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Doctor's Corner
WHAT NEXT WITH SWINE FLU?
The flu season is in full swing in the schools in the Valley, with multiple schools in Scottsdale reporting major absences due to flu, and by the nature of this 'epidemic' it is clear that this is the swine flu (H1N1).
The great news is that the flu appears in most people to be very mild. This is not a surprise, but is reassuring to see. I have seen many patients with mild cough and mild fever.... and not much else. In normal years, we would not have made much of these mild cases, but in the setting of the H1N1 pandemic, it is clear we know the specific culprit virus...it is H1N1.
The vaccination is on it's way, but isn't quite here yet. Only a very small amount of the vaccine is in Maricopa County. Bob England, MD, the County Director of Public Health, has the latest information and has shared it with us. To date, approximately 10% of the vaccine that was ordered has been delivered, and they suspect that for the next several weeks, the vaccine will arrive in reduced quantity and more slowly than anticipated. This vaccine will be given to the groups considered most at risk: pregnant women and young children (and their families.)
When we receive our shipment of vaccine, we will be in touch with those people who are considered at 'high risk' initially, then the rest of our interested patients. We are keeping track of patients who are interested in vaccination, and we will inform you of the status of our supply when it becomes available. Currently, of course, we have no H1N1 vaccine.
Questions and Answers:
I think I have the flu? What should I do?
If you have a fever over 100.5 degrees and a cough or sore throat, then it is very likely you have the flu, and 90% of the flu in town is H1N1.
What next?
1. Don't panic...relax. The H1N1 is generally mild.
2. Take care of yourself as you would with any infection or cold. Rest, drink plenty of liquids, and eat if you feel like it. Take Tylenol or Advil for symptoms and fever or over-the-counter cough/cold preparations for other symptoms.
3. Keep the house clean and try not to pass it on (only 10% of household contacts will get the flu from a sick person at home...it's not 100% certain that you will transmit it to others.
4. Stay home until the fever is gone.
5. If you are feeling quite poorly, give us a call. We may feel you need to be seen or that you don't need to be seen, but need medication like Tamiflu or Relenza.
Please make sure you call us if you feel you have had the flu and are improving, only to develop the return of fever and worsening of symptoms. If this happens, we will want to see you in the office to make sure you are recuperating in the proper fashion and without any complications.
Yours in good health,
Dr. Lakin
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| VOL 4/Issue 4 |
October 2009 |
Autumn ........
If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection.
It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone.
Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before.
Enjoy the season!
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| October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
 News on Breast Cancer......
Fewer women in the United States are dying from breast cancer, Deaths from breast cancer have dropped more than 2 percent each year since 1990.
"The breast cancer death rate continues to decrease since the 1990s in U.S. women because of improved treatments and increased mammography screening rates," said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, strategic director for cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society. The death rate from breast cancer peaked in 1989, Jemal said. "The most recent data from 2006 shows the breast cancer death rates have dropped nearly 30 percent," he said. "That's very good news."
When this data is translated into the number of women with breast cancer who did not die, some 130,000 lives were saved, he noted.
Jemal said the decline in breast cancer deaths could be accelerated with more targeted treatment, more access to mammography, and more treatment for the poor and the uninsured. Among uninsured women, only 30 percent had a mammogram during the past two years, compared with about 70 percent of insured women, he said.
All women should have regular screening for breast cancer, Jemal said. "If breast cancer is caught early, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent, but if you catch it late the survival rate is only 24 percent," he added.
Another way to lower the risk of death from breast cancer is to promote prevention, Jemal said. This includes maintaining a healthy body weight, keeping fit through exercise, and limiting alcohol consumption, he said.
Dr. Harold J. Burstein, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said, "We are making real progress against breast cancer."
"Sometimes there is a lot of nihilism. People worry that we are not winning the war on cancer," he said. "In this particular battle, we are clearly winning. It is slow, hard progress, but we are winning."
