The Independent-News, Volume 120, Number 20, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 29 September 1994 — Page 11
To Your Good Health by Paul G. Donohue, M.D.
AVOIDING THYROID MEDICINE ASSURES TROUBLE DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had 95 percent of my thyroid gland taken out and was put on replacement hormone medicine. I stopped taking the medicine because it made me feel abnormal after a week or two. It is hard to explain. I just don’t feel right, slightly out of balance. My doctor cannot explain it. I am a 33-year-old man. I am tested every six months, and have been found low in thyroid. Please comment. DEAR READER: Try again. With 95 percent of the gland gone and the replacement hormones sitting unused in your medicine cabinet, you can count on but one result a dangerously low thyroid condition In time — and it doesn't happen overnight — your body would slow down and you would feel worse than just out of sorts You would be truly sick * 1 H * V JBk Along with your doctor, I can’t explain your reaction to the supplement It shouldn't happen After all, the medicine is only replacing what your gland once provided Could what you perceive as an abnormal reaction to the supplement be your body’s response to w-hat is for the first time a really normal thyroid hormone level'’ I reread your letter several times for clues As much as you might dislike the suggestion, I must wonder whether the mere idea of taking a strange and powerful medicine is not playing mind tricks on you Why not go back to the doctor, wipe the slate clean and start over 0
Coupon Corner by Marla Armbrust
TIP OF THE WEEK: As I ve told you before in this space, orc pared foods will cost you more 'han foods you make yourself at home While frozen dinners, premade burgers, etc , may be timesavers, the cost really adds upon • our grocery bill In keeping with that, I would urge • ou to make your own salads, mixing m the greens and ingredients you ike, rather than buying those prepackaged salads, many of which ven come with croutons and dressng Trust me You're paying for •mcone to mix those greens, wash firm, and pack them 1 also object to ’lose relatively new dressings which ■re for potato salad, cole slaw and ■ma salad Originally, I thought they might be a good idea However, my ->mily didn’t like the taste and they ••ere expensive to boot Sometimes, >u just can’t beat the old-fashioned ay of doing things It tastes better ’id is less taxing on your pocket>ok! Here arc this week's offers MECC, 6160 Summit Drive • >rth, Minneapolis, Minn 55430 eccive a free MESS Number • mchers and Super Munchers) nd in your cash register receipt m the purchase of Dino Park ••coon and any other educational •’ware title made by MECC In Edition, send $5 handling fee •^ck or money order only) Store mi required Must be received bv >3l/94 havoline INDY 500 ‘^MOTION, Dept B (if you ?ht Havoline Formula 2) or Dept if you bought Havoline Syn- : ic), PO Box 4924, Monticello, ' ; ’m. .55565-4924 4W£cavc t a /ree
Perhaps a low starting dose of the supplement, with gradual increase thereafter, might allow your body to adjust better
Home Tips
HANDY CONTAINERS - I found some great uses for those old metal bandage containers I have one to keep spare change in, one for a small sewing kit in the car and one for storing cotton swabs. Now they’ll never get thrown out I just write on a piece of paper w hat the contents are and attach it to the box Eileen F., Pascagoula, Miss EASY CLEANUP - Old plastic tablecloths, plain or fl an ne I-backed, can be used as a real timesaver when trimming evergreen bushes Place the tablecloth under the bush, then trim All the clippings will go on it and can be easily removed to the garbage —a real timesaver instead of picking all the little tree ends up John G , Philadelphia, Pa SLIPPIN’ AND SLIDIN” - My husband and I recently retired and bought an older house. The cabinets in the kitchen had gliders but they didn’t slide freely I sprayed them with silicone and they slide beautifully now EstherK .Hammond,lnd NEW USE FOR OLD PRODUCT — White tub sealer can be used to caulk around floor and ceiling moldings if there are gaps I recently replaced a carpeted floor with tile The baseboard had large marks where the carpet pile had been and they were very obvious when the tile was installed Rather than replace the molding which was painted white, I filled the gaps in with the tub sealer and no one ever noticed Ronnie G , Monett, Mo TELEPHONE BOOK - A telephone book use I slipped an old telephone book into my inexpensive kitchen-chair pillow, which made it feel like a more expensive, firmer pillow and added weight to my “bar gain" ladder back chairs w hich were slightly top-heavy Now I have a telephone book in each chair pillow tor each chair at my table It's comfortable, too' Lynette F , McAllen, Texas
