My Mature Times - June 2011

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MYMATURETIMES JUNE 2011 PAGE 2

Social Security Column

A HANDSOME GIFT FOR DADBy Ray Vigil

Social Security Public Affairs

Specialist in El Paso, Texas

Father’s Day is right

around the corner. Perhaps you’ll

give Dad the usual gift: a necktie,

shaving set, leather wallet, or new

fishing lure. But there’s something

he may appreciate even more. Peo-

ple all over the country are helping

their dads save nearly $4,000 a

year on the cost of prescription

drugs. You can help your dad too

— and it won’t cost you a dime.

The high cost of prescription med-

ication can be a burden on fathers

(or anyone) who have limited in-

come and resources. But there is

Extra Help — available throughSocial Security — that could pay

part of his monthly premiums, an-

nual deductibles, and prescription

co-payments. That Extra Help is

worth an average of almost $4,000

a year.

To figure out whether your father is eligible, Social Security needs to

know his income and the value of

his savings, investments, and real

estate (other than the home he

lives in). To qualify for the Extra

Help, he must be enrolled in

Medicare and have:

•Annual income limited to $16,335for an individual or $22,065 for a

married couple living together.

Even if his income is higher, he

still may be able to get some help

with monthly premiums, annual

deductibles, and prescription co-

payments. Some examples where

income may be higher include if

he or his spouse:

—Support other family members

who live with them; —Have earnings from work; or

—Live in Alaska or Hawaii; and

•Resources limited to $12,640 for

an individual or $25,260 for a mar-

ried couple living together. Re-

sources include such things as

bank accounts, stocks, and bonds.

We do not count his house and car

as resources.

Social Security has an easy-to-use

online application that you can

help complete for your dad.

You can find it at

www.socialsecurity.gov. Just se-

lect the link on the left of the pagethat says, “Get extra help with

Medicare prescription drug costs.”

To apply by phone or have an ap-

plication mailed to you, call Social

Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY

1-800-325-0778) and ask for the

Application for Help with

Medicare Prescription Drug PlanCosts (SSA-1020). Or go to the

nearest Social Security office.

To learn more about the Medicare

prescription drug plans and special

enrollment periods, visit

www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-

MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227;

TTY 1-877-486-2048).

Of course, the Extra Help is not

just for fathers. Anyone who is en-

titled to Medicare and has limited

income and resources may be eli-

gible.

Aging to Perfection Expo 2011




Elderly woman loves El Paso, collects aluminumcans to help Rescue Mission

By Joe Olvera ©, 2011

85-year-old Pat Watson has

been doing the same thing for more

than 30 years, and she plans to keep

on doing it until the last possible mo-

ment, that is, if her legs hold out.

“I’ve been collecting aluminum cans,

walking all over El Paso, and what-

ever money I can generate, I donate it

to the El Paso Rescue Mission.” She

used to also collect bottles to sell for

the deposit, but, that’s no longer possible.

“I’m getting older, I can’t walk as far

as I used to,” Watson said. “But, as

long as the Good Lord al-

lows me to, I will keep

on working as hard as I

can. The Rescue Mission

is my favorite charity, be-

cause the people there doso much for El Pasoans,

and, very rarely do they

get a thank you.”

She doesn’t send as much money

every month as she used to, but, she

still sends at least $20, which she re-

ceives from her sale of cans, and adds

a little bit of her own money. “It’s not

much, but, every little bit helps. Theydon’t even know me at the Rescue

Mission because I always mail in my

check. But, when I was able to walk

longer distances, they certainly knew

who I was. But, I don’t do it for the

recognition. I do it because it’s the

right thing to do.”

Watson and her husband, 93, came to

El Paso’s Fort Bliss in 1944, left for

another assignment, then returned per-

manently in 1957. They decided to re-

tire here because she loves the people,

the community, and everything about

El Paso. “The kids were already at-

tending Bel Air High School, and they

began graduating from there, so we

decided to stay and let them finishtheir high school education. Watson

has two daughters and one son. “I’m

originally from Colorado Sprints,

which is a beautiful city in itself. But,

there’s something about El Paso that

really attracted us. Colorado Springs

has mountains, but, so does El Paso.

