to move beyond our comfort zone.



5. What action can you take right now to move forward?

This does not have to be the scariest action: it is enough to water our grass a small amount each day, but it has to be watered to be green.



from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1BIdUpR

3 Natural Energy-Boosting Strategies

Feeling tired or exhausted? You might think the only options for ramping up your energy levels include drinking coffee, energy drinks or taking some sort of stimulant. Well, as it turns out, you do have some natural options, too. There are a lot of simple easy ways to boost your energy levels that you may not have thought of!



According to an article in Prevention Magazine , Stacey Whittle, RD, a registered dietician who works with the University of Southern California, states that, "Certain eating strategies will definitely help you ward off fatigue."



1. Fueling your body with the right nutrients will play a role in how energetic you feel. Obviously, carbohydrates are a great source of energy and will power you through your day and your tough workouts. But, not all carbs are created equally. If you eat processed foods and sugars, you won't feel the same surge of energy the natural whole food carbohydrate sources will provide. The Livestrong Foundation suggests that in order to avoid sugar crashes, it's better to replenish your energy with slow-burning carbohydrates like oatmeal, yams and brown rice which will give you sustained drive for hours. You can take a look at a list of suggested carbohydrates here.



2. Another great way to up your energy is by getting plenty of water. Don't allow yourself to get to the point where you're feeling thirsty. The website WebMD lists several ways to boost your energy levels and one of those ways is to make sure you are getting plenty of water. Don't let yourself get dehydrated. If you do, your energy levels will tank, you'll probably feel sleepy and hunger pangs might rule your day. Staying hydrated is a key factor in keeping up your strength and helping you feel full and alert. However, don't try to get your daily water quota all at once. It's best to sip water often throughout the day rather than chugging it all in one sitting.



Now you know which carbohydrates will help you get through the day, and you're drinking a lot of water, what else can you do to ensure lasting energy?



3. Eat breakfast! According to Debra Wein, RD, the president and co-founder of Sensible Nutrition Connection, in an article in Prevention magazine, says that what you eat and drink has a huge impact on your feeling of well-being. She states that if you repeatedly don't eat breakfast, you'll start to feel tired. "Many women skip breakfast," states Wein. She goes on to say, "And if you keep skipping meals, the result over time is a general malaise." Breakfast, or "breaking the fast," will help stop the state of starvation your body enters into during the night. Enjoy a breakfast of carbohydrates which will provide you lasting energy all day long, and stay away from sugary processed breakfast foods.



Now you have a few things you can do to renew your energy. Adding these three easy items to your lifestyle can make a difference in the way you feel. Getting the right carbohydrates, drinking enough water and eating breakfast will all help you power through your day. Next time you're in line for that double espresso pick-me-up, remember some of your natural energy boosting strategies, and maybe you'll be opting for the decaf coffee drink instead!



from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1NDV0c4

Why Nice People Make Better Lovers

Good teeth. A sense of humor. Physically attractive. Can be trusted. Dresses well. Easy to talk to.



These are some of the common features men and women say they look for in a partner.



But new research is suggesting another overlooked quality may be a key to lasting relationships: humility.





Image credit: Dragunsk Usf / Flickr




One study of 459 college students found that young women and men were more likely to be satisfied with their romantic partners the more they perceive them as modest and respectful. Students with more humble partners also were in general more committed to the relationship, and likelier to forgive a transgression if their partner was less arrogant or self-centered, according to researchers from the University of North Texas, Georgia State University and Hope College.



The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, are consistent with other research in the developing field indicating that humility is a key component in healthy relationships.



We may live in a society that encourages personal branding, where we extol ourselves on social media and many clamor for any kind of media attention. But our hearts appear to want something different.



"Despite how we seem to operate in our culture ... we still like humble people," says Biola University psychology professor Peter Hill, a leading researcher on humility.



Sorry, Sheldon



The unrestrained egotism of Sheldon Cooper, the popular lead character on the hit TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory, may be a somewhat obvious example of an individual lacking in humility.



This is a guy who, when a friend confesses she is crying because she feels stupid, responds in his empathy-challenged fashion: "That's no reason to cry. One cries because one is sad. For example, I cry because others are stupid, and that makes me sad."



