Boa Noite or How to Have a Decent Night’s Sleep
dated 2009-02-10 | posted in columns | topic Health | permanent link
Dr Joseph Mercola (www.mercola.com) is an outspoken, controversial and dogmatic web-based physician. I’ve been receiving his newsletter and web casts for the past year, most of the time deleting them. But three months ago , he got my attention: “The National Sleep Foundation recommends getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but you should always tailor that to your individual needs. Of course, many are not so lucky … anywhere from ...
Defying the Dermatologist
dated 2008-08-26 | posted in columns | topic Health | permanent link
If Vitamin D3 is the longevity element, then the sun-worshipping Portuguese will live forever. Vitamin D3 is best absorbed from natural sunlight, during non-peak hours if possible ,so as not to incur premature aging or develop skin cancers. My dermatologist frowned when I came to her with one of many web-based articles on the hot topic of D3. She didn’t call it a fad but left me with more of a warning about sunshine exposure than encouragement. As ...
The Pine Tree
dated 2008-06-09 | posted in columns | topic Health | permanent link
Bob Pine died two weeks ago. Alone. The coroner’s report stated that he died of “natural causes,” but the people who discovered him, apparently 4 or 5 days after he died, thought differently. They had been alerted by people in Bob’s building that he hadn’t been seen in several days, hadn’t answered his phone and hadn’t responded to emails from people who began to become concerned about him. One of them, his property agent who had b ...
One Shoe
dated 2008-03-24 | posted in columns | topic Health | permanent link
I had the kind of husband most women would envy. I say had because his helpfulness around the home vanished the day he broke his ankle three weeks ago. It wasn’t his fault, but after a surgery , a swollen and infected foot and a completely sedentary lifestyle, Don is now helpless instead of primary helper in the house. I remember when I met him nine years ago. “ Let me make your life easier,” he said in one of the all time great wooing lines. O ...
The Machine that Saved My Marriage
dated 2008-02-12 | posted in columns | topic Health | permanent link
The CPAP machine has probably saved Don´s life…and our marriage as well. Before your run out and purchase one, let´s discuss the basics. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. The machine, housed in a small box connected to a face cover resembling a cross between a gas mask and a space helmet, is specifically designed for people who suffer from considerable sleep apnea. Those who have it stop breathing during sleep and, if unt ...