Our mountains are just as beautiful. El

Paso has a special flavor which we just love.

“What I send the Rescue Mis-

sion is not a whole lot, but,

it’s something,” Watson said.

“After my husband retired

from the military, he began to

drive an 18-wheeler, so he got

so see a great deal of thecountry. I went with him once,

but, the truck blew a front tire

and I said, ‘that’s it, no more.’ So I

stayed a housewife and continue to do

so. I’ll keep on gathering and collect-

ing cans until I can no longer walk.

It’s all for a great cause.”

Pat Watson




How much water is used when taking an averageshower of about 5 minutes?

A n s w e r : B – 2 0 G a l l o n s

“ Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorolo-

gist at KVIA-TV in El Paso. You can watch his

forecasts at 4, 5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7 (channel

6 cable). If you would like Doppler Dave to

address (explain) any weather issues you can

email him at [email protected]

By: “Doppler” Dave Speelman

A. 10 GallonsB. 20 Gallons

C. 30 Gallons

D. 40 Gallons

E Pas’s Water Saving TipsThis is the time of year that we begin to see the hottest temperatures.

It doesn’t help that we typically don’t get much rain and that forces

many of us to pull out the hose and start watering our grass and

plants. If you’re like me, it’s always a shock to open up my monthly

water bill and see the damage caused by all that watering. I thought

it would be good to discuss tips on how we all can save water and

money.

If you live in your own home or rent a home, chances areyou have to pay a water bill. Those of you who live in an apartment

but don't pay a water bill need to know that part of your rent is to

pay the complex where you live for your share of the water. The

higher the water bills, the more likely a rent increase will happen for

your complex. So no matter where you live, it is a good idea for

your pocketbook to conserve water. It's not just a good idea for your

pocketbook either; it's also a good idea for the environment.

Let's start with inside the house. Fix leaky faucets and pipes. Just a small drip can use up to 20 gallons per day, and a larger

drip can use even more. A few cents to buy the items necessary to

repair the pipe or faucet or the few dollars to replace a pipe or faucet

will save more money in the long run.

When washing clothes, it is always best to use a full load. If you

must wash a smaller load, be sure to use your washer's setting to re-

duce the amount of water used. Even with the water settings, it's still

best to wash a full load whenever possible, because this will ulti-

mately save water and electricity.

Take showers (I prefer this anyway), not baths, and shorten the

shower by just a few minutes every day and you can save close to

1000 gallons of water per month. Shorter showers use less water

than baths do as a general rule, and if you install low flow or flow

restrictor showerheads, you can save even more.

When filling a sink to wash dishes, place the drain stopper in

the sink before turning the water faucet on. Letting the water run

prior to putting the stopper in place wastes water. Many people let

the faucet run until the water becomes warm, but you can simply use

a bit hotter water if you need to in order to get the temperature right

for your needs. Also, always fill the sink with water to wash dishes,

instead of washing them under running water.

If you must use an automatic dishwasher, never run a load of

dishes unless the dishwasher is full. It is best to hand wash dishes

for water conservation.

MYMATURETIMES G



If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHT’S Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to:[email protected]

Calendar of upcoming events for

El Paso/ Southern New Mexico

are from June 2011


NoRThEAST/

CENTRAl

Music Under the Stars —

The 28th summer concert series,

Music Under the Stars World Fes-tival, presented by the City of El

Paso Museums and Cultural Af-

fairs Department, features local

and international performers 7:30

to 9:30 p.m. Sundays, June 12-

Aug. 14, at the Chamizal National

Memorial amphitheater, 800 S.

San Marcial. Admission is free. In-

formation: 541-4481 (MCAD),532-7273 (Chamizal) or elpasoart-

sandculture.org.

