Technology grows at a dizzying pace. People seem to be more sedentary than ever before. Life expectancy appears to be up but so do the number of people who are overweight and obese. We face violence in society, most apparently when maniacs attack innocent individuals going about their daily lives. Our entertainment is filled with violence.

Our media is a nonstop feeding frenzy intent on getting views, reads, listens and clicks but many wonder when the same level of energy will be focused on the big, important stories instead of the ones that are simply salacious and attention grabbing.

Legions of people seem to be walking around in some kind of trance, slavishly interacting with their cellphones and not much else.

Questions jump to mind. How does all of this affect the brain? Are technology, media and entertainment evolving in a way that is difficult for us to keep up with? Are we heading for better or worse times for mental health?

In order to get some answers to those questions and gain greater insight into the current state of mental health, we called upon a couple of esteemed, past CYInterview guests. Joining us for this panel was nationally renowned psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig, who appears frequently in the media. Also joining us was neurobiologist Dr. Kristen Willeumier, a rising star from the Amen Clinics in California, who specializes in brain chemistry among other things. And rounding out the panel was our own Chris Yandek, to add a journalist’s point of view to the discussion.

Topics discussed by the panel included:

Our attention span in the age of the social web, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Has the Internet fundamentally changed the way in which our relationships are formed and developed?

Reality television, how does it affect us?

Is schadenfreude – taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune – a built in part of the human experience? Is there something in the brain/psyche which causes us to gain joy from the troubles of others?

Questions about nature and nurture, genetics vs. environment, brain vs. mind, when it comes to our behavior. Additionally, some information about how psychotherapy and emerging information about brain chemistry might be blended in the pursuit of better mental functioning.

Below are a couple of highlights from our more than 50 minute CYInterview panel on the brain. The entire discussion makes for compelling listening. Read the highlights and listen to the entire discussion below:

Listen to the entire “State of the American Brain” CYInterview:

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Browse CYInterview.com while you listen – Click here

One of the areas that stood out, in this intriguing discussion, was the topic of schadenfreude; that is when people take pleasure from the misfortunes of others. To some of us, that kind of behavior seems to be on the rise.

Dr. Robi Ludwig believes that individuals feeling better about their life circumstances by comparing their challenges with others who have things tougher will always be part of our makeup:

“If we’re kind of aware of all the negatives, then maybe in someway that will help us to figure out how we can survive better. So if you understand that human nature is more inclined to feel badly or negative about themselves than good, then it would make sense to, I guess gain insight into why we might feel happy when somebody else is doing badly in part because we’re competitive by nature, it’s hard to feel good about ourselves in general and so when we see somebody else failing, it’s almost like, well, life is fair or I’m not the only one or it helps us to get a little bit of a charge about our own lives.

And I think that’s why, this is just part of human nature. This will be true to the end of time and it might take different forms given our culture and society and different ways we can express it, but this will probably always exist to some extent.”

On this subject of schadenfreude, Dr. Kristen Willeumier agrees with Dr. Ludwig’s perspective. Dr. Willeumier, however, makes the point that thinking negatively and frequently gaining pleasure from other people’s misfortunes is not healthy:

“It’s an interesting terminology in you know if you’re looking at the brain of somebody who is getting pleasure out of seeing other people failing, that’s an area of the brain called the ventral striatum which releases dopamine and dopamine is sort of the pleasure neurotransmitter. And while I agree with Dr. Ludwig, we will probably always sort of have that experience. I mean, if you have a hard day I think people come home, they sit in front of the TV and they see somebody else’s life for a minute and they think to themselves, ‘Ok, I’m gonna take pleasure in say, watching Linday Lohan, you know potentially go to jail.’ I mean you think about these things and for that little bit, that brief moment they’re feeling good.

So that’s really working these pleasure centers in the brain. Now, hopefully, people aren’t doing this often because we like to think when you continually activate these censors, over time that’s not gonna be healthy for you. So you know we’re always teaching patients to work the positive pathways in the brain and not sort of reinforce the negative pathways.”

Our roundtable discussion with Dr. Ludwig and Dr. Willeumier was both enjoyable and powerful. It is worth listening to the entire 50 minutes to gain some insight into the state of mental health in America, particularly in the face of drastic technological change.

You can find more information about the Amen Clinics at their official website here.

You can find more information about Dr. Kristen Willeumier here

You can check out Dr. Ludwig’s official website at http://www.drrobiludwig.com

Dr. Robi Ludwig’s official Twitter is here.

