That’s when you’re on the road and you have to, well you know, “sit a spell.” That’s when you’ll be grateful to the restroom gods above to find yourself in the presence of one of America’s Best Restrooms, which is also an annual contest sponsored by Cintas. As the company explains on their website, they “design and implement full service restroom programs for businesses that combine superior service with top line products.” That’s corporate speak for “Dream Toilet!”

Whatever the commercial interest involved here I say bravo to Cintas for showing those back roads gas station restrooms what a real toilet is suppose to look like. The gallery of photos on the site from this year’s winner, The Field Museum in Chicago, to the 2010 top honoree, The Fountain on Locust in St. Louis, Missouri, known as the city’s most photographed restaurant, is enough to make any I-95 truck stop veteran cry bitter tears of disappointment. If only we could have waited…

And if the toilet Hall of Fame is not enough to make you green, figuratively hopefully not literally, with envy, wait till you see the gallery of runners-up.

For a long time, I’ve thought that there should be more recognition of the public restrooms that go the extra flush to make their guests feel welcome. After all the “other 99 percent of us” can’t afford to be always a few steps away from those luxury facilities at the Plaza in New York, The W in San Francisco, or the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. The one percent might be sitting pretty, but for the rest of us, it’s a poorly lit stall and an uncomfortably sticky seat.

When you’re in a town where the Wal Mart is your best public restroom option, you’ve hit bottom. I know I’ve been there and it still leaves me with bad dreams at night.

Thanks to the good people at Cintas we, the restroom challenged, now know what we’ve been missing.

The toilet Hall of Fame can be found here along with photos of each year’s runners up. The next time you find yourself stuck “between the moon and New York City,” think of some of these beautiful facilities. If only we could have held on long enough to get to the surroundings we deserve.

_________________________________________

Martin Brown is the Heath Channel Editor for SingleMindedWomen.com, and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Finding Mr. Right.

His latest book is Fit in 50 Days.

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The term breast cancer is an umbrella diagnosis for an entire spectrum of disorders.  The women who face death and use every available resource to maintain an existence on the planet, are my heroes.  It is for those brave souls I write this.  We all want to be a hero, and thus, many women have been labelled “breast cancer survivor” without ever enduring a mastectomy, lymph node removal, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or even daily medication.  But it is not her fault, we, as doctors have let you down by not speaking the truth.

Every good cause, by definition, has an agenda.  When any organization is attempting to raise “awareness” or money, the more people affected, the more likely they are to receive support.  Herein lies the problem.  The polar opposite of the condition I described above is a diagnosis that is labeled breast cancer, even though it is not a cancer at all.  The diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and it is a pre-cancer.  These abnormalities are usually detected on a mammogram and removed surgically through a procedure called a lumpectomy, breast surgery in which only a small part of the breast is removed.

After surgery, the body fills the area in with fat so there is no deformity and the patient returns to her normal life.  The shocking statistic is that DCIS represents about twenty percent of all “breast cancers.”  Twenty percent.  That means that rather than 1 out of 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer, the number is actually 1 out of 10.  Yes, still too high of a number, but falsely inflating it by twenty percent by adding into the fold women with “pre-cancer” is not a good practice.  It is offensive that a woman who has a small lump removed without any physical deformity is considered a “survivor” on par with a women who has lost her breast, her health, her hair and her lunch.  It is akin to comparing the removal of a pre-cancerous mole, with a person given a near death sentence of invasive melanoma.

However, for the patient with DCIS, she is not to blame.  The patient with DCIS is told by doctors and organizations, she is a survivor.  It is the medical community that has done her a disservice.  She then passes that information on to her friends and the myth continues.  It is intoxicating to be lifted up by your friends, coworkers and even strangers when you wear the label of “breast cancer survivor.”  I understand the motivation, but it is not empowering women.   Rather, it is diluting the battle of the real survivor.

If women are truly concerned about breast cancer, we should be having a national discussion on how to reduce your risk.  The World Cancer Research Fund has indicated 38% of breast cancers in the United States are preventable if women limit alcohol consumption, increase activity and maintain a healthy weight.  This is not new information to physicians, but it is to many patients.  Lowering the occurrence by 38% would mean that even including the DCIS diagnosis only 1 out of 13 women would be affected rather than the 1 out of 8.

