Kathy Freston’s 21 day cleanse for quantum wellness.

Kathy Freston appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She impressed Oprah sufficiently to influence her to try out the 21 day cleanse program.

Kathy Freston was a self-improvement guidebook author. Her areas of expertise included personal growth and spirituality counseling. She had written several books. Oprah read her “Quantum Wellness” and was attracted by Kathy’s plan for the natural makeover. The natural makeover method was done by using the 21 day cleanse.

Oprah’s blog contained more information on the 21 day cleanse. Some points she discussed were about ways to stay motivated, how to help a loved one lose weight, exercises, battling the tummy bulge and moral support systems.

Senator Kennedy Diagnosed With Malignant Brain Tumor

By Brian K. Sullivan

May 20 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, one of the nation's most influential lawmakers, has a malignant brain tumor.

Tests conducted after Kennedy suffered a seizure over the weekend show the 76-year-old Democrat has a tumor in his left parietal lobe, according to a statement from his doctors. Treatment, which usually entails combinations of radiation and chemotherapy, will be determined following more testing, they said.

Kennedy ``remains in good spirits and full of energy,'' the statement said, and will stay at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days.

Only 25 to 30 percent of patients survive more than two or three years after diagnosis of a malignant glioma, said Henry Brem, chief of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, in a telephone interview.

Doctors generally perform surgery to remove the tumor if it is safe to do so and they may implant a tumor-shrinking chemical near the tumor site.

President George W. Bush called Kennedy ``a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period.''

Group Prayer

The diagnosis prompted an outpouring of emotion among Kennedy's somber colleagues. Republican senators, gathered for their weekly lunch on Capitol Hill, held a group prayer after an aide handed a note to party leaders. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada broke the news to fellow Democrats at their separate lunch meeting.

``I am having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here that I felt this badly,'' said Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat. ``The most important thing to do is pray.''

Several senators had tears in their eyes while talking to reporters and West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd wept in the Senate chamber.

``Ted, Ted, my dear friend I love you and I miss you,'' said Byrd.

Reid said that Kennedy's wife told him that her husband is ``in really good spirits and walking with `a bounce in his step he hasn't had a long time.'''

Kennedy has been active in the presidential campaign, giving Democrat Barack Obama's campaign a boost with an endorsement in January and occasionally campaigning for the Illinois senator.

`Heartbreaking'

``It's heartbreaking,'' Obama said of the diagnosis in an interview on MSNBC. ``Ted Kennedy is not only a giant of the Senate he's a great friend to all of us.''

Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate John McCain issued statements saying they were praying for his recovery.

Clinton called Kennedy ``one of the greatest legislators in Senate history.''

Under Massachusetts law a special election has to be held to replace a senator who doesn't complete his term.

``Unless it's clear his health is in danger by continuing and that his condition is irreversible, I think it's unlikely he would resign and I don't think he should,'' said Michael Glennon, a professor at Tufts University, who has served on Kennedy's campaign staff in 1980. ``Other senators have confronted debilitating conditions and it is possible the way the Senate works to ride out a condition like this even for an extended period of time.'' ``

A spokesman for Kennedy's office said there would be no comment beyond the doctor's announcement.

Malignant Glioma

The statement from Kennedy's doctors identified the cause of the seizure as a ``malignant glioma.'' Gliomas are tumors that begin in the glial cells, which normally form the supporting structure of nerves.

Steroids may be used to reduce brain tissue swelling, and medications may be prescribed to quiet seizures. Doctors may use radiation and chemotherapy to destroy tumor cells if they can't perform surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Kennedy, the youngest of nine children, was first elected to the Senate in 1962 and is considered one of its most influential members over a career that is in its fifth decade. He took over the seat vacated by his brother, President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated the following year.

Robert Kennedy

A second brother, New York Senator Robert Kennedy, was shot and killed while running for president in 1968. Edward Kennedy made a failed bid for the nation's top office in 1980, challenging former President Jimmy Carter in the Democratic primaries.

Kennedy has served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

``He's the last in the line of a great political family of that generation,'' said Elaine Kamarck, 57, a lecturer at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. ``They defined the Democratic Party for many decades.''

He is the third-longest serving senator in U.S. history, after the late Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Byrd.

Kennedy has been a leader in every major change in immigration laws since the 1960s and has pushed to raise the minimum wage over the years. His legislative accomplishments include helping to overhaul campaign finance, to give 18-year- olds the vote and to abolish the poll tax.

Kennedy underwent surgery six months ago to repair severe narrowing of the left carotid artery, the statement said.

About 45,000 people will be diagnosed with brain cancers this year, and about 100,000 more will suffer from tumors that migrated from other tissues and organs to the brain, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.

The parietal lobe, where Kennedy's tumor was found, plays a role in the perception of temperature, pressure and pain. Damage to the lobe can lead to dyslexia, language disorders, confusion between the right and the left, an inability to write, and an inability to do math, according to the Centre for Neuro Skills in Encino, California.