You can reach me with your questions and comments at Jay@CYinterview.com

Joe Edwards has been undergoing chemotherapy, as he awaits a much needed bone marrow transplant. We were informed that his treatments were actually interrupted by Hurricane Sandy, adding to his already challenging circumstances.

We reached out to the office of the honorable Mayor Mark A. Smith of Bayonne, New Jersey for comment on Joe and his plight. Here is the kind response we received:

“Joe Edwards has served as a youth mentor for many years. Joe has worked in programs that warn young people about the dangers of substance abuse and violence. With young people, he has stressed the importance of continuing their education, finding employment, and becoming role models within their communities. In 2001, he was named Youth Counselor of the Year for his work with youth in Community Access Programs, Elizabeth, New Jersey. We are very proud of the outstanding work that he has done with young people for the last three decades. Our hopes and prayers are with him at this difficult time.”

Joe’s treatment, including the bone marrow transplant, for Myelodyplastic Syndrome is expensive. There has been a page set up where people can contribute to help Joe Edwards overcome the challenge he faces. It can be found at www.giveforward.com/somethingforjoe.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris is available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

In the Fall of 2012, Ric received the Joe Gold Lifetime Achievement Award in Las Vegas. Certainly, Mr. Drasin has made his mark in the world of bodybuilding. You can read the highlights or listen to the entire CYInterview below:

Listen to the entire Ric Drasin CYInterview:

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Giving his thoughts on Lance Armstrong and the culture of performance enhancing drugs in some sports, Ric says this:

“With Lance, he’s not the only one. There’s other ones who do the same thing. They just haven’t fessed up to it. So I don’t see anything wrong with it. You know, if that’s what he wanted to do and he set records, fine. He should keep those records. That’s my take on it. … If everybody is taking the same thing or the same things and they’re competing, they’re pretty much all at the same level. So if one guy excels more than the rest of them, he has the ability to do so, doesn’t mean because he took drugs ‘cause they’re taking them too. Look on the stage of the bodybuilders today and how big and enormous they are. Every one of them is 300 pounds. They’re taking insulin. They’re taking growth factors, all of these things to be huge. But when you line them on stage they all look alike.”

Comparing the scrutiny some professional wrestlers have received for purportedly using performance enhancing drugs to athletes like Lance Armstrong, Ric does not understand why society comes down hard on pro wrestlers:

“The Rock too, look at him He was down to, I don’t know how much, maybe 220 for the last couple of movies . Now he’s up probably 270, ripped, thick, big, people love it. He’s not hurting anybody. He’s just showing what he’s got and it’s not even a competition, it’s entertainment. So I don’t know why they come down on the wrestlers for that because they’re hurting nobody.”

Reflecting on what it meant to receive the 2012 Joe Gold Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Drasin said this:

“I was overwhelmed that they thought that much of me to give me an award like that because I never expected it. It’s just, I didn’t get into bodybuilding and acting and wrestling to be famous or to make money. I did it because I had a passion for it and my passion was to reach out to people and suck them in and let them, show them what to do and make them better people as well. So by getting this award, it was really an honor. It opened a few more doors for me to go out and do stuff and if I get called to do the motivational speech and they know that I’ve done this and received the lifetime achievement award. It gives me credibility.”

You can find out everything about Ric Drasin and Ric’s Corner at his official website at http://www.ricdrasin.com

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

I had the pleasure of CYInterviewing Ms. Roberts back in 2007. She’s a wonderful human being and a credit to the media. [You can find my CYInterview with her here, as well as my radio appearance discussing her latest health challenge here.] Though Robin is on her way back to morning television, there are others facing this same health challenge that she has been working to surmount.

Today, we share a story about a man who has done a lot for others. His name is Joe Edwards. He is currently dealing with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Mr. Edwards is a great leader and mentor in his community of Bayonne, New Jersey, where he has coached youth football, worked to give positive guidance to at risk, inner city kids and helped others deal with substance abuse issues, among other things.

Currently, Joe is going through chemotherapy treatment, as he awaits his bone marrow transplant. His health challenges have left him with a lot of medical bills. A webpage has been set up so that people can help Joe in his time of need. You can find it at giveforward.com/somethingforjoe.

Financial services professional Rob Gill, who last was with us for our coaching panel [see here] joins me, along with Joe’s niece Raven Edwards, to talk about this man, who has given so much, and the help he now needs.