"We are not winning because we have a new secret weapon," Burstein added. "We are winning because we have a better infrastructure, because we have educated patients and doctors, because we do have new tools becoming available, because we have new insights into the biology of the cancer -- all those things are making a difference."
Other highlights of the report include:
In 2009, some 192,370 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, accounting for more than one in four cancers diagnosed.
In 2009, an estimated 40,170 women will die from breast cancer; only lung cancer kills more women.
Data from 2006 -- the most recent statistics available -- showed that about 2.5 million American women have a history of breast cancer. Most of these women were cancer-free. Others were still undergoing treatment.
From 2002 to 2003, there was sharp decline in breast cancer rates, particularly for women aged 50 to 69. This reflects the drop in hormone replacement therapy by menopausal and postmenopausal women that began in 2002. Breast cancer rates have remained about the same since 2003.
Since 1990, breast cancer death rates have dropped steadily. The decline has been greater among women under 50 (3.2 percent per year) than among women over 50 (2 percent per year).
From 1997 to 2006, breast cancer deaths dropped by 1.9 percent a year among White and Hispanic women, 1.6 percent a year among Black women, and 0.6 percent annually among Asian-American and Pacific Islander women. Death rates have stayed the same for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
For more information on breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
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| Social Activity Lessens Risk of Dementia...... |
Ask the Expert:
Question:
Is it true that single people are more likely to get Alzheimer's disease? Why is that?
Answer:
The question probably comes in response to a recent study that reported that being married in mid-life can affect the risk of dementia in later life. Specifically, the researchers found that people who were widowed both at mid-life and later life were at greater risk of developing problems with memory and thinking or Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, whereas those who lived with a partner were at the lowest risk.
The findings have several possible explanations. Evidence is growing that social engagement is a key component of successful aging. Older adults who participate in leisure activities that have mental, physical or social components are at lower risk of developing dementia: living with a partner may increase a person's engagement in these types of stimulating activities. Examples of mentally stimulating activities include puzzles, reading, writing or learning new things.
Participation in leisure activities only partially explains the protective effects of being a couple. The study also found that people who were single, but not due to being widowed, were still at increased risk for problems with memory and thinking but did not have as high as risk as those who were widowed. This suggests that something else is at play. Being widowed may affect a person's emotional well-being and immune-system function that increase the risk of dementia.
Even pencil-and-paper testing shows that people demonstrate improved learning and memory when in a social setting. The more social relationships a person has later in life, the lower his or her risk of dementia is. Our brains seem to work better when we do things, mental or physical, when we are with others.
We are, for the most part, wired to be social!
- Pierre N. Tariot, MD, geriatric psychiatrist,
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| Love Story |
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I will seek and find you......  I shall take you to bed and have my way with you.
I will make you ache, shake, and sweat until you moan and groan.
I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop.
I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you. And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.
All my love,
The Flu
Now, clean up your mind and be sure to get your flu shot!!!
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| Benefit of Eating Soy........ |
Reduce wrinkles!
Flip on the TV these days and you're sure to be bombarded with commercials for wrinkle-erasing creams. But who knew that slathering pureed soybeans on your face is also a solution for those telltale signs of aging?
Isoflavones in soybeans may help combat wrinkles, and you can benefit from adding them to your diet or to your facial routine.
Most beans contain a combination of wrinkle-reducing isoflavones. One Japanese study found that soy produced visible results: after eight weeks, women who ate foods containing 40mg of aglcone, a soy isoflavone, each day saw improvement in their skin elasticity, in comparison with woman who ate non-soy-based foods. And after 12 weeks, the women eating soy noticed a reduction of fine lines.
In addition to traditional products such as soy milk and tofu, miso and boiled edamame (green soybeans) are excellent sources of soy isoflavones. Excess soy consumption has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer; so limit your isoflavone intake to about 40mg daily.
Other wrinkle fighters include dark chocolate, fish, green tea, and even carrots and pineapple.
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Longer Lives May Be Lasting Upside to Recession
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 Average life expectancy saw surprising bump during Great Depression......