Even more surprising to most women is taking two baby aspirin a day (162mg), can lower your risk of breast cancer by 40%.  How much you could lower your risk by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking two baby aspirins a day?  (However, there are other factors involved so you should definitely speak with your own physician about assessing your personal risk factors.)

Knowledge is power.  Providing women with real education, is what assuages fear and brings genuine appreciation for the heroes in pink.   It is time to acknowledge the truth, the words breast cancer invoke a wide spectrum of conditions.  It is time to undo the misnomer of calling DCIS a cancer, and restore the full honor for those women who are fighting a courageous battle.  It is time to understand there are decisions in your control that can dramatically reduce your risk of this disease.  It is time to honor the women in combat with breast cancer.  It is time to honor them with awareness of the truth.

________________________________

A board certified emergency physician, Jennifer Hanes, D.O., discovered that patients have greater success when they understand their bodies.  With that unique philosophy, she founded Empowered Medicine, PLLC, where knowledge is powerful medicine.  She empowers patients with her articles, motivational speeches and private consultations.  You can learn more at www.DrHanes.com

However, one factor that is common in celebrity beauty but not discussed as much publicly is women’s plastic surgery.

Many people have issues with plastic surgery. They believe that people should work with the bodies they have, and not resort to surgical procedures to enhance beauty or preserve youth.

So what is the impact when celebrities whom society idealizes and admires, undergo plastic surgery? And, what does that say about us as a society, where so much positive emphasis is placed on physical beauty regardless of how it’s achieved?

One recent example that has been debated to some extent is Kate Hudson’s alleged breast implants. Kate Hudson is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful and charming actresses in Hollywood. She has also been recognized and admired for her easygoing attitude, and her confidence despite having naturally small breasts. This is why some people have argued that Hudson’s allegedly smaller breast implants, represents a victory for society’s oppressive desire for larger breasted women. Yet some wish that the popular actress had continued, to represent the ideal of having pride in one’s body without resorting to implants.

However, on the flip side, there are those that praised Kate Hudson for having the courage and security to, undergo breast augmentation even though she surely knew that she would be scrutinized for doing so.

Kate Hudson does not have to worry about people thinking she is beautiful, as she is quite established along these lines. However, if she did indeed get implants, it is clear that she was at least on some level unhappy with her body. Like many strong and independent women, Kate Hudson decided to take charge of her own personal happiness.

Whatever your view on plastic surgery, it seems that people generally agree that doing what makes you happy and feel good about yourself is what matters most. Not what society deems as the ideal body.

What do you think?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Some of my friends are fleeing the west coast in search of safe haven further east. Others are dosing up on potassium iodide in an attempt to protect themselves (as evidenced by those who are stockpiling potassium iodide in spite of the advice of health officials who are telling us to chill out). Still more are just plain freaking out. I’ve gotten at least a dozen cautionary emails just today from people who are encouraging me to be afraid.

But I’m an MD, as well as the mother of a small child. I live in coastal California. And my father was a radiologist exposed to more than the usual dose of radiation in his lifetime. And he had two different cancers before dying of a brain tumor at 60 years of age. (Suspicious, yes).

But I choose to stay put, skip the iodine supplements, and overcome any fear that might be niggling at me. I’m not playing ostrich here. My peaceful calm is based on my own research. And my goal with this post is to be a voice of reason, so I can demonstrate to you why fear is the enemy, much more so than radiation.

11 Reasons Not To Panic
1. You get more radiation going through security at the airport than you’re getting right now on the West Coast. Nuclear Safety Consultant Cham Dallas, professor at the University of Georgia, said on CBS News, “The people in California can rest easy. The amount of radiation that you’re getting now, or are liable to get in the near future from Japan, would be less than you would get in a TSA screening. It’s just not a hazard right now. I can’t see how that’s going to change in the immediate future.”

2. This is not Chernobyl or Hiroshima. While nuclear reactors are at risk, nothing nuclear has melted down yet. No nuclear bomb has gone off. Dallas said, “Right now, and in the immediate future, I cannot possibly see any scenario that would result in any hazardous levels of radioactivity getting to California. Unless this thing really deteriorates a lot more than — than is even conceivable right now.” So chill out, people. Nothing’s happening here right now. And it’s very unlikely that we’ll ever be at risk from this particular event.