You can read more and listen to the entire CYInterview below:

Listen to the entire CYInterview with Rob Gill and Raven Edwards:

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Rob mentioned how Joe has had a positive impact on many young men who went onto to play Division I, college football, as well as some who made it to the NFL. Those players include Jerome Hayes of Penn State, Jammal Lord of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Houston Texans, Vinny Fonte of Monmouth University, who is on his way to becoming a lawyer, and some early, positive impact Mr. Edwards had on Kenny Britt of the Tennessee Titans.

“Joe is one of the most giving people that I’ve ever met in my entire life. … He’s such a great leader in Bayonne. He’s a phenomenal motivator. He’s one of the biggest givers I’ve ever met and you know he deserves this help, he really does. … You would never know that he’s going what he’s going through based on his attitude. His attitude is incredible. He’s one of the most generous, giving kids. When it comes to the youth football, it’s 12 months around the clock year. It’s not paid a lot of money. He does it for the love of it. …

I think that he tries to intervene with these young athletes and these young kids and really kind of change, maybe, some of their trajectories or paths based on certain things he sees in them that he might’ve felt when he was at that point. Forward looking, dynamic, genuine, I can’t say enough great words about who he is as a man. You know he’s a guy that if I’m in trouble for anything, if I need to talk about anything that’s going on in my life, he’s one phone call away.”

With an update on Joe’s current status is his niece Raven Edwards. She sees her uncle as an inspiration, for what he has done in the community. She states that the family is trying to raise money to pay for his medical bills and upcoming bone marrow transplant surgery:

“At the current moment with Joe, we have done bone marrow testing for his five siblings. Unfortunately only two of them were half matches. Of course, they try to go with a full match. They’re searching the databases at this moment to find someone that may be a full match. If we cannot find a full match within the next two to three weeks, they will be going with one of the half matches, either the brother or sister that do match. … As of now with financials, we are looking for help with the bone marrow transplant. We’re trying to look for help just to help with living costs every day, living costs for Joe, medical bills and all the medicines and everything at this point.”

Though Joe is in for the fight of his life, dealing with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Rob believes this is the moment when those he has given so much to will come to his aid:

“This is a chapter in his story when he writes his book and the chapter’s gonna be how you know through the love and support of the people that he once loved and support that came back to him, helped him through this process and it’s gonna be a great story and we just would like anyone that’s gonna listen and go to the website you know to help out in any way they can and we’re very grateful.”

Those who would like to assist in helping Joe with his medical bills and upcoming bone marrow transplant surgery can make their contribution at www.giveforward.com/somethingforjoe.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris is available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

Prior to the Newtown shooting, CYInterview was looking to gain greater insight into the nature of violent acts. This was in the wake of the murder of Kassandra Perkins, the girlfriend of NFL player Jovan Belcher, who reportedly killed her and then took his own life.

In light of these recent tragic events, and similar events in the recent past, many are wondering what can be done to stop this kind of violence. No doubt, this calls for a wide ranging discussion covering a multiplicity of topics.

One area that is being focused on is the state of mental health in America.

What causes someone to perpetrate horrific acts of violence? Do we spend enough time focused on mental health in America? When we do focus on mental health, to what extent do we actually focus on the brain as an organ as opposed to the mind?

Part of good mental wellbeing begins with taking care of the brain. We often hear about heart health, but how often do we hear about brain health?

For a lengthy discussion on the brain and brain health, we welcome Director of Research at the Amen Clinics, Dr. Kristen Willeumier. Kristen has conducted brain studies on NFL players that we spoke with Dr. Amen about back in 2010 [see here]. The Amen Clinics are known for their research on brain function, as well as their programs to restore brain health and hence optimal mental functioning.

Featured columnist Jay Bildstein joins me for this CYInterview. You can read the highlights of our conversation with Dr. Willeumier and listen to in its entirety below:

Listen to the entire Dr. Kristen Willeumier CYInterview:

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Discussing the reported murder of Kassandra Perkins by her boyfriend, NFL player Jovan Belcher, who subsequently took his own life, Dr. Willeumier says this:

“We’re really starting to understand that playing sports such as being in the NFL and as we would say, utilizing your head as a weapon results in loss, of long term damage to the brain and Jovan, being a young player still has probably acquired at least 12 years of playing time under his belt. … Being a linebacker, we found in our studies that the offensive lineman and the linebackers really take the most amount of hits over time. So Jovan is probably suffering from some issues from this long, the cognitive issues that come about from playing professional sports.

