Courtesy of LA Times

Modern evangelist Marianne Williamson was one of the presenters at  LA Times Magazine’s “Conversations on Health & Wellness” at Terranea Resort. The conference was a nice break from my mind, which has been mired in thoughts about mom’s cancer. I was glad to see that Marianne was one of the speakers, since her book, A Return to Love, influenced our coming back together. Whether you’re well or ill, her remarks are worth a listen:

A new HIV vaccine is safe and 31% effective in the more than 16,000 participants in the phase 3 trial, according to the U.S. Army Surgeon General.

The first time I saw Dan Pallotta, I was in a small theater watching his safety video for the 2000 California AIDS Ride, and his remarks left such an impression on me that I sought him out as an adviser to my magazine. Two years later, I became part of Dan’s special team at Pallotta Teamworks, and also helped him produce the X PRIZE space flights in 2004. Our working friendship has now spanned seven years. His newest book, Uncharitable, re-ignites his passion for charitable giving and calls for a drastic overhaul of the philanthropic machine. I think when you see him speak (and read this interview) you’ll totally get why I wanted to work with him.

Are there any charitable organizations really “doing it right” in your view?

No charity that receives the majority of its support from the general public can dare to do it right. In the current climate, it would almost be irresponsible; they’d lose their support — they’d be subject to scandal.

In the book, I talk about five double standards between the nonprofit sector and the rest of the economic world. We let business pay people based on value. But we don’t want people making money in charity. Want to make a million as a CEO selling violent video games to kids? Go for it. Want to make a million curing kids of cancer? You’re a parasite. So our top business school grads gravitate to the for-profit sector. We let business advertise ‘til the last dollar no longer produces a penny of value, but we don’t want charitable donations spent on advertising. So charities can’t build demand for causes. Budweiser’s all over the Superbowl. AIDS and Darfur? Absent.

Sounds like there’s kind of a double standard going on.

We let business make mistakes, but expect charity to spend contributions cautiously. It’s OK if a $100 million Disney movie flops, but if a $5 million charity walk doesn’t show a 75 percent profit year one? Call the attorney general. So charities can’t develop learning curves for revenue generation. Amazon could forgo investor returns for six years to build market dominance. But if a charity embarks on a long-term plan with no return for the needy for six years we expect a crucifixion. Business can offer profits to attract investment capital. But you can’t pay a profit off of investment in charity — it’s illegal. So the for-profit sector monopolizes the multi-trillion dollar capital markets.

You get the picture: anything a charity might do to test the rules brings a guillotine down on its reputation.

Was the timing of the book release (after the election) a coincidence?

A complete coincidence, unless of course you believe in some kind of divine synchronicity in the universe — which i do. I think it’s a fertile time for imaginative ideas and transformative thinking.

Should government have a role in changing the ways charitable organizations work?

Yes, absolutely. Government can make a big difference, on two fronts in particular. The government should fund a large national charity data agency — what I call the “Super Database for Charity,” that would have an iTunes-like, easy-to-understand user interface on front of a massive database of up-to-date narrative, audio, video and financial information on every major human service charity in America.

Yeah, it blows my mind that something like that doesn’t exist already.

Americans give $300 billion a year to charity. Know what we spend to make sure the giving is smart? Almost nothing. There are three national “watchdog” agencies — the Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator, and the American institute for Philanthropy. Collectively, they have about 40 staff and annual budgets of less than $5 million — a statistical zero percent of the $300 billion we give away each year. They look at fewer than 5,000 of the 1.6 million registered U.S. nonprofits, and they don’t look at program quality — which is all any of us should give a damn about.

Okay, so what do we need from the government, specifically?

We need an agency that has teams of surveyors that visit every major charity each year to conduct a week-long study and gather rich multimedia data on the charity’s work that the public can view online. This would require somewhere in the neighborhood of a billion dollars (less than half of one percent of the money we give away each year). For a billion dollars a year we could transform charity as we know it — get people to stop asking only about overhead, get them rich information on charity programs and long-term goals, which is what really matters, increase faith in charity, and increase giving as a result.

We also need to change the tax code in two areas: first, to allow people to make a financial return off of capital investment in charity so charities can raise growth capital, and second, offer tax-deductibility for social good embedded in consumer goods.

If asked to be the “Charity Czar” in Barack Obama’s administration, what advice would you give the president?

Fund “the Super Database for Charity” and change the tax code.

You live and work in Los Angeles. Is L.A. a particularly charitable city?

Not with respect to dating when you get older, but fortunately, I have a partner for eight years now.

This is your second book. Did you learn anything about yourself as you were writing it?

I learned that I really love history — I spent six months doing in-depth research on the earliest Puritan settlers to America and their ideas about charity. It was like detective work. I found the smoking gun. I also learned to trust my instincts — I didn’t know that in the days when we were being pretty viciously attacked for trying things in a new way.