3. Japan is VERY VERY VERY far away. 5000ish miles, actually. And radiation leaks from a power plant like this don’t usually affect more than a 10-20 mile radius around the power plant. So if you’re hanging out right near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant site, get the hell out. Otherwise, stop panicking, send prayers to Japan, and thank your lucky stars that you’re safe.

4. Radiation doesn’t travel well. Radioactive particles don’t just hang out at super high doses in clouds of cancer-and-radiation-sickness-inducing concentrations. “Things would have to get kind of ‘end of days’ for us to see even a little bit of it here. We’re talking extreme,” Jordan Scott, a spokesman for the California Emergency Management Agency told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re just too far for anything to really reach us. A majority of the materials that would come out of there in a meltdown would dissipate within miles of Japan.”

5. Some people love to panic. Choose not to jump on the crazy-making bandwagon. West coasters are stockpiling potassium iodide for no good reason. Why is that? Are our lives so friggin’ boring that we have to create adventure so we can feel like we’re Jack Bauer in TV’s 24? Must we create hysteria just so we know we’re alive? We did this with the anthrax scare, when people were stockpiling Cipro. We did it with swine flu, when they were hoarding Tamiflu. Now this. Stop it people. You’re hurting your wallets more than you’re helping yourselves.

6. Remember, fear sells. Ebay auctioneers are raking it in on iodide sales right now. Alternative health care providers are scaring you into spending money so you can feel safe. When you’re afraid, you’ll spend anything to feel protected, even if it’s merely a placebo.

7. Potassium iodide only protects the thyroid. If you’re going to live in fear, you better be prepared to be much more afraid, because the thyroid is the last of your worries. What about the rest of your body? What about radiation sickness that can leads to fatigue, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin changes such as swelling, redness, itching and radiation burns? What about leukemia? Lymphoma? These simply can’t be prevented, so why freak out?

8. If there’s reason to panic, we’ll have plenty of warning. It’s not like a nuclear bomb might be coming our way any minute now at the speed of light. If some untold nuclear meltdown happens, it will be more like a hurricane than a tornado. We’ll have plenty of time to get the hell out of dodge and take the necessary precautions.

9. We’re all exposed to radiation every day. According to the World Health Organization, between environmental exposure and medical procedures, the average person is exposed to about 3.0 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation per year.

10. Emotional stress is more likely to kill you than some theoretical radiation cloud that might hit the West Coast. When you freak out, cortisol and epinephrine levels rise, leading to higher blood pressure, decreased immunity, high blood sugar, and other changes that can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke or succumbing to infections or cancer. So take a deep breath. Meditate. Listen to guided imagery. And let those stress hormones fall back to normal. It does a body good.

11. You never know when your time is up, so be here now. When an unexpected earthquake hit Japan last week, people died. On the day before they died, some were worrying about how they would pay for their retirement ten years from now in the face of a falling stock price. Some held grudges about long-past wrongs. Some dreamed of doing things they were too afraid to pursue. Others were probably afraid of earthquakes or a tsunami or nuclear disaster. You could be in a car accident. Your number could be up tomorrow. Don’t waste your life worrying about what might happen.

So What Can You Do?

I know you might feel helpless when you can’t control the outcome of a potential disaster. So I understand why you might be nervous. It helps to feel like you’re doing something. So what can you do to protect yourself and your family?

Meditate. It calms the mind.
Dissociate from your fear. Recognize that fear comes from a primal biological part of your brain that has a tendency to revert to fight or flight mode.
Count your blessings. Think about what the people in Japan must be feeling. Be grateful for your life. Focusing on gratitude calms the mind and attracts good things into your life.
Watch the news for further updates. There is no government conspiracy trying to hide disaster from you.
Donate to relief efforts in Japan, and pray for those who are mourning, injured, and suffering.
Eat healthy, iodine-rich foods (assuming you don’t have thyroid issues), such as sea vegetables such as kelp, yogurt, fish, shrimp, eggs, and strawberries.
If things change and health officials announce that we are in danger, follow their recommendations and take potassium iodide pills in recommended doses if necessary. But don’t go selling your soul to stock up on supplements.