Add to that Jovan had issues with alcohol, so many of us know that he was stopped by the police that evening at three o’clock in the morning and then coupled with that, Jovan also had a history with guns. … So when you take all three factors into consideration, right. Playing sports in the NFL which is concussion based, plus the alcohol which really impairs judgment, plus being around, you know weapons. I think all of those things really contributed to the murder and then eventually his own suicide.”

Back in 2010, we spoke with Dr. Amen about the NFL studies the Amen Clinics had been conducting. Two years later, the study covers over 100 NFL players/participants. The doctor tells us about some of the things they have found:

“What we’ve found, when we’ve studied professional football players, is that they tend to have issues with their frontal lobes. So in our study, we had 81 percent of our players have damage to their frontal lobes and have problems with executive function and good judgment. So somebody who’s in Jovan’s position probably was having issues with right, making good decisions and when again impaired by alcohol that can result in some of the impulsive decisions such as committing murder. … The brain can be rehabilitated but you have to be really mindful and vigilant and do things pretty much on a daily basis to start taking care of the brain. …

I think having this information now out about football, what’s really gonna be helpful is as we talked about earlier, the younger kids right, kids who are playing peewee, junior high, high school, college, we want those parents to understand if that’s the track that you’re gonna put your child in, you really need to be mindful and watch you know, watch if they’re having problems in school, watch if they have daily headaches, right, watch if they complain of blurry vision, notice if there’s a change in their mood and really get them the help they need. So I think that’s where this can be I think beneficial to society.”

Research has shown that increased body fat can negatively impact the brain. The Director of Research at Amen Clinics explains how the size of our bodies impacts our brain:

“You’ve gotta think of fat as an inflammatory organ and fat tends to release what is cytokine, so these things can actually, can actually poke holes in cell membranes. So these free radicals and inflammatory cytokines can actually damage the brain and there’s been studies that show over time people who are overweight or obese actually have smaller brain size. So we really think it’s something that everybody could do. Anybody who’s got excess weight on their body, a very simple step is to start getting on a brain healthy weight loss program. … Start eating clean foods, bring the sugars down, right ‘cause sugar is toxic to brain function as well. So you know these are the messages I think people need to hear.”

Some in the medical community claim that a daily glass of red wine is good for your health. However, the Amen Clinics has noted that any form of alcohol is toxic to the brain. The doctor explains:

“I would rather have you take a resveratrol supplement, let’s put it that way. You could get it in other ways . … We have a lot of patients who come in and we say, ‘If you’re a healthy person, no more than one to two glasses of anything per week. If you’ve damaged your brain in any way, right, traumatic injury, stroke, you know, chemotherapy, refrain from all alcohol.’”

In focusing on the brain and our wellbeing, Doctor Kristen says the information is getting out there and people can take steps to having healthier brains and, consequently, better lives. If we all make healthier choices, it can assist in creating a better, safer society:

“We’re finally looking at the body as a whole. I think that there’s a whole new progressive movement in just health, right. I mean, we’re all eating organic now, right. We’re all learning about perils of soft drinks and high sugar diets. We’ve learned that fats are good. I don’t know if it’s sort of a collective movement in society that say, ’Hey! We want to be healthy, how do we do it?’ And we’ve come up with, at the Amen Clinics, with many steps that people could do to be brain healthy.”

You can find more information about the Amen Clinics at their official website here.

You can find more information about Dr. Kristen Willeumier here

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris and Jay are available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

On RHOM, Karent is the new kid on the block along with Lisa Hochstein, who we CYInterviewed at her home in Miami Beach recently [see here]. Both of these beautiful women joined the cast this year, for season two of the Miami housewives franchise.

Dr. Sierra is as confident and smart as she is charming and sweet. After our CYInterview, she showed me around her practice, whose walls are covered with photos of her celebrity patients and acquaintances. There’s Karent and Eva Longoria [see our CYInterview], David Foster and Pitbull, among others.

Karent is not just a dentist to the stars, if you can appropriately use the word “just” in that sentence. The good doctor has done commercial acting and appeared on televised Latin soap operas as well. A new trend for some scripted shows is seeing reality stars being cast. With her intelligence, good looks and theatrical chops, it would not be surprising to see Karent expand her show business presence.

For now, Karent Sierra will continue to engage viewers, along with her Housewives costars, while changing people’s lives for the better by improving their smiles in her dental practice. You can read the highlights or listen to the entire CYInterview with her below:

Listen to the entire Karent Sierra CYInterview:

Have trouble listening to the audio? Listen here

Browse CYInterview.com while you listen – Click here

On joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Miami, Karent says people recognize her more now and that the recognition is gratifying:

“Walking the streets of Miami or any major city, people do stop, recognize me and it’s been actually very warm and inviting. I have created a fan base of people that love the way I’ve been portrayed or the way that I’ve handled myself in certain difficult situations shall we say on the show and it’s been very rewarding having such beautiful people come up to you and just give you warm compliments and just be very supportive of myself.”

