The Saturday Evening Post articles from March 2006

The Saturday Evening Post archives from March 2006

Chia's nutrition.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I enjoyed the informative article about chia's nutritional value. Very interesting that the Aztecs cultivated this so many years ago. Had to be a good reason. Throughout the years someone else latched on to this knowledge. I was reading the...

Macular degeneration.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... My opthamologist has told me I have mild macular degeneration (dry type), and other than using Systane eye drops two to three times a day, there is nothing that can delay progression. I am very nearsighted, am 89 years old, and do a good...

Letter from the editor: fighting obesity and tobacco, while searching for tomorrow's health leaders.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2006... The health team at the Post is on a mission! Our goal is to address the crisis of obesity in American children. During the past two decades, the percentage of children who are overweight has more than tripled, leading to a rise in adult onset...

Dogs: more than man's best friends.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I am intrigued by recent reports that dogs can sense breast and other cancers. What can you tell me about this? I would think that many Post readers would be interested in training their dogs for this purpose. John Miller St. Louis,...

Beauty of the snowflake.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Kudos to Dr. Jamison for her superbly written article, "Winter's Miracles of Beauty." I thought only preachers and poets could write and speak of the wonders of nature in general, and more specifically of snowflakes. I am sure others...

World War I post reader.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I was sure you would find this interesting. We came across this picture of my uncle when he was stationed in France in WWI. He's been gone for a few years. Mickey Reagle Meeker, Colorado

Exploring all stem cells.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I subscribed again to SatEvePost after a long absence, and the first issue was Mary Tyler Moore's article concerning embryonic stem cells. She, of course, has her right for her views. I am discouraged, however, that SatEvePost has approved of...

Treatment-resistant depression.(Letters)
March 1, 2006... Thank you for the in-depth articles on mental health. For many of us suffering from depression or other forms of mental illness, they are invaluable. I suffer from what my doctor calls treatment-resistant depression. I have tried...

What you should know about high blood pressure.(FOCUS ON HYPERTENSION)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH With this issue, we kick off a campaign to help Post readers learn more about hypertension and how to prevent and help treat the potentially life-threatening condition by offering cutting-edge research news and...

Eating for life.(FOCUS ON HYPERTENSION)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Chances are you or someone you love has high blood pressure, a dangerous condition that makes the heart work too hard. The force of its blood flow can also harm arteries. Blood pressure can be unhealthy even if it stays only slightly above...

Tiger's turbo swing: efficient use of body physics has made Tiger Woods' drive the most powerful in golf. A noted golf writer explains how he does it.(POST BOOKSHELF)(Tiger's New Swing: An Analysis of Tiger Woods' New Swing Technique)(Book Review)
March 1, 2006... Tiger's New Swing: An Analysis of Tiger Woods' New Swing Technique by John Andrisani, 160 pages, St. Martin's Press, $18.95 Only a supreme perfectionist would do what golfing great Tiger Woods has done. After compiling one of the winningest...

The wit and wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: his enduring wisdom leads us to a higher appreciation of his genius.(Poor Richard Speaks)
March 1, 2006... Success has ruin'd many a man. An old young man will be a young old man. If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone. Diligence is the mother of good luck. Ill thrives that hapless family that...

Curried cauliflower vs prostate cancer.(FOOD IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Scientists at Rutgers University have found that turmeric, the spice used in Indian curries, can prevent the spread of prostate cancer in mice. The inhibitory effect on prostate cancer cells injected into mice was even more pronounced when the...

Preventing macular degeneration.(FOOD IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Eating foods that are rich in beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc can reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by more than a third, according to a recent study from the Netherlands. The newly published results of...

A food shopping guide.(FOOD IN THE NEWS)(What to Eat )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
March 1, 2006... A new book, What to Eat, by award-winning nutrition writer Marion Nestle, helps shoppers determine what's healthy and what's not at the supermarket. A few of the often-asked questions she tackles are: Is yogurt really good for you? Is bottled...

Taking chocolate to heart.(FOOD IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Flavonols found in chocolate have the ability to relax blood vessels and improve circulation, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. In a double-blind study volunteers drank a specially prepared cocoa drink containing...

In living colour.(RELIGION)(C.S. Lewis)(Biography)
March 1, 2006... "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." The work of Clive "Jack" Staples Lewis as a Christian apologist and a Christian writer is well accepted across the denominational spectrum. More than 50 books have been...