How are you feeling? Are you calm? Freaking out? Tell me what’s up for you. We’re here to support you.

Lissa Rankin, MD: Founder of OwningPink.com, Pink Medicine Woman coach, motivational speaker, and author of What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend and Encaustic Art: The Complete Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax.

Dr. Rankin is also a contributor to SingleMindedWomen.com This article was reprinted with her permission.

Unfortunately, a principle culprit in our runaway weight epidemic of recent decades, that gets relatively little attention, is the intersection of stress and diet.

Stress for our ancestors came mostly in the form of defined danger. That could be a number of issues, the aggressive behavior of a dangerous animal, a flash flood from a nearby river, an attack by a neighboring tribe, or violent weather. All of these dangers triggered in us what is called a flight or fight reaction. We all know what our bodies do when this particular stress reaction occurs. Respiration and heart rates accelerate, senses become more acute, focus narrows down to the stimuli causing this reaction and our appetite shuts down until the emergency has passed.

Unfortunately in our modern world, fight or flight confrontations have evolved into long-term stress inducing situations that have no clear resolutions. Job insecurity, financial worries, arguments with supervisors or colleagues, even bad traffic and long lines at airports can trigger various levels of fight or flight hormonal reactions. Of course these threats are not immediate, creating what medical researcher, author and physician, Pamela Peeke, wonderfully describes as “stew and chew” as opposed to fight or flight.

Remember that in actual fight or flight confrontations appetite turns off. In the middle of an argument with your boss, for example, you’re not going to be thinking about lunch. But when these stress factors become long term they disrupt the normal hormonal response and actually trigger greater hunger. Worst of all these hormones drive people to seek high fat food intake; the caloric results of which are mostly stored for women in the abdomen, hips and thighs.

We’re all familiar with the sitcom scenario where the upset woman, who just found out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her, drowns her sorrows in a half gallon container of ice cream. A comical exaggeration of a real instinctive reaction: seeking stress relief in high fat foods.

As Peeke says, with no available alternatives to stress we stew and chew.  This hormonal reaction has also been noted in a variety of laboratory animals that are put in stressful situations over extended periods of time.

In her practice the majority of patients that Peeke sees are what she calls, “stress overeaters.” But there are a minority of women she describes at “stress resilient.” These women get the signal to indulge in overeating but simply resist. And in that simple revelation there is a powerful message of how the stress weight connection can be broken. The mere recognition of the stew chew dynamic at least alerts us to the changes it can cause in our bodies. This cycle is most easily broken by physical exercise that drains away stress and causes the body to release endorphins that counteract the effects of long-term stress factors. Yoga, meditation, relaxation exercises, are all effective in breaking this cycle of stress and overeating. First and foremost of course is recognition that stress is causing this reaction.

None of us like to acknowledge the powerful and negative effects that stress can place upon us. This is probably because we feel powerless to change or alter this discouraging reality. But we can and must find ways to do break the stress/overeating cycle. As Peeke has found, just recognizing the problem brings you more than half way to a cure for those extra pounds that seem like they will never go away.

__________________________________________________________

Martin Brown is the Heath Channel Editor for SingleMindedWomen.com, and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Finding Mr. Right.

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While reported cases are still on the rise for certain cancers, increased vigilance and advanced treatment protocols have vastly increased the survivability of most cancers. Specifically, detection and treatment in the early stages have played a large role in surviving cancer.

Normally, we are constantly bombarded with any number of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Internally, we have a standard number of abnormal cells that may, if left unchecked, ultimately manifest as cancer. Fortunately, our immune system is usually effective in fighting and destroying these invaders or rogue cells. Our bodies are battle grounds of sorts. Fortunately….most of the time….our bodies are victorious; our immune system destroys the invaders or cancer cells and we go on with our daily lives.

When we get sick, however, it is most commonly the result of our immune system becoming overwhelmed. Either the invading virus, bacteria, parasite, or cancer cells proliferate at such a rapid rate that our immune response is unable to match the onslaught, or our standard immune response has been compromised/altered…..either by the invading cells/antigens themselves or by some other factor such as prolonged stress.