CYInterviewing Karent Sierra

With her new found fame on the Bravo show, Dr. Sierra says it’s brought new business to her practice:

“Interesting enough not to say hello but to make appointments. The last patient that I just saw previous to this interview was somebody that saw me on the show, was interested in meeting me and was interested in getting some veneers done because I did specialize in cosmetic porcelain veneers and I’m treating her right now.”

Many of the viewers of The Real Housewives of Miami have called her a confident person. Speaking about her confidence, Dr. Sierra said this:

“I consider myself a very confident woman. We all have things in our life that whether they’re tragedies, whether they’re, you know, uphill situations, but it’s the way you look at situations and how do you handle them. You know we all fall down, but it’s the way you pick yourself up that I think makes a strong woman or a strong man and a confident woman and I think my eternal optimism is something that definitely helps me. You know there’s situations in life that have arisen in which you feel that it’s the end of the world, but we can’t just drown and whither away. We need to learn to fight and whether there’s a problem, realize there’s a problem, but let’s find a solution. Let’s not focus on the problem.”

Going to the dentist was never this much fun

When it comes to her commercial acting work, Karent says she’s appeared in over 60 international commercials including being a spokesperson for Colgate. Reflecting on her work in show business, the dentist to the stars shares a great lesson about how fame can change people for the worse:

“It’s a wonderful industry because when I do the commercials it’s a one day shoot, we’re filming, it’s great and all, you feel like a star, you go back home, but then it’s back to reality and I think unfortunately a lot of people that have made it big in the acting industry they forget that you can be up on top, you know on the peak of the mountain one day and the next day you can’t, so it’s a matter of treating everyone the same you know and just being real to yourself and just because you’re recognized, just because you’re popular, just because now you become a quote unquote celebrity, doesn’t mean that you’re above anybody else.”

On what she’s learned from her costars on The Real Housewives of Miami, Karent says you can’t please everyone:

“That at the end of the day there’s gonna be people that will judge you, will like you or dislike you just because of the person that you are and once again if you’re true to yourself, you need to be ok with that. … So as long as you do no harm and you have the best of intentions for everyone, if someone decides that they want to feel that they don’t want to like you, I have to be ok with that and I think that’s part of it.”

The good doctor in her domain

Giving us a glimpse into her world as a cosmetic dentist, Dr. Sierra talks about some of her specialties:

“I specialize in a lot of extreme makeovers, which is basically doing someone’s patients full mouth, all 28 teeth in one sitting. We prepare all their teeth, they leave with temporaries and then we deliver their veneers two to three weeks later and the material of the porcelain that we’ve been using is so amazing that most of my patients, I mean if they were to smile at you, you would say, ‘What a beautiful smile they have.’ But you had no idea that they actually had porcelain veneers and that’s the idea is for them to have this beautiful natural smile that they’ve always longed for, they’ve always wished for, but whether it’s genetics, hereditary, you know or just financial reasons, they weren’t able to have that smile and I’m able to give that to some patients.”

The Bravo star believes she is changing people’s lives for the better, by helping her patients achieve a smile they can be proud of:

“Their emotional wellbeing exudes the moment that they feel that they look better, all of a sudden they’re happier people. So their self-esteem has been increased. They feel better about themselves. All of a sudden they’re either in new relationships or getting better jobs or making new friends and it’s so rewarding for patients to come up to me a couple of weeks after I’ve delivered their veneers and tell me, ‘Dr. Sierra, you changed my life.’ And I’m like, ‘Wow.’ It’s amazing that it’s not just a physical aspect but an emotional one as well.”

Mamma Mia!

As the dentist to the stars with a celebrity patient list including Eva Longoria, Pitbull, David Foster and Jon Secada among others, Karent shares what she’s learned from these clients:

“You know what? I think the most enlightening moment is that these patients are just real people. That they’ve become celebrities and they’ve become you know well known throughout the world, doesn’t change their essence. I know that there could be some other celebrities out there that believe, you know, that they’re bigger than life, but you know for example Jon Secada is the most humble, down to earth person you’ve ever met, so is Pitbull. There’s all these people that you know may misjudge them to think that they’re celebrities and maybe not have every single moment of the day to answer their fans, but it’s not that they don’t want to. It’s just that they have extremely busy lives, but they are the nicest most down to earth people I think I’ve ever met.”