But defining humility and who has or doesn't have it is not always so easy. The challenges include the irony that truly humble people will tend to be more modest in their self-descriptions, while narcissists devoted to embellishing their self-image are likely to boast of their regard for others.



Still, through increasingly sophisticated scientific measures and techniques, including relying less on self-reporting and more on assessments by others, researchers are building a body of work lifting up the value of this quiet virtue.



And a major value appears to be promoting caring relationships.



Two separate studies following college students over time found that humility helped develop stronger social relationships.



In particular, participants in romantic relationships who had recently been hurt or offended by their partners were more likely to be forgiving if they perceived their partner had a humble character. Partners viewed as having attitudes of arrogance or superiority were less likely to be forgiven.





Image credit: Vic/Flickr




Since humble people seem to be more likable, "we might cut them some slack. We might be more willing to forgive," said Hill, one of the authors of the study, reported in the journal Self and Identity.



In another study related to qualities of healthy relationships, greater humility was associated with the ability to receive love from others. Participants rating higher on a humility scale were likelier to view a recent act of kindness with a sense of gratitude and feeling loved.



Those more focused on themselves were more likely to view acts of kindness with a sense of mistrust or shame associated with the idea of needing assistance, according to the Case Western Reserve University study.



On the flip side of humility, arrogance and narcissism has a darker side.



Healthy Humility



Studies have found individuals with low levels of honesty and humility appear more willing to sexually harass subordinates at work and are more likely to be unfaithful and treat romantic relationships as a sport and less likely to view emotional commitment as a prerequisite to sex than those with more humble characters.



In a more recent Canadian study of several hundred college students, low scores on an honesty-humility scale were associated with conspicuous consumption, a greater desire for power and a focus on having many uncommitted, short-term sexual partners.



"Through their emphasis on having more resources than do others, the money, power, and sex factors have a close conceptual link with the exploitation that characterizes low honesty-humility," the study authors reported in the European Journal of Personality.



In practical terms, researchers indicate, this means that both individuals and couples therapists have to be sensitive to pathological expressions of narcissism even as they seek to integrate the positive values of humility into committed relationships. A healthy humility means being aware of the needs of others, to both appreciate their positive qualities and to be aware of potentially abusive behavior.



The good news, researchers such as Hill and others note, it that over time individuals only pretending to be humble tend to reveal themselves.



Those constantly clamoring for attention eventually may find themselves encountering this apparent inconvenient truth: Nice people make better friends and lovers.



David Briggs writes the Ahead of the Trend column for the Association of Religion Data Archives.



from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1C2c8zQ

Take Back Your Life One Hour At a Time

Have you been at dinner and the person at the next table takes a business call, of which you hear everything? Or at the movies and in front of you, someone is checking their email? Maybe you've been out for a walk and instead of enjoying the scenery, people all around have their earbuds in, missing the first callings of spring. Perhaps that person is you.



We have all become addicted to technology. And with it, the inability to enjoy the present. We must know now what is going on with friends we haven't seen in years, around the world, and answer every email from work straight away, just in case someone else answers the boss first.



This inability to focus our collective attention, for even a few minutes, is permeating society, to the point where you might miss life, as Ferris Bueller said "if you don't stop and look around once in a while." I too was missing life until I found yoga.



That is not to say that yoga has given me, or anyone else who practices regularly, the unique ability to set aside stress, anxiety, and the daily pressures of life. After all, that is life (along with happiness, joy, anger, and pain). But it has given me, and many others, a gift -- a way to deal with the external pulls of life and instead turn inward -- back to life. I am able to walk my dog, for example, without the need to bring my phone. As we walk, I see what he sees and what that is is beautiful -- the first crocuses, robins flitting about, the variations of grass we walk.



Yoga is a gateway exercise. It subtly changes you without you necessarily knowing. A year ago, I would have questioned this. And it's not a revelation like the sun suddenly coming out of the clouds. It happens gradually, and it takes practice every day. I still struggle to put aside my phone at times, or to just sit and reflect. But you do begin to notice life again, in all its splendor. You begin to make different choices including decisions about your health, what you eat, and how you carry yourself, among other benefits.