During the Great Depression, some of the hardest times our country has faced, the average life expectancy in the United States actually rose. This surprising bump in the population's health is also seen in other economic downturns - likely even the current one.
University of Michigan researchers José Tapia Granados and Ana Diez Roux found this unexpected boost when they examined historical life expectancy and mortality data for the years 1920 to 1940. Over that time, U.S. life expectancy increased by 6.2 years during the Great Depression - from 57.1 years in 1929 to 63.3 years in 1933 - they found. The increase held for men and women, white and non-white.
"The finding is strong and counterintuitive," Tapia Granados said. "Most people assume that periods of high unemployment are harmful to health."
Six causes
Over the entire 20th century, the life expectancy of Americans has been on the rise, for a variety of factors, including better diets and medical advances. However, among the biggest factors has been the steep drop in infant mortality rates in recent decades compared to the early part of the 20th century.
But the steady rise went up a little faster in some periods than others. The data examined by Tapia Granados and Diez Roux found that while overall population health (as measured by life expectancy) rose during the four years of the Great Depression and other recessions between 1921 and 1938, mortality increased during periods of strong economic expansion, such as 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1936-37.
"This is a pattern that is found again and again," Tapia Granados said.
The researchers looked at mortality rates for specific age groups and as a result of six specific causes that accounted for about two-thirds of total mortality in the 1930s: cardiovascular and renal diseases, cancer, influenza and pneumonia, tuberculosis, motor vehicle traffic injuries, and suicide.
Mortality for all ages due to all the causes declined in periods of economic downturn, except for suicide.
Less stress
The research didn't analyze possible causes for the counterintuitive rise in life expectancy, but Tapia Granados offers a few possibilities. Among them: the change in working conditions between boom times and recessions.
"During expansions, firms are very busy, and they typically demand a lot of effort from employees, who are required to work a lot of overtime, and to work at a fast pace," Tapia Granados said.
That faster pace generates more stress, which could lead to an uptick in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and drinking, he added. Adding to this, people also might sleep less and eat unhealthy fast foods. Stress alone is known to increase the odds of a host of diseases and increase the risk of premature death.
"Also, new workers may be hired who are inexperienced, so injuries are likely to be more common," Tapia Granados said.
Conversely, in recessions, there is less work to do, so employees can work at a slower pace and have more time to sleep. And because there is less money, people are less likely to spend on non-necessities like alcohol and tobacco.
Increases in atmospheric pollution that happen when boom times stimulate industrial production could also tax the population's health, the researchers suggest.
Today's recession
These same factors likely hold true during the current recession, though there are significant economic and societal differences between now and the 1930s, Tapia Granados told LiveScience.
He did note, though, that while overall population health and life expectancy may improve during down times, that might not be the case for any particular individual, especially someone who is unemployed or serious worried about getting laid off and suffering attendant stress.
The overall rise still happens, despite potential health declines in those who have lost their jobs, because the majority of the work force is still employed (or retired and receiving benefits), he explained.
- Andrea Thompson LiveScience
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| Dr. Lakin's Clown Painting.... By Sylvia Cain
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As many of you know, when Dr. Lakin was attending Johns Hopkins Medical School, he spent his spare time as a clown and magician. He would entertain patients at the Children's Center.
Dr. Lakin was featured in an article titled, "From Clowns and Missionaries, to Athletic Coaches; A Profile of the First Year Medical School Class."
(Next time you are in our office, look for the article displayed in Exam Room 2.)
This summer, Dr. Lakin was honored to have one of his patients paint a picture of his clown face. It's a wonderful painting, one that not only captures Dr. Lakin's colorful wig and clown makeup, but his eyes and smile.
Sylvia Cain, the artist, is an accomplished oil painter who has excelled in pastels, acrylics, sculpture, drawing, portraiture and pen and ink. As a resident of Arizona, she is naturally influenced and inspired by southwest and western themes. Sylvia's favorite subjects are as varied as the images that surround her in the visual world, but she has a special love for painting the beauty in nature and the complexities of the human figure.