Three years ago, Karent Sierra founded a charity called Sharing Smiles, to provide dental work to children most in need. The doctor told us this about her foundation:

“It is a foundation in which we offer free dentistry to underprivileged children that normally would not have the financial resources to get their mouth treated and we all know the correlation between periodontal disease, which is gum disease and how it effects your stomach disease. It effects the valves of the heart, it can even affect having or causing shall we say, tremors in the body, seizures and so many other diseases that I think the public is not really aware of the correlation.”

Karent by her wall of fame

You can check out Karent’s website and find all the information about her dentistry practice clicking here.

You can follow Karent Sierra on Twitter here.

You can follow Karent Sierra on Facebook here.

The aftermath of a hurricane can prove to be a tough time, both physically and emotionally. From loss of power to severe property damage, Sandy continues to create great challenges for many people.

With that in mind, we welcome back CYInterview regular, nationally known psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig to gain her insights on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Robi continues to be a top flight, in demand commentator by the national media. Just last week she was on NBC’s Today hour with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

You can read the highlights and listen to the entire CYInterview below:

Listen to the entire Dr. Robi Ludwig CYInterview:

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Dr. Ludwig believes prior to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy, some people, perhaps, believed the storm was not going to be a big deal. Unfortunately, that proved not to be the case. Robi believes that going forward, people will be more prepared for natural disasters, having experienced Hurricane Sandy:

“I think you know for people who have kind of dealt with these kind of hyped up warnings and have survived them in the past with virtually no serious impact, there is a tendency to say to yourself and maybe it’s wishful thinking, ‘Oh, it’s gonna pass or how accurate are these weather guys.’ … Any time you experience any kind of devastation, you know you realize, oh, that can happen and it leaves a bit of trauma behind instead of the feeling of disbelief. … I think the next time or in the event that something like this happens again, I think people are really going to be that much smarter and wiser and that’s what experience does right. It basically helps you to be wiser about what you need to do in order to protect yourself and your family.”

In the hurricane’s aftermath, Dr. Ludwig agrees that having a support system of family and friends, as well as the ability to speak with others about your frustrations, can be very helpful:

“It’s always wonderful when people can rely on family members and friends to support you during challenging times and certainly I’ve spoken to many people who have relocated and they’re staying with family and they’re staying with friends and you know that’s a tremendous gift and I even noticed that New Yorkers, you know New Yorkers are not necessarily known for being terribly friendly, but there is a sense of community that happens when a group of people experience a trauma all at the same time.”

You can check out Dr. Ludwig’s official website at http://www.drrobiludwig.com

Dr. Robi Ludwig’s official Twitter is here.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris and Jay are available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

In this CYInterview, you will gain some interesting insights into nail care and aesthetics, in addition to hearing some tidbits about Jenna’s celebrity clients. You can read the highlights and listen to our conversation in its entirety below:

Listen to the entire Jenna Hipp CYInterview:

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When speaking first about the latest trends in nail styling, the beauty industry veteran says the following:

“It’s funny to hear you say nail styling because I created that term because there was no term for celebrity. Everyone, we were just called celebrity manicurists and I didn’t want to be called a celebrity manicurist because what I did was so much more than being a celebrity manicurist. So I made up the term nail stylist like five years ago. So now, it’s really fun to see other people are starting to use the term… Starting to see the trends change is just seeing how nails have evolved in just the last five years…I create the trends…As me and other nail artists that are in the industry we’re all good friends and a lot of us in New York too have really worked hard to get the technology that has been coming our way onto the celebrities which in turn makes them more popular.”

With Ms. Hipp’s belief in all things green and eco-friendly, she tells us she does not use any beauty products on her clients that contain hazardous chemicals. Jenna says this is a big issue in the beauty industry, where there things are that might be harmful to health.

“It’s basically impossible to find hand and foot care [products] that don’t have parabens and sulfates and tons of chemicals and fragrances in them. So I use more skin care products…but they’re not hand and foot products at all. They’re skin care for your face and for your body and I just use them for your nails and I find that my clients so appreciate the fact that I’m not using products that contain harsh chemicals on them… It’s my mission to educate people and make them excited not about, not make them scared about what they’ve been dealing with, but make them excited about new alternatives and new technology that’s coming our way or even just taking it back to the basics, cleaning with baking soda and lemon juice. You know, you don’t need Clorox.”

