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HINTS FROM HELOISE: Grandpa’s solution will help garden grow marvelously

Lifestyles

DEAR HELOISE: There’s an old recipe that my great grandfather used to use in his garden, and it made everything grow quickly and in abundance. It was lost for a long time, but we found the recipe in an old book that he once owned. I used it for the first time this past year, and my vegetable garden has never looked healthier or given me such a large yield of tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots. It’s very simple and cost less than $2 to make. Get 1 packet of baking yeast. Mix it into a large bucket of very warm water. Stir well. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir. Let it sit for 2 ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

Lifestyles

All things considered, there is practically no such thing as a blind guess in bridge, for there is nearly always some clue a zealous player can uncover. Some of the clues he might lean on are, admittedly, very thin, but they are better than no clue at all. Take this deal from the Canada-France match in the 1968 World Bridge Olympiad. When the French held the North-South cards, they reached three notrump as shown, and West led the six of hearts. East took the ace and returned the jack, South (Gerard Bourchtoff) contributing the four and West the eight. East continued with the five, West ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Diseases of liver differ in symptoms

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on primary sclerosing cholangitis. What is the difference between this condition and primary biliary cholangitis? Where can I find information on how to get on a waiting list for a liver transplant? — C.V. ANSWER: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are similar in some ways. They are both chronic and progressive liver diseases, whose initial symptoms can be vague (such as fatigue or skin itching) and can be found incidentally on laboratory testing. They are both largely thought to be autoimmune ...

DEAR ANNIE: Missing the sisterhood beneath the scorekeeping

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: My sister and I grew up sharing everything: clothes, secrets, bedrooms, even blame when one of us broke something in the house. For most of my life, she was my first phone call and my safest place to land. But in the last few years, something has changed. Every conversation with her has started to feel like a contest I never agreed to enter. Last month, my son came home thrilled because he made the travel lacrosse team after months of practicing in the driveway until dark. I was so proud of him that I mentioned it at Sunday dinner. Before I even finished my sentence, my ...

FOR YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Alzheimer’s drug from Cuba looks promising

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read about a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease called NeuralCIM from Cuba. Do you think this is real? — J.B. ANSWER: NeuralCIM, aka NeuroEPO, is derived from erythropoietin — the hormone that stimulates red blood cell precursors to make more blood cells. However, this intranasal form doesn’t stimulate blood cells; it does act like a similar hormone that is made by astrocytes, which are some of the “support cells” of brain tissue. Among the activities of NeuralEPO in the brain are decreasing amyloid deposits; reducing programmed cell death ...