The Saturday Evening Post articles from May 2005

The Saturday Evening Post archives from May 2005

It's better late than never.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... On March 29, 2003, my husband passed away. The Big Horn County Senior Citizens bus makes a trip from Hardin to Billings, Montana, the third Tuesday of each month for doctors' appointments and shopping. The summer of 2003, I was going...

Cover weighs in.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... The offer of a free cookbook with a paid subscription to The Saturday Evening Post was recently received through the mail. When I opened the envelope and saw the picture on the cover of the cookbook, there was no doubt about wanting a copy. ...

Dodging Macular Degeneration.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I can never thank you enough for all your fabulous articles on health and for everything else in the SatEvePost as well. May I have your permission to make 35 copies of "Dodging Macular Degeneration with Greens" by Andrea Roorda to hand out...

Celiac sprue.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I am writing about the letter in March/April SatEvePost from Ruth A. Lehman-Lynch from St. Joseph, Missouri, who has celiac sprue. I was diagnosed with it in 1998. I am doing great on the restricted diet of the grains--wheat, oats, rye,...

Forever friends.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... The SEP and I go back a lot of years (I'm now 87), and I like to feel that the magazine, its editors and I have been good friends over all those years. As a verse writer, I was getting published in the SEP as early as 1939, and I'm enclosing a...

Doxycycline for Osteoarthritis.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I was so impressed with The Saturday Evening Post, Nov./Dec. 2004 article "Tackling Osteoarthritis" with Dr. Kenneth Brandt. I took it for years: doxycycline 100 mg PO twice a day for my eyes (but I have scleroderma). Plus I take Restasis...

Macular Degeneration.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I read the article "Breakthroughs in Treating Macular Degeneration" in the Jan./Feb. '05 Saturday Evening Post, the interview with Thomas A. Ciulla, M.D., by Patrick Perry. As I have macular degeneration in an early stage, I'd like to know...

Captioning for videos.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Re: video entitled "Aging." A friend loaned me the video of your interview with Dr. Walter Bortz, his wife, Ruth Anne, and Dr. Manuel Martinez-Maldonado. It appeared to have some very helpful information, but I'm hard of hearing and would have...

Grapefruit clarification.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I am writing in response to the recent report in the "Medical Mailbox" section of The Saturday Evening Post titled "Grapefruit and Cholesterol Drugs Don't Mix." While we recognize your effort to identify drugs that have the potential to...

At the train station.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I recently subscribed to The SatEvePost. I especially enjoyed the March/ April "05 issue and the copy of the March 26, 1936, cover. I am 88 now, so it takes me back a long way to the mid '40s and my last subscription. I was always...

More cookbooks, please.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Recently I received The Saturday Evening Post Family Cookbook as a bonus for my Post subscription. This cookbook is wonderful, and I wanted to know if I could order more copies. It is selected health recipes by Cory SerVaas, M.D., and...

Run-away heart.(HEART HEALTH: ASK DR. ZIPES: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Reader: I am a woman in my upper 60s and for years have had a faster-than-usual pulse, sometimes when I am at rest. Also, I have irregular beats that make me uncomfortable. I have seen a heart specialist who took an EKG but said it was nothing...

Premature beats.(HEART HEALTH: ASK DR. ZIPES: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(heart beats)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Reader: I developed premature beats from the top and bottom chambers of my heart about four years ago at age 45, several months after worrying about my husband's illness (he received two stents) and stopping smoking. I get about 50 a day, and...

Walnuts and cholesterol.(HEART HEALTH: ASK DR. ZIPES: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Reader: In the November/December issue of The Saturday Evening Post, walnuts were mentioned to lower total and LDL cholesterol. Eating raw walnuts makes my tongue develop welts, so I avoid them. However, we saute all vegetables and meat in...

Recurring a-fib.(HEART HEALTH: ASK DR. ZIPES: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(atrial fibrillation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Reader: I am 70 years old and have been cardioverted for atrial fibrillation three times. Each time I physically exert myself, the atrial fibrillation recurs. Recently I went swimming and it flared up again. I have been probed, prodded,...

Tips for vibrant health and beauty at every age.(LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD)
May 1, 2005... Plants at Work Research shows that plant-filled rooms contain up to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. Plants help improve indoor air quality by absorbing pollutants into their leaves and promoting...

For women: friends and pets are good for the heart.(Cardiovascular News at a Glance)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... New data suggest that an older woman's risk of dying from heart disease may be linked to the number of family and social relationships she has. Among 503 women with symptoms of coronary artery disease at the study's start, those with few...

Keeping tabs on B/P.(Cardiovascular News at a Glance)(blood pressure)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... [heart] Magnesium has shown some blood pressure-lowering effects in a number of research studies. Some cardiologists regularly prescribe magnesium supplements to their patients who have high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor. [heart] New...

Sensors monitor stroke risk.(Cardiovascular News at a Glance)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... New experimental sensors may help monitor cardiovascular health to warn of impending rupture or stroke in the body's blood vessels. U.S. medical electronics makers Medtronic and Philips, along with major healthcare and communications...