One of Jenna’s celebrity clients is past CYInterview guest Zoe Saldana [see here]. She talks about Zoe – the lead actress in Avatar – as well one of this year’s Oscar nominated actresses, Michelle Williams.

“Zoe, she’s just such a free spirit and she’s just so open and so, I mean she walks in the room and no makeup and no hair done, but she’s got the most fabulous outfit on and the most perfect shoes and the most perfect handbag. She’s so put together and so classy, but then she sits down and she’s just like, is like the girl from you know the Bronx. I mean it’s just the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, but she’s so relatable in so many ways and to so many people. I just feel so privileged…

She’s [Michelle Williams] on a completely different spectrum. Zoe is just very laughy and outgoing and very, very bubbly all the time whereas Michelle is very calm and very Zen. You walk into the room and you feel like you know everything is just gonna be ok, nothing’s wrong and it’s never chaotic around her. She does have you know her very close friend Busy Phillips with her getting ready all the time. So it’s just so fun. I feel like it’s like you know little girls getting ready and to be able to watch them play and laugh. They’ve been friends forever so I feel like I’m involved in their secret little world.”

Speaking about French manicures, Jenna says it is time to move on from a style that is no longer cutting edge:

“I’m not a fan of the French manicures at all anyway. I think at the time it was revolutionary and it was great, but now what’s happened is that with the length and with the shape that has, the square shape and the long square shape of the French manicure is just the biggest no, no really because the porn industry is taking it over and it’s, you will not see it on celebrities, but you’ll see it all throughout the Midwest. They still have their big long gels and their big long acrylics and it’s time to take them off.”

Focusing on the French pedicure, the celebrity nail stylist believes that style should have never taken foot:

“I think French pedicures should never happen and should never have happened and should never happen again. And I love a natural looking toe, but definitely to make your toe look like it needs to be cut is not a look that I think is attractive at all.”

In these challenging economic times, the beauty stylist tells us what she believes is the best way for women to save money on their nails and make them longer lasting:

“Don’t have impulse buys. Go through your wardrobe and go through your makeup kit and figure out colors that you’re gonna be able to wear with all of your clothes and your makeup and find complimentary colors. Don’t see a color and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love that color.’ And not think about what it’s gonna look on my skin tone or what it’s gonna look like with different outfits because then you get home and realize you’re never gonna use it. You put it in a drawer somewhere and then you don’t wear it for three years and then you grab it and use it and it chips off and it goes bad…The nail polish only lasts like a year. So get a color with what your when and where you’re gonna wear it.”

Jenna Hipp’s official website is here.

You can find more information about Nailing Hollywood here.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris is available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

We are pleased to be joined by the director of 65_RedRoses, Phillip Lyall, to discuss his documentary which works to educate people about the disease. May is Cystic Fibrosis month. 65_RedRoses airs this Thursday night at 9:00 PM EST, on the Oprah Winfrey Network [OWN].

You can read the highlights of our conversation, as well as listen to the entire CYInterview below:

Listen to the entire Phillip Lyall CYInterview:

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Speaking of 65_RedRoses, Phillip shares his experiences and thoughts on doing a documentary about Cystic Fibrosis:

“We show the struggle of someone trying to live her life. You know, it’s an invisible disease and it’s a young person’s disease. So you look at them and they don’t look sick, but it’s something that’s internal and so I really think that it, the film shows a struggle of you know going to the hospital, living that life and then having to go back out into the real world and trying to live your life like a normal person. So I think we do capture some of that.”

Though there is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, Mr. Lyall stresses the importance of people becoming organ donors to assist in giving someone with a disease, or any health challenge calling for an organ transplant, a chance at a longer life:

“It is a genetic disease right. So what they know is they are able to isolate the gene, but they’re not sure how to eradicate it. So the only thing they can do right now is obviously people can be tested before they, you know, give birth to their child while they’re pregnant. They can go in and get tested for the Cystic Fibrosis gene and then from there, of course, they can make a choice on whether to go on with the pregnancy or not…The organ donation is the huge thing because especially in Canada, there is a very, there’s a lack of organ donors and there’s a lot of people waiting on the list, especially a lot of young people, where people think it’s older, there’s actually a lot of young people waiting for organs, so for us it’s kind of like, oh my God, everyone should be an organ donor regardless of your religion or what you believe in.”