So here are five ways to get an hour (or more) of your time back every week without any connection to the outside world (on your mat is one of the few places left today where phones are not allowed!):

1. Hire a private instructor: Perhaps you are new to yoga and don't feel comfortable practicing with others. You worry about not being flexible enough or how you might look to others. A good instructor will take you through the basics of yoga without any pressure of practicing in a studio.
   
   
   


2. Grab a friend: Yoga is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, so it's more than likely a friend is looking for someone to share the benefits of yoga with. Tag along and enjoy.
   
   
   


3. Go to a free class: Not sure you want to commit to joining a studio straight away? Most studios offer new students a free class (or classes). Find a studio near you and give it a try.
   
   
   


4. Practice at home: This is where technology can be an asset - unroll your mat and access one of the hundreds of yoga practices that are now available online. Find a quiet space in your house and flow.
   
   
   


5. Yoga at work: Many businesses today are now trying to help their employees achieve better overall wellness. So, it never hurts to ask the question if yoga at work is an option. Plus, they might pay for it, knowing that it will not only boost morale, but it will also help decrease stress at work.

Yoga isn't a panacea, but it is one real step you can take today to take back control of your life again and step away from your iPhone. Your yoga practice might be your only hour of your day, or week, when you are able to find quiet. Don't let someone you knew 20 years ago, take that away from you. The most interesting moments in life are the ones you can't capture in 140 characters or less.



Amy K. Mitchell, RYT-200 and founder of ProYOGA USA, is a strategic communications expert based in Washington, D.C. She has worked in a variety of positions within the government, the non-profit sector, and journalism. Her yogic focus is on stress relief. She is an avid open-water swimmer, former competitive swimmer, and also enjoys SUP yoga. ProYOGA USA (www.ProYOGAUSA.com), which brings the benefits of yoga to the workplace will open in May 2015. You can follow her on Twitter @ProYOGAUSA or on Instagram at @ProYOGAUSA.



from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1IizJBp

Are You Sleeping With a Narcissist?

"He thinks I should be automatically turned on and ready to have wild sex with him with no effort on his part other than appearing naked in front of me," my client angrily explains to me. "There is no conversation, no foreplay, no hugs, romance or playfulness. I feel like I have to be and do everything in this relationship for him and I receive very little intimate and meaningful connection from him."



"It isn't like I don't let him know what I desire and what would make me really happy sexually, sensually and emotionally. I have even taken to writing things down for him so if he wasn't listening to me he could refer back to the list. I have offered to take classes with him, shared information out of books and started many uncomfortable conversations that went to death ears." Her partner continuously claimed he knew what she desired and didn't need any help.



Does your partner disregard your request for pleasure and intimacy in favor of their own routines?



Are they unwilling to take classes, read books or explore sexual, emotional, spiritual, or personal growth because they already KNOW everything there is to know? When you imply there is more for them to learn, they hear you saying something is wrong with them and that makes them angry.



If you're nodding your head in agreement, and the opening paragraphs sound familiar, odds are you are sleeping with a narcissist!



WHAT IS NARCISSISM?



Narcissism runs on a spectrum, from healthy narcissism to malignant narcissism, with a lot of gray in between. Many people can have a narcissistic trait or two without actually being a narcissist.



Dr. Berman, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA, describes healthy and malignant narcissism as such:

HEALTHY NARCISSISM is basically good self-esteem. You believe in yourself and what you can do, and your self-evaluation is realistic. You can empathize with other people, and understand their feelings and perspectives. You aren't devastated by criticism, mistakes, or failure. Your sense of self can withstand life's ups and downs and people's opinions.



MALIGNANT NARCISSISTS have a very fragile and reactive sense of self. They are extremely self-involved and have a highly inflated view of themselves, which masks profound vulnerability and shame. They are fueled by praise and admiration, and deeply injured by criticism and even honest feedback. Benign comments or constructive criticism threaten their fragile self-esteem and can trigger anger. All of these qualities interfere with a narcissists' ability to form healthy relationships. Those partnered with narcissists can feel quite lonely and exhausted by trying to shore up their partners and tiptoe around their sensitivities.