Tips for vibrant health and beauty at every age.(LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD)
March 1, 2006... Tips for Safe Driving Automobile safety experts offer the following advice to help drivers reach their destinations without incident. Before leaving home: * Plan ahead. Make left turns at intersections where there are green-arrow...

Examining America's healthcare system: what do healthcare providers prescribe for America?(OPEN FORUM)
March 1, 2006... His family trusted me with his care, but I knew little about my patient, except that he would die without a mechanical pump to support his failing heart. He had undergone unsuccessful emergency coronary bypass surgery elsewhere before being...

New solution to the organ shortage: is there a simple and better incentive to increase organ donations?
March 1, 2006... For the past 30 years, many well-meaning organizations have spent lots of time and money trying to convince more Americans to donate their organs after they die. These efforts have relied exclusively on appeals to altruism, and they have...

Framingham score misses women at risk.(Women's Wellness)(Framingham Risk Estimate)
March 1, 2006... A widely used screening tool called the Framingham Risk Estimate (FRE fails to identify approximately one-third of women likely to develop coronary heart disease, say researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. "We wanted to verify...

Sniffing out cancer.(Women's Wellness)(dogs detect cancer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Researchers in California report they have trained dogs to detect lung cancer in breath samples of cancer sufferers with near-perfect consistency. For breast cancer, the dogs--three Labradors and two Portuguese water dogs--accurately detected...

Exercise wards off dementia, depression.(Women's Wellness)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... During a Post interview, the wife of one of the country's leading experts on aging told us that she combats the blues by running, adding, "No depression can stand a 5K run!" Her husband, Dr. Walter Bortz, is also a runner, completing numerous...

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.(READ ALOUD FOR CHILDREN)(Excerpt)
March 1, 2006... Once there were four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, who were sent from London during the war to live in the country house of an old Professor and his housekeeper, Mrs. Macready. She was not fond of children, and he was a very old man...

Into Africa: our Post writer Doug Zipes and his wife, Joan, report on the safari of a lifetime at a game reserve in Kenya.
March 1, 2006... The cheetah sat tall on the five-foot termite mound, scanning the horizon. Her sleek tan body spotted with black blended into the Masai Mara plain, making her all but invisible. Intelligent eyes with dark "tear marks" running to the corners of...

Dear God: when kids address The Man Upstairs, they don't beat around the bush.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... DEAR GOD, If you let the dinosaur not become extinct, we would not have a country. You did the right thing. Jonathan DEAR GOD, If you give me a genie lamp like Aladdin, I will give you anything you want except my money or my...

Dogs help track down genes.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(Batten disease)
March 1, 2006... Dogs are more than man's best friend; at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU), purebred terriers are helping researchers uncover the genetic roots of life-threatening diseases that affect canines as well as their human owners. Tibetan...

The healing power of pine bark.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(Pycnogenol)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A new study suggests that the natural pine tree bark extract known as Pycnogenol[R] (pic-noj-en-all) may help heal hard-to-treat skin ulcers caused by poor leg circulation. Venous skin ulcers develop--usually just above the ankle--when...

Computers detect colon polyps.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Results of a large-scale, multicenter study conducted by the National Institutes of Health demonstrate that computed tomography (CT) colonography with computer-aided detection is highly effective for finding colon polyps. While most polyps are...

Prevent skin cancer.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Aspirin and similar drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, reveals recent findings from Australia's Queensland Institute of Medical Research. Results of the study show that...

Take care of tennis elbow.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)
March 1, 2006... Most who suffer from tennis elbow develop it from repetitive stress or motion during work-related tasks or hobbies, or through other sports like golf or baseball, explains New York sports medicine expert Kevin Plancher, who is also the official...

Got iodine?(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(preventing iodine deficiency)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Government experts, once concerned that Americans might be consuming too much iodine, now warn that iodine deficiency--a serious health threat in developing nations--could resurface in this country. Researchers suggest several reasons for...

New law, new hope for transplants.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(cord blood banks)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... New legislation provides federal funding to expand the nation's inventory of cord blood, a rich source of potentially lifesaving stem cells. Stem cells from bone marrow have been used for decades to treat patients with blood diseases like...

From the pharmacy.(MEDICAL UPDATE: Cutting-edge news from a source you can trust)(prescription drugs)
March 1, 2006... [x] New Option for Pain Relief: Lyrica is now approved to treat chronic diabetic nerve pain (a condition called diabetic neuropathy) and pain associated with shingles (or post-herpetic neuralgia). The potent drug also helps control partial...