In the documentary, social networking is shown being used by three women sharing their experiences of dealing with the disease. The documentary filmmaker gives his thoughts on how this kind of communication has changed the way in which people are dealing with health challenges:

“This was sort of the B, C plot of the documentary is that while she’s [Eva] waiting for lungs, she’s isolated in this room and she can’t talk to other CF patients in person because of the threat of spreading infections, she went online because she’s a very social person. She needed that connection and also even though she had family and friends, all of this amazing support system, they don’t have Cystic Fibrosis, they’re not waiting for a transplants. They do not understand the full impact of what she’s going through.

So to go online and it was this live journal site at first where she’s started talking to people, she’s posting about her feelings, her wants in life and these are young girls, these are women that are at a point in their life where they’re just growing up, they’re coming out of university, they’re falling in love for the first time. So it was such a beautiful thing to see how she connected so deeply with people she’s never met before.”

65_RedRoses airs Thursday night at 9:00 PM EST on the Oprah Winfrey Network. You can find more out about the documentary at www.65redroses.com.

Find more information about the Oprah Winfrey Newtork Documentary Club here.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris is available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.

Get ready for swimsuit season by reading the highlights of this CYInterview with Jessica Gomes or listening to it in its entirety below:

Listen to the entire Jessica Gomes CYInterview

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While in school in Australia, Jessica tells us she dealt with racial criticism and bullying. She reflects back on that ordeal:

“I was but one of the only sort of Asian girls in my primary school and high school and I did deal with a lot of racial criticism and it sort of blew my mind because I grew up with a European father and an Asian mother…I wouldn’t change anything that has happened to me…I realized at the end of my schooling that, ‘Hey, I got something different. So I’m just gonna roll with it.’…Obviously it’s very harder to as a young girl, you know, growing up in a school where people are bullying you and teasing you about how you look and where you’re from. You know, I always felt sort of out of place and you know I guess it’s great that I was able to model and get out of there.”

When speaking of having a Chinese mother and a Portuguese father, Ms. Gomes express that it sets her apart. She also tells us what we should know about her:

“My mother is Chinese. My father is Portuguese and it’s great. It really is something different and I like to call it, I’m ethnically ambiguous…I don’t walk around in a bikini all day long. I swear. Because some people think you know, they’ll just look at those photos and think that you know, wow, swimsuit model. You know what I mean. But I’m also a fashion model…Obviously there’s a lot of other dimensions of me. I’m not just sort of a swimsuit pinup girl. I’m also a human being.”

Though Ms. Gomes agrees she hasn’t had a chance to showcase her Portuguese ancestry, as a person with Chinese roots she concurs that Asian people continue to be underrepresented in the American media and entertainment culture:

“I definitely think so. I think that there’s a real opening for you know, Asian actresses and musicians and you know I think that they’re should be more Asians and things on the cover of magazines. There’s such a big Asian culture in America and I think that it’s important that you know we acknowledge those people that are in the Asian community that are making history and doing amazing things. I just get really proud when I see an Asian person that’s doing great…I go for castings sometimes and they say, ‘Oh, we just don’t think you’re Asian enough you know, or we think that you’re too Asian.’ Like I’m a chameleon. It just depends what they’re looking for…I feel like I’m making game changes and I feel like I’m you know, inspiring people and I feel like I’m something that’s new and fresh.”

With summer season not too far off, the SI Swimsuit Model tells us how she stays in beach body shape and gives us some beauty tips:

“I eat healthy and I eat really good foods. I dance a lot. I work out at Tracy Anderson and I do aerobic dance classes in a heated room. I also try and get in occasionally some yoga to stretch my body and I just get plenty of rest and I don’t drink alcohol and I just eat really healthy and normal. Like you know, I have three meals a day, some snacks in between, I eat all whole foods. You know I try to keep it all organic and drink lots of water, lots of coconut water and just, I’m very active. I’m always moving around keeping busy and I’m a firm believer in happy mind, happy body…

I think that you’ve gotta keep it simple with beauty. I’m lucky enough that I get to try an array of different beauty products, but I think the most important tip I can give is make sure that you wear SPF on your face every day, you know if you’re out and about. I think that’s really important and just keep to the simple steps of you know cleanse, exfoliate moisturize. I think that’s really important and always use an eye cream and you know make sure you’re taking your makeup off every night before you go to sleep.”

You can follow Jessica Gomes on Twitter here.

Jessica Gomes’s FB page is here.

You can email Chris Yandek at ChrisYandek@CYInterview.com Chris is available for interviews to comment on anything featured on CYInterview.

You can follow Chris Yandek on Twitter here.