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  • Pharmacist on call

    Is Red Bull safe for kids?

    Caffeine-laden products not without some risks

    By Richard Harkness

    Question: My teenage son and his buddies are into energy drinks like Red Bull. How do they work? Are they safe?

Charles Bertram | Staff

Meet the Fru-gal

New Herald-Leader columnist will be free with shopping hints

Deborah Morris does not want to hear your wailing and gnashing of teeth about which gas station has petrol for 3 cents cheaper on the gallon. If you're not using your coupons and rebates and drugstore saver clubs, she figures you've already wasted far greater savings.

    • The social seen

      Revelry a sure bet

      For many, Derby Eve parties are the big events, even days later

      By Howard M. Snyder

      Pitch a tent, invite 1,500 or so of your friends, and voilà: Derby party. That's the way Bill Morgan has been doing it since 1972. But it didn't start out quite so big.

    • The Diet Detective

      How what goes in comes out

      By Charles Platkin

      Warning: If you have an aversion to your body's waste, don't read any further.

    • Makeup tips for sunny seasons

      By Amy Wilson and Harriett Hendren

      It's a brave girl who will let herself be photographed without makeup. Yet three already beautiful teenagers (and members of the Herald-Leader Teen Board) agreed to give their faces a good scrub at 7 a.m. and show up ready to face the cameras.

    • Commentary

      Democratic party must win black vote or it'll lose big

      Merlene Davis

      Several news agencies are wondering aloud whether last week's Pennsylvania primary was a harbinger of the demise of the Democratic Party if Sen. Barack Obama were to be its presidential nominee.

    • Commentary

      Hair clippings clean up oil spills

      Merlene Davis

      Susan Burgess Laux looks ”normal.“

    • The Diet Detective

      Comfort food can be low-cal

      Charles Platkin

      The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded ”R“ word — it's stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about comfort foods? Unfortunately most comfort foods are notoriously high in calories. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie comfort food recipes.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Ad campaign revives tanning bed safety debate

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I recently heard that tanning beds might be safer than previously thought and that they promote health by stimulating vitamin D production. Can you comment?

    • Geraldine Ferraro seems so bitter

      Her outspokenness has gone too far

      By Merlene Davis

      I was so proud to be a woman in 1984, when ­Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Grapefruit can affect estrogen dosage

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I read your column on grapefruit-drug interactions, and this was the first time I’ve heard about an interaction with estrogen. I take Activella. What are the effects on this drug?

    • Beach bound?

      By Jan Jarvis

      That translates into eating healthful low-cal meals, doing cardio five days a week along with strength training for three days, and staying focused, said Cynthia Knapen, an Arlington, Texas, personal trainer accredited with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

    • Film festival is for, by and about women

      By Merlene Davis

      For those of us short on attention spans but long on intentions, the Lexington Public Library downtown is where we should be on Saturday evening.

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Continued use of Vytorin should be OK

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: After reading about problems with Vytorin, is it safe to take, or is it true that this drug might cause a stroke?

    • commentary

      Need to dig, but have no soil to turn?

      Community gardens may just do the trick

      Merlene Davis

      Something comes over me in the spring that compels me to dig in dirt and to plant and transplant things and throw mulch wherever I can.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Certain foods, niacin can raise HDL level

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: My cholesterol numbers: total cholesterol, 125; LDL, 69; HDL, 32; and triglycerides, 119. My liver enzymes have been slightly high for years, and I recently was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Is there a safe, effective way to increase my HDL through specific foods or ­supplements?

    • Make your own Derby button (PDF)

      Political campaigns, with all the talk of front-runners and favorites, are in full swing as the best of the thoroughbred world charges into Kentucky for the Derby. Create your own politically-themed Kentucky Derby button (click here for details).

    • Fifth-graders interpret an American classic

      By Amy Wilson

      A policeman and a kid in a diner having a chat. Tell people it's called The Runaway.Lots of ideas come to mind if you've just got that to go on. But put on the red knapsack nearby and figure it's 1958 and you'll know that you are seeing this cop and this kid and this diner through the bespectacled eyes of American artist Norman Rockwell.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Steroids come in different forms

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: My doctor prescribed pills for an allergic reaction. Afterwards, I found out they were steroids. With all the news about athletes taking steroids and the harm they can cause, should I be worried? I only took them for seven days.

    • A necessity for women in need

      By Amy Wilson

      Twice a year, women who might not be able to afford it otherwise are invited to have mammograms and Pap tests done by the professionals at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. » More in Health | Family

    • Diabetes isn't an inevitable destiny

      It seems to be all over, but you can prevent it

      By Merlene Davis

      Before I started elementary school, my mother worked part-time as a domestic, cooking and cleaning for rich folk, as we called them.