‘Nuestras Tradiciones’ —

Ballet Folklorico of El Paso pres-

ents the annual show at 7 p.m. Fri-

day and Saturday, June 10-11, at

the Chamizal National Memorial,

800 S. San Marcial. Tickets: $10.

El Paso Diablos Baseball —

The American Association minor

league team regular home game

time is 7:05 p.m. (Sundays at 6:05

p.m.) at Cohen Stadium in North-

east El Paso. Ticket information:

755-2000 or diablos.com.

Recurring promotions include

Firework Fridays, Thirsty Thurs-

days and Quartermania Sunday, aswell as Military Nights throughout

the season.

• June 6-9 — Fort Worth Cats

• June 10-12 — Grand Prairie

AirHogs

• June 21-33 — Amarillo

YWCA Race Against

Racism – The 10K race and 2K

fun walk are 7:30 a.m. Saturday,

June 4. Information: 478-5663,

472-5879 or ywcaelpaso.org.

NAMI Walk — The El PasoChapter of the National Alliance

on Mental Illness’s first ever

fundraising walk is Saturday, June

4, at Ascarate Park, 6900 Delta. In-

formation: Reb Willard, 533-3118

or [email protected].

TeenFest Concert and Car

show — El Paso Public Library’s

6th annual teen summer reading

program kickoff is noon to 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 4, at Cohen Sta-

dium, featuring informational and

carnival booths, games, live enter-tainment, car and bike show, give-

aways and more. Admission is

free. Information: 543-5479, 543-

5495 or hernandezca@elpaso-

texas.gov.

‘Viva El Paso!’ — The sum-

mertime pageant returns to McKel-

ligon Canyon Amphitheatre for its

34th season Fridays and Saturdays,

June 3-Aug. 13, offering an array

of multicolored costumes, electri-

fying musical production numbers,

and legendary characters. The out-

door musical extravaganza high-

lights the four major cultures of

the region, through drama, song

and dance, that have called El Paso

home: Native American, Spanish

Conquistadors, Mexican and West-

ern American. Information: 231-

1165 or viva-ep.org.

Continues on next page





MISSIoN

VAllEY

‘Recital de Ballet Clasico’ —

Students of Malinky’s Ballet Clas-

sico perform at 7 p.m. Friday and

Saturday, June 17-18, at theChamizal National Memorial, 800

S. San Marcial. Admission is free.

World Ocean Day — El Paso

Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, will observe

World Ocean Day and celebrate

Sunny the Sea Lion’s Birthday 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sun-

day, June 4-5. Information: 532-

8156, 521-1850 or elpasozoo.org.

Luis Miguel — The famed

Mexican crooner performs at 8:30

p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the El

Paso County Coliseum, 4100 E.

Paisano. With more than 45 mil-lion records sold worldwide, sev-

eral Grammy awards and

numerous other honors and

achievements, Luis Miguel ranksas one of the world’s top concert

attractions. Tickets: $57, $97,

$122.50 and $147.50, plus service

charge (Ticketmaster).

Ballet Concert — El Paso Con-

servatory of Dance presents its an-

nual ballet at 7 p.m. Saturday and

2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4-5, atChamizal National Memorial, 800

S. San Marcial. Information: Marta

Katz, 252-5601.

‘La Fille Mal Gardée’ — El

Paso Conservatory of Dance pres-

ents its annual ballet at 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 3-5, at Chamizal Na-

tional Memorial, 800 S. San Mar-

cial. The story of young love is

filled with playful mischief. Cho-

reographer is Erick Campos. Infor-

mation: Marta Katz, 760-6062.

EASTSIdE

Newsboys — The Grammy-

nominated and Dove Award-win-

ning Christian pop rock band

performs at 7 p.m. Friday, June

24, at Abundant Living Faith Cen-

ter, 1000 Valley Crest. The band,originally from Queensland, Aus-

tralia, has sold more then 6.5 mil-

lion units with five Gold albums

and 26 No. 1 hits. Tickets: $20;

available in advance at the ALFC

office. Information: 532-8543 or

alfc.com.

The Pink Show — The fundraising

dinner and dance

program benefiting

Susan G. Komen

Race for the Cure

of El Paso is

Thursday, June

16, at LancersClub East, 3135

Trawood, featuring Flamenco and

Middle Eastern dance. Doors open

at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.

and show at 7 p.m. Tickets: $25.

