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Saturday, January 7, 2012 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Roaming Romeo rejects resolute romance Dear Annie: I'd been see- ing ''Ralph'' for more than three years. We were actually living together the last year. Ralph is 60, and I'm 55. Six months ago, he announced that he couldn't be in the rela- tionship any longer. After a lot of talk and prodding on my part, the only reason I could get out of him was, ''It's not you. It's me.'' What does that mean? That's not a reason. Add some spice and boost your disease-prevention By Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden McClatchy Newspapers The holidays are over, January has arrived, and many of us enter the New Year determined to live our lives a little healthier than last. If you're a baby boomer, you may be noticing a few more aches and pains this year compared to last, or per- haps a little progression of some unwelcome medical problem like high blood pressure or diabetes. We often hear about the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies, getting a little more exercise, or getting your weight down, but did you know that adding more spices and herbs to your food can reduce inflammation and also reduce your risk of chronic dis- ease? Most cultures have used spices and herbs in their tra- ditional cuisines for thousands of years; we often think of these ingredients as flavor-enhancers, but nature in her wisdom has also provided these plants to us for their powerful health benefits. In the past 50 years, we have come to understand that cancer and other chronic illnesses may be due to damage or dysregulation of some of our genes. It has only been in the past decade, however, that scientists have discovered that many nutrients in foods, including spices, can prevent these genetic changes and reduce our risk for some of these diseases. Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, an oncologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas is one of the leading researchers in the world looking at the health impact of spices and herbs. In many recent scientific publications and studies, he and his colleagues have uncovered the health benefits of these food ingredients and shown how they may prevent and even help treat a wide array of chronic diseases including cancer. One of the powerful ways that spices and herbs exert their protective effect in the body is by inactivating a protein complex in cells that's known as NF kappa B. NF Kappa B acts like a master control switch for inflammation and cell growth. When it's activated, it turns on hundreds of genes that are involved in abnor- mal cell growth and inflammation; this can allow a can- cer cell to continue growing or it can promote ongoing inflammatory responses in the body that can fuel chron- ic disease. Blocking NF kappa B can reduce cancer cell growth, or even allow cancer cells to respond better to chemotherapy drugs. Blocking this protein can also reduce the inflammation that leads to a number of chronic diseases including coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Populations that consume lots of these spices seem to have less chronic disease than we do in the United States. For example, in India turmeric is frequently consumed in curries. Turmeric contains the phyto- chemical curcumin, and curcumin is a particularly pow- erful inhibitor of NF Kappa B. In India, Alzheimer's disease is far less common than it is in the U.S., and scientists suspect that it is the frequent consumption of turmeric that has resulted in this difference. You don't have to look far to find these beneficial spices — you probably have many of them already in your kitchen spice rack. In addition to turmeric, they include mint, rosemary, garlic, basil, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, and red chili pepper. Scientists are still trying to determine which of these spices would be useful if taken by capsule to prevent or treat disease, and the data is very intriguing and encour- aging. Before you run out to buy these in pill form, though, we encourage you to include and enjoy these spices in your foods on a daily basis: add some cinnamon to your breakfast cereal, enjoy some mint-ginger tea with your lunch and top your dinner pasta with a little garlic and rosemary. If you're really adventuresome, you might want to try making your own curry at home — a great time to experiment with fresh or dried turmeric. You'll give your taste buds a zing, and you'll be doing your part to keep your genes happy and healthy too. Bon appetit! Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter Downtown Integrative Medicine program in Sacramento. Have a question related to alternative medicine? E-mail adrenaline@sacbee.com. Quack. You don't go to an unlicensed doctor... why work out with an uncertified trainer? Mark's Fitness ACE Certified & Senior Certified Personal Trainer With a gift certificate from Personal trainers. Gym staff. Group fitness instructors. They're supposed to be pros. Yet many are not. Only ACE-certified trainers pass a rigorous test and partici- pate in continuing fitness education. Uncertified train- ers may lead you to painful injuries. Make sure your time in the gym is safe and effective. Don't work out with a quack! (530) 941-2832 Marks.fitness@yahoo.com Premier Fitness Facility Tehama County's Show someone you really care by giving them Better Health and Happiness This Christmas! Shop Local This Christmas Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Ralph said he still loves me, and I'm totally in love with him. But not wanting to stay where I wasn't wanted, I promptly moved out. I then found out that Ralph was seeing an old girlfriend. They spent their time going out and partying. I've been so lost since this hap- pened. I don't understand his reason- ing. I'm hoping he'll realize we had something great together and come back to me. Everyone, including Ralph's family, wonders what's going on. Is this a late-in-life crisis? Am I wrong to keep hoping? — Unlucky in Love Dear Unlucky: Ralph could be having a midlife crisis, but he also could simply want to be with someone else. We have no way to pre- dict his future actions, but we will tell you that it is unwise to wait for him. Live your life to the fullest, which not only will keep you active and happy, but will allow you to meet new people, which is always a plus. Dear Annie: My son and his wife went away for a week- end, and she accidentally left her wedding rings at home. When they returned, the rings were missing. Her 17-year-old brother, 20-year-old sister and the sister's boyfriend stayed at the house to watch their dogs. We later found out that the brother had a teenage friend over, and we think he stole the rings. My daughter-in-law's family is a bunch of losers and thieves. Her father insists no one took the rings, and no one is doing anything about it. My daughter-in-law is a wonderful person who helps her family all the time, and this is the reward she gets. She keeps telling me she is going to file a police report, but hasn't done it. I am beside myself. My problem is, how do I handle an upcoming family occasion? I don't want to start a war, but neither do I want these people in my house, and I don't want to be around them. What do I do? — A. Dear A.: This is your daughter-in- law's family, and although you don't like them, you obviously care for her. That means putting up with her family now and then. If you don't trust them in your home, have the festivities else- where — in your son's home or at a restaurant. You also can lock up the valuables. As for the missing rings, these belong to your daughter-in-law, and she gets to decide how she wants to handle the alleged theft. It's loyal of you to be angry on her behalf, but it serves no useful purpose if it also upsets her. Please try to let it go. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ''M.,'' whose siblings expected her to pay $100 for a meal when she only ate a $10 salad. I have been a waitress for years and am always surprised when people have issues with splitting the check when they did not eat or drink equally. There is absolutely no reason not to ask for separate checks when you order your meal. Even if it is the restaurant's policy not to do so for large parties, it still can be done. Ask for the manager if your server hesi- tates. Our industry is in a slump, and we will do what it takes to make the customer happy. — L.J.E. Healthy lifestyle protects arteries Q: My father was recently diagnosed with carotid stenosis. I'd like to learn more about the con- dition. In particular, how can I prevent developing it myself? A: The carotid arteries in your neck play an important role in keeping your brain healthy and functioning properly. Your brain must receive an uninterrupted supply of blood because nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen. Even a brief disruption stuns nerve cells, impairing their func- tion. More prolonged oxygen deprivation kills the cells. Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Carotid artery stenosis is the narrowing of these arteries due to the buildup of cholesterol-rich plaques. When the narrowing is moderate or severe, clots can form on the plaques and then break off and travel to the brain, where they may interfere with blood flow. Brief or partial interruptions of blood flow cause tran- sient ischemic attacks (TIAs). But prolonged or complete blockages cause strokes. If only a small, noncritical area of your brain is affected, you may not notice the damage. Unfortunately, however, the damage is often very noticeable indeed, as we'll discuss. Nearly nine of every 10 strokes are caused by a blocked artery (ischemic stroke). The blockage can occur right in an artery in the brain (thrombotic stroke), but it is more com- monly caused by blood clots that break off from the heart or from an artery that carries blood to the brain (embolic stroke). That's where the carotid arteries come in. Healthy carotids carry blood to the front part of the brain. But when diseased, they are a major cause of TIAs and strokes. Sim- ple, noninvasive tests can diagnose carotid artery disease, and treatment can reduce the risk of stroke. In a healthy person, the internal carotid artery is about 5 millimeters wide. That's about the diame- ter of a pencil eraser, and is more than wide enough to bring the brain all the blood it needs. Narrowing, or stenosis, of the carotid is considered mild when it reduces the width of the artery by less than 50 percent. Narrowing of 50 percent to 69 percent is considered moderate. Narrowing of 70 percent to 99 percent is considered severe carotid stenosis. What narrows the carotid artery? In near- ly all cases, it's atherosclerosis. This is the same disease that causes heart attacks by blocking coro- nary arteries. In atherosclerosis, cholesterol-laden plaques build up in the artery wall, gradually narrowing the vessel. But in most cases, it's not the plaque itself that does the final damage. In carotid stenosis, the culprit is a blood clot that breaks away from the plaque and is carried by the blood to the brain or eye. It then lodges in a smaller artery. If the clot breaks into tiny fragments that are carried away, the brain cells recover — that's why the symptoms of a TIA resolve with- in 24 hours. But if the clot stays put, brain cells die, causing the irreversible damage of stroke. People who already have carotid stenosis may need to take additional steps to prevent a stroke. Two approaches are available: Aspirin or another medication that prevents clots from forming on plaques, and surgery or angioplasty with stenting to open the narrowed artery. Everyone should understand the importance of TIAs, which indicate vascular abnormalities that could lead to a stroke. TIAs begin abruptly, and they also resolve relatively fast. A typical TIA lasts just two to 15 minutes, and half of all patients are back to normal in less than an hour. By defini- tion, symptoms that persist for more than 24 hours are not due to TIAs, but strokes. TIAs caused by carotid stenosis often produce visual abnormalities, like sudden, painless loss of vision in one eye. Vision is restored to its previous state when the TIA resolves. TIAs due to carotid stenosis can also affect other parts of the body. Temporary clumsiness, weakness or numbness in the face, hand or leg can occur. Slurred speech is very com- mon. TIAs should be taken seriously because they warn of a possible future stroke. And TIAs must be diagnosed and treated promptly because the risk of stroke is highest within the first 30 days. Urgent treatment can reduce that risk by up to 80 percent. The best way to prevent TIAs and strokes is to keep your blood vessels healthy. Like coronary artery disease, carotid artery disease is most often caused by smoking, hyperten- sion, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, diabetes and obesi- ty. Stress may also contribute. All these risk factors can be controlled. The key is not smoking, getting regular exercise, and having regular check- ups to detect and treat high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels. Another crucial component is a healthy diet that's low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and salt, but high in fish, fiber, fruits and vegetables. January Classes * Friday 13th @10am Fruit Tree Pruning & Care Class Saturday 21st @10am Bare Root Fruit Tree Saturday 28th @10am Rose Pruning & Care Class Please call to reserve a seat Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498 South Main St • Red Bluff 528-8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com Red Bluff Garden Center 527-0886 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) & Saturday 14th