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Saturday, August 20, 2011 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Sibling spats still stinging Dear Annie: I have six siblings. Our childhood was traumatic. My dad was an out-of-control drinker who was frequently violent, and Mom wouldn't stand up to him. When Dad wasn't beating us, my parents would pit us against each other by encouraging family gossip, tattling and playing favorites. Out of all my siblings, I am the only one who never married. Over the years, there have been holiday gatherings at my parents' home, and my siblings would attend and bring their children. Bedrooms were always assigned to my married sibs, and the additional bedrooms were assigned to their kids. I was told to grab a pillow and blanket and sleep on the couch. When I protested that such a choice was more appropriate for the kids, I was told that they could fit more kids into the bedrooms than on the couch. I told my mother she was singling me out for lesser treatment, but she refused to hear me. My sister's kids were allowed to treat me with disrespect, so I finally stopped coming to family gath- erings. Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar My parents are now getting up in years and downsized to a two-bedroom house. When I visited a few years ago, I was told to vacate the spare bedroom because another sister and her husband were coming. I left and did not come back. Dad is now sober and wants the family together again. I have NO interest in rejoining my ''loving'' family. They assigned rank and decided I was expendable. There are other examples of such treatment. How do I explain that they burned that bridge a long time ago? — Cold in Michigan Dear Cold: We're going to assume there are a lot of underlying emotional issues, because giving up your bed- room so two kids can sleep there instead of one on the couch seems a rather petty reason to disown your family. You had a rough childhood and obviously harbor a great deal of resentment not only toward your parents, but also toward your siblings. You don't have to attend family gatherings if you feel unappreciated, but please consider counseling to help you deal with the rest. Dear Annie: Are we the only people who think charita- ble organizations have gone off the deep end? We don't want the pins and certificates of appreciation or the plastic mem- bership cards. We can't possibly use 15 wall calendars, six pocket calendars and four packages of greeting cards. We don't want T-shirts and tote bags with the organization's name emblazoned on them. We also don't appreciate the envelopes with stamps attached that are apparently intended to produce a guilt trip. We've written to ask them to take us off their mailing list. What else can we do to stop the waste? — Disgusted Givers from Illinois Dear Disgusted: Not much. Some of those ''gifts,'' like tote bags and T-shirts, are a form of advertising for the orga- nization. You can find out how specific charities spend their money by checking with the American Institute of Philan- thropy (charitywatch.org) or Charity Navigator (charitynav- igator.org). Dear Annie: I read the letter from ''Disappointed Grand- mother,'' whose grandchildren never sent thank-you notes. When my parents were in their 80s, I helped them mail gifts to the grandchildren. They wanted a thank-you note, not only as an acknowledgement of their gift, but in order to hear from their grandchildren. I solved the problem. When I sent the gift, I enclosed a stamped, self-addressed thank-you card along with it. It took only one little nudge, and they sent thank-you notes to my parents from that time on. I never told my folks what I did, but they were very proud of their well-mannered grandchil- dren. — C. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Cen- tury Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. High triglycerides help by diet and exercise DEAR DR. GOTT: Is there anything I can do to lower my triglyceride levels? My doctors have tried medications, but every one gives me heart issues. The heart special- ist I was sent to says I can't take any of the cho- lesterol-lowering med- ications presently on the market. I now take niacin daily and am also trying to change my diet. I walk three miles a day. I am 52, 45 pounds overweight (I've lost 20 in the last year) and am disabled from a bad back. I had spinal cord surgery in 2003, so my workouts for weight loss are limited. DEAR READER: Triglycerides are a Dr. Peter Gott type of fat (along with the various forms of cholesterol) found in the blood. They are converted by the body from calories that aren't used or needed immediately. They are stored in the fat cells until hormones release them for energy between meals. Individuals who regularly consume more calories, especially from carbohydrates and fats, than are burned may develop hyper- triglyceridemia (high triglycerides). Diagnosis is simple and made through a blood test. Levels below 100 are considered optimal, but those 149 or lower are normal. Borderline high levels range from 150 to 199, high from 200 to 499; those above 500 are considered very high. Treatment typically doesn't include medication because weight loss, diet and exercise often work well. Diet changes include reducing calories, avoiding sug- ary/refined foods, reducing fat/cholesterol intake, eliminating trans fats, limiting alco- hol, and choosing healthier fats, such as olive, peanut or canola oil. Replacing red meats with fish can also be beneficial, espe- cially those high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Omega-3 fish oil pills can be used as well. Exercising at least 30 minutes five to seven days a week can help lower triglyc- eride levels and LDL "bad" cholesterol, while increasing HDL "good" cholesterol. It can also stabilize and lower blood pres- sure and improve mood. Sometimes find- ing the time to exercise can be difficult, so try splitting it up into 10-minute incre- ments. Take a short, brisk walk outside, use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk on a treadmill or do sit-ups while watching tele- vision. Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Report "Under- standing Cholesterol" by sending a self- addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title, or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf. DEAR DR. GOTT: I have had tremors since my 20s (I'm now 73) and have had relief from them with brewer's yeast tablets. I started with one, and as I aged, am now up to four daily. Also, an article in Pre- vention magazine years ago said brewer's yeast stops morning sickness, so I have told many ladies about it. The ones who have tried it had immediate relief. It's cheap and effective but is getting harder to find, and I am afraid it will disappear from the market. DEAR READER: Brewer's yeast is made from a one-celled fungus and is typi- cally used in beer making. It can also be specifically grown for use as a nutritional supplement. For this use it is rich in chromium, selenium, protein and most of the B vitamins. It does not contain B12 and therefore is not appropriate for those look- ing to supplement this particular vitamin. Over the years it has been thought to help treat diabetes, lower cholesterol, aid weight loss and improve acne. Some stud- ies have suggested that brewer's yeast may actually be beneficial for these conditions, although other studies have not had similar results. It might help tremors or morning sickness, but clearly you and your friends have had success. I hope others benefit as well. Readers, remember that before adding any over-the-counter medication, supple- ment or herbal therapy, to speak with your physician and/or pharmacist to ensure that the risk of interaction with other foods or medications is low. A balanced diet should provide adequate levels of most, if not all, vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function normally. Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Report "Vita- mins and Minerals" by sending a self- addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title, or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including "Live Longer, Live Better," "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" and "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook," which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. When is it the right time to pull the plug on tv shows? (MCT) — Early this week, word came from AMC that "Breaking Bad," the critically adored drama about a meth-selling chemistry teacher, will wrap up with a 16-episode season next year. That announcement followed the recent news that ABC's glossy soap, "Desperate Housewives," will finish off its eight-season run in May. The end is also near for a few other shows. "Res- cue Me" (FX) and "Entourage" (HBO) are both in their final seasons, and on Sept. 23, the vener- able ABC daytime drama "All My Children" will leave the air after 41 years. This robust flurry of TV terminations has me pon- dering, once again, those deep, philosophical ques- tions: When is the right time to pull the plug on a show? How does closure come? And why do we, as viewers, sometimes have such a hard time letting go? After news broke dur- ing the recent TV critics press tour that "Desperate Housewives" would end, ABC brought on creator Marc Cherry to share his thoughts. "I'm very aware of (shows) overstaying their welcome," he told the assembled journalists. "I didn't want that to happen with 'Desperate House- wives.' I wanted to go out when the network still saw us as a viable show and a force to contend with. ... I wanted to go out in the classiest way possible." His remarks provoked in me a surge of TV critic snideness. "Housewives," after all, generates nowhere near the kinds of ratings it did when it pre- miered in 2004 and became a pop-cultural sen- sation. More significant, it ran out of creative steam a long time ago, spewing predictable and tired story- lines on a regular basis. To me, the show already had overstayed its welcome by at least three seasons. I had the same cranky reaction a few days earlier when Showtime entertain- ment chief David Nevins told us that "Weeds" might be awarded an eighth sea- son. Talk about a show that went off the rails ages ago. Please, just put it out of its misery. I was equally dismis- sive when word came that both "The Office" and "Two and a Half Men" would trudge on, despite losing their primary stars. Wouldn't this be the per- fect time to cease and desist? Of course, I try to keep in mind that TV critics often don't view television in the same way that many fans or network executives do. Critics have a heavy watch load. We're always looking for the new, fresh thing. And we get bored easily. We also prefer that our favorite shows leave the stage at the top of their game. As much as I loved (and promoted) "Friday Night Lights," I believed that five seasons was just about perfect. Tie a bow on it and move on with happy memories. I'm also a big advocate of shows — especially dra- mas — doing what "Lost" did by setting a predeter- mined expiration date. When "Breaking Bad" announced that it would wind down with 16 more episodes, creator Vince Gilligan explained the advantages of having such an end game. "This is a great gift to me and my writers," he said. "It's knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion." "Breaking Bad" is an interesting case study. Its ratings are actually up this summer and critics still love it. But the show is designed in a way that it must keep raising the stakes and amplifying the danger for its main charac- ter, Walter White (Bryan Cranston). Continue for too long and there's a dan- ger that things would get too implausible and ludi- crous. TV executives aren't nearly as interested in cre- ative concerns as the bot- tom line. If "Two and a Half Men" is still a cash cow, why not bring in Ash- ton Kutcher and try to keep it going? On the other hand, at least one factor in the decision to end "Des- perate Housewives" (Cher- ry previously had talked of a nine-year run) had to be the bulky salaries of his leading ladies. Most fans, of course, don't care about any of this. They just want to see their shows. Unlike critics, typical viewers zero in on just a handful of series. They build bonds with the characters, who come to feel almost like family members. Often, shows are watched out of habit. They become a comfort zone. So it's no wonder that many soap opera devotees — perhaps the most pas- sionate TV fans — are up in arms over ABC's can- cellation of "All My Chil- dren" and "One Life to Live." We critics and non- soap watchers may not quite comprehend the depth of their furor ("Hey, 'Arrested Development' Changing of the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seasons Saturday, August 27th @ 10am Shopping 101 Saturday, September 3rd @ 10am Fall Sale Please call to reserve a seat Red Bluff Garden Center 527-0886 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) You'll receive a $25 Gift Certificate good at the Tehama County business of your choice. Send to tehamamag@redbluffdailynews.com Before 9-15-11 got only three seasons, be happy that you got four decades," we say). But soap fans see it dif- ferently: Their "stories" are a religion — a daily rou- tine — that in some cases have existed for entire life- times. And even if your fervor sometimes might wane, it's comforting to know that they'll be there for you. For them, there really is no good time to pull the TV plug. What's your FAVORITE Tehama County "Hidden Gem?" A swimming hole, favorite hike, park site, fishing spot, Sunday drive, thing to do with kids? Share yours with us. If we use it in the October edition of