As a member of an open studio group of artists, Sylvia has been described as an inspiration by her fellow artists. She has a prolific and energetic approach to her artwork that often leaves those around her in awe of her abilities.
Sylvia's painting of Dr. Lakin's "clown days" holds a place of honor in his office.
Thank you Sylvia, for this beautiful work of art!
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Is Pill-Splitting Right for You?
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Pill-splitting is increasingly an option for patients who need to conserve their dollars. "It's the same medication, same dosage, half the cost," says Christopher Stanley, M.D., a senior medical director with UnitedHealthcare, which offers the Half Tablet program. In this program, the patient's doctor issues a prescription for double the strength of a medication but half the number of pills, instructing the patient to split the pills. The co-pay is then half of what it would be. Premera and RegenceRx also offer pill-splitting programs.
Another option is for the doctor to write a prescription for one month's worth of pills at twice the dosage. Patients pay the same co-pay, but the meds last for two months, so they save half.
Before you choose this cost-saving practice, here's what you need to know.
Talk to a pro. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if your medications are OK to split.
Know which pills can be split. Some -- like capsules and those used for chemotherapy -- can't be split; doing so could lessen the medicine's effect, says John Santa, M.D., director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center.
Get the right tools. Don't use a kitchen knife to split a pill. You can find pill splitters at drugstores for less than $10.
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Healthy Garlicky Grilled Chicken, Portobello, and Radicchio Salad
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Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) chicken, cut in 1/2
4 portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and stems removed
2 small heads radicchio, halved
Watercress, to serveDirectionsPut the garlic onto a cutting board and sprinkle it with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using the side of a large knife, slowly mash the garlic into a paste. Put the garlic paste into a small bowl and blend in 1/2 cup olive oil, parsley, and thyme leaves. Pour half the mixture over the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Set the chicken aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients for grilling. Heat the grill to medium high. Drizzle half the remaining marinade into the mushrooms and half onto the cut side of the radicchios. Season both with salt and pepper and place them on the grill over indirect heat. Grill until the mushrooms and radicchio are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes; set them aside to cool while you cook the chicken Put the chicken on the grill and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Set aside until cool enough to handle. To serve, cut the chicken into pieces, cut the mushrooms into quarters, and cut the radicchio into wedges. Gently toss everything together with some fresh watercress and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serves: 4 to 6 servings - Recipe by Tyler Florence Back to Top
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Arizona fall-colors hikes and scenic drives
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It's time.
All around the state, clusters of aspens and maples, sumacs and
oaks, sycamores and walnut trees are donning their fall finery,
painting great swathes of color across Arizona's high country.
The turning of the leaves is one of nature's great wonders, said
Rachel Edelstein, director of public programs at the Arboretum at
Flagstaff. "So many people (in Arizona) have grown up in areas with seasons and
fall colors, and want to share that with their children. So they come
to Flagstaff or other areas with color in the fall," she said.
We asked five experts for recommendations for a scenic drive and hike that show off the fall colors in their part of the state.
Here's what they said. White Mountains"We're blessed with so many places that are just gorgeous in the fall,"
said Bob Dyson, spokesman for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
"This forest offers lots of opportunities to get out and see this neat
country."Drive
Dyson recommends driving Arizona 260 from Pinetop-Lakeside to Eagar.
"That's the White Mountain Scenic Road," he said. "You see a lot of Mount Baldy, and it's just covered in aspen."
From Show Low, go south on Arizona 260 about 9 miles to
Pinetop-Lakeside, then continue another 40 miles on 260 as it winds
southeast, then east, into Eagar. Hike
The KP Trail starts in an alpine meadow and meanders along the South
Fork of KP Creek. About 3 miles along, where the South Fork joins the
North Fork, hikers will find two lovely waterfalls.
"It's a neat place to pack a lunch and go to," Dyson said.