AEDs needed at youth sporting events.(Neighborhood Heart Watch)(defibrillators)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sudden cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest by a ball--a rare but usually fatal condition called commotio cordis--almost always happens in children. But while many colleges and high schools have AEDs, not many grade schools do. Many...

Clot-busters: safe for seniors.(Neighborhood Heart Watch)(tissue plasminogen activator)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Patients of any age may benefit from clot-buster therapy for stroke, according to Swiss researchers. In a recent study, doctors say that stroke severity, blood sugar levels, and time until treatment--but not age--predicted the rate of favorable...

Short of breath? Think heart disease.(Neighborhood Heart Watch)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... People with shortness of breath may have a higher risk of dying from heart disease than those who experience chest pain or are without symptoms, say researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In a recent NEJM-published study,...

Study supports public use of AEDs.(Neighborhood Heart Watch)(defibrillators)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Italian researchers report that nearly 2,200 volunteers used AEDs safely and effectively during the two-year Brescia Early Defibrillation Study. Fully operated by nonmedical personnel, the public health program in Brescia--a province in Italy...

Stroke studies seek participants.(Neighborhood Heart Watch)
March 1, 2006... Innovative research programs are testing whether an experimental device can help stroke survivors recover essential skills such as speech (the Chestnut study) and hand and arm movement (the Everest trial). Multiple sites are enrolling patients...

Heart health: ask Dr. Zipes: a noted cardiologist answers your questions.
March 1, 2006... HEALTH RISK CONCERNS Reader: Twice I have worn a heart monitor for three to four days. Both tests showed a rapid heartbeat and low to regular blood pressure. Two physicians have advised me to take metoprolol 25 mg twice daily. Am I at...

Spring is in the air.(The American Illustrators Hall of Fame)(magazine covers)
March 1, 2006... Spring! "The season pricketh every gentle heart, and maketh him out of his sleep to start," wrote Geoffrey Chaucer. And our veteran cover artists were no exception. Once they awoke from their winter slumbers and broke out their yellow and...

From Poland: an emerging artist: not yet available on Amazon.com, Rafal Olbinski's exciting book on women must be ordered from Poland. Because the book contains graphic material, the Post recommends parental guidance to purchasers in homes with young children. Available from the publisher, Polpharma, Warsaw, Poland.(POST BOOKSHELF)(Motifs and Variations: Rafal Olbinski Women)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Motifs and Variations: Rafal Olbinski Women 176 pages, $50.00 "Next to God, we are indebted to women, first for life itself, and then for making it worth having," wrote the oft-quoted American author and editor Christian Bovee. That...

Taking fiber to heart: thinking about your heart health? Don't forget the fiber!(HEART BEAT: Healthy Heart Recipes)
March 1, 2006... Healthy Heart Recipes The evidence on the tremendous benefits of fiber in reducing chronic diseases continues to mount. Recently, French researchers found that in a study of 6,000 men and women, the higher the participants' fiber intake,...

Stealth health: bringing better nutrition to kids' lunches: a new "supergrain" on its way to schools across the country may help reverse the growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes now threatening America's children--but don't tell the kids. It's a secret!(Salba)
March 1, 2006... Cookies, pizza, and chicken fingers are just some of the kid-friendly items children are eating and enjoying at Seven Hills Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. Although these foods don't sound especially healthful, the chef in residence, Jimmy...

Diabetes: healthy choices: manage diabetes without sacrificing great taste.
March 1, 2006... With one in five Americans over the age of 60 now coping with diabetes, chances are good that you or someone you know lives with the disease. While the statistics are alarming, the good news is that with vigilance, moderate exercise, and tight...

A gift for his survivors: in case the worst should happen, a young submariner wanted to make sure his wife and children would be prepared.(Robert Fisher)(The Survivor Guide)
March 1, 2006... The year was 1983. The Cold War was still raging, and Robert Fisher, a young graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, had been assigned duty aboard a nuclear submarine. Fisher thought about his young wife, Elaine, who was pregnant with their second...

Where in the world? A king's villa, a famous lighthouse, and a Civil War battle site: if you can guess where they are, then you're doing all right. The answers are on page 105.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... 1. This seaside residence, built for King George IV, was also used by his brother William IV and their niece Queen Victoria. In 1787 architect Henry Holland created this neoclassical villa. John Nash later transformed it into its current Indian...

Where do you think you are?(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... East, West, North, or South, each of the areas above appears on the map of a single state or province. Can you identify these locations? If you find the game too easy (but you won't), try to guess this issue's theme. "And the winner is..." ...