    • Classifying your talented child

      Understanding the system for gifted students

      By Mary Meehan

      Even the most well-intentioned parents can have a hard time understanding how school systems work. To help, we are answering some often-asked questions. This is our second installment. For information about the previous topic and to suggest a topic for us to write about in the future, go to our new Web site, www.bluegrassmoms.com.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Issues and benefits of using statin drugs

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: My husband, who is 69, was taking a statin drug to lower his cholesterol but had to discontinue it because of muscle pains. I know other people who have experienced similar problems. How ­common is this?

    • Man vs. mess

      Author tells guys: Housekeeping is easier than you think, and it might help your love life

      By Cheryl Truman

      Guys, we have a few words for you: Man up and grab yourself a feather duster.

    • Breast cancer study needs sisters

      Merlene Davis

      The bad news is that the Sister Study, which is seeking 50,000 sisters of women who have had breast cancer, is still looking for participants.

    • Inventive mom builds a better bib

      DaBib designed to keep kids and clothes cleaner

      By Kyveli Diener

      SAN MATEO, Calif. — Shea Kelly is raising two fast-growing babies. One is her 26-month-old daughter, Marissa, the focal point of Kelly's life since her adoption in January 2006. The other is Chez Shea Baby LLC, her baby-products company responsible for what she hopes is the next big thing in baby bibs, DaBib.

    • Do you have these common symptoms?

      First of all, don't worry; second of all, enjoy the day

      By Avril F. Day

      In what some are calling an important breakthrough, scientists studying historical research have noted several quizzical physical symptoms in human beings that might lead to a widespread diagnosis for many Americans.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Younger folks can get shingles shot

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I'm 48 and recently had shingles. My doctor says she's seeing more cases of shingles in younger adults. Many of my friends had shingles or had a close friend or relative in their age group (40s to early 50s) who had it.

    • Author Sharon Draper says her books address teens' concerns

      By Mary Meehan | mmeehan1@herald-leader.com

      Peer pressure, first love, suicide, drinking and driving, and the power of friends and family are all topics addressed in books by Sharon M. Draper.

    • The Commando's guide to safety

      Krav Maga teaches protection, not fighting, and how to win with wits

      By Cheryl Truman

      One compelling testimony to the power of Krav Maga is that the Kentucky State Police uses it for self-defense training. It figures, when it's a call between an endangered trooper and possible injury or death, the Israeli-developed martial art is a potent weapon.

    • There's help for grandparents raising grandkids

      Conference gives grandparents a boost

      By Merlene Davis

      Melinda Earlywine, a real estate agent in Lawrenceburg, has another title: grandmother with permanent custody of her 6-year-old grandson, Jacob.

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Web pharmacies carry risk of mix-ups

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I hope readers heed your warnings about online prescriptions. There also are risks even from well-known Web pharmacies. I had my Lipitor prescription filled and delivered to my home for about 18 months. Twice, I received someone else's order. The first time it was three bottles of prenatal vitamins; the second was phenobarbital for a dog. Now I stand in line at the local drugstore and check the label before I pay. Can you comment?

    • 'Til debt do you part

      Misunderstandings about money have torn apart many a marriage

      By Mary Meehan

      As wedding season descends upon those gleefully in love, happy couples ruminate endlessly about color schemes and flower choices.

    • Small church sponors Spelman Glee Club concert

      By Merlene Davis

      Having a small Catholic church hosting a nationally recognized glee club on Palm Sunday in Lexington isn't as mind-boggling as it might seem.

    • Radio host: Talk frankly before ceremony

      By Mary Meehan

      Talk-show host and financial adviser Dave Ramsey is pretty clear about marriage and money.

    • Take a walk in the sunshine to chase your winter blues

      Natural light can ease SAD symptoms

      By Julie Deardorff

      In the haunting 1959 short story All Summer in a Day by science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury, Margot lives on oppressively rainy Venus, where the sun appears just once every seven years.

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Getting Zostavax isn't as easy as it could be

      By Richard Harkness

      Readers have reported difficulties finding a clinic that would administer Zostavax, the vaccine aimed at preventing shingles in people 60 and older. In a previous column, I asked readers to relate their experiences trying to run down the shot. That struck a chord, and the mailbox filled up.

    • Chicago hotel pays its housekeepers for ratting on smokers

      By Louis R. Carlozo

      Ever since she was a girl in the Robert Taylor Homes, Linda Davis has hated cigarette smoke.

    • Girls' gift guide

      Here's some shopping help, from a teen's perspective

      Dear Great-Aunt Phyllis,

      I love you and your always thoughtful attention to my holiday gift.

    • Holiday place mat

      Turkey trivia, the first feast, kids' table rules and more.
      • Download the Holiday place mat
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