From Alpine, drive south about 28 miles on U.S. 191. Turn east and
go about 1.3 miles to the KP Cienega Campground, where you'll find the
trailhead.
When: The last week of September through the second week of October. Flagstaff Generations of Valley leaf peepers have flockd to Flagstaff to get
their annual fix of fall colors. In addition to scads of aspen, the
area boasts gorgeous shrubs, said Edelstein.
She noted a few - three-leaf sumac (gold and red), choke cherries (bright red), currants and box elder (golden). Drive
Easy access and reliable color make the drive along Hart Prairie
Road a traditional favorite. Although the unpaved road is a little
rough in places, you don't need four-wheel drive or even a
high-clearance vehicle, if you don't go too fast.
From Flagstaff, take U.S. 180 northwest about a dozen miles to
Forest Road 151 (Hart Prairie Road). Take the unpaved road generally
north, then west, about 10 miles. Hike
Edelstein calls the Weatherford Trail, which starts at Schultz Tank,
a "sweet fall hike" that goes through a dense stand of aspen.
It's only 1.7 miles to the junction with the Kachina Trail, but you gain about 800 feet of elevation on the way.
From Flagstaff, take U.S. 180 north about 3 miles to Schultz Pass
Road. Turn right and go about 6.7 miles to the trailhead, just a past
Schultz Tank.
When: The last week of September through the first week of October. Globe"People in Arizona are from all over the country," said Paul
Wolterbeek, who coordinates public events at Boyce Thompson Arboretum
State Park. "But the one thing we all have in common is fall color. You
can find it all over the state if you know where to look."
His favorite area is the Pinal Mountains, south of Globe. They
display a range of colors and are conveniently close to the Valley. Drive You'll see sycamore, sumac, walnut and aspen as you wind your way
along the steep, rough, winding road that leads up Signal Peak.
From the southeast side of Globe, take Jess Hayes Road to Icehouse
Canyon Road (Forest Road 112), which you take about 2.5 miles to FR 55.
Bear right and go another 2.5 miles to FR 651. Turn left and continue
about 10 miles to the Pinal and Upper Pinal campgrounds. Sedans can
make the drive when conditions are good, but you'll feel better with a
high-clearance vehicle. Four-wheel drive wouldn't hurt, either.
Hike
The Icehouse Trail provides one of the most botanically varied hikes
in Arizona. But it's tough, gaining a little more than 3,000 feet in
elevation. Lower stretches of the trail aren't anything special, but
before long it leads past maples, sumac, walnut and aspen.
From Globe, follow the signs to the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological
Park. Just past the turnoff to the park, turn right onto Icehouse
Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 1.7 miles to a stop sign. Continue
straight for 2.5 miles, then turn left at the sign to Trails 197 and
192 and go about a quarter-mile to the Icehouse CCC Recreation Site.
When: The last week of October through the first week of November. North Rim
Fall colors are more than just eye candy, said Kevin Larkin, recreation staff officer for the Kaibab National Forest.
"It's a signal that things are changing," he said. "(The colors)
symbolize that something bigger is happening, that the seasons are
changing."
Drive
Arizona 67, which leads from Jacob Lake to the North Rim of the
Grand Canyon, is one of the state's most scenic stretches of road. The
route, officially known as the Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway, was
designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998.
The whole route is beautiful, Larkin said, but especially the
stretch a few miles north and a few miles south of the national-park
boundary. From Jacob Lake, drive south about 45 miles.
Hike
Several segments of the nearly 800-mile-long Arizona Trail stretch across the northern Kaibab Forest, said Larkin.
His favorite begins at the East Rim Overlook.
"There's a 7- or 8-mile stretch of trail that has a lot of the same
qualities of the scenic byway," he said, "with pockets of meadows of
aspen that are just beautiful."
From Jacob Lake, go south on Arizona 67 about 26.5 miles (0.7 mile
south of the entrance to the DeMotte Campground). Turn east on Forest
Road 611 and go 4 miles to the East Rim Overlook.