Does your partner ever ask you about your day and then doesn't listen to your answer and turn the focus around to themselves?



Do you feel like you constantly have to compliment them and care for them to get their attention or approval and they never ask you about your day or interests? You probably feel invisible and exhausted focusing so much attention on their needs and not on yourself.



If you are a "highly sensitive" like me and my clients, you have the ability to feel other people's feelings and to know what they need in order to feel better. That is a major attraction to a narcissist. They love our attention, lifting them up and making them look good to others. So if you're a pro at making them feel and look good, you are a perfect match for a narcissist.



They don't want someone who will compete for their attention, argue or disagree with them.



If you disagree they feel betrayed and get angry. They will never lose an argument but instead always turn it around to how it is your problem not theirs or they will want you to prove something that can't be proven. They are more focused on being "right" than being understanding.



Narcissists love a team player who is a perfectionist, because it ensures they are always the top priority and someone will always keep making things better for them. As the narcissist's partner you may never feel "good enough or worthy" because the narcissist rarely shares emotional appreciation for all the efforts made, unless they know it will get them something, like looking good in other peoples' eyes.



Do you feel if your partner "does something or cares" for you, you will owe him or her in return or you have to earn what you desire by being perfect for them?



For example, if they buy you a gift it is usually a gift they wanted for you and not what you wanted for yourself, like fantasy underwear when you desired beautiful lingerie to wear every day. You know you will eventually pay him back by playing out his fantasy for the price of receiving his gift. At least it is something. At least he thought of you.



If you ask for more than they provide physically or emotionally you feel selfish, needy, and ashamed. If it demands that they change a habit or mindset, forget it. They will say they can't give it and is not their problem. You're the one with the problem of wanting more.



My client asks him to ask her about her day when he comes home and to be interested in her answers. She asked him to play with her breast first instead of going straight to her vagina every time they have sex, because it feels better to her. Every time she asked for something she says, "I feel ashamed that I even have to ask these thing more than once."



Every year I step out of my comfort zone and ask thinking maybe this time he will hear me and things will get better. But, instead I'm made to feel like I asked for the world, the impossible. I am told that what I feel I am missing and think he should give me is my problem not ours.



As a perfectionist this reaction drives you to strive to make things better, want less, and be very critical and disappointed in yourself. You work continuously to learn and grow your skills at being the exceptional lover, good parent, pillar of the community, best friend, gourmet cook, Martha Stewart hostess...



You foster your abilities to make your partner feel like a queen or king in hopes they will do the same for you.



The major bummer of this reality is that you will NEVER get what you need or desire from them emotionally.



You won't get the love and attention you long for. You can feel cared for by them on some level but you won't find the emotional connection of a lover or best friend, as they won't ever truly understand who you are. They can't put themselves in your shoes. You will often hear them say, "I don't understand you." Which makes you feel like something is wrong with you, even if others can relate and understand you.



If you grew up with a narcissistic parent and are a sensitive person, the chances that you will attract a narcissistic partner, spouse, friend or boss is high because you know their energy really well. It is familiar to you and you know what to do to make them happy and it makes you feel valuable to a certain extend. You don't consciously choose them, but unconsciously you are attracted to their energy even if you say, "I will NEVER be with a narcissist." Your unconscious mind is searching them out until you reprogram it.



To not attract another narcissist into your life, you will have to become very awake!



You will need to learn to be ok with being uncomfortable with new feelings, thoughts, actions and new ways of being yourself. You're going to have to learn to trust yourself and know you're worthy and good enough without having to earn it through someone else's validation, in order to not be lured into that familiar narcissistic territory again.

Dr. Judith Orloff, author of Emotional Freedom finds that narcissists lack empathy and have a limited capacity for unconditional love. She thinks that there is not much hope of a narcissist changing. You can learn to live with them or you may need to leave them even though you love them. Narcissists can look like unlikable, flagrant egotists or be charming, intelligent and caring until their guru-status is threatened.