Information: Zizi, 545-4648 or

Nisreen, 204-7228.

St. Anthony’s Day Celebra-tion — The annual commemora-

tion of the feast day of St. Anthony

is all day Monday, June 13, at

Ysleta del Sur Reservation (near

Zaragoza and Alameda). Dancing,

food and more. Information: 859-

8053.





Igor and The Red Elvises —

The Russian rock and roll band re-

turns to El Paso for a performance

at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, at 6

Strings, 1160 Airway, Suite C.

Tickets: $7; available at ticket-

bully.com.

Academy Sports & Out-

doors Sun Bowl Interna-

tional Soccer Tournament

— The 12th annual youth soccer tournament for boys and girls is

tentatively June 11-12 at various

fields throughout El Paso. Infor-

mation: 533-4416 or sunbowl.org.

El Paso Psychic Fair — The

fair is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday

and Sunday, June 4-5, at the

Hawthorn Inn, 1700 Airway (at

Boeing). Admission: $5 for both

days (private readings not included

with admission). Free admission

with active duty military I.D. In-

formation: 345-6245 or elpasopsy-chicfair.com.

doWNToWN/

WESTSIdE

Willie Cager Retirement

Party — The retirement party for El Paso basketball legend and phi-

lanthropist Willie Cager is 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 25, at El Paso Con-

vention Center, in celebration of

Cager’s Learning Center to be

built in Fabens. Guest speakers in-

clude Nevil Shed and Judge

Williams. Dinner and entertain-

ment also offered. Tickets: $75($100 per couple); available at the

door. Information: 920-4173.

Adal Ramones — The Mexican

comic and television personality

performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, June

11, at the Plaza Theatre. Ramones

is best known as the host of the

popular “Otro Rollo.” Tickets: $25

and $55, plus service charge.

(Ticketmaster)

Miss El Paso USA — The pag-

eants for Miss El Paso USA and

the Miss El Paso Teen USA areFriday and Saturday, June 10-11,

at the Abraham Chavez Theatre.

The pageants are the official pre-

liminaries to the Miss Texas USA,

Miss Texas Teen USA, Miss USA

Pageants. Information: Laura’s

Productions, 845-2894 or

laurasproductions.com.

‘Firebird, Swan Lake, Cin-

derella and More’ — The Bal-

let Centre School of Classical

Dance, directed by David Alejan-

dro Duran, presents its 27th annual

recital at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June

5, at UTEP’s Magoffin Audito-

rium, with more than 50 students

ages 4-17 performing a variety of

dances ranging from traditional

classics to contemporary ballet

pieces. Admission is free. Informa-

tion: 544-4348 or balletcentre.us.

‘Cats’ — America’s favorite fam-

ily musical returns to El Paso at

7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,

June 6-7, at The Plaza Theatre.

Tickets: $33.50-$57.50 ($5 off for

children ages 14 and younger),

plus service charge. Discount for

groups of 20 or more (Tickemas-ter).

This national tour of CATS is the

only production in North America

sanctioned by Andrew Lloyd Web-

ber.





Thomas and Friends — The

national tour of the children’s

show “Thomas Saves the Day”

starring Thomas the Tank Engine,

is June 4-5 at the Abraham

Chavez Theatre. Performances are

3 and 6 p.m. Saturday and noon

and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15to $70 (Ticketmaster).

Barbara Driscoll School of

Ballet — The ballet school pres-

ents its 50th annual student recital

at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the

Plaza Theatre, featuring students

from pre-school to adult, in tech-nique performances and a chil-

dren’s ballet. Admission is free.

Information: 584-9903.

‘Nine Levels to Bliss’ —

Danyavaad and the Shimmy Sis-

ters host “a mystical journey to-

wards enlightenment” at 7 p.m.

Saturday June 4, at the Scottish

Rite Theatre, 301 W. Missouri.