Conventional therapies for fighting cancer including chemo-therapy that are designed to kill very rapidly dividing cells…such as cancer cells. The problem however, is that chemo-therapy is not too specific and will also target virtually ANY rapidly dividing cells including both white and red blood cells as well as hair follicles. Ironically, this can lead to lowering the immune system and thus lead to a large host of other health-risks.

Cancer Treatments: Treatment and prevention of cancer, be it through conventional or non-conventional treatments is a HUGE topic. There are medical doctors, oncologists, naturopaths, and experts of Traditional Chinese Medicine who spend their entire careers on this. Entire medical journals are dedicated to new breakthroughs in cancer treatment. One such technique involves regional hyperthermia to treat local neoplasms. The thought is that heating a tumor up to 113 F will kill cancer cells but leave healthy cells relatively intact. This is often combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy. For this article however, we will simply talk about the role of acupuncture in this battle.

So, where does acupuncture fit in? Can acupuncture help in the fight against cancer and other diseases? Before we discuss that, listed below is a (very) brief list of some of our cells that are involved in our immune system:

Constantly living in suspicion and doubt is a tough way to keep a relationship strong, and there’s been plenty written about ways to find out the truth about your partner’s commitment to you.  Find birth-control pills in your wife’s medicine cabinet, but you’ve had a vasectomy?  Does he have unexplained texts or credit card charges?  Instances like these are definite causes for concern.  But asking your partner to get an STD test?  It might seem like a surefire way of finding out the truth, but it’s not.

Here’s the thing: many STDs can be asymptomatic for years. That means, you can have an infection and not know it.  For years.  Like before you were even dating or even married.  It’s possible you or your partner may have contracted an infection – and did not know about it – so a positive test does not necessarily mean that someone has been unfaithful.

Genital herpes symptoms, for example, can be a “no show” for quite a while.  Most cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea can be present with no symptoms as well.  So, even if you request that your partner take an STD test and it comes back positive, it’s completely possible that one of you may have contracted the infection before dating and didn’t know it.

However if you both have been tested recently and were negative, and then a positive test shows up, that may tell a different story.  And simply posing the suggestion to get tested can be very telling based on your partner’s reaction.  If you and your partner are truly in a trusting relationship, this shouldn’t be a problem for either party.  But if he or she is hesitant or questions the idea at all, it might be time to sit down and talk about the reasons why.  And if he or she refuses to get tested, how much do they really care for you?

So what do we suggest?  Get tested with your partner before starting a new sexual relationship.  Make it a rule that you never break.  Then you’ll both know your sexual health status from the beginning of the relationship, and you won’t have to live in the dark.

You can reach Michelle Sobel at STD Test Express which helps busy people get physician-supervised STD testing, through an innovation called Online Care. This service is provided by the Analyte Physicians Group, S.C. (“APG”), a national network of doctors, nurses, and qualified counselors who are specially trained in Online Care.

Harnessing the wind can go a long way to moving us off our dependency of oil.

But what does that mean, exactly? And can wind energy be done efficiently?

Yes, it can: if realistic goals are set, and true incentives put behind commerce and and communities getting behind this most natural, and most plentiful, of all resources.

HOW THE EARTH MAKES WIND

Wind is a result from the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the fact that temperatures are always trying to reach an equilibrium (heat is obviously moving to a cooler area). With the rising price of energy and the damage to the environment from fossil fuels, it is starting to be equitable to harvest this renewable resource.

The benefits of wind energy are that it is virtually free (once you buy the equipment) and there’s no pollution. The disadvantages include the fact it isn’t a consistent source (the speed varies and many times it is insufficient to produce electricity) and it typically requires about one acre of land.

How Wind Energy Works

The volume of power that is available varies by wind speed. The amount available is named it’s power density and it’s measured in watts per square meter. For that reason, the U.S. Department of Energy has separated wind energy into classes from 1 to 7. The standard wind speed for class 1 is 9.8 mph or less while the average for a class 7 is 21.1 or even more. For effective power production, class 2 winds (11.5 mph average speed) are often required.