If you are sleeping with a narcissist you'll have to learn that their reality has nothing to do with you personally! It is how they are wired and you will need to keep some things in mind to stay healthy and happy in that relationship.



Here are some pointers for dealing with a narcissist and creating a healthier relationship:



1. Keep your expectations down to earth. Understand they're emotionally limited, even if they're sophisticated in other ways. Enjoy their positive behaviors and personas.



2. Don't make your self-worth reliant on them. Don't get caught in the trap of living your life for the narcissist.



3. Guard your sensitivity. Don't confide your deepest feelings to someone who won't appreciate them.



4. When communicating with the narcissist, show them how something will benefit them rather than what you want.



Telling them how great the event will serve them and what they will get out of it is better than stating your needs and desires. Speaking your needs clearly, getting angry, or demanding rarely works. It feels like manipulation, but if the relationship is unavoidable, use it to achieve your desired result.



5. Recognize that you BOTH are creating this relationship and learn how you are responsible for it also! Don't just point your finger at the narcissist and be a victim. You are not a victim, you are co-creating this relationship with them because you think you are not enough and you think they can complete you or raise you up, etc.



Do your own personal development work. You are your first concern.



To read more about narcissists visit my blog at http://ift.tt/1zkyNtp



- Learn How Growing Up With A Narcissist Limits YOU Financially, Professionally and Personally



- How To Deal With A Narcissist



from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1aeTIGo

Gratitude Journaling May Enhance Health in Cardiac Patients

For the last decade or so, the field of behavioral cardiology has shifted its focus from being primarily on psychological traits such as hostility, stress and depression to more positive psychological attributes such as gratitude, compassion and empathy. In individuals with heart failure, gratitude has been identified as an important resource for alleviating the struggles associated with symptoms. In a recent cross-sectional study on over 180 asymptomatic heart failure patients, we reported that more gratitude was associated with less depression, better sleep and less peripheral inflammation.



In this new study, to be presented at the University of California, San Diego Institute for Public Health's Annual Public Health Research Day (to be held April 9, 2015), we report on the results of a randomized clinical trial where patients were randomized to either 8-weeks of gratitude journaling plus their usual care or 8-weeks usual care alone. Journaling was used as a way to cultivate gratitude. We found that patients who journaled about gratitude had increased heart rate variability (a measure of reduced cardiac risk) as well as reduced circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers IL-6 and sTNFr1, which as associated with cardiovascular disease. Gratitude journaling is a low-cost and easily implementable intervention that may have significant beneficial effects to enhance health in cardiac patients. ​



(Click to enlarge)







from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1IMJicy

Women and HIV in America: Making AIDS History

By Susan J. Blumenthal, M.D., and Jennifer A. Sherwood, M.S.P.H

In observance of Women's History Month, there is much progress to mark for women and HIV/AIDS in America since the emergence of the epidemic three decades ago. Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that HIV diagnoses among females in the United States declined by 49 percent from 2002 to 2011. Additionally, as a result of effective treatment of HIV-positive pregnant women, mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been virtually eliminated in the U.S.

This progress is no small accomplishment, considering the fact that in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the scientific and medical community failed to recognize women as a target population for research, and they were excluded from clinical trials of HIV/AIDS medications and preventive interventions. This omission proved to be a major public health oversight, and led to a rapid rise in the number of HIV cases among women, who contracted the disease primarily through heterosexual sex. Today, women account for one in four of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in America.

In the U.S., there are striking racial and geographic disparities in new HIV infections and outcomes. While African American women represent just 13 percent of the female population, they constitute 64 percent of new HIV infections and are 14 times more likely to die from AIDS-related causes than white women. Southern states contain 37 percent of the U.S. population but represent 50 percent of new HIV infections. AIDS-related mortality is also highest in the South. Contributing factors are high poverty rates, lower educational attainment, violence, and lack of access to healthcare. New HIV infections are also concentrated in urban areas, such as Washington, D.C., where 1.6 percent of women are HIV positive, a prevalence that is higher than for females living in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Liberia.