This year’s dancers include Karee-

sha and her Divine Dancers, Bella

Fusion, Jackie’s Barragan’s Circus,

Judith Ann Marcus, the Children

of Rakkasett, accompanied by

music by Danyavaad. Tickets: $12in advance; $15 at the door. The

Shimmy Sisters will also host

workshops 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun-

day, June 5, at Scottish Rite The-

atre. Cost per workshop: $15 in

advance; $20 at the door.Informa-

tion: (619) 884-7707 or theshimm-

ysisters.com.

El Paso Summer Music Fes-

tival - The festival’s 2011 Pot-

pourri Concert featuring La

Catrina Quartet and the winners of

the 2011 Young Musicians Compe-

tition is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June

4, at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Center.

Also performing are mezzo-so- prano Orit Amy Eylon and pianist

Margaret Hagedorn. Tickets: $15

($10 seniors/military; $5 students).

Ticket information: 1-800-745-

3000 or epsmf.org.

Alfresco! Fridays — The an-

nual outdoor concert series is 5:30

p.m. Fridays throughout the sum-

mer months at Arts Festival Plaza

(between El Paso Museum of Art

and Plaza Theatre). Admission is

free. Information: 534-0675.

• June 3 — Brown Betty (classic

rock)

• June 10 – New Breed Jazz Al-

liance

• June 17 — Asi (Tejano)

• June 24 — Radio La Chusma

(Latin Reggae)

SoUThERN

NEW MExICo

Billy The Kid Chute Out —

Ruidoso Downs Race Track and

Casino in Ruidoso Downs, N.M.,

hosts the National Federation of

Professional Bullriders bull riding

event Friday and Saturday, June 3-

4, at Ruidoso Downs Horse Sale

Pavilion. Vendors, musical enter-

tainment and food concessions.

Tickets: $20 (free for ages 5 and

younger). Information: (575) 808-

1163.

‘Avanti! Or a Very Uncom-

plicated Girl’ - Las Cruces

Community Theatre presents thewitty comedy by Samuel Taylor

for its season finale June 3-19. Di-

rected by Joe Pfeiffer. Showtime is

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2

p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $5. Informa-

tion: (575) 523-1200 or

lcctnm.org.

Raft the Rio Festival — The

Southwest Environmental Center’s

14th annual Raft Race and River

Festival is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Satur-

day, June 11, in Las Cruces. A

kids’ race starts at 10 a.m. and the

3-mile open race at 10:15 a.m. at

La Llorona Park on Picacho and

ends at the Calle de Norte(Mesilla) Bridge. Spectator admis-

sion is free. Information or regis-

tration: (575) 522-5552 or

wildmesquite.org.

Claude Bourbon — The fin-

ger-picking guitarist performs a

concert of medieval and Spanish

blues at 7 p.m. Monday, June 14,

in the Black Box Theatre, 430 N.

Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.

Tickets: $10 at the door. Informa-

tion/reservations: (575) 523-1223.

Southern New Mexico PrideFestival — The 201 Gay Pride

Month festival is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, June 18, at Pioneer

Women’s Park, 500 W. Las Cruces

Ave., in Las Cruces. This year’s

events include a walking parade,

Farmers’ Marking, speakers, danc-

ing, and a variety of vendors andinformational groups. Details to be

announced. Information: southern-

nmpride.org.

‘25th Annual Putnam

County Spelling Bee’ — No

Strings Theatre presents the musi-

cal comedy by William Finn and

Rachel Sheinkin June 24-July 10,at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N.

Downtown Mall, in Las Cruces.

Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays

and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sunday

July 3 and 10 and 7 p.m. Thursday,

July 7. Tickets: $10 ($9 students

and seniors over 65; $7 all seats

Thursday). Information/reserva-

tions: (575) 523-1223 or no-

strings.org.