Normally, wind speeds increase as you get higher above the Earth. Because of this, the typical wind mill is installed on a tower no less than 30 feet above obstructions. That there are two basic different kinds of towers used for residential wind power systems (free standing and guyed). Free standing towers are self supporting and are usually heavier meaning they take special equipment (cranes) to place them. Guyed towers are supported on a concrete base and anchored by wires for support. They typically are not as heavy and most manufacturer’s produce tilt down models which may be easily raised and lowered for maintenance.

The kinetic (moving energy) from the winds is harnessed by a device termed as turbine. This turbine consists of airfoils (blades) that capture the power of the wind and use it to turn the shaft of an alternator (like you have on a car only bigger).

There are two basic kinds of blades (drag style and lifting style). We all have seen pictures of old windmills with the large flat blades which are an example of the drag style of airfoil. Lifting style blades are twisted rather than flat and resemble the propellor of a small airplane.

A turbine is classified as to whether it is designed to be installed with the rotor in a vertical or horizontal position and whether the wind strikes the blades or the tower first. A vertical turbine typically requires less land for it’s installation and is a much better option for the more urban areas worldwide. An upwind turbine is created for the wind to impact the airfoils before it does the tower.

These units ordinarily have a tail on the turbine which is needed to maintain the unit pointed into the wind. A downwind turbine does not require a tail as the wind acting on the blades tends to keep it oriented properly.

These turbine systems would be damaged if they were to be allowed to turn at excessive speeds. Therefore, units must have automatic over-speed governing systems. Some systems use electrical braking systems although some use mechanical type brakes.

The output electricity from the alternator is sent to a controller which conditions it for use in the home. Using residential wind power systems requires the home to either remain tied to the utility grid or store electricity in a battery for use when the wind does not blow sufficiently.

When the home is linked with the grid, the surplus electricity that is made by the residential wind power system can be sold to the utility company to lower or even eliminate your utility bill. During times with not enough wind, the home is supplied power from the utility company.

The Price of Wind Energy

Small residential wind power turbines can be an attractive alternative, or addition, to those facility. Unlike PV’s, which stay at basically a similar cost per watt independent of array size, wind turbines get more affordable with increasing system size. At the 50 watt size level, for example, a small residential power wind generator would cost about $8.00/watt compared to approximately $6.00/watt for a PV module.

That’s why, all things being equal, Photo voltaic is cheaper for very small loads. As the system size gets larger, however, this “rule-of-thumb” reverses itself.

At 300 watts the turbine costs are down to $2.50/watt, while the PV costs are still at $6.00/watt. For a 1,500 watt wind system, the cost is down to $2.00/watt; and at 10,000 watts, the cost of a wind generator (excluding electronics) is down to $1.50/watt.

Now, that’s one way to save our planet — and our bank accounts.

________________________________________________________________________

Mary Jones writes about residential wind generators at her website ResidentialWindTurbines.com. Her personal hobby blog focuses entirely on suggestions to reduce CO2 and lower energy costs using alternative power sources.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Educate yourself, and others. Start by reading these papers:

American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES): An analysis by the Pew Climate Center.

Green Recovery: This report, from the Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute, suggests ways in which we can create 2 million good jobs through a green recovery.

Renewing America: This report, from Environment America, details how we can jump-start our economy through investments in clean energy.

There are more Environment America green recovery reports here.

Source: ProgressiveFuture.org

Sucralose is not hindered with some of the bad press that saccharin got although, in saccharin, it has a long history of being used. In the doses we use it, it’s probably reasonable if you’re going to use a sweetener. However, because it hangs out in the brain tissue for 36 hours, there’s a search for other more organic sweeteners.

Facts about artificial sweeteners

Sucralose is a sugar substitute that’s sort of like an isomer of sucrose. So, for a lot of folks, they’ll say, “Well, that’s so closely related to the natural occurring sugar that maybe it’ll have less impact on us.” I don’t know if we can say that for sure or not, but let me, argue that artificial sweeteners don’t seem to help us diet that much. I’m not seeing data demonstrating, for example, that diet sodas have ever allowed people to lose weight in any sustainable fashion. Admittedly, you don’t get the calories from regular sodas, which is good, but I would not recommend a beverage with artificial sweetener as an alternative to sparkling water with a cut-up lime or something that’s a little bit more understandable by the body.