In addition to being more biologically susceptible to HIV infection than heterosexual men, women's vulnerability to HIV is also driven by social and economic factors. Poverty, sexism, stigma, discrimination, and violence increase risk for infection and are among the many structural barriers that prevent women from getting the information and services they need to prevent HIV or to seek proper care if they are HIV positive.

In spite of so much progress, the majority of women living with HIV in the U.S. are not engaged in regular medical care. It is estimated that of all women living with HIV in America, 88 percent have been diagnosed, but only 45 percent are engaged in care and just 32 percent have achieved viral suppression. When virally suppressed as the result of effective, consistent therapy, transmission of HIV to others can be reduced by as much as 96 percent. Since treatment is prevention, the low percentage of virally suppressed women in America represents a missed opportunity for dramatically reducing the spread of the disease.

If we are to end AIDS among women in America, preventing new HIV infections is essential and there are a range of tools that can help, including targeted education, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), male and female condoms, and harm reduction services for people who inject drugs. To maximize reductions in new HIV infections, a high impact strategy must be employed to use the most efficient, evidence-based, cost-effective and scalable prevention methods to target those at highest risk in the most affected areas. Women and girls, particularly vulnerable groups such as African-Americans, sex workers, women who inject drugs, and transgender women, need better, targeted information, as well as nondiscriminatory HIV prevention and treatment programs.

Routine testing for HIV is now covered as a preventive benefit under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation also provides women with unprecedented access to lifesaving medications and other interventions to treat and prevent HIV infection, an important reason why implementation of the ACA must be supported, including Medicaid expansion across all states.

For too long, women's health was neglected in AIDS research, in clinical settings, and in public policies. Now, as a result of an increased focus on women's health and HIV/AIDS, there are hopeful signs of progress. To make further gains, a fast-tracked, comprehensive strategy is needed, mobilizing all sectors of society to prevent HIV infections in women, their partners and children, provide testing and early treatment to all those in need, combat discrimination and stigma, and eliminate violence against women. Additionally, more research on women and HIV/AIDS is urgently required, including intensified efforts to discover a cure and a vaccine.

The tide is turning. Working together and with these investments, we can achieve an HIV-free America and make AIDS history in the years ahead.

Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.A. (ret.) is the Public Health Editor of The Huffington Post . She is Senior Policy and Medical Advisor at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research in Washington, D.C. Dr. Blumenthal also serves as a Clinical Professor at Tufts and Georgetown University Schools of Medicine and is a Senior Fellow in Health Policy at New America . Admiral Blumenthal served for more than 20 years in senior health leadership positions in the Federal government in the Administrations of four U.S. Presidents including as Assistant Surgeon General of the United States, the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Women's Health, and as Senior Global Health Advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as a White House advisor on health. She convened the first NIH conference on Women and AIDS and an HHS Task Force with membership of more than 60 organizations. Prior to these positions, Dr. Blumenthal was Chief of the Behavioral Medicine and Basic Prevention Research Branch and Chair of the Health and Behavior Coordinating Committee at the National Institutes of Health. She has chaired numerous national and global commissions and conferences and is the author of many scientific publications. Admiral Blumenthal has received numerous awards including honorary doctorates and has been decorated with the highest medals of the U.S. Public Health Service for her pioneering leadership and significant contributions to advancing health in the United States and worldwide. Named by the New York Times, the National Library of Medicine and the Medical Herald as one of the most influential women in medicine, Dr. Blumenthal was named the 2009 Health Leader of the Year by the Commissioned Officers Association and as a Rock Star of Science by the Geoffrey Beene Foundation. She is the recipient of the Rosalind Franklin Centennial Life in Discovery Award. Her work has included a focus on HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980's.

Jennifer Sherwood is a Policy Associate with amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research in Washington, D.C. She conducts research analysis, develops policy briefs, infographics and writes scientific articles. Jennifer served as an Allan Rosenfield Public Policy Fellow at amfAR and received an MSPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Jennifer has worked in West Africa, in collaboration with local ministries of health, to understand the social and structural factors related to STIs/HIV. Her research interests include the health impact and prevention of gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and HIV.

from Healthy Living Blog on The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1IMJjNz