Promoting healthy arteries.(Cardiovascular News at a Glance)(Actos, Avandia)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Researchers at the University of California say that some drugs used to reduce triglycerides and to improve insulin resistance apparently also prevent cholesterol accumulation in arterial lesions by up to 70 percent. The prescription...

Hats off to Ohio: AEDs in schools.(Cardiovascular News at a Glance)(automated external defibrillators)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Legislation signed last year by Ohio Governor Bob Taft provides funds to equip the state's schools with lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs). An amendment to Ohio House Bill 434 makes available 82.5 million generated from the...

Funny medicine: if laughter is the best medicine, these medical record bloopers are sure to be a shot in the arm.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life until 1989 when she got a divorce. Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant. The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane...

Preserving Social Security for future generations: Social Security is now a young people's issue.(SPEAKING OUT)
May 1, 2005... Harriet is a 73-year-old retiree who lost her husband last year. Her grandson, Danny, is a 27-year-old who expects to change jobs several times before he retires. Harriet wants to make sure that the government follows through on delivering...

Presidents tee off: a reporter investigates his theory that the way the nation's chief executive conducts his golf game may reveal a lot about his values as a man.(First Off the Tee)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... First Off the Tee by Don Van Natta, Jr., 357 pages, Public Affairs Books, $16.00 The reader might expect this book to be about golf. Well, it isn't. It is about 14 distinguished men who play, or played, the game. After outstanding and...

Battling the blues: ongoing research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help treat depression: an interview with Andrew Stoll, M.D.(Interview)
May 1, 2005... Several years ago, Dr. Andrew Stoll, director of the Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at Harvard Medical School-McLean Hospital, conducted a landmark study on the role of omega-3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder and came up with some...

Darwin in reverse: looking down from his cozy sports bar up in heaven, Benjamin Franklin sees a strange situation in America where the strong and the smart are being beaten by the stupid.
May 1, 2005... It is truly gratifying to all of us Founders to see what America has become--a political, economic and military superpower (or "hyperpower" if you want to use an insulting term coined by Jacques Chirac, but really, why would anyone listen to...

In the swim: through structured and coached pool workouts, United States Masters Swimming helps adults of all ages improve their fitness and make new friends.
May 1, 2005... Lowell Offer was 74 when he went in for surgery to repair a valve in his heart. This kind of operation is no cakewalk, he says--patients typically spend as much as a week in the hospital, and many suffer sternum pain for several months. ...

For the love of animals.(Poem)
May 1, 2005... Editors note: There is a lot to be learned from our nonhuman fellow creatures, and author-illustrator Craig Gosling makes that learning fun for both children and adults in a delightful new book, For the Love of Animals. Gosling is a retired...

Training the brain to see again: tapping the power of "neuroplasticity," doctors offer new hope to stroke patients.
May 1, 2005... Settling his chin into the black plastic frame in front of the computer screen, Alexander Furlan, 63, stares at the green dot in the center. It takes all his willpower to keep his eyes glued to this "fixation point," resisting the urge to let...

Putting on the dog: ya call that music? You're barkin' up the wrong tree, fella. I've heard cat fights that sounded better. You need some lessons. Here, let me show you "howl" it ought to sound.(dog illustrations)
May 1, 2005... There's nothing like "man's best friend" to make humans sit up and take notice. Our illustrators understood that well, having gone to the dogs repeatedly in search of appealing cover subjects. There have been big dogs, small dogs, good dogs,...

Healthy seed recipes: these ancient seeds contain healthful oil like that found in fish, as well as lignans that help fight disease.(flaxseeds)
May 1, 2005... In the ninth century, the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne is said to have passed laws mandating the consumption of flax, presumably to improve public health. Today scientists are finding Charlemagne was right. Flaxseed is one of the best...

Osteoarthritis: easing the pain: can the ancient healing art of acupuncture help relieve the persistent pain of osteoarthritis?(Brian M. Berman)(Interview)
May 1, 2005... Recently, a landmark study demonstrated that acupuncture not only provides pain relief, but also improves function for people suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee, the most common form of the disease. The largest-ever clinical trial of...

Where in the World?(geography quiz)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... You don't have to be a world traveler to recognize the places in this issue, but it might help if you've watched the Travel Channel recently. We've given you some clues to help you guess the location. There is a one-in-three chance of getting...

Diabetes: food for thought: take steps to protect your health with a healthy dose of exercise and award-winning recipes.
May 1, 2005... With over 13 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes and another 16 million at high risk, physicians, health advocates, and government leaders are scrambling to find solutions to the expanding problem. In study after study, the twin...

Spicing up your life: can turmeric, the spice that adds color and flavor to Asian foods, play a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease? Scientists are trying to find out.(FOOD)
May 1, 2005... A pinch of this pungent, yellow spice can transform meats, grains, vegetables, and legumes into something exotic and delicious. Now researchers are looking into whether a component in curry powder, curcumin, might help protect millions from the...