“Listen, the brain’s pretty smart. When the brain says, ‘You got something sweet in your mouth, but I didn’t get any nutrients or calories from it, you’re trying to trick me.’” It’s right.

What it primarily seems to do – and this has been looked at with beverages, so I can’t speak to other uses of artificial sweeteners, but people who drink artificial-sweetened beverages seem to have more metabolic syndrome, more hypertension, more diabetes, more high cholesterol. We believe it’s because, in fact, the artificially in-sweetened beverages are reminding people to eat because you got to get your calories somewhere. So, it’s a little more sophisticated system that the body has to protect it from being full.

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The health care reform bill passed by Congress today offers a number of good solutions to our nation’s critical health care problems, but it also fails in many important respects. After a full year of controversy and compromise, the result is a highly flawed, diminished piece of legislation that continues reliance on a failing, profit-driven private insurance system and rewards those who have been abusive of their customers. With more than 45,000 unnecessary deaths annually and hundreds of thousands of bankruptcies each year due to medical bills, this bill is only a timid first step toward meaningful reform.

Fact: The bill contains a sweeping anti-abortion provision. Contrary to the talking points circulated by congressional leaders, the bill passed today ultimately achieves the same outcome as the infamous Stupak-Pitts Amendment, namely the likely elimination of all private as well as public insurance coverage for abortion. It imposes a bizarre requirement on insurance plan enrollees who buy coverage through the health insurance exchanges to write two monthly checks (one for an abortion care rider and one for all other health care). Even employers will have to write two separate checks for each of their employees requesting the abortion rider.

This burdensome, elaborate system must be eliminated. It is there because the Catholic bishops and extremist abortion rights opponents know that it will result in greatly restricting access to abortion care, currently one of the most common medical procedures for women.

Fact: President Obama made an eleventh-hour agreement to issue an executive order lending the weight of his office to the anti-abortion measures included in the bill. This move was designed to appease a handful of anti-choice Democrats who have held up health care reform in an effort to restrict women’s access to abortion. This executive order helps to cement the misconception that the Hyde Amendment is settled law rather than what it really is — an illegitimate tack-on to an annual must-pass appropriations bill. It also sends the outrageous message that it is acceptable to negotiate health care reform on the backs of women.

Fact: The bill permits age-rating, the practice of imposing higher premiums on older people. This practice has a disproportionate impact on women, whose incomes and savings are lower due to a lifetime of systematic wage discrimination.

Fact: The bill also permits gender-rating, the practice of charging women higher premiums simply because they are women. Some are under the mistaken impression that gender-rating has been prohibited, but that is only true in the individual and small-group markets. Larger group plans (more than 100 employees) sold through the exchanges will be permitted to discriminate against women — having an especially harmful impact in workplaces where women predominate.

We know why those gender- and age-rating provisions are in the bill: because insurers insisted on them, as they will generate billions of dollars in profits for the companies. Such discriminatory rating must be completely eliminated.

Fact: The bill imposes harsh restrictions on the ability of immigrants to access health care, imposing a 5-year waiting period on permanent, legal residents before they are eligible for assistance such as Medicaid, and prohibiting undocumented workers even to use their own money to purchase health insurance through an exchange. These provisions are counterproductive in terms of controlling health care costs; they are there because of ugly anti-immigrant sentiment, and must be eliminated.

Fact: The bill covers only 32 million of the 47 million uninsured in this country, does not contain a meaningful public option and provides no pathway to a single payer system like Medicare for all. Democratic negotiators crumpled before powerful business interests and right-wing extremists, and until they get a spine there will be no true competition to help rein in costs.

The bottom line is that everyone — citizen and non-citizen, undocumented immigrant and visitor — has a fundamental human right to health care. This right has been denied in the U.S. for far too long, while the rest of the industrialized world moved ahead to assure universal and affordable care for their people.

We call upon President Obama and elected officials in both houses to commit to a process of steady improvement of our health care system that will result in true reform with universal coverage, realistically affordable rates and no discrimination. We still have a lot of work to do before we can genuinely celebrate.

Terry O’Neill is president of the National Organization for Women. To watch her speak to Bill Moyers about the passage of the Health Reform legislation, click here for a video of the show. You can also read the transcript here….