Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What’s truth and what’s fiction when it comes to pet care and behavior? Experts separate some tall tales from fact.
Haven’t you always wondered about some of those beliefs you’ve heard about dogs and cats? Turns out they’re not always correct or have only a kernel of truth. Here’s the straight scoop from veterinarians who know. Myth #1 If a dog or cat scoots on its butt, it has worms. Maybe. Worms are a possibility, says Marty Becker, DVM, author with Gina Spadafori of the recently released “Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual” and last year’s “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual,” but more often than not, the animal is trying to relieve the pressure of fluid buildup in its anal glands. Just what are the anal glands? They produce the scent on feces that allows your dog or cat to announce to other animals “I was here” or “This is my territory.” “Animals love to spend …
A Time magazine cover of a woman breastfeeding her preschooler has stirred an uproar. What do you think about the matter?
Time magazine is known for covering a variety of controversial subjects, but it may have taken things to a new level with a recent cover of a woman breastfeeding her nearly 4-year-old son. The thin, pretty blonde mom is Jamie Grumet, a 27-year-old L.A. resident, lactation consultant and outspoken breastfeeding advocate. The magazine has received enormous backlash over the photo, but it also sparked a firestorm of questions about attachment parenting and breastfeeding older children. As a former breastfeeding mom who’s been on all ends of the spectrum, I found myself fascinated by the story. “This is a normal option for your child and it should not be stigmatized,” Grumet was quoted saying about breastfeeding her son. “I’m never going to …
Monday, May 14, 2012
Not all lotions and sprays are alike, and not everything you thought you knew about protecting your skin from harmful UV rays is true.
Before you stash sunscreen in your beach bag, tennis bag, glove compartment or wherever you keep it for upcoming sunny days, take a minute to check the label to be sure you’re applying ultimate protection. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the requirements for sunscreen labeling last year, and the changes take effect this summer. Here’s what you need to know and look for: Broad-spectrum protection. This means the sunscreen protects from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays cause skin aging and damage, and UVB rays cause sunburn. Neither is good, so you need to defend your skin against both. Under the new labeling rules, a sunscreen can be labeled “broad-spectrum” only if it protects against both types of harmful rays. No such thing…
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Instead of the hum of traffic and the clank of shopping carts, evenings at what is now Lake Forest Drive and Serrano Road were punctuated by some distinctly different sounds.
In its heyday, the vast Rancho Cañada de Los Alisos belonging to Don José Serrano featured five gracious adobe residences. After decades of neglect and the elements, however, only one survived. Today that adobe is the centerpiece of Lake Forest’s Heritage Hill Historical Park. But in the 1920s Don Serrano’s former abode very nearly melted away—as did the other four—into a mere footprint of its former self. Some of the blame, alas, can be attributed to El Toro’s founding father Dwight Whiting. He’d long owned the land that included Don Jose’s primary home. But his focus was on building a new community rather than restoring dilapidated haciendas. Lucky for us that his sons, Dwight Anson (1891-1974) and George (1895-1979), thought …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mother's Day is almost here, and it's time to recognize all those hard working moms. See if you can relate to any of these "mom moments" and then share one of your own!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and chances are, if you’re reading this, you either have a mom, are a mom, or know a mom. Here’s a little humor just in time for your special day. You might be a Mom if ... Moms, we want to hear from you! Finish the sentence “You Might Be a Mom If…” with your own relatable musings. And, just in case your hubby forgets the card this Sunday, here’s a big fat “Happy Mother’s Day!” for all your hard work.
Monday, May 7, 2012
An FDA-approved vaccine cuts risk of the painful infection by 70 percent.
I wasn't planning to think about shingles all week, but couldn’t avoid it. It started with an email from a close friend saying she had the painful skin rash, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. I winced, recalling my own bout of shingles, when I drove to and from work every day, steering with my right hand and holding the seat belt away from my torso with my left, because the pain from having the belt touch the rash on my rib cage was intolerable. A day later, I came across a 2011 Institute of Medicine report on chronic pain. One of the leading causes? Post-herpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that sometimes follows shingles, and which can last anywhere from weeks to years. The shingles theme continued the next day when I saw my …
Sunday, May 6, 2012
But heed this spoiler alert: If you have musophobia*, don't say we didn't warn you!
Ah for the good ol’ days, when children were brought up to respect their elders! Those also were the days when teachers behaved in a dignified and professional manner and knew how to take control of their classes. Yep, those were the days. Which reminds me . . . not too long ago I found something in the files of the Saddleback Area Historical Society’s library which I think is worth sharing. It’s a story that was submitted to the society by former El Toro resident Prudence C. Drews, sometime in the late 70s or early 80s, about her own educational process at the local red brick schoolhouse. “In the 1920s,” Prudence begins, “the school consisted of two rooms—one for first through fourth grades, the other fifth through eighth. One year we …
Monday, April 30, 2012
Unless you consume nearly 2 pounds of dairy products daily, you may not be getting enough calcium. But there are alternatives.
Have you eaten your 1.75 pounds of dairy products today? If you’re like most Americans, that’s your share. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans consume 630 pounds of milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream every year, a number that could increase when the agency updates its report in July. Dairy products, particularly low-fat varieties, can be excellent sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. But there are other choices for people who don’t like dairy, follow a vegan diet, or are among the 60 percent of adults worldwide who can’t digest milk products. Plenty of nondairy food sources deliver the calcium you need to help keep your bones strong. How much calcium is enough? If you’re older than 50, you need 1,200 mg of …
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Twelve ways to be kind to your pet.
You see them on your calendar or splashed across a banner at a local business: Pancake Week, National Hairball Awareness Day (fur real), Sibling Appreciation Day. From Asparagus Month to World Book Day, there’s a celebration or commemoration period for just about everything. Perhaps one of the best known is, "Be Kind to Animals Week" (May 6-12 this year), which was created in 1915 by the American Humane Association to celebrate the human-animal bond and recognize the value of all living creatures. Being kind to animals is something we should do year-round, of course, but it never hurts to take a moment—or a week—to think about some of the best ways to do that. Here are some ideas to help make your dog or cat’s life a little better—not just…
Friday, April 27, 2012
Actually, the waterway that coursed through Old El Toro wasn't quite that forceful. Still, the mile-long Munger Creek could pose the occasional inconvenience.
Ever hear the phrase, the Good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise? Recently, I was reminded of these words when two situations converged: our recent storms, and yours truly coming across one of Joe Osterman’s newspaper columns from almost 15 years ago. Convergence, in fact is what Joe’s column was about: the convergence of a “puny” stream with a town, and later with “progress.” But the story of Munger Creek is also one of natural convergence; that of rainfall with terrain and a considerable tributary that, prior to housing, once merged to help create the much larger (and still-existent) Aliso Creek. NAMED FOR A PROLIFIC FAMILY "Old creek may be gone, but it’s not forgotten," read the headline for Joe Osterman's Local Lore column in …
Karen Koczwara
6:51 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I agree too Lori...Time magazine admitted they were going for the "shock value" to get people's attention and I think that's certainly what they got. Just out of curiosity, I wonder if it would have had the same effect if the woman featured was frumpy looking? more ›