Health Concerns

Originally published on January 9, 2009, updated on September 28, 2009

Over the past couple of years, I've had dozens of people recommend The Secret, a popular self-help book on the law of attraction. I have yet to read this book, but my understanding is that "the secret" boils down to this: we should continuously focus our thoughts on everything we want in life, as we tend to manifest what we regularly think about.

Most people would probably agree with the idea that visualizing a desired outcome is just one important step to manifesting that outcome. Visualizing all day long and not taking action to realize one's hopes just doesn't inspire confidence, at least not for the masses. Read more

Err...hope this topic doesn't ruin anyone's appetite. It's one that I touched upon in a newsletter a few weeks ago, and given the positive feedback that it's generated, I thought it be best to elaborate and even make this topic a permanent addition to the archives.

But before we do any elaborating, here's a look back at what I wrote in my newsletter: Read more

In the May 30, 2009 issue of The Lancet, Italian physicians warn that children are at risk of experiencing caffeine intoxication from chewing gum that contains caffeine.

The case study that prompted this warning involved a 13-year-old boy who was taken to the hospital after exhibiting strong aggression and agitation with no obvious cause. Read more

By Susan Donaldson James

When sex researcher Rachel K. Jones published a report that suggests the much-maligned withdrawal method of birth control was nearly as effective as condoms in preventing pregnancy, she was showered with criticism.

And it wasn't evangelicals who had taken virginity pledges who pulled out the big guns. Read more