Vans Warped Tour 2011 —

The 17th annual music and ex-

treme sports event is 11 a.m. to

dusk Wednesday, June 29, at the

NMSU Intramural Field (next to

Aggie Memorial Stadium), featur-ing multiple live music stages and

Several extreme sports and

lifestyle events and displays also

featured. Tickets: $34 in advance;

$36 day of show, plus service

charge. Information: (575) 646-

1420. Web: warpedtour.com.




DRILLS FOR SKILLS

If you only have a short time to

warm up before you go to the first

tee, here are two I always suggest:

Baseball to Golf Stand upright and

make a few practice swings asthough you were hitting a chest-

high pitch in baseball. Keeping the

motion continuous, slowly incline

your spine toward your normal

golf swing position until you’re

clipping the grass. Repeat five

times.

Superman Stretch Stand with both

arms stretched out in front of you.Reach under your left arm and curl

your right wrist behind your left

elbow. Keeping this relationship,

place your right palm on the right

side of your face.

Now, with your left arm straight,

bend from your hip joints into your

golf posture, just as if you were

about to make a swing. Make a

slow-motion backswing, swinging

an imaginary club to the top of

your swing. Hold for 30 seconds,then reverse for other side.

DON’T MISS IT

For better balanceThe importance of balance in a repeat-

able golf swing is fundamental to your

golf game. Many golfers are unaware

of their weight distribution, and the

ProStance is designed to improve your

balance and your understanding of it

during your practice sessions. This sim-

ple device can also be used to work on

your putting.

ProStance is available from the U.K. atwww.pro-stance.com for 75.99 pounds

or about $123, delivery included.

ASK THE PRO

Q: What should I be aiming at onthe long first hole at my club? It’swide open, but I can’t find the fair-

way. — L.F.A: The first tee shot is often awide-open drive, but this tip ap-

plies to any time you have a driver in your hand: Choose both a direc-tion and a destination, i.e., a spe-cific landing area for your tee ball.For the direction, aim at somethingon the line you want your ball tofly on. It might be a mound, a tree

in the background or even a cloudin the sky. For the destination, pick a tire track or a discolored patch of

grass in the section of the fairwayyou want to play your next shotfrom. Once you have the picture of your shot going to a specific tar-get, simply focus on making solidcontact with the back of the ball.(To Ask the Pro a question about

golf, e-mail him at:[email protected].)

The Superman Stretch can bedone kneeling down or standingup.

Top two quickwarm-up drills

BIRDIES AND BOGEYS

Lay up or go?David Toms lost the Players Championship twoweeks ago when he went for the green in two on the

par-5 16th hole and instead found the water. At the

time, he was leading by one stroke.

Most pundits talk about the dangers of playing pre-

vent defense on the PGA Tour, a strategy designed

to protect a lead, but a player has to know his

strengths and weaknesses and play to his strengths.

Toms is a deadly wedge player and a cutter of the

ball, but he’s not a power player. If he misses the cen-ter of the clubface, the ball will be very short of target, unlike power

players who can miss it and still clear the trouble. In Toms’ case, laying

up was the aggressive play, not a prevent defense mistake. Going for it

was the stupid play.

How good a wedge player is he? Toms holed an 85-yard lay-up for an

eagle on the par-5 11th, stoking him to victory in last week’s Colonial

Invitational. And his opening two rounds were 62, 62 — yikes!

C a r y n L e v y / P G A T O U R

Toms

GOLF SPOKEN HEREA term that describes theshaft of a golf club when it isat the top of the backswingand facing toward the right ofthe target (for right-handedgolfers). The tendency is toslice the ball from this posi-tion.




ACROSS1 Prison terms5 Zither ancestor

9 Nice heads14 Woodwind15 Human rights org.16 Banish17 Speech difficulty18 Pushkin novel

20 Latvian21 Attempt22 Like some books

23 Type size25 Handle26 Quarriers30 Short logos33 Scottish headgear34 Showed more than once

35 Winds around37 Further along39 California jurist40 Roman underworld41 Unearned remunera-tion42 Lively dance44 Soak, as flax45 And the rest: abbr.46 Cosmetic ointments48 Dull sound50 Insect eggs51 More testy54 Take the lion’s share56 Verdi opera

59 Pompous cartooncharacter61 Secular62 Thin hot cereal63 Russian range64 Concerning65 Prophets66 Second hand67 Makes inquiry