Laughter is the best medicine.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2005... "What do you mean we don't communicate? I just e-mailed her Web page on the Internet yesterday!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "At this time the court must insist that the witness refrain from banging her own gavel." [ILLUSTRATION...

Exploring the alternatives: a new national study focuses on the potential of a popular complementary therapy in treating heart disease.(HEART BEAT: Healthy Heart Report)(chelation therapy)
May 1, 2005... Each year, thousands of Americans undergo a medical treatment called chelation therapy for a variety of ailments, including coronary artery disease (CAD). While critics question the benefits, supporters contend the therapy saves lives. ...

The perfect squelch.(sales predictions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... At a get-together party for the nation's top manufacturing and retailing executives, a highly successful sales manager predicted glowing possibilities of increased business for the next twelve months. The rather gloomy vice-president of another...

Where do you think you are?(geography quiz)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... 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. The play's the thing. ...

You be the judge.(dog owner liability case)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... While Morgan was riding to hounds, his pack damaged farmer Zeke's standing crops and stampeded Zeke's cattle. Failing to get any compensation from Morgan, Zeke sued. "The law recognizes that dogs are naturally inclined to roam." Morgan...

L-lysine to the rescue.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(cold sore remedy)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I am plagued with cold sores in and on my mouth. I read something on this at the doctor's office in the "Medical Mailbox." If you have any information, I would appreciate it. M. Johnson Greenfield, Indiana ...

Help for bipolar grandson.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: My 13-year-old grandson has been diagnosed with bipolar. Here was a boy who was an A/B student--loved school. Now it has all gone down the tubes. I am 76 years old, and my life is also going down the tubes. I love this...

Therapies for chronic bladder condition.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(interstitial cystitis)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I am writing to see if you or any of your readers know of anything that will help interstitial cystitis. I have a very dear relative who has this affliction and has suffered excruciating pain for many years. Her doctors...

Readers offer help for peripheral neuropathy.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: Not having access to a Web site (my computer is too old), this old dragon does her own research. Many skiing injuries, falling off the third-floor fire escape in boarding school, etc., have finally caught up with me...

A foul bowel.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Devrom)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: Several months ago your column gave the source of a deodorant to be taken internally to eliminate embarrassing bowel odors. I regret that I cannot find that column at this time. I have had a gastric resection due to...

Eight glasses of water?(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: We're always told to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. I take a diuretic (water pill) to help control hypertension. How much water should people drink if they're on a diuretic? Cornelia VanZee ...

Copper ring works.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: In your Jan./Feb. '04 issue, Doris Potley wrote in, inquiring about wearing copper for arthritis. I have worn copper for over 20 years because of the relief I got. Twice I have taken off my copper ring, only to find that...

Spontaneous lactose intolerance.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: When my stepson was six or seven years old, he suffered lactose intolerance when he had head colds. As did many children at that age, he would often sniff the mucus into his throat rather than blow his nose. Also, I am...

Putting the bite on.(POST SCRIPTS)(dental work)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... A Scotsman went to the dentist and asked how much it was for an extraction. "Eighty-five dollars for an extraction, sir," was the dentist's reply. "Have ye not got anything cheaper?" asked the Scotsman, getting agitated. "But that's...

Sweat equity.(POST SCRIPTS)(gardening)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Maintaining a garden requires a lot2 of moisture--much of it in the form of perspiration.

But enough about me...(POST SCRIPTS)(public speaking)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The toastmaster introduced the speaker with great fervor, stressing her years of faithful service to the club and eulogizing her ability and charm. Somewhat overwhelmed, the speaker faced the audience. "After such an introduction," she...

How about them apples?(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... A woman traveling through the countryside stopped at a small fruit stand and bought some apples. When she commented they were horribly small, the farmer replied, "Yup." The woman took a bite of an apple and exclaimed, "Not very flavorful,...

Enough is enough.(POST SCRIPTS)(turning fifty)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Turning 50 years old has its good side: you only have to go through it once.

Cubicle crook.(POST SCRIPTS)(office workers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... You can spot the guy in an office who steals credit for other people's work. He keeps his "I" on everything.

A foolish notion.(POST SCRIPTS)(value of silence)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... I was taught that it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool 2than to open it and remove all doubt.

A little too well-done.(POST SCRIPTS)(politicians)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Most politicians are expert chefs (Though many insist, "master crooks") Who often can't scramble an egg, But skillfully cook the public's books.

Bloom or gloom?(POST SCRIPTS)(Poem)
May 1, 2005... Bloom or gloom? To me, life seems to be a bowl of cherries; For some, a can of worms their life befits. To me, a can of worms means I go fishing; For some, a bowl of cherries means ...

You need your zzzzs.(POST SCRIPTS)(snoring)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... It seems to be a fact that people who snore always fall asleep first.

Come together, right now.(POST SCRIPTS)(marriage)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Wise couples agree that marriage is the splice of life.