When: The last week of September through about Columbus Day. Chiricahua Mountains
Most people go north to find fall colors, but you can also find wonderful colors by going south.
The Chiricahua Mountains in the southeastern corner of the state reach nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
"I come from back East, and I remember when I first moved to
Arizona, I got homesick for fall colors," said Mary Braun, who works in
the Douglas Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest. "My
husband took me for a drive in the Chiricahuas . . . and there were all
these beautiful colors, and it cured my homesickness right away."
Drive
Forest Road 42 leads from just south of Chiricahua National Monument all the way across the range to Portal.
"That's the best drive," Braun said, "especially through the Cave Creek Canyon area on the east side."
Only a couple of miles are paved, but Braun said the road has recently been graded and is fine for sedans.
From Willcox, take Arizona 186 about 30 miles southeast to Arizona 181, which you take east about 4 miles to FR 42.
Hike
The South Fork Trail starts at the South Fork Picnic Area ($5 a day
for trailhead parking) on the east side of the mountains. As it
meanders downstream, you'll find stands of walnut, sycamore and Rocky
Mountain maples, especially around the aptly named Maple Camp, about
1.6 miles from the trailhead. Aspens stand farther along the trail.
From Portal, take FR 42 southwest about 2 miles to the South Fork turnoff and continue another mile to the picnic area.
When: Mid-to-late October. - John Stanley, The Arizona Republic Back to Top
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10 Essential Health Tips
(The Basics to Practice Every Day) |
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette, the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie; get a massage; a facial or a haircut; meditate.) Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds, then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes', and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants, hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you.
Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
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To Tweet or Not To Tweet!
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 Imagine if Twitter was around 100s of years ago.
Whatever you think of Twitter, there's no question that it is the social networking app of the year.
In Iran, Twitter has been used to circumvent government censors and let the world know about presidential election protests. In America, we use it to find out what Ashton Kutcher had for a snack.
But is Twitter advancing us or making us stupid by breaking everything into abbreviations and emoticons? Isn't there value in communicating with the full depth of the English language?
To find out, we translated a few famous texts into "tweets."
The Declaration of Independence: "We gots life, liberty, happiness now! Peace out, King George!"
Shakespeare's "Macbeth": "Macbeth killed the king! :( But he got his. Ambition will consume U!!"
King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "U R equal. I am equal. We R all equal. My dream is we have no more h8."
"Moby-Dick": "Oh, snap! This gr8 white whale won't die! Cap'n Ahab is trippin! These are the scars of obsession."
Dr. Spock's "Baby and Child Care": "Feed ur baby. Clean ur baby. Lv ur baby. Why is th@ so hard?"
- Bryan Tucker, USA Weekend
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Your Halloween Jokes for 2009
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Q: What do you call a fat Jack-O-Lantern? A: A plumkin Q: What's a vampire's favorite fast food?
A: A guy with very high blood pressure Q: What do you use to mend a Jack-O-Lantern?
A: A pumpkin patch. Q: Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball?
A: Because he had no body to go with! Q: If you peel my skin off, I won't cry, but you will. What am I?
A: An onion. Q: What notes does the tightrope-musician have to worry about?
A: C sharp or B flat! Q: Why was 6 afraid of 7?
A: Because 7 8 9! Q: Why won`t cannibals eat clowns?
A: Because they taste funny! Q: What was the favorite game at the ghosts' birthday party?
A: Hide and shriek Q: What do ghosts serve for dessert?
A: Ice scream Q: What kind of mistakes do ghosts make?
A: Boo-boos Q: What vegetable do you get when King Kong walks through your garden?
A: Squash! Q: Why did the skeleton cross the road?
A: To get to the body shop! Q: What do you say to a skeleton going on vacation?
A: Bone voyage!
Happy Halloween!
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Happy Autumn!
Sincerely,
Dr. Lakin & Staff
Paradise Valley Medical Clinic PC
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