DOWN1 Parker House, per-haps2 Lover of Irish Rose3 Deferral

4 One kind of system5 Synthetic material6 Acidic

7 Bacchanalia8 Caddoan Indian9 Beyond childhood10 Acquitter11 Old rifle’s steel pin

12 Literary pen name13 Transmit19 Sisters24 Miss Muffet’s diet item25 Tom or Matthew26 Cut27 Western lake resort28 Camera stand29 American portraitist31 Natives of Pohnpei32 Skidder35 Raccoon relative36 Kennedy visitants38 Salesman of sorts43 High muck-a-muck

46 Rein in47 Roma’s country49 ___ Angels51 Hosp. tests52 French artist53 Adhesive substance54 Hawaiian seaport55 Khayyam57 Dagger

58 They top kings60 Order companion




By Mary Shedden

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

merican consumers areon an eternal quest for digestive wellness. Need

proof that we’re a cul-ture obsessed with being

egular? More than 150 different

commercial food products intro-duced in 2007 were enhanced withelly-friendly probiotics. The live,active” bacteria, designed to help

digestion, were responsible for morehan $100 million in annual sales for ust one small piece of that massive

crop: Dannon’s Activia yogurt.That doesn’t mean everyone who

s feeling a little “off” should rush tochow down on a probiotic smoothieor cereal bar. Despite a growingublic awareness of the value of live

cultures in the diet, probiotics arestill relatively new and remain under he microscope.“It’s hit or miss. Some people see

a big difference after using probioticroducts, some not at all,” says Bob

Greene, a nationally known nutri-ionist and creator of The Best LifeDiet. He says the still-inconclusiveesearch is why he has delayed en-

dorsing any products enhanced withrobiotics.At best, probiotics are harmless

additions to a diet, improving one’sdigestive tract and general wellness.Some research shows they can im-

prove the health of people dealingith diarrhea, irritable bowel syn-

drome and urinary tract infections.There are risks, however. Probi-

otics come in many species andstrains and are designed to treat aspecific condition. That means pro-biotics might not help and, in somecases, can produce uncomfortable

side effects such as bloating and gas.Few consumers realize that the

bacteria and yeast that are probioticsare designed to treat specific healthconcerns, says Patricia Raymond, a

board-certified gastroenterologist inVirginia.

“I don’t believe you should take

things to just take them,” Raymondsays. “Ask: Do you really need totake it?”

The people likely to benefit mostfrom priobiotics aren’t those suffer-ing from run-of-the-mill constipa-tion, Raymond says. It’s the peoplewho develop diarrhea as a result of taking antibiotics, were hospitalizedrecently or traveled recently to

places where they may have pickedup some funky bacteria.

Mary Ellen Sanders, a probioticfood consultant and executive direc-tor of the International Scientific As-sociation for Probiotics andPrebiotics, says she has seen devel-opers pushing products that rangefrom relish to pizza.

U.S. Food and DrugAdministration guidelines

prohibit the use of the probiotic label on a commer-cial food or supplementunless there is some clini-cal proof of a health benefit,Sanders says. However, there islittle evidence that the FDA en-forces the rule.

Natasha Trenev, a longtime probi-otics advocate and founder of sup- plement company Natren Inc., saysshe’s “horrified” by all the new

products claiming to contain probi-otics. It’s more marketing ploy thannutritional science, she says.

“You can say virtually anything because the public is generally igno-

rant,” she says.Experts urge consumers to

read up on the science be-hind a certain prod-uct, or ask a doctor or pharmacist tohelp you learnmore.

Com- panies promot-ing pro-

biotic productsshould be able to

provide you with theclinical studies that sup-

port their claims.

If not, be skeptical.

Mary Shedden is a staff writer for TheTampa Tribune in

Florida.

Are probiotics the cure for what ails you?

beneficial bacteria

MGNS PHOTO

Probiotics are a trendy new food additive that can be found in products like yogurt, cereal and

ice cream.



Documents

My Mature Times - June 2011