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Lifestyles

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Food can be healthy without high level of proteins

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know this maybe an ignorant question, but what exactly constitutes protein? I know that it naturally comes from livestock and their byproducts. But one can find diverse categories — such as cereals, pasta, sweet/salty snacks, and even soda pop — with “protein” displayed on the packaging. What’s up with that? — E.M. ANSWER: I’m sure that many people have the same question. There are three major macronutrients (molecules for us to get the calories that we need for all of our activities), and most foods contain some amount of all three macronutrients. ...

The pesky pollinator

As temperatures climb and we approach the midpoint of summer, gardens throughout the Mahoning Valley are buzzing with activity. However, there is one type of species buzzing around, the Xylocopa Virginica, more commonly referred to as the carpenter bee, which homeowners have mixed feelings about. Arriving in April to early May, carpenter bees are welcome visitors in our gardens for their pollinating purposes, but can become unwelcomed guests when the females begin to bore holes into wooden structures to build their nests. Carpenter bees resemble and are often mistaken for bumblebees. ...

Storm-battered oaks face second threat

In the wake of recent severe storms in Canfield, Boardman and elsewhere, homeowners are busy clearing debris and assessing broken branches. However, university researchers warn that for oak trees, the most significant danger may not have been the wind itself, but a silent, fungal killer waiting for an invitation. Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum, is a devastating disease that clogs a tree’s vascular system. Once infected, the tree’s water-conducting vessels — the xylem — become blocked by fungal mycelium and the tree's own defensive structures called tyloses. ...

Calendar

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...

DEAR ANNIE: Americans in Italy aren’t looking to cause stir

DEAR ANNIE: My wife and I are Americans living in a small village in Italy, in an area popular with tourists. Recently, I contacted my sister and her husband from the states and expressed our interest in having them visit us and stay at our house, since we haven’t seen them for many years. We’re all retired, they easily have the means to make the trip, and our house has plenty of room. Her reply caught me unprepared. She said that they were expected by their church to do a mission outside the U.S. and, based on my invitation, they were requesting Italy as an assignment. I am a ...