Awareness surrounding the use and benefits of probiotics has exploded in recent years. If people aren’t seeking an oral probiotic at their local health foods store, they are reading the back of yogurt labels in search of active cultures. Further, fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi (kimchee) have seen their popularity increase due… Read more »
Through the Generations
Kids and teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Indio are learning about gardening and nutrition through hands-on experience. Last summer, they worked with Marriott International and the University of California Cooperative Extension to build raised garden boxes which they filled with seedlings. This year, they expanded their gardens to add a larger… Read more »
The desire to write can emerge in any phase of life, and it deepens as the years advance. As the decision to write is made and the process evolves, memories become a catharsis of remembrance and feelings. The experience is wonderful and expanding. Writing is a powerful tool for self-discovery and for learning in general.… Read more »
Stalingrad 1942 was one of the most savage battles in military history. My father, a reluctant German infantry soldier (the other option would have been execution) was wounded and sent back from the front. That saved his life and for me, the guide of my life. He never talked about what it was like. Except… Read more »
Dear Dr. Kato:My wife is 77 years old. She is having increasing problems with her balance and has fallen several times. I’m very concerned that something serious may happen. Is this vertigo? Dear Reader: Balance disorders are common in the elderly, not only resulting in distressing sensations, but also leading to reduced activity levels and… Read more »
Facing challenges and problem solving are strengths that Madelina Agawin has relied upon since she was a young woman, and they have formed the complex mosaic of who she is as a person today. Early on, Madelina’s father instilled in her the importance of education and being disciplined in her approach to achieving her goals.… Read more »
For the seventh consecutive year, residents in the Coachella Valley can enjoy the benefits of swim lessons or open swim passes at no charge, thanks to a $55,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente to the Desert Recreation District. Scholarships for swim lessons, open swim passes and Jr. Lifeguard Programs will be awarded to local residents as… Read more »
Palm Springs High School Academy of Learning Medicine (PALM) students are learning skills not often seen in the traditional classroom, thanks to advisory meetings with local business partners. With input from local health care practitioners, PALM staff members have incorporated lessons into their curriculum which emphasize career-related soft skills, such as verbal communication and presentation… Read more »
In Berlin, when I was 6 years young, my mother took me to the opera “Hansel and Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck (1812), based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale. It held many wonders for the musical imagination. My grandfather was a signal trumpeter with the Ulan cavalry under Emperor Wilhelm. My uncle Otto played the contra… Read more »
Fear of falling is a common concern as we get older. And rightly so, as approximately one third of the elderly and over two thirds of nursing home residents fall each year. This statistic is due largely in part to the fact that as we age, our gait tends to change. Nearly 50% of people… Read more »
Dear Dr. Malm: How many people in the United States wear dentures today? Dear Reader: It is estimated that 32 million people wear dentures today. The largest group is the 65 to 74 year olds, and approximately 57% of Americans in this age group wear them. Of those who do wear dentures, 20 million have… Read more »
During the Humana Challenge, a group of La Quinta Middle School students had their final exam broadcast on television in front of a crowd. For these little chefs, it was a piece of cake…Well, actually, just the opposite! The 45 nutrition class students finished their 3 ½ month course on healthy eating and cooking with… Read more »
Students interested in today’s health care field have a wide range of career options, and the Indio High School Health Academy works to pave the way for their students. Their career/tech program is designed to provide students with knowledge and an understanding of health/medical sciences and careers. In addition to class education, the Academy provides… Read more »
Students from Cathedral City High School (CCHS) leave the safety and security of their classroom once every semester in their junior year, to venture throughout the Coachella Valley to discover information about a possible future career. The students are enrolled in the Health and Environment Academy of Learning (HEAL) at CCHS, a curriculum designed to… Read more »
This past December, Women Leadership Forum’s Young Women Leaders (YWL) gathered for a volunteer day at F.I.N.D. Food Bank. The girls learned about food insecurity which affects 90,000 members of our community, as well as the value of nutritious food –for those they were serving, as well as their own circle of family and friends.… Read more »
Loss of hearing is America’s most prevalent physical ailment. More people suffer from hearing loss than from heart disease, cancer, blindness, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, venereal disease and kidney disease combined. Despite the magnitude of the problem, we pay less attention to hearing loss than to any other major affliction. Perhaps it is because hearing loss… Read more »
“You walk like an old man,” said my friend Gary. We had not seen each other for almost two years. I am not offended and listen to him, like it or not, because he cares for me. Gary is very independent, strong and invincible; or so he thought, until he suffered a heart attack caused… Read more »
As children, we learn very quickly how to avoid an embarrassing situation, such as incontinence, mostly to avoid public ridicule and or “bullying” from peers. Now, fast forward 50-60 years later to find yourself with the same problem and with the same fears. However, this time you know that the solution may not be as… Read more »
Did you ever wonder how moms learn to become moms, and parents to parent? When young people are first starting out and don’t have relatives in the area, who answers all the questions? In the Coachella Valley, new moms and young families are lucky to now have a place to go, the About Families, Inc.,… Read more »
One of the utmost things that I love about living in the Coachella Valley is the extensive health initiatives embedded throughout our desert communities. Within these precincts lie the Desert Healthcare District (DHCD), UC Riverside (UCR), and the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), which have similar visions that parallel my own: to ultimately improve the… Read more »