What is Amantadine? Flu Drug Curiosity Surges After 'House' Mention

Amantadine, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease and similar conditions, as well as infections from the flu, is yielding a high volume of Google searches Tuesday, following a mention on the FOX TV show ‘House.’

Dr. Amber Volakis became sick toward the end of the previous week’s episode. Monday night, it was determined she took amantadine prior to getting injured in a bus crash. Amber had sneezed, saying she thought she was coming down with the flue, before popping some pills.

Thirteen, another doctor on the show, confirmed she had Huntington’s disease during Monday’s episode. Following the trend of amantadine, Huntington’s disease began the day as one of Google’s ten hottest searches.

Another Woman Caused Shania Twain Split

Shania Twain and her music producer husband are separating after 14 years of marriage due to his relationship with another woman, several sources told People magazine.

Twain's estranged husband, Robert "Mutt" Lange, told People the split was "an unfortunate thing." He added, "It's literally just a growing apart, that's all."

But sources close to the situation told People that Marie Ann Thiébaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple’s chateau in Switzerland, was at the center of the break-up.

"Mutt and Marie Ann left their spouses for each other and are still in a relationship," one source told People.

Lange denied the claims to the magazine.

"It's absolutely not the reason [for the separation]," the famously reclusive producer told People when asked about the alleged affair. He also denied that he was in a romantic relationship with Thiébaud: "I'm not, no," he said. "It's not true."

Twain, 42, and Lange, 59, married in 1993. They have a 6-year-old son, Eja (pronounced "Asia") D'Angelo.

An insider told People that Twain is "devastated. This came out of left field ... She loved him."

In US election, every (written) word counts

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Hillary Clinton is smart and forceful, John McCain is proud but has a volatile temper, and Barack Obama is a diplomat who deals well with different people and situations.

At least, that's what graphologists say their handwriting reveals about them.

"Handwriting is a reflection of the inner personality. It shows a person's ego strength, how good they feel about themselves, their intellectual, communication and working styles," graphologist Sheila Lowe, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis", told AFP.

Graphology -- the study of how we loop our Ls and cross our Ts -- is not taken as seriously in the United States as in Europe.

But every four years, when a US presidential election rolls around, practitioners of the arcane science are much sought after as Americans try everything to analyze contenders for the White House.

"Each time there are elections, I get invited to TV shows, radio shows," Lowe said. "There is always somebody who wants to know something, even if they don't take graphology seriously."

Just the signatures of the candidates are revelatory -- at least to the eye of an expert.

Republican John McCain's signature shows a proud, idealistic but impulsive, if not uncontrollable man, according to the experts.

Lowe saw impulsiveness and a "short fuse" in McCain's variable writing style.

New York graphologist Roger Rubin agreed, and also saw a powerful ego at play in the senator from Arizona.

"The unevenness of the rhythm reflects the unevenness of his temperament," Rubin said.

"The capital J is the largest letter, which shows his strong belief in his own ego. The size of 'John' overwhelms the size of 'McCain' -- this shows how distant he is from his family roots."

Obama's signature reveals similar traits.

The vertical straight line of the B in Obama cuts through the large O -- which is nonetheless smaller than the B in Barack.

"The very large B shows he also has a very strong sense of his own ego," Rubin said.

"And he is crossing out his family name," he added, recalling that Obama's father left the family when the front-runner for the Democratic nomination was just a young boy.

Another graphologist had a different interpretation of the bisected O.

"He draws that circle and a line through it, and it's really like he has two different worlds," said Paula Sassi, who has been interpreting handwriting for 28 years.

"I think it shows his black and white heritage."

The fluidity of Obama's signature is a sign of high intelligence, while its illegibility shows he is protecting his privacy.

"He doesn't want you to know him too well," said Arlyn Imberman, author of "Signatures for Success."

"He shows a part of himself to the world but not everything," said Lowe.

The large letters in Obama's signature show that he is ambitious, self-confident and views himself as a leader, said Imberman.

"The fluid letter forms reveal that he can form a coalition, be diplomatic and get along with both sides of the aisle," she added. "He's the type of guy who could tell you to go to hell and you'd enjoy the trip."

Clinton's legible, balanced signature shows a woman of great intelligence.

It's simplicity portrays a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" personality, said Lowe.

Her straight-up-and-down writing indicates that she "thinks with her head, not with her heart," said Sassi.

"But there is enough roundness in her writing to show that she cares about people," said Imberman.

The fact that the second leg of the H and the second L in Hillary are higher than the first show ambition.

And she's a perfectionist: "Every thing is written carefully, legibly," said Imberman.

It is difficult, the experts say, to tell the sex of a person from their handwriting, or to discern if they are left- or right-handed.

But, interestingly enough, Obama and McCain are lefties -- just like four out of five US presidents immediately before them: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr and Bill Clinton.