How do you think social networking sites (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) should be leveraged to change the ways charitable organizations work?

They’re a form of marketing, and charities should put a lot of resource into reaching out through them, as well as into other forms of marketing. marketing builds demand, demand builds revenues, revenues create social change.

Has being a father changed the way you think about these issues?

Absolutely. I worry now about the world my children will grow up in. More than ever, I want a serious say in what that world will look like. I believe we can create a world that works for everyone, and i want to play a role in creating it.

What’s next?

I’m going to leave that up to God a little bit – but three things that interest me – running for public office, creating the Super Database for Charity, and re-creating Pallotta TeamWorks and making good on its vision of creating the “Disney of Meaning.”

For more, check out the book’s website.

The late Chad Presswood (1969-1999) was Bronson’s best friend. For those of you who have spent a bunch of time here on PLL, you may know that I’ve referred to him as my “guardian angel” for some very special reasons which I spoke about at the Spirit of Hope Awards last year.

Last year, our friend Christine in Naples sent us Chad’s sparkly aluminum tree, which had remained in her possessions after his death, as a Christmas gift. It’s become a very special part of our holiday tradition. (I joked with Bronson yesterday how pleased Chad would be that we have not one, not two, but THREE Christmas trees at our house—and all of them sparkle like a disco ball).

This week as we commemorate World AIDS Day, I’m thinking about Chad, wishing his personality was still here to reflect and grace the many lives he touched, and who miss him very much.

“There are so many charlatans in the world of education. They teach for a couple of years, come up with a few clever slogans, build their web sites, and hit the lecture circuit. In this fast-food society, simple solutions to complex problems are embraced far too often. We can do better. I hope that people who read this book realize that true excellence takes sacrifice, mistakes, and enormous amounts of effort. After all, there are no shortcuts.”

I try to keep a book in the “mix” of my day to day life. My goal is to read one chapter, every day, over lunch. I figure in our culture of 24-hour cable news, the immediacy of the internet, and web-enabled cell phones, that if I don’t impose some sort of “old school” discipline about reading on my daily life, that it just won’t happen.

Like it or not, I don’t get through the books fast enough, and so many that I want to read continue to pile up (one of them is quoted, above). But currently, I’m reading a special kind of book. Actually, it’s the journal of one of my clients (who I won’t name to protect his identity).  It’s his very personal account of his AIDS Ride.  Besides being beautifully written and spectacularly illustrated, it’s bound with a section of bike tire that came from the actual bike he pedaled, the entire stretch of road between Minneapolis and Chicago.  Reading it brings back so many memories of my own (and only) AIDS Ride back in 2000 — the pain, the giddy excitement, the nervousness, (did I mention the pain?).  In one specific section of his journal, he describes a moment toward the beginning of his ride, being at once overwhelmed and inspired at the journey ahead.  He mentions one of my good friends, Dan Pallotta, (who created the AIDS Ride) and the impact that Dan’s vision had on him, and the thousands of others.  Reading his journal is like a little oasis of inspiration, a reminder of what’s possible when you simply believe.

One thing that I’ve learned from knowing Dan over the years is that great things often start small. In fact, important things almost always start small.  But just because they are small does not mean they’re unimportant. I’ve learned that it’s essential when starting anything new not to lose sight of the bigger picture.  So, like Dan did with the AIDS Ride: dream big.  Plan big.  Color outside the lines.  A bicycle ride of 500 miles begins with a single stroke.  A symphony of 10,000 measures begins with a single note.  A best-seller starts with a single sentence.  The list goes on.

As the quote at the beginning says, there’s no substitute for hard work.  Accomplishing anything takes discipline, determination, focus, and passion. That’s why I have the word discipline tattooed on my back.  Each day, I have to earn anew the right to wear the word on my shoulders—with compassion, humility, and love. Someday, if I work hard enough—maybe, just maybe—like Dan and those heroic AIDS Riders, I’ll actually inspire someone else to look beyond their own limits to glimpse their true potential.

I’M PHASING OFF an antidepressant that I’ve been taking since 2003. During the past several weeks, I’ve been working closely with my doctor and psychologist to create a successful exit strategy.

My personal reasons for wanting to discontinue the use of the antidepressant (Lexapro) are many, the biggest one being my desire to reclaim a greater breadth of emotional frequency in my life. I started using Lexapro in 2003 shortly after learning I was HIV-positive, which seemed to make sense for all the things I was going through at the time. I used it on and off, mostly on, for the next five years.

One of the things I’ve found while being treated with Lexapro is that my “range” of emotions has been “compacted” — like the center part of the histogram in the picture. I don’t experience the great “highs” (or lows) of life like I remember. Not that life is without happiness or struggles — but the colors of life seem a little less varied.

I am married to the man of my dreams, run a business, and my immune system is working better than ever, I have great supporting and loving friends and family, and two great dogs. I am aware of my spirituality and I have a great peace of mind. Everything is fine. I am ready to feel the full spectrum of my life again.