racing cap) Send in your cash register dated 7/1 through 9/30/94 from the purchase of a case of Havoline Formula motor oil or sixpack of Havoline Synthetic motor oil In addition, send the UPC symbol from the bottom of the case Store form required Must be received by 10/31/94 Participating in the refund also enters you in a sweepstakes LISTERINE FULL PURCHASE PRICE REFUND OFFER, PO Box 5019, Dublin, Va 24084 5019 (receive back your purchase price, up to $4) Send in your cash register receipt dated 6/12 through 10/31/94 along with the UPC symbol from Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash, 18-oz size Store form required Expires 10/31/94 CALTRATE AND STRESSTABS $2 REBATE OFFER, PO Box Y 6828, Young America, Minn 55558-6828 (receive Si cash and Si coupon) Send in your dated cash register receipt along with the UPC symbol from Caltrate 600 or Stresstabs Store form required Expires 10/31/94 C 1994 by King Feature* Synd
Household Help by John Amnntrn
Q. I live in a three-bedroom house, located in the midwest region. The recurring problem I have is condensation. The moisture does not build up over the entire house, but in isolated sections. For example, the bathroom generally sweats the most, as opposed to the other rooms. I also have a ventilating Tan in the bathroom that helps a lot. The entire main floor of my home has windows that are up to code, as well Are there other factors involved that might cause the condensation? A For starters, ventilating fans in the bathroom and kitchen are quite vital to combating moisture Another important and overlooked solution is either inadequate wall insulation or none at all The lack of proper insulation will definitely cause moisture problems. Try opening a window in these rooms — just a crack for about an hour If the windows dry off in that period of time and the condensation disappears, you don't have to worry. Another big plus for homes with dampness is to use a dehumidifier This handy item does not have to be in operation continuously because you can take advantage of the sun's natural warmth through your windows. This alone will reduce the moisture that may exist in your walls. If you are a lover of too many hanging house plants, be sure to reduce the amount to just a few Plants will, of course, create a damp, greenhouse atmosphere in your home's interior Since homes absorb moisture throughout the seasons, it would be wise to open your doors and windows for several minutes a day to expel the moist air Several other important factors pertaining to your basement, belowgrade areas and crawl spaces are not exempt from this problem Sealing your basement floor (if not yet finished) with a waterproofing product will greatly reduce dampness Treating a cement floor periodically is usually necessary when there are moisture problems If you have a crawl space beneath a deck or even below grade level, you must install a vapor barrier Simply lay out 6-mil polyethylene (or plastic) on the entire floor and secure bricks or stones in place.
Dollars & Sense by Bryon Elson
Carrying high credit card charges from month to month is one of the most expensive ways to borrow money Other financing options can keep interest costs down and allow you to pay off debts faster If you are a homeowner, a home equity loan may save you thousands of dollars because you can con sol idate your debt In most cases, you can borrow up to 80 percent of your home's value, minus the balance on your mortgage Interest rates on mortgage loans are about half that of credit card rates If you itemize your tax return, you also may deduct the interest on up to SIOO,OOO of home-equity indebted ness Check with your tax adviser to determine if you qualify for this deduction Keep in mind, if you can not pay off your home-equity debt, you could lose your home Credit unions provide consumer credit services, including homeequity, automobile and personal loans Loan services are restricted to credit union members who borrow money from a pool of funds, com prised m part of money deposited by all of the members If you are a credit union member, a loan from your credit union may provide the most favorable rate If you participate in a 401(k) plan, you can borrow against your invest ment Generally, you must repay the loan within five years and there are limits on the amount you can borrow The interest rate is usually lower than
SEPTEMBER 29. 1994 - THE INDEPENDENT NEWS -
the rate on most other forms of credit, and your interest payments go into your own account Certain types of insurance policies can he used as security to borrow form insurance companies If you own a w hole life policy, for example, you can borrow against the cash value of the policy The interest rate is generally lower than that charged by lending institutions. The interest rate on loans of older policies can be as low as five percent, and you do not need to repay the loan However, it is beneficial to do so because in most cases, the insurance earner deducts from the death benefit Your death benefit will grow more slowly until you repay the loan in full ©1994 by King Feature* Synd
Health & Nutrition by Judith Sheldon