The perfect squelch.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... At a college football game, a student challenged a senior citizen sitting next to him, saying it was impossible for their generation to understand his. "You grew up in a different world," the student said loud enough for the whole crowd to...

You be the judge.(doghouse violates building regulations)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... In erecting their super ranch house at exclusive Kismet Acres, the Van Pesters careiully complied with the building requirements of the Kismet Development Association. But when they moved in, they realized that they had no place for Homer,...

Lead poisoning can be prevented.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... When I found these lead weights in a sewing basket in my attic, I was horrified to learn that they're still being manufactured and sold. We're told that these lead weights contain enough lead to cause death if a youngster swallowed one. If...

Confused about canola oil.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas. We have been encouraged by doctors and the government to use canola oil in our cooking because of its health benefits. Recently I was told by an acquaintance of mine about some information she had received on her...

Help for osteoarthritis.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, The May/June issue included an article on osteoarthritis of the knee. It especially discussed acupuncture. I've just started steroid shots and wonder if either will replace the eroded cartilage. I've heard something of...

Ginger for arthritis.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Please provide any information you might have about the benefits of ginger for arthritis. Does it do any good? I'm considering taking it. Bill Foreman San Diego, California Ginger extract has been used for...

Forteo for osteoporosis.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I have bad osteoporosis and am being treated for breathing problems that my doctor calls COPD. Because my stomach just can't handle most of the osteoporosis medicines, I was prescribed Forteo about a year ago. I take an...

The facts on omega fatty acids.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I am referencing your answer to a question about omega-3 and whether omega-6 is good or bad for you (Mar./Apr. 2005 "Medical Mailbox"). I remember an earlier article regarding the correct ratio of these two oils, but now...

Surgery cured wife's epilepsy.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, "Medical Mailbox" had a reader asking about the vagus nerve stimulator for her 20-year-old grandson with epilepsy. I would suggest the grandson seriously consider surgery. After 20 years of epilepsy, my wife was 100...

Nitroquick for chest pain.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I have a prescription for Nitroquick with instructions to place a tablet under my tongue as needed for chest pain. Is this a "clot buster" kind of help for your heart muscle? I've read that clot buster therapy for...

Reader remedies for toenail fungus.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, My big toe had an ugly fungus. One day as I was polishing my toe nails, I decided to completely cover and seal that fungus with the nail polish. Since it's not getting air, I'm convinced it is diminishing. A cheap...

Water experience.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(daily amount of drinking water)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Regarding the question of how much water we need to drink. If I drank only when thirsty, I would not be drinking enough. Experience has taught me that I will be constipated if I do not drink six glasses of liquid daily--4...

SAM-e: safe for glaucoma patients.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(s-adenosylmethionine)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Would you please advise as to whether SAM-e (s-ad-enosylmethionine) is okay for people with glaucoma or other ocular conditions? It is an over-the-counter amino acid used in the treatment of a variety of conditions,...

All hot and bothered.(POST SCRIPTS)(mortician)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A mortician was messing around with his new crematory. He goofed up and made a complete ash of himself.

Get your motor running.(POST SCRIPTS)(motorcyclists versus truck driver)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A truck driver was sitting at a truck stop counter quietly eating his breakfast when three rough-looking motorcyclists came in. They were bearded, dirty, wearing leather jackets and helmets with weird decals on them. The truck driver looked at...

The latest buzz.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... "If you think you're too small to make a difference, you haven't been in bed with a mosquito."--email

Thanks, honey.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A young man was about to meet his new girlfriend's parents, and he was a bit nervous. "Don't worry," she said, "I told them you were smart, handsome, and considerate." The young man blushed with pride. "Gosh, honey," he said. "You didn't...

The short of it.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dieting is mind over fatter.

The acid test.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A doctor told an elderly patient that if he wanted to cure his cold, he should drink lemon juice after a hot bath. A few weeks later, the patient told the doc, "The trouble is that once I finish the hot bath, I'm too full to drink the lemon...

Shop early and save!(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... When asked why my wife married me, my in-laws publicly scoff: "All her life she's been attracted to anything 60 percent off."

Smoke and mirrors.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A magician had somehow trained a rat to smoke cigarettes. After several years of the two performing to packed houses, the rat developed a bad cough. Magnanimously, the now-wealthy magician decided to wean his longtime little partner...

We know we're getting old when.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... * The clothes we buy now won't ever wear out. * We look forward to a dull evening. * Our secrets are safe with our friends... they can't remember them, either. * We decide to procrastinate but never get around to it.