Stopping the use of psycho-active medications is serious business. If you’re taking antidepressants, do not substitute my plan for medical advice from your doctor. That said, here is my “exit strategy” for stopping the use of Lexapro:

Work with a doctor. Don’t stop taking medication without a doctor’s supervision.

Tapering. No, not the sexual kind that Olympic athletes experience. The best way to avoid the side effects of antidepressants is to slowly wean yourself off. I cut my 20MG dose of Lexapro first to 10MG for a few weeks, then to 5MG for a couple weeks, then to 2.5MG for a couple weeks. The final slash to 2.5 was optional, but I decided to do it just for peace of mind.

Therapy. Uncovering what caused my depression in the first place is turning out to be an invaluable part of getting off the medication forever. I’m working with a clinical psychologist who practices cognitive behavioral therapy. I’m also talking through some my issues informally with a spirit-based life coach.

Timing is Everything. My partner, my friends, my doctor, and my therapist all agreed that now seems to be a good time to do this. Most of the external factors that were pressing me at other times in my life are now more or less at bay.

Work Out. As a trainer, I know first hand that exercise is the best antidepressant that money just can’t buy. My doctor agrees: “Increasing your cardio will release powerful endorphins. It’s like natural morphine,” he said. He also says that it will improve my sex drive. Ya-hoo!!!

Supplements & Diet. I eat a pretty balanced diet, but I’ve increased my Omega 3 fatty acids from 900mg to 1800 mg per day during the “phase off” (these fatty acids have been linked to improved brain function, and maintain healthy heart and vascular function). I’m also taking 50mg of vitamin B6 daily.

Get centered. More meditation, more guided imagery, more visualization. I’ll spend some time working consciously to become more unconscious — to be “in flow.”

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE from PLL contributing editor ERIC MUELLER

download the invite (.pdf) and/or send this trackback link to your friends.

I’VE HEARD THAT TAKING THE AMINO ACID glutamine with creatine can have positive effects in people who are HIV-positive. But there doesn’t seem to be much information about these sports supplements and any potential interactions with HAART therapy. Can you shed some light on this?

You’re right. Studies on the role of micronutrient supplementation in people with HIV are ripe for further research, according to Dr. Alice Tang, associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, and an expert in the area of supplementation and HIV. A few of these studies have examined glutamine, primarily for its muscle-building effects. To my knowledge, there are no published studies on creatine in people with HIV.

When it comes to sports supplements and their potential interactions with HIV meds, the answer is inconclusive. While no adverse affects have been reported using glutamine, other supplements such as St. John’s Wort, have illustrated the complexity of adding “natural” substances to a HAART regimen. Kathleen Squires, MD, says it’s best to avoid products that have documented interactions and communicate with your doctor about all the supplements you’re using. That way, he/she can take them into account if you develop any side effects or your viral load response is not appropriate.

Med interactions aside, the larger question is: “What potential benefits does supplementation with glutamine and creatine have for the person with HIV?” Wasting, (the loss of lean body mass), is a concern for all HIV-positive individuals. Since even a five or 10 percent loss of lean body mass is associated with early mortality and susceptibility to opportunistic infections, products such as Juven (which contains glutamine, taurine and HMB) are useful weapons in your pro-lean body mass arsenal.

Every study I’ve encountered boldly demonstrates that glutamine will build and preserve muscle mass. In one double-blind study, participants who took 2 doses of Juven twice daily for eight weeks gained almost six pounds, compared to a loss of almost two pounds by the participants receiving placebo. Glutamine doses of at least 20g/day has also been shown to improve the absorption of nutrients in the lower intestine.

My personal take is: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and supplementing with glutamine is a smart way to keep your lean body mass up. Creatine may also have a place in the mix, but your doctor should be able to help you balance the benefits of these sports supplements with your overall treatment regimen.

Heavy drinking may speed up the time to developing AIDS, possibly by damaging the immune system, new animal research suggests.Reporting in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center set out to determine how chronic binge drinking might affect the progression to AIDS.For 12 weeks, they fed alcohol to 16 rhesus macaques (often called rhesus monkeys) for five hours, four consecutive days per week to simulate chronic binge drinking. They fed another 16 rhesus macaques a sucrose solution under the same conditions.Then they injected eight of the rhesus macaques in each group with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a virus that mimics what happens to humans affected with HIV.The researchers found that chronic binge drinking accelerated the time to AIDS in the rhesus macaques infected with SIV, with the average time to end-stage disease decreasing from 900 days in the control animals to 374 days in those exposed to alcohol.”Because SIV infection in rhesus macaques is so similar to what happens in HIV-infected humans, we can expect that alcohol would have similar consequences in humans,” study author Gregory Bagby, professor of physiology and medicine, said in a prepared statement. (HealthDay News)