TEENS IN DANGER: As the new school year gets underway, health authorities are study ing recent reports about an upswing in gonorrhea cass among teenagers. While this STD (sexually transmitted disease) would have serious implications for anyone of any age, it has an even greater impact on teenagers, according to Peggy Clarke, president of the American Social Health .Association The rates of infection among young people continue to rise In recent years, girls ages 15 to 19 have had the highest gonorrhea rates among women, while boys ages 15 to 19 have had the second highest rates among men People under 25 account for some 8 million new cases of STDs each year or, roughly, two-thirds of all new STD infections Clarke explains, “Teenagers and young adults are more susceptible to
The Chopping Block by Philomena Corradeno
Her*'* *n Idea for your n*xt kabobing session Add grapes to skewered lamb along with the usual bell pepper and onion squares for a novel flavor touch Their sweet/tart taste is a suitable complement for any meat These can be oven-broiled or grilled Another idea is a kabob salad Grapes, bell pepper and smoked turkey on bamboo skewers are brushed with ranch-style dressing — great for a mam dish Easy, the only work is cutting up the ingredients, and that's a snap NEW PRODUCT NEWS: Norseland/North Castle introduces twice-baked crunchy, all-natural Cheese Crisps, a blend of sour dough and Jarlsberg cheese for snacking or to go with salads and soups, available in three flavors — Cheese, Cheese & Garlic and Cheese Pizza in five-ounce bags From Heinz, Fat-Free Gravy — Chicken, Beef and Turkey, in 12-ounce jars with only 15 calories in a two-ounce serving Swanson adds Vegetable Broth to its predecessors, Chicken and Beef Broths, in 141/2-ounce cans, about 69 cents Can be used as an ingredient or on its own as a soup Keebler’s C C Ricers, a cnsp chip made with rice in three flavors Original Lightly Seasoned, Zesty Cheddar, and Sour Cream and French Onion Aunt Jemima adds Oatmeal Waffles to its frozen line Six vaneties include a Lowfat, about $1 89 Sargento Cheese Co s Mootown Snackers Cheese and Sticks in individual servings of pretzel sticks and a creamy cheddar to dip into. Refrigeration unnecessary , they can be toted for munching or lunching Swanson adds a 10-ounce, family-size can of Chunk White Chicken to its three- and five-ounce cans Skinless breast meat, it's 98 percent fat free V 8 Vegetable Juice goes Mexican with salsa-tasting V 8 Picante in 11.5-ounce cans at about 59 cents, and 32-ounce bottles and 46-ounce cans at about $1 79 each GRAPE & LAMB KABOBS 14 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 Lt teaspoons salt
STD infection than younger people This is partly because of their anatomy In this age group, and especially in young females, such factors as an immature immune system increase the likelihood that they will get an STD from unprotected sex “ Ms Clarke adds, “Also, sexually active young people are more likely to have sex with more than one partner, and they are more likely to choose a birth control method that offers no protection against STDs " (Note ^hile the “pill" may help prevent pregnancy, it doesnot protect against any STD Condoms remain the best protection ) The American Social Health Association will provide free confidential information about STDs through the National STD Hotline, I-800-227-8922, which is operated bv ASHA
Trivia Test by Linda Luckhurst
1 All Aboard: From w hat I .ondon station do Pans bound trains leave 0 2 Actors and their Roles: Who was the first actor to portray Tarzan on the big screen 0 3 U.S. Presidents: Who graduated from Southwest State Teachers College in 1930'’ 4 Magazines: How much did the premiere issue of TV Guide cost 0 5 Birthstones: What is the birthstonc for the month ot August" 1 6 History : For what political loss did Richard Nixon intone, "You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore’’"’ 7 Movies: What three actors starred in different versions of “The Jazz Singer" 0 8 Star Trek: What color is a Vulcan's blood 0 Solution on page 13
LA teaspoon each grated lemon ped, crushed rosemary and ground pepper 1 pound boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup large California seedless grapes 1 green pepper. cut into 1-inch squares 1 medium onion, cut and separated into 1-inch squares In a large baking dish, combine wine, lemon juice, oil, garlic and seasonings, mix well Add iamb, grapes, pepper and onion, marinate at least two hours Thread grape, lamb, pepper, grape and onion alter nately on each of tour large skewers, repeat twice Broil or barbecue over hot coals to desired degree of doneness Makes four servings GRAPE SALAD KABOB 1 cup California seedless grapes Lt cup each 1-inch squares green and sweet red pepper 1 cup 1-inch cubes smoked turkey breast 1 cup prepared ranchstyle dressing Thread grape, green pepper, turkev and red pepper alternately on each of eight small bamboo skewers, repeat once, ending wiih grape Brush with dressing just before serving Serve kabobs with additional dressing Makes four servings C 19*4 